Last month, Light in the Attic Records, in cooperation with Laurie Anderson, digitally released the inaugural title in their Lou Reed Archive Series: Words & Music, May 1965, “an intimate document of [Reed and John Cale] discovering a sound that would shape countless musicians and styles in their wake” (Washington Post). Showcasing never-before-heard material, including the earliest-known recordings of “Pale Blue Eyes” and “Heroin”—the latter described by Rolling Stone as “chilling and astonishing.” In discussing the Words & Music’s lead single, “I’m Waiting for the Man (May 1965 Demo),” The New York Times writes: “For all the differences in the arrangement, though, what’s remarkable is how complete Reed’s vision of the song already is here, and how few changes he’d have to make to turn this unassuming blueprint into a countercultural classic.”

As a companion to Words & Music, Light in the Attic, in partnership with Little Everywhere and Ruinous Media, today releases a special podcast, hosted by TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, offering listeners the chance to intimately experience the album through exclusive audio, archival materials, and interviews with many of the album's participants. Adebimpe sits down with Matt Sullivan (co-owner and founder of Light in the Attic Records) and Lou Reed archivists Jason Stern and Don Fleming to get their insights into how the tape was discovered and the songs were recorded by John Cale and Reed in the spring of 1965. Listen along as Sullivan, Fleming, and Stern share their appreciation and knowledge of these extraordinary recordings.

Listen To Light in the Attic’s Liner Notes Podcast: Lou Reed, Words & Music, May 1965

Additionally, to celebrate the upcoming physical release of Words & Music, May 1965 on October 21st, Light in the Attic is thrilled to announce a series of worldwide listening parties taking place at over 40 record stores around the globe. All events will be free, and a full list of participating stores is below.

Words & Music, May 1965 Listening Parties:

– Thursday, Oct. 20 –

Sweat Records (Miami, FL)

Resident Music (Brighton, UK)

Jumbo Records (Leeds, UK)

Stranger Than Paradise (London, UK)

Rough Trade East (London, UK)

Drift (Totnes, UK)

– Friday, Oct. 21 –

Seasick Records (Birmingham, AL)

Heroes & Villains (Tucson, AZ)

Balades Sonores Bruxelles (Bruxelles, BE)

Deadly Wax (Newhall, CA)

Arroyo Records (Pasadena, CA)

Amoeba, SF (San Francisco, CA)

Moldy Toes Records (San Clemente, CA)

Boo Boo Records (San Luis Obispo, CA)

Metavinyl (Santa Cruz, CA)

Streetlight Records (Santa Cruz, CA)

Odyssey (Ontario, CAN)

Neurotica  (Toronto, CAN)

Twist & Shout (Denver, CO)

WaxTrax (Denver, CO)

Balades Sonores Paris (Paris, FR)

Long Ear (Coeur d'Alene, ID)

Reckless (Chicago, IL)

Vintage Vinyl (Evanston, IL)

HMV record shop Kichijoji (Tokyo, JP)

 HMV record shop Shibuya (Tokyo, JP)

HMV record shop Shinjuku ALTA (Tokyo, JP)

Vinyl Destination (N. Chelmsford, MA)

Barely Brothers Records (St. Paul, MN)

Vinyl Index (Somerville, MA)

End Of All Music (Jackson, MS)

End Of All Music (Oxford, MS)

Salvaje (CDMX, MX)

Harvest (Asheville, NC)

The Fuzzy Needle (Wilmington, NC)

Grapefruit Records (Omaha, NE)

Psychic Records (Brooklyn, NY)

Generation Records (New York, NY)

Revolver (Williamsville, NY)

Omega Music (Dayton, OH)

PreAtomic Records (Corvallis, OR)

The Government Center (Pittsburgh, PA)

Winylowa (Warsaw, PL)

Pet Sounds (Stockholm, SE)

Grimeys (Nashville, TN)

Vinyl Tap (Nashville, TN)

Hybrid (Corpus Christi, TX)

End of an Ear (Austin, TX)

Crazy Rhythms (San Antonio, TX)

Tiny Record Room (Norfolk, VA)

Autumn Records (Winooski, VT)

Sonic Boom (Seattle, WA)

Clone Shop (Des Moines, WA)

Madcity Music (Madison, WI)

– Saturday, Oct. 22 –

In Sheep's Clothing (Los Angeles, CA)

Black Dots (Buffalo, NY)

Mosta Recordings (Singapore, SN)

October 21st will also see a free, live listening party and panel discussion hosted by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts with Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed archivists Don Fleming and Jason Stern, audio engineers John Baldwin and Steve Rosenthal, and Light in the Attic’s Matt Sullivan, moderated by famed music writer David Fricke. Prior to the panel discussion, Words & Music, May 1965 will play from 2:00 - 3:45pm in the Bruno Walter Auditorium.

RSVP to Lou Reed: Words & Music, May 1965 Listening Party Q&A

Released in tandem with the late artist’s 80th birthday celebrations, Words & Music, May 1965 offers an extraordinary, unvarnished, and plainly poignant insight into one of America’s true poet-songwriters. Capturing Reed in his formative years, this previously unreleased collection of songs—penned by a young Lou Reed, recorded to tape with the help of future bandmate John Cale, and mailed to himself as a “poor man’s copyright”—remained sealed in its original envelope and unopened for over 50 years. Its contents embody some of the most vital, groundbreaking contributions to American popular music committed to tape in the 20th century.

