LOU REED

Hudson River Wind Meditations (Light In The Attic)

What music should be played when practicing tai chi? Conversations with my mother yield the answer that any music used is secondary to the actual actions of the martial art – but is this right? Lou Reed – who died in 2013 – has recently been given further posthumous reappraisal, with a wondrous new book, The Art Of The Straight Line, featuring his writing on tai chi. Compiled by Reed’s wife Laurie Anderson (herself a titan of the avant-garde), his deeply rooted love of the discipline also manifests itself in Hudson River Wind Meditations, a 2007 album now brought back into print by reissue specialists Light In The Attic.

Reed made these tracks for himself when doing his exercises and mediation; friends who loved it were given private copies, with a full release following later. This sharp remastering makes for a fine listening encounter. The throbbing and hovering waves of Move Your Heart, the first of four tracks, have nowhere to go – you just find yourself within the drone. Find Your Note, which follows, has juicy overtones, perhaps from temple bowls or just sampled effects.

The last two tracks, both much shorter than the preceding pair, are of little note – slapped on at the end to please fans, you suspect, with reoccurring themes aside from field recordings. Lou Reed’s Hudson River Wind Meditations would work best with the listener applying great concentration and calmness.

words JAMES ELLIS