I received this as egalley from NetGalley.

I didn't think we needed another Lou Reed biogaphy after DeCurtis' Lou Reed: A Life! Turns out we did! With access to Lou Reed's Archives at NYPL Will Hermes wrote what I think is the *definitive* biography of Lou Reed. The book had tons of stories & info not included in previous biographies. And presented a more complete and nuanced portrait of Lou Reed.

This is a comprehensive and well-written biography of Reed, the first (I think) to make full use of the musician's papers now at NYPL. Reed's career is one that only could have unfolded in 20th century NYC, and Hermes is diligent about mapping the evolving downtown scene of which Reed was a part. There's so much to cover here, and surely Reed's on-the-record statements are a challenge for any biographer to parse, and yet at times I wished Hermes had slowed down a bit to offer more in-depth analysis of his subject. Those moments where he did so-- for example, reflecting on the way that Reed and Laurie Anderson's artistic and creative practices meshed-- were some of the most insightful and memorable in the book. All in all, it's a rich portrait of a complex, deeply talented and often challenging individual.

I would like to thank Farrar, Straus and Giroux , as well as Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. This book is a lengthy, well written and well researched book. While the author notes that it is not an Authorized Biography, he clearly has had access to a large amount of material people connected to Lou Reed. The author was able to interview many friends and family members to create this wealth of material. He also had access to the Lou Reed Archive in the New York Public Library. This book is clearly an in depth account of Lou Reed's personal; and professional life. If you are a casual fan, as I am, without a frame of reference for some of his more obscure work, it might be a bit overwhelming. To his credit, the author does an excellent job of giving context to the various projects( songs and performances both solo and in group). I , personally would have liked a chronological index to all of the various, songs, albums and performances referenced ,but that might just be me:) All in all, a well written interesting book.

While it's impossible write a definitive biography of the man, Will Hermes' Lou Reed comes as close as possible. A solid blend of Lou Reed's personal and professional life, with a lot of in-depth research and new details—having read everything I could find about Lou Reed for most of my life, I still learned a lot of new things from this book.

Will Hermes has masterfully written what I believe to be the best book to date about Lou Reed.
Lou was many things, multi-faceted, diverse, complex, observant and a collector of the experiences that surrounded him. Mr. Hermes admires his subject but he does not shy away from Reed’s complicated life. His research is extensive and taps into a variety of interviewees (critics, fans) some for the very first time. Reed’s collaborations with Warhol, Andersen and Bowie are shared and bring color and charm into an already creative soul.
The author understands the rhythm of New York, the same rhythm that beat inside of Lou Reed. That rhythm that made him a pioneer of a decades long career.
A well worth and wonderful read.
With thanks to NetGalley, the author and Farrar, Strauss and Giroux for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very detailed, not always glowing bio of a very talented and complicated man. Lou Reed superfans may struggle with this warts-and-all book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This would make Lou Reed spin in this grave, but after reading this, I wanted to create a series of inspirational posters about his life and career. A true iconoclast, he never gave up, despite many of his projects being critical and commercial failures when they were released. It's only in retrospect that we are now able to see him as a true genius, someone who wasn't afraid to take big swings and big misses. He wasn't the kindest person, although his behavior fell more along the "crusty old jerk" lines and only occasionally veered into abuse.

This book is very well-researched and well-sourced and was a pleasure to read. It sent me down all sorts of rabbit holes, including commercials for old scooters and bootleg Velvets recordings. Fans of Reed's work and fans of rock in general will dig this.

This biography of Lou Reed is not for the faint of heart. It was not a glowing look at Reed, and it revealed the seedy side and sexual underground of New York City. It was too long/long-winded. I wish there was more written about his music. This is a good book if you really like Lou Reed- it shows different sides of him.

this was good, although the fact that i’m not a hardcore lou reed fan (i like his music and some of his tunes are among my favourite songs, but i’ve never been all that interested in him as a person, honestly) kind of kept me from fully engaging with his biography. it was still a pretty entertaining read for a nonfiction book, though; hermes’s prose is very smooth and i loved the way he tackled the different events in reed’s life. i might actually buy this for my dad, because i feel like he would love it!

There's not much I can say about Lou that hasn't already been said better a thousand times over, but he's a mythological creature and his artistic output shaped my musical taste arguably more than any other person or band. As cliché as it may now be to say, the Velvet Underground & Nico changed my life when I first heard it, and every time I listen to it, it still sounds as new, challenging, and exciting as it did the first time.

Will Hermes tackles Lou's life and legacy in this tome of a biography, and readers better be prepared to learn about everything and everyone from Lou's life. This book is nearly 600 pages, and it does not spare many details. For some it may be too much, but for superfans it's a treasure and a look at the man in a different light, from his noted and highly public flaws to his exploration of gender identity and sexuality in a very different time.

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Netgalley*

Lou Reed was a fantastic musician and a very intense complex person who in many ways was ahead of his time. This detailed biography of him describes his life in so much detail that at times throughout the book its almost to much information.
Well researched and documented this book is definitely for the die hard Lou Reed fan,

Will Hermes writes with great authority and really knows his subject. Having access to the Lou Reed Archive no doubt helped, but Hermes has put a lot of work in to paint a detailed portrait of a complex and often contradictory character. This is definitely a biography for the diehard fans. I confess to only a passing interest in Lou Reed (primarily his influence on and collaborations with Bowie). For me, there was too much detail and I didn’t appreciate getting the backstory of every significant character who entered Reed’s orbit. However, it did pique my interest in some of Reed’s output that I hadn’t previously heard and was an excellent introduction to his life and work.