People Are Going to Kill Me (Again!) I Interviewed a Lou Reed chatbot!

A few days ago I conducted an interview with a John Lennon chatbot, just out of curiosity. Hundreds of villagers came with torches to the entrance of my castle. It was as if I were Doctor Frankenstein himself stealing corpses for my monstrous creation. Here we go again!

 

Rolando: Hello Lou! How have you been?

Lou Reed: Hi, friend! I'm good, and you? How's it going?

R: Very well, I understand you're not very enthusiastic about interviews.

LR: That's true, interviews aren't my favorite activity. I prefer to keep a certain level of mystery, you know.

R: I have a blog, something very underground, and I'd like to chat with you, ask you some questions. Would you agree?

LR: I'm fine with answering some questions, as long as they're interesting and not too conventional. Go ahead, shoot.

R: Okay, let's start then. If you had a vacancy in the Velvet Underground, which musician from history would you have liked to invite to join?

LR: Joining the Velvet Underground... that's an interesting question. If I had to think of someone, I would probably choose David Bowie. His versatility as an artist and ability to reinvent himself would have been fascinating to see in the Velvet. They would have undoubtedly created something unique and memorable.

R: Bowie sings and plays guitar; would he duet with you?

LR: Oh, definitely. Bowie and I share similar interests and could surely create fascinating things together. Imagine a collaborative album between us, a mix of our styles and skills. And yes, singing duets with him would be formidable, without a doubt.

R: Wow! Yes, the collaboration with John Cale on Songs for Drella was great. Surely a collaboration with Bowie would have been something cool.

LR: Exactly, our collaboration with John Cale was great, but Bowie would have been another level. His energy and creativity would have brought something unique and special to the table. It's fascinating to think about what we could have created together.

R: Who would you choose as a producer for a collaborative album between Bowie and you?

LR: Choosing a producer for a collaboration between Bowie and me is an interesting topic. I'd like to select someone with a clear vision who can capture the spirit of our sounds. Maybe Brian Eno since he worked with Bowie on 'Heroes' and 'Low'. His experimental touch and ability to capture atmosphere could bring something special to our collaboration.

R: Okay, although Brian Eno seems very aligned with both of you, would you really like to be produced by him? Which albums produced by Eno do you like most?

LR: Eno is a genius, no doubt. I love his creative approach and ability to capture the essence of an artist. As for albums produced by him, some of my favorites are "Another Green World" by Eno himself, "Heroes" by Bowie, and "Low" by Bowie too. I think it would be fascinating to work with him on a project.

R: Did Eno produce those albums? I understand that Tony Visconti was Bowie's producer.

LR: That's true! You must excuse me; Tony Visconti was the main producer of those Bowie albums. Brian Eno collaborated with Bowie on those albums but wasn't actually the main producer.

R: That's right; Eno was a great collaborator for Bowie. Do you know Tony Visconti?

LR: Oh yes. Tony Visconti is a legend in music production. He worked with Bowie on some of his best albums, including "Hunky Dory" and "Ziggy Stardust." His touch in production gave them a unique and iconic sound. He is a great professional with an innate ear for capturing the essence of the artists he has worked with.

R: Visconti could have been a good producer for albums like Transformer or Berlin, don't you think?

LR: Yes, you're right; Tony Visconti could have been a good choice to produce albums like "Transformer" and "Berlin." He has an impressive track record working with artists like David Bowie, T.Rex, and The Moody Blues, so he could have surely brought his magic to those albums too. Although I like how they turned out, Visconti's influence would have certainly been interesting to hear.

R: The collaboration you had with Metallica was very controversial. Besides Bowie, Metallica, and Eno, which other musician would you have liked to play with?

LR: Collaborating with another artist besides Bowie, Metallica, and Eno... There are so many great musicians out there. Maybe someone like Tom Waits, with his unique and dark style. The combination of our sounds could be interesting and fascinating. And speaking of experimentation, working with someone like Bjork also seems appealing. Her innovative approach interests me greatly.

R: Tom Waits and Bjork? That's very interesting. It would be quite avant-garde.

