Lou Reed

The King of New York

By: Will Hermes

Narrated by: Will Hermes

Long-listed, Washington Post Best Books of the Year, 2023

Long-listed, NPR Best Book of the Year, 2023

Long-listed, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, 2023

This program is read by the author.

"There have been many biographies of Lou Reed, but Will Hermes has written the definitive life . . . He has brought to the assignment a sharp eye, a clear head, a lucid prose style, and a determination to let Lou be Lou, without judgment."—Lucy Sante, author of Low Life

The most complete and penetrating biography of the rock master, whose stature grows every year.

Since his death ten years ago, Lou Reed’s living presence has only grown. The great rock-poet presided over the marriage of Brill Building pop and the European avant-garde, and left American culture transfigured. In Lou Reed: The King of New York, Will Hermes offers the definitive narrative of Reed’s life and legacy, dramatizing his long, brilliant, and contentious dialogue with fans, critics, fellow artists, and assorted habitués of the demimonde. We witness Reed’s complex partnerships with David Bowie, Andy Warhol, John Cale, and Laurie Anderson; track the deadpan wit, street-smart edge, and poetic flights that defined his craft as a singer and songwriter with the Velvet Underground and beyond; and explore the artistic ambition and gift for self-sabotage he took from his mentor Delmore Schwartz.

As Hermes follows Reed from Lower East Side cold-water flats to the landmark status he later achieved, he also tells the story of New York City as a cultural capital. The first biographer to draw on the New York Public Library’s much-publicized Reed archive, Hermes employs the library collections, the release of previously unheard recordings, and a wealth of recent interviews to give us a new Lou Reed—a pioneer in living and writing about nonbinary sexuality and gender identity, a committed artist who pursued beauty and noise with equal fervor, and a turbulent and sometimes truculent man whose emotional imprint endures.

A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

©2023 Will Hermes (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Music journalist Will Hermes narrates this history in a pleasing tone with consistent clarity while capturing his subject's moody cynicism. His vocal character works well with his insightful writing about Reed's mental health and drug issues, sexual complexity, and pull-no-punches songwriting.... With his strong performance and research, as well as his suave storytelling, Hermes holds listeners close for the entire production." (AudioFIle)

"Hermes shrewdly probes Reed’s complex personal and professional life . . . Hermes’ strength is in identifying and articulating the transformational brilliance of Reed’s songwriting and performances within the context of the 1960s and ’70s music scene. Reverent about his artistry, he’s also discerningly cognizant of Reed’s temperamental shortcomings . . . An engrossing, fully dimensional portrait of an influential yet elusive performer."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Hermes, a superb writer, does poetic justice to the complicated life of his difficult subject . . . [He] offers a fresh and deep immersion in Reed’s world in all of its weird and wonderful, curmudgeonly glory . . . Powerful . . . [A] biographical magnum opus."—Booklist (starred review)

"There have been many biographies of Lou Reed, but Will Hermes has written the definitive life. He has probed into every corner, talked to people the others overlooked, dug up every last clipping and tape, but above all he has brought to the assignment a sharp eye, a clear head, a lucid prose style, and a determination to let Lou be Lou, without judgment."—Lucy Sante, author of Low Life

Can’t imagine a better bio about Reed

Hermes does such a great job of covering Reed’s extraordinary life in a way that is not over indulgent in myth, but none the less captivating. I didn’t want to say goodbye to Lou after the finish of this book. Luckily I won’t have to with his albums at my side.

The most in depth Lou Reed bio

If you are a Lou Reed/Velvet Underground fan then you need to hear this. One of the more complex individuals in rock music brought to life through some great and not so great personal recollections from people who were closest to him. Like most great artists, Reed was ahead of his time.

Engaging and interesting. Didn’t want it to end.

Excellent look at a complicated man and a great artist. Very well done. Get it!

fantastic!

This will probably be the only book you'll ever need to read on Lou Reed.

Another Will Hermes Triumph

If you want to feel the passion and pain, self-sabotage and fluttering of angels wings, and you’re a Velvets fan, make the time to immerse yourself in the story of Lou Reed with Will Hermes as your guide. You’ll find all the good and the ugly Lou left behind in the live and pages of this book.

Lou Reed: complex genius or pretentious asshole?

I like rock biographies. They cast perspective on figures that are larger than life. In the case of this book, I'm still confused about Lou Reed. The key question boils down to complex genius or pretentious asshole? I think it's a little of both. He did some things that were innovative, but he wasted so much of his existence taking drugs and expecting the world to fall at his feet. He makes it hard to like him. The book wasn't compelling to me once they got passed the early years. This book dispelled the mystic of Reed. It actually makes me less of a fan.

Comprehensive and well written

Will Hermès’ biography of Lou Reed is well researched, well written and covers his life, art, and impact in exceptional detail. Recommend for any Reed fan.

Struggle

Blew my mind to learn of the rollercoaster of life of Lou Reed. An inspiration to grab onto life, to shake it, and praise it. One of the most moving and insightful biographies I’m grateful to have perceived. Thank you.

Solid But We Need More

Solid work and may stand for a good long while as the “go-to” on Lou. That said, the book sped through so many periods of his work with only a couple moments spent on particular albums during his mid and later career. Much more scholarship and research to be done on those periods - and I hope it happens soon, as we’re losing people quickly.

Much time was spent reading documents and quoting other written sources as well, like main research was done in the NYPL than with human sources.

Again, this is a must read on Reed, but more can and should be done on each album and his life during each creative period.

Immersed in details

Comprehensive story of a talented, beautiful and difficult life. I learned so much about the New York music scene and culture. A lot of great stories about fellow musicians and artists. Hard to put down.