David Bowie, The Who, Morrissey pay tribute to Lou Reed

Music Times scrambled and came up with a short summary on Lou Reed's influence on music following his death Sunday. Perhaps his worth to rock, especially anything considered alternative is best described through the words of musicians that carried on in the genre he helped to pioneer.

David Bowie, who produced Reed's class Transformer solo album, was also hugely influenced by the Velvet Underground founder.

"R.I.P. LOU REED," Bowie wrote on Facebook. "He was a master."

Although not known for being upbeat, Morrissey's blog tribute to Reed felt especially sincere.

"No words to express the sadness at the death of Lou Reed," he wrote. "He had been there all of my life. He will always be pressed to my heart. Thank God for those, like Lou, who move within their own laws, otherwise imagine how dull the world would be. I knew the Lou of recent years and he was always full of good heart. His music will outlive time itself. We are all timebound, but today, with the loss of liberating Lou, life is a pigsty."

"R.I.P. Lou Reed. Walk on the peaceful side," The Who posted to its Twitter account, referencing Reed's Transformer hit "Take A Walk on The Wild Side."

"Lou Reed, R.I.P. I did the Jools Holland show with him last year and we yucked it up. I didn't know he was ill..." tweeted Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers.

"Sad to hear about Lou Reed passing. Such a star. RIP Lou, and thanks for giving us Perfect Day for Trainspotting," tweeted Irvine Welsh. "Day" was one of the songs featured on the acclaimed soundtrack for the film Trainspotting. The film, which was equally renowned, was based on a novel by Welsh.

The most touching however was the response fellow Velvet Underground founder John Cale had to say about his former band mate.

"The news I feared the most, pales in comparison to the lump in my throat and the hollow in my stomach," Calesaid. "Two kids have a chance meeting and 47 years later we fight and love the same way - losing either one is incomprehensible. No replacement value, no digital or virtual fill . . . broken now, for all time. Unlike so many with similar stories - we have the best of our fury laid out on vinyl, for the world to catch a glimpse. The laughs we shared just a few weeks ago, will forever remind me of all that was good between us."

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