Vicious (Lou Reed song)
"Vicious" | |
---|---|
Single by Lou Reed | |
from the album Transformer | |
B-side | "Goodnight Ladies (US)" |
Released | July 1973 (US) |
Recorded | August 1972 |
Studio | Trident Studios, London |
Genre | |
Label | RCA Records |
Songwriter(s) | Lou Reed |
Producer(s) | David Bowie and Mick Ronson |
"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.[3][4]
Origins[]
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."[5]
Reception[]
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."[6]
In popular culture[]
Vicious was featured on season 4, episode 5 of the Showtime TV series Billions.[7]
This song was originally planned to be in Grand Theft Auto IV or Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned on the ficticious radio station Liberty Rock Radio, but was deleted during the beta phase.
Personnel[]
- 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[]
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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[]
- 1972 songs
- 1973 singles
- Songs written by Lou Reed
- Lou Reed songs
- Song recordings produced by David Bowie
- 1970s rock song stubs