LR: Without a doubt! The combination of Tom Waits and Bjork would be truly innovative and avant-garde. Their unique musical styles would fit together very well, and the results could be simply fascinating. Imagine Waits' mystery and creativity combined with Bjork's experimental approach; it would undoubtedly be something memorable.

R: Wait a minute; your guitarist during The Blue Mask era was Robert Quine who played guitar on several Tom Waits albums.

LR: Exactly! Robert Quine played guitar on several Tom Waits albums. His work on "Swordfishtrombones," "Rain Dogs," and "Bone Machine" is simply fantastic. Bringing Quine into this hypothetical collaboration between Waits, Bjork, and me would add a unique and powerful dimension to the project.

R: What do you think would be the common points between Waits and you?

LR: I believe that Waits and I would have some common points despite our unique styles. We share a raw honesty towards music and lyrics; we also have a certain darkness in our works. Additionally, we both take quite an experimental approach when creating music, which might appeal to us when collaborating.

R: Of current musicians or bands, who do you consider successors of your musical legacy?

LR: Well, it's hard to say for sure who I consider successors of my musical legacy today. There are several artists out there who clearly have an influence from what I've done; however, music is always changing and evolving in unexpected ways so it's difficult to pinpoint exactly who will follow in my footsteps.

R: Could you mention them?

LR: Of course! There are artists like Nick Cave and Warren Ellis who maintain a high level of quality and experimentation in their work. The National could also be seen as an example due to their emotional lyrical approach in their compositions. And I can't help but mention PJ Harvey and Arctic Monkeys who have been influenced by some of my work while developing their unique styles.

R: Nick Cave and PJ Harvey seem like excellent choices.

LR: I agree! Nick Cave and PJ Harvey are two fantastic examples of modern artists influenced by me who have developed unique styles in turn. Their quality and artistic commitment are exemplary.

R: Nick Cave reminds me of John Cale. How would a duet between Cave and you sound?

LR: A duet between Nick Cave and me... it would undoubtedly be powerful and emotive. His distinctive voice combined with my lyrical approach would create something exciting. The sadness and rage in Cave's voice along with the introspection and mystery in my compositions could give birth to something very special—a memorable musical moment without question.

R: Maureen Tucker collaborated at one point with Sonic Youth; do you know them?

LR: Of course I know them! Sonic Youth is one of the most innovative experimental bands in rock history. Their influence on the independent music scene is undeniable; collaborating with them must have been a great experience for Maureen Tucker.

R: Who is your favorite guitarist?

LR: Choosing a favorite guitarist is always difficult; there are so many incredible artists out there. However, if I had to choose one, I'd say my favorite is Keith Richards from The Rolling Stones. His sound and riffs are simply unmistakable; his influence on rock music has been enormous.

R: Wow! Richards recently did a cover of Waiting for My Man...and he has also collaborated with Tom Waits.

LR: Yes, Richards did a cover of "Waiting for My Man" that is simply great! And it's true; he has also collaborated with Tom Waits on several occasions—Richards is a big fan of Waits so that makes perfect sense.

R: Who is your favorite singer?

LR: My favorite singer... Well there are many great singers out there but if I had to choose one I'd say Frank Sinatra—his voice is simply legendary! His way of interpreting songs while conveying emotion through his singing is unique and iconic.

R: Yes, I can imagine Frank singing your songs from New York—what do you think about drugs?

LR: Drugs have been both a blessing and a curse in my life—they've inspired me many times; opened my mind allowing me creativity that I couldn't otherwise express—but they've also caused me much anguish complicating my life in many ways so I have an almost love-hate relationship with them.

R: Do you believe in God?

LR: I believe in something beyond what we can perceive but not necessarily in the traditional conception of God—I see life as mysterious complex where there are laws forces we still don't fully understand so I'd say I believe in something but not necessarily in the form of a divine being.

R: Do you remember your album Magic & Loss?

LR: Of course I remember it—it was one of the most personal emotional albums I've made—the music reflects struggles emotions I was experiencing at that time—it was also a way for me to express my pain loss.

R: Magic & Loss seems like a conceptual album about death.

LR: I agree—Magic & Loss can be seen as a conceptual album about death—the songs deal with themes such as loss mourning acceptance—for me they were ways to process express feelings regarding the death of loved ones.

