Q&A: Lou Reed

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In 1973, Lou Reed released his third solo album, Berlin. It was a commercial and critical dud ”“ one critic called it “the most depressing album of all time.” But in 2006, after much prodding from friends, Reed revisited the moody concept record, recruiting artist-director Julian Schnabel for a multimedia performance in Brooklyn. Now, after taking the show around the world, Reed is putting the album to rest again. “If you didn’t see it then, you won’t see it,” he says. “But the DVD is really good.” It’s out now.

You’ve said that you have little recollection of making Berlin. Did memories come flooding back once you started playing it again?

Not at all. I remember I had wanted to write something like A Streetcar Named Desire or Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, except with guitar and drums. The idea was absurdly simple: Records have 12 or 14 songs, and there’s a character in each one. What if these characters interacted on all the songs? Wouldn’t that be fun?

Last year, you recorded ”˜Tranquilize’ with the Killers, and Antony Hegarty sang on Berlin. What other young acts do you enjoy?

I like the song that Brandon [Flowers] wrote. That’s why I did that. Antony’s a real jewel. I also like Dr Dog, Boris and Melt-Banana.

You’ve been playing more free-form, improvised rock shows lately.

That’s where my heart is right now. You have to be particularly focussed to make it work, because there are no charts to fall back on. I played with John Zorn and Mike Patton in New York recently. Holy shit, it was killer. I’m deciding if I should release it.

You were a radio DJ in college, and now you have a Sirius show. How similar are they?

In college, I played jazz and R&B, primarily. Everything from Ray Charles’ ”˜Night Time Is the Right Time’ to Ornette Coleman’s ”˜Ramblin’.’ The Sirius show is a lot more sophisticated, because I’m working with musicologist Hal Willner. He turned me on to Cantor Josef Rosenblatt ”“ one of Ornette’s favourite singers from the Twenties. And a Fats Domino track called ”˜All by Myself,’ which is him going off in the studio for 10 minutes. It’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever heard.

You’ve been practising tai chi for more than two decades. How does it help your musicianship?

I think the teachings of Master Ren Guang-Yi are one of the most important things that exist. It improves your fundamental strength, your core being and the ability to hold your head high and walk like a king. It’s a form of mind training that can benefit you when you’re playing music.

You were tight with Andy Warhol. What do you think about his “Car Crash” recently selling for $71 million?

I loved it when he made it. Those paintings were so beautiful in the oddest way. The fact that, all these years later, people suddenly realise how beautiful it is isn’t especially surprising for me.

What about the price tag?

I wish somebody would pay that for an original Lou Reed acetate. I’d accept $50 million for that.