Archival label Light in the Attic (LITA) has announced The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed. The star-studded album celebrates the singer/songwriter’s enduring influence through performances by Reed’s closest friends and biggest fans, including Keith Richards, Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The Afghan Whigs, Bobby Rush, Maxim Ludwig & Angel Olsen, Mary Gauthier, and Automatic.
Blending hits (including “I’m Waiting for the Man,” “Walk on the Wild Side,” and “Perfect Day”) with lesser-known gems, the collection spans the artist’s five-decade-long career, from his earliest days with The Velvet Underground to his groundbreaking solo work.
The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed will be available on Silver Nugget vinyl exclusively for Record Store Day (April 20th) at participating independent retailers.
Additionally, the album will arrive on CD and digital platforms on the same day. All physical formats include photos of Reed by Mick Rock and Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, plus extensive liner notes by the album’s producer: writer and record producer Bill Bentley, who worked closely with Reed for over 25 years.
Ahead of the album’s release, several tracks will be made available as digital singles, beginning with Keith Richards’ rendition of The Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting for the Man.” The song premiered alongside a music video for the track, in honor of what would have been Reed’s 82nd birthday (March 2nd).
Guitarist, singer, songwriter, and founding member of The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards opens the album with one of Reed’s earliest works, “I’m Waiting for the Man” (off of 1967’s Velvet Underground & Nico).
Richards (whose artistry on the guitar was once referred to by Reed as “so perfect”) recalls:
To me, Lou stood out. The real deal! [He was] important to American music and to ALL MUSIC! I miss him and his dog.
