Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett + More Featured in New Lou Reed Book
Several musicians and colleagues are featured in a new book that captures Lou Reed's passion for Tai Chi, music and meditation. The Art of the Straight Line: My Tai Chi gives fans a deeper understanding of Reed's spiritual and physical journey that began in the '80s and continued to his final days.
The book features more than 80 interviews and conversations with Reed's peers and friends, each helping tell the story of that journey, including two artists he collaborated with more than once, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett.
In 2009, Reed joined Metallica for a couple of performances at the 25th-anniversary celebration of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On the second night of the anniversary concerts, Metallica performed Ride the Lightning's "For Whom the Bell Tolls," ...And Justice For All's "One" and their Bob Seger cover from Garage Inc., "Turn the Page." They closed their set with Reed joining them for The Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane" and "White Light/White Heat."
Because of that experience in '09, Metallica and Reed joined forces once more for Lulu, a double album that came out on Halloween in 2011. Then, on Dec. 7, 2011, in celebration of their 30th anniversary as a band, Metallica invited Reed to The Fillmore in San Francisco for a few songs, including "Iced Honey" and "The View" from Lulu and, once again, "White Light/White Heat."
Nearly two years to the day of the release of Lulu—Oct. 27, 2013—Reed passed away at his home in East Hampton, N.Y., at the age of 71.
Watch Lou Reed and Metallica Perform "White Light/White Heat" Live in Germany
Reed once said, "Tai Chi puts you in touch with the invisible power of—yes—the universe," and that belief is one of the driving forces behind The Art of the Straight Line. In addition to conversations with Hammett, Ulrich and many others, the new book includes Reed's writings on life and martial arts, many of which have never been published until now.
The Art of the Straight Line was edited by Reed's wife, Laurie Anderson, along with friends Stephan Berwick, Bob Currie and Scott Richman. It is available for pre-order and will be released on March 14, 2023, via HarperOne.