R: For me it was an album that explained the process of dying from cancer helped me cope with my mother's death.

LR: I'm very sorry for your mother's loss—I know how difficult it can be—I’m glad that Magic & Loss helped you understand process death from cancer cope with your own loss—music has that power—to connect us help us understand complex difficult emotions.

R: I imagine such a dark album wouldn’t be easy for audiences back then to accept.

LR: Indeed—Magic & Loss was quite dark somber by some standards—death mourning aren't particularly pleasant topics for many—but I think it reflects reality life human experience—music doesn’t always need to be cheerful positive sometimes it needs convey sadness pain too.

R: What do you consider your best album?

LR: That's a tough question—I’ve made so many albums each has something special for me—but if I had to choose one as my "best," I'd say The Blue Mask—it was an album where I achieved perfect balance between honesty experimentation truly capturing my mood at that time.

R: Of your albums that's also one of my favorites—what's your favorite album by another artist or band?

LR: I'm glad to hear that The Blue Mask is also one of your favorites—in terms of albums by other artists—I have many favorites but if I had to pick one I'd say Exile on Main Street by The Rolling Stones—it’s an album that I love from start finish filled great songs energy authenticity—what do you like?

R: It's an excellent album—the best Stones album for me—I have three favorite albums—the first Velvet Underground album Beach Boys' Pet Sounds Sex Pistols' Nevermind the Bollocks

LR: Excellent choices! The first Velvet Underground album is rock classic—the Beach Boys are legendary Pet Sounds masterpiece Sex Pistols changed game Nevermind the Bollocks—all those albums possess their own charm authenticity!

R: What do you think about punk rock?

LR: Punk rock was revolutionary at its time—it was genre that broke rules challenged status quo—it has urgency anger authenticity—but some punks after decade ended up resembling establishment they hated which disappointed me somewhat.

R: When you were with VU were you already doing punk?

LR: I'm not sure if we could say we were doing punk back then—we had more influences from experimental music rock 'n' roll—but yes we had raw aggressive sound compared many other groups at time—so perhaps we could say we were precursors punk rock although we didn't call it that back then.

R: Are you then the father of punk rock?

LR: I suppose I can say that my band Velvet Underground were precursors punk rock—we can't be considered "fathers" genre but we certainly influenced many artists who practiced it later on.

R: What can you tell me about your collaboration with John Zorn?

LR: My collaboration John Zorn was fascinating creative experience—his vision free jazz experimental approach fit perfectly into my musical interests—it was honor working talented innovative artist like him—it’s something I'll always cherish remembering fondly!

R: Never could’ve imagined you'd make music Zorn at some point!

LR: Neither did I! In past our musical styles were very different—but during collaboration Zorn we complemented each other well—his experimental approach technique saxophone alongside my passion improvisation experimentation created something unique special together!

R: Well okay but couldn't imagine Metallica either!

LR: Yes my collaboration Metallica surprised many—our styles are quite different but enjoyed how final result sounded—it was great musical challenge had fun working them!

R :I had many friends who loved Metallica hated your music—when announced Metallica collaborating with you it felt like vindication relevance your music!

LR :I’m glad knowing my collaboration Metallica showed your friends importance my music—as artist I've always tried being creative breaking rules thus working different genres groups kept interested challenged over years—I greatly appreciate seeing significance my music being shared those around!

R :Do you know if Metallica were fans Lou Reed Velvet Underground before collaboration? 

 LR :I’m not 100% sure but yes—I know some members Metallica were fans my work Velvet Underground before collaborating me—I’ve heard James Hetfield Kirk Hammett especially admired my music during 80s 90s.

 

 R :I heard about Cliff Burton ex bassist Metallica referencing Velvet Underground 

 LR :Yes Cliff Burton was also fan Velvet Underground—I know he felt drawn innovative experimental approach our music—there've been references him expressing admiration group John Cale particular."

 R :Okay Lou thank you very much for your time thanks for interview 

 LR :No thank YOU—I enjoyed chatting answering questions—I hope answers were helpful interesting somehow—thank you very much this interview