Ah geez, this piece on an interview with Lou Reed gone bad makes me really feel for the journalist, as though I could relate to having one of my idols (though Lou Reed is certainly no idol of mine!) ending up disappointing me. It really breaks my heart to read about how the guy fondly remembers on how beautiful he found some of Reed's works to be, and tells Reed this only to get brushed off rudely. Sigh. But I think I noted the very peculiar nature of Reed a while ago, comparing the crude imagery of "Sister Ray", to, say, the tender beauty of something like "Jesus", and marvelling how the same person could write both sets of lyrics.

I used to spend a fair bit of time on online message-boards dedicated to specific rock musicians, and remember being amazed at the number of truly devoted fans - people who could remember the day on which they bought a particular album, the intangible excitement when the first song started and the euphoria when the album ended, and so on. People who seemed to be genuinely affected by the music, and for whom it also served as a symbol of times past, possibly much better times. Occasionally, the topic would invariably come up of what it would like if the artist the board was dedicated to visited the site. Seeing Reed's reaction, I suppose I am recalling those faceless, nameless masses of people scattered across the internet, and sadly wishing that they don't meet a similar fate to the journalist here.

I also think I mentioned a fair while back that one's idols are also human, and as such are flawed and therefore bound to disappoint if held in some God-like pedestal. I remember Dylan and Lennon used to be two demi-idols at some point during the last four years, but I think the naive, child-like worship has receded today. Yet I don't think Reed was necessarily the journalist's idol, he could just be someone whose music the guy really, really loved from childhood, and who carried those fond memories with him. I can certainly relate to that! Dylan is also notorious for being quite rude for little reason, and I suppose if through some miracle I did meet him, I'd probably receive similar treatment. Then again, Bobby has mellowed out as the years have gone by, heck, he's even written an autobiography, so perhaps he's becoming more open and ready to talk to the world at large.

This post is a mess, and I apologize, for I shouldn't edit posts the minute I get up.