2. "Satellite of Love"
Album:
Transformer (1972) This is the kind of song that can't be done anymore. A pop song about watching TV that manages to transcend itself and become an anthem about love and trust and the power of letting go. It's a song that sounds half-finished, as if Lou knew adding to it would take away its charm. It's a song that permeates into your subconscious and never leaves - a song that ends up defining its own little moments in your life. "Satellite of Love" isn't often played on the radio. It's not a song that defines Lou Reed or a song that's even very important to him. And it's because of its small scope and diminished reputation that it remains such a powerful piece of music. Its simple chord structure, its out-of-left-field bridge, its sing-along ending - they all belong here and there's nothing out of place. Even hearing David Bowie's voice in the outro can't pull you out of its spell. It's an unlikely masterpiece. All the hubbub surrounding
Transformer and the way it represented the burgeoning homosexual counterculture in the '70s can cause one to overlook a little song like "Satellite of Love." And yet it's there - and it's been there this whole time - providing temporary respite from whatever life throws at us. It's a lazy morning song. A rainy afternoon song. A late night song. A life song. And Lou didn't even have to try. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO5reyuzXis