A live rendition of Walk on the Wild Side from Lou Reed at Farm Aid 1985 has been praised as a “killer” version of the song.
Reed took to the stage at the benefit with a version of the Transformer hit that was described by fans as “genius”. The Velvet Underground member broke off from the group and released some all-time great pieces of work as a solo artist, and his performance in Champaign, Illinois, for the Farm Aid benefit still draws praise today. An upload of the performance to YouTube has seen fans of Reed hail him as one of the greats, and that this performance cements that artistry. One person wrote: “Lou Reed… he’s genius.” Others focused on the live version itself, with plenty of praise for the veteran performer and his reimagined version of Walk on the Wild Side at Farm Aid 1985.
One fan wrote: “I just love how this live version sounds – it’s so different to the original song. Whereas the original was calming (in a weird way), this performance is FILLED with enthusiasm. I can’t help but come here every time after I hear the original.”
Another added: “Killer performance. And wow never seen Lou like this. He seems so animated and fun here.” A third agreed, adding: “Was there. Had a strong feeling I weas witnessing a historical moment during Reed’s performance.”
Others called for this version of the song to be released on streaming platforms. One person wrote: “Why is this version not on iTunes… this is the version and enthusiasm in the song I remember growing up. Not the horrible quiet version they must have re-recorded.”
Another added: “This has gotta be the best live performance from Lou ever, absolutely fantastic.” A third wrote: “Although I prefer the calmer studio version, I really enjoy how differently Lou could perform the same songs.”
Reed did not always receive acclaim, though, with his Metallica collaboration, Lulu, still splitting fans to this day. A post to the r/VelvetUnderground subreddit saw one user ask: “Why is Lulu so hated? I’ve not always been a very big fan of Metallica, but I love the VU and Lou Reed.
“Because of this, and its bad reputation, I’ve never got around to listening to Lulu. But, I finally listened to it the other day, and I thought it was pretty good. Sure, the lyrics were kind of clunky at times, and it didn’t necessarily blow my mind in the same way as some of Lou’s other works, but overall, it was an enjoyable experience. So what makes Lulu so hated by so many?
Fans are still split on the album, though one user believed the divisive nature of the last album was a “fitting” end to Reed’s career. They wrote: “I always find it fitting that his last album was so divisive.”
Another added: “Imagine you make an arthouse movie, a real fucked up one, say Saló. Now imagine you put it on Disney Channel. What do you think the reaction is gonna be like?” A third wrote: “I love the album. It’s a Lou Reed album. That’s what makes Metalica fans angry. For me, it’s one of the best Lou Reed albums.”
Others found the split between Metallica and Reed fans hilarious, with one writing: “I love the album too, it’s very popular in certain circles, Wire Magazine rated it highly at the time and I always thought it was far more fun than an album by either had been in ages and I enjoyed them both since childhood. Ripe for reappraisal!”
Another added: “Lou’s records take years to reach larger audiences, years or decades. I still think that someday, Lulu will be better appreciated. In a few more decades. Maybe.” A third wrote: “I think you possibly need a sense of the absurd in music to get it too. I remember memes of ‘I Am The Table!’ going around at the time.” You can watch Lou Reed perform Walk on the Wild Side at Farm Aid below.
