The Joy of Sax: Walk on the Wild Side, Lou Reed

originally published: 11/18/13

There are Saxophone solos that dominate the song they’re in by necessity, fighting the power of rock hegemony as we saw last week in Baker Street. Then there are the Saxophone solos that dominate by complementing the song they’re in, elevating not only the song, but the Saxophone, to another level, Midnight City being a prime example. Still yet, there are those unexpected Saxophone solos that come at you out of nowhere. In much the same vein as The Solo from Miss You, the one that closes out Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side comes as an unexpected guest. 

Strolling into the song less with less than forty seconds remaining, it is less of a triumphal exclamation point and more of a firm ellipsis. The happy-but-not-Hollywood ending that comes after a dicey night out with the characters that populated the songs, world, and life of Lou Reed. You always remember the warm darkness of the bass at the heart of it, the world being sung about with its vintage seediness, and the youthful girl-group “doot de-doot” call back, but then the Sax solo comes in like the sun cresting up over the East River skyline, walking you home and putting you to bed after another night of happily misspent youth.