R.I.P. Lou Reed

He was, for better and worse, an amazingly influential artist.

He definitely inspired a lot of the 70s artists who wanted to play with the idea that momentum was the key to r'n'r rhythm. Reed abstracted that into a laconic simmer that resonated with everyone from Brian Eno/Roxy and the prog guys that followed them to David Byrne and many, many more.

As Hodu noted, his catalog included a lot of questionable choices but also a lot of fantastic music. His first solo record remains a personal favorite. As Airegin noted, he consumed a lot of heroin over the years and that had to take a toll. I can't say that his stuff has been in regular rotation at my home recently, but I still hear echoes of his work in so much of the music that I do enjoy these days.

Marty

Red wine vinegar is produced by the metabolization of alcohol to vinegar. There may be trace amounts of residual alcohol remaining (also true of many other products), but to suggest that a restaurant needs to announce that as alcoholic is a bit of a stretch. Do retaurants need to describe the vanilla ice cream as alcoholic if it includes vanilla extract? Give the place a break.

I'm hoping that Lou Reed misunderstood what the product is. (Maybe his server should have explained! ;-). He had a serious liver condition and a history of substance abuse, so I understand the sensitivity to consuming alcohol, but - even tho I'm not an MD - I'm guessing that the salad dressing wasn't going to be an issue for him.

A microwave dinner is okay by me if there's nothing else to eat.