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Vicious (Lou Reed song) 
Summary
"Vicious" is a song written by Lou Reed, released as a single in 1973 and originally featured on Transformer, Reed's second post-Velvet Underground solo album.[4][5]
| "Vicious" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Lou Reed | |
| from the album Transformer | |
| B-side | "Goodnight Ladies" (US) "Satellite of Love" (Europe) |
| Released | April 1973[1] |
| Recorded | August 1972 |
| Studio | Trident Studios, London |
| Genre | |
| Length | 2:56 |
| Label | RCA Victor |
| Songwriter(s) | Lou Reed |
| Producer(s) | David Bowie and Mick Ronson |
Origins edit
Lou Reed told Rolling Stone that Andy Warhol inspired the song: "He said, 'Why don't you write a song called 'Vicious'? And I said, 'What kind of vicious?' 'Oh, you know, vicious like I hit you with a flower.' And I wrote it down literally."[6]
Reception edit
Cash Box said that "Reed's lyric has a somewhat sarcastic tone that makes the listener take note almost immediately. Here again, he shines with a driving rocker and a great story line that should make this effort a natural hit."[7]
In popular culture edit
"Vicious" was featured on season 4, episode 5 of the Showtime TV series Billions.[8]
Personnel edit
- Lou Reed - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- David Bowie - backing vocals
- Mick Ronson - lead guitars
- Herbie Flowers - bass
- John Halsey - drums, cowbell, congas, maracas[citation needed]
References edit
- ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 681. ISBN 9780862415419.
- ^ Savage, Jon (February 1, 2013). "The 20 best glam-rock songs of all time". The Guardian. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ HistoryCaps (2012). Combat Rock: A History of Punk (from It's [sic] Origins to the Present). BookCaps Study Guides. p. 15. ISBN 9781621073154.
- ^ Tosches, Nick (1973-01-04). "Transformer". Rolling Stone.
- ^ "Thurston Moore: Punk". Rolling Stone. 4 May 2023.
- ^ "Vicious". Rolling Stone. 1989. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 11, 1973. p. 18. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
- ^ Leeds, Sarene (April 14, 2019). "Billions Recap: The Payback". Vulture. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
Once I heard Lou Reed's "Vicious," I was like, "OMG, Axe is going to kill this guy on their spontaneous fishing trip!" (There's even a Natalie Wood reference, for crying out loud.)
External links edit
- Vicious at Lyrics Freak