The complete lyrics from one of the defining artists in Rock n' Roll, this collections spans Lou Reed's days with the epic Velvet Underground and his solo career. Containing a body of work that spans five decades, "Pass Thru Fire" is a stunning gathering of the lyrics of an American original. Through his many incarnations, from proto punk to glam rocker to elder statesman of the avant-garde, Lou Reed's work has maintained an undeniable vividness, fueled by precise character studies and rendered with an admirable shot of moral ambiguity. Beginning with his formative days in the "Velvet Underground" and continuing through his remarkable solo career-albums like "Transformer", "Berlin", "New York", "Magic and Loss", and "Ecstasy-Pass Thru Fire" is breathtaking in its power and raw beauty and crucial to an appreciation of Lou Reed, not only as a consummate musician of the underground, but also as one of the truly significant poets of our time.
Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics
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Review
"New York Post"
"This paperback collection of Reed ruminations is not only a lyrical walk on the wild side, it's a typographic wonder."
"This paperback collection of Reed ruminations is not only a lyrical walk on the wild side, it's a typographic wonder."
"John Shelton Ivany Top 21"
"A comprehensive collection...A must-have for any fan...Crucial to understanding and appreciating Lou Reed."
"Gallery & Studio", 2/09
"The revelation of "Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics" is how well many of Lou's words hold up on the page."
SwampLand.com
"I felt lucky when "Pass Thru Fire" arrived at my door. It made my day."
"Hartford Advocate", 3/7/09
"Perusing this 576-page volume should be a lesson in humility for any aspiring rock poet."
About the Author
For more than forty years Lou Reed has been at the forefront of the avant-garde in popular music. His gritty and realistic vision made him a cultural icon of the 1960s and 1970s. From punk rock to grunge, Reed has had an unparalleled influence on the American music scene. From his days with the Velvet Underground and his cavorting with a pop-culture phenomenon like Andy Warhol to his days as a brilliant solo artist, Reed has always managed to stay one thing above all else: relevant.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
Lou Reed has spent much of his time since the 60's in various drug induced states, which in most people would have had an adverse effect on their brain, and particularly their memory.
Not so Lou Reed. In this volume he presents the complete set of his lyrics (starting with the VU and Nico - no Pickwick material), and ending with Ecstacy. How on earth he can remember them all is beyond me.
Now at last we can all know what Marsha would never touch again. What really happened to Lady Godiva on the operating table. Who was there with Sister Ray. And finally we can unravel the secrets of The Murder Mystery.
The presentation tries to be clever, but the real clever stuff is in the words. Lou plays well with prose, and his puns range from the celever to the just plain silly. "Shaving my head's made me bolder"... Oh Lou!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Miss Vic
Format:Hardcover
If you're a fan of Lou Reed like I am then this is a must-have. The collection features every lyric Reed has ever written including his work with Nico and The Velvet Underground besides his solo material and although you may previously have been a fan of these songs it is only when you see the words written down and bound together in front of you that you can begin to appreciate them. The sheer ugliness, beauty and life expressed is astonishing and the lyrics flow like pure poetry.
As if the content of this edition wasn't enough, the book itself is lovingly put together. Each page has little quirks such as Reed's own handwriting annotating the texts or the 'teardrops' which cover the pages containing the lyrics to The Velvet Underground's 'Loaded.'
A house is not a home without a copy of this on the coffee table.
As if the content of this edition wasn't enough, the book itself is lovingly put together. Each page has little quirks such as Reed's own handwriting annotating the texts or the 'teardrops' which cover the pages containing the lyrics to The Velvet Underground's 'Loaded.'
A house is not a home without a copy of this on the coffee table.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.7 out of 5 stars
15 reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Today's Troubador
2 Feb 2000
By D. Sean Brickell
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
While other troubadors, notably Dylan and Springsteen, enjoy the rewards of being part of the general public's consciousness, Lou Reed's honesty and unflinching vision earm him the title of rock's most perceptive lyricst.
This book contains virtually all of Reed's long and impressive catalogue. In pure realism we take a walk on the wild side with New York City's addicts, whores, scam-artists, thieves, beggers and every other form of gutter life.
A broad perspective such as this -- in the hands of lesser poets -- would seem a tragic commentary, but Reed manages to infuse just enough human spirit and optimism to keep his scenes above total chaos.
The losers greatly outnumber the winners in Reed's world, if you keep score. But most of Reed's characters suffer life's misfortunes from imposed, not self-inflicted, situations. The noble "Pass Through Fire," even in the face of certain disaster.
Lou Reed's book of lyrics is indispensible. I call it equipment for living.
Get a copy today!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Contains Some Of The Best Lyrics Ever Written!
7 May 2000
By M. Scagnelli
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Lou Reed is an incredible songwriter. His style is unlike any other. One of the best things about Lou Reed's music is his lyrics. Reed's lyrics are really brilliant. This book shows that. Pass Thru Fire is something fans of Lou and The Velvets should own. It contains almost all of the songs Lou has ever written from The Velvet Underground & Nico, to his latest masterpiece, Ecstasy. I am very happy that it contains his lyrics from his days with the Velvets, which is when he wrote some of his best lyrics. This book even contains some very rare songs, including the early versions of Sweet Jane and New Age, and little known songs such as Temptation Inside Your Heart and Ferryboat Bill. Also, having the lyrics printed in the strange ways that they are just adds to the experience of reading it. I think the book would be a little boring without that. Anyways, all fans of Lou should own this book.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lou's Incredible Lyrics Augmented by Wonderful Design
3 May 2000
By x
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
The collected lyrics of Lou Reed hold up quite well on the page in "Pass Through Fire." This is rare for a poetry book from a rock legend, since most lyric collections from rock stars tend to be rather silly (e.g., Mr. Mojo Risin's poetry). Reed's lyrics explore the full magnitude of the modern urban man's consciousness in all its moments of triumph and strife. The primary impulse in Lou Reed's lyrics is the impetus towards freedom. Sometimes the individual cannot attain it, and is relegated to a life of tremendous despair. But the impulse always awakens, even if it arises from the spirit of the junkie lying in the gutter a day too late. Buy "Pass Through Fire" and read it to your children, because if you don't help them experience life as Lou Reed knows it they too might end up on the "Dirty Blvd" without the intellectual means to escape.
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3.7 out of 5 stars
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