The centerpiece of the inaugural Lou Reed Archive Series release is the Deluxe 45-RPM Double LP Edition of Words & Music, May 1965. Limited to 7,500 copies worldwide, this collection was designed by multi-GRAMMY®-winning artist Masaki Koike and features a stylized, die-cut gatefold jacket manufactured by Stoughton Printing Co. Housed inside are two 45-RPM 12-inch LPs, pressed on HQ-audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl at Record Technology Inc. (RTI) featuring the only vinyl release of “I’m Waiting for the Man - May 1965 Alternate Version.” A bonus 7-inch, housed in its own unique die-cut picture sleeve and manufactured at Third Man Record Pressing includes the only vinyl release of six previously-unreleased bonus tracks providing a never-before-seen glimpse into Reed’s formative years, including early demos, a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” and a doo-wop serenade recorded in 1958 when the legendary singer-songwriter was just sixteen years old. An accompanying saddle-stitched, die-cut 28-page book features lyrics, archival photos, and liner notes. Also included is an archival reproduction of a rarely-seen letter, written by Reed to his college professor and poet, Delmore Schwartz, circa 1964. The set includes a CD containing the complete audio from the package, housed in a die-cut jacket.  A six-song digital EP, Gee Whiz, 1958-1964, also drops on October 21st, offering the above-mentioned bonus content.

Words & Music, May 1965
(2xLP + 7-inch + CD Deluxe Edition) Tracklist:

- 2xLP -

1. I’m Waiting for the Man (May 1965 Demo)

2. Men of Good Fortune (May 1965 Demo) *

3. Heroin (May 1965 Demo)

4. Too Late (May 1965 Demo) *

5. Buttercup Song (May 1965 Demo)       

6. Walk Alone (May 1965 Demo)

7. Buzz Buzz Buzz (May 1965 Demo)

8. Pale Blue Eyes (May 1965 Demo)

9. Stockpile (May 1965 Demo) *

10. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (May 1965 Demo)

11. I’m Waiting for the Man (May 1965 Alternate Version)

- 7-inch -

1.  Gee Whiz - (1958 Rehearsal) *

2.  Baby, Let Me Follow You Down (1963/64 Home Recording)

3.  Michael, Row The Boat Ashore (1963/64 Home Recording)

4.  Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (Partial) (1963/64 Home Recording)

5.  W & X, Y, Z Blues (1963/64 Home Recording) *

6.  Lou’s 12-Bar Instrumental (1963/64 Home Recording) *

Words & Music, May 1965
(CD & Cassette Standard Edition) Tracklist:

1. I’m Waiting for the Man (May 1965 Demo)

2. Men of Good Fortune (May 1965 Demo) *

3. Heroin (May 1965 Demo)

4. Too Late (May 1965 Demo)*

5. Buttercup Song (May 1965 Demo)       

6. Walk Alone (May 1965 Demo)

7. Buzz Buzz Buzz (May 1965 Demo)

8. Pale Blue Eyes (May 1965 Demo)

9. Stockpile (May 1965 Demo) *

10. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (May 1965 Demo)

11. I’m Waiting for the Man (May 1965 Alternate Version)

12.  Gee Whiz - (1958 Rehearsal) *

13.  Baby, Let Me Follow You Down (1963/64 Home Recording)

14.  Michael, Row The Boat Ashore (1963/64 Home Recording)

15.  Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (Partial) (1963/64 Home Recording)

16.  W & X, Y, Z Blues (1963/64 Home Recording) *

17.  Lou’s 12-Bar Instrumental (1963/64 Home Recording) *

Words & Music, May 1965
(1xLP & 8-Track Standard Edition) Tracklist:

1. I’m Waiting for the Man (May 1965 Demo)

2. Men of Good Fortune (May 1965 Demo) *

3. Heroin (May 1965 Demo)

4. Too Late (May 1965 Demo)*

5. Buttercup Song (May 1965 Demo)       

6. Walk Alone (May 1965 Demo)

7. Buzz Buzz Buzz (May 1965 Demo)

8. Pale Blue Eyes (May 1965 Demo)

9. Stockpile (May 1965 Demo) *

10. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (May 1965 Demo)

Gee Whiz, 1958-1964
(Digital) Tracklist

1.  Gee Whiz - (1958 Rehearsal) *

2.  Baby, Let Me Follow You Down (1963/64 Home Recording)

3.  Michael, Row The Boat Ashore (1963/64 Home Recording)

4.  Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (Partial) (1963/64 Home Recording)

5.  W & X, Y, Z Blues (1963/64 Home Recording) *

6.  Lou’s 12-Bar Instrumental (1963/64 Home Recording) *

* Previously unheard composition

For those seeking an even deeper dive into Reed’s legacy, ​​The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (which houses Reed’s recently-unearthed recordings) is hosting a special exhibit, curated by Don Fleming and Jason Stern. Lou Reed: Caught Between the Twisted Stars chronicles the life’s work of the songwriter, musician, performer, photographer, poet, and accomplished tai chi practitioner—as through the voices, images, and music of Reed and his collaborators. For more information, visit nypl.org.

Throughout 2022 and beyond, Light in the Attic will continue to honor the music and influence of Reed through the Lou Reed Archive Series. Visit www.LightInTheAttic.net or www.LouReedArchive.com to learn more, and stay tuned for forthcoming releases.