2/28/2006 - Street Hassle

Song: Street Hassle
Artist: Lou Reed
Why this song is the current jam: Ok I just saw this movie The Squid and the Whale (which I very much enjoyed and would recommend provided that you are up for a clever but not very chipper romp straight through the pain, discomfort, and embarrassment of a NY divorce in the early 80's - my sense is that if you have gone through a divorce yourself, this movie will ring very true, perhaps painfully so) that was directed by Noah Bambauch who has worked with Wes Anderson (the guy who directed Rushmore) on Zissou and anyways, THIS song, was what closed the whole movie. I had never heard it before, but it is funny because I had just been downloading (legally!) a bunch of Velvet Underground records and in fact a different album by Lou Reed. In any case, the song is actually a 3-part little mini-suite with one basic melody carrying through the 3 parts, starting out song-like then getting more spoken-wordy, then sort of morphing back into song. Lou Reed has always been kind of a fascinating character to me, in that he has always struck me as motivated by a powerful and contemplated lack of talent. I dont know exactly what I mean by that. But I mean he cant really sing for shit, but he had the inclination to say different things (differently) than most other folks and his music is good and interesting to listen to. Anyways, there is something about the repetitive melody of this song that I get addicted to, and there is something about the words of the song and the way Reed delivers them that makes me think of licking a cold sidewalk in fall. That has to mean that there is something to this song, otherwise I am insane. So I hope you like.