{"value"=>"<p>The Live recordings in this series are especially comprehensive, comprising over 700 recordings of Reed's performances, many of which were never commercially released. This includes recordings of the Velvet Underground, much of Reed's solo tours, poetry readings, and various collaborative performances. There is a mixture of unreleased recordings of live shows, as well as some that were unofficially released as bootlegs. The live recordings are arranged chronologically, and setlists are included when available. A group of bootleg recordings released by the Velvet Underground Appreciation Society, an unofficial fan label, is ordered at the end of the chronological listing.</p> <p>The Velvet Underground recordings comprise the earliest material, featuring performances spanning from 1966 to 1970 at the Boston Tea Party, End Cole Ave in Texas, the Matrix in San Francisco, and their final shows at Max's Kansas City in August of 1970. Portions of these recordings were commercially released in 1972 as <span class=\"title\">Live at Max's Kansas City</span>. The August 23rd, 1972 recording contains a rare cover of \"And then I kissed her,\" which was not released commercially. The band's 1990s reunion is also included, beginning with video footage of the original lineup performing \"Heroin\" at the Cartier exhibition in 1990, followed by a selection of recordings from their 1993 reunion tour, and concluding with the 1996 Velvet Underground induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.</p> <p>In 1971, just prior to the launch of Reed's solo music career, he participated in a poetry reading at St. Mark's Church in New York City. The series holds a recording of this performance in which Reed recites original poetry, his song lyrics, and some commentary about his original works. The reading contains some early incarnations of what would eventually become well-known song lyrics, most notably, \"Coney Island Baby.\"</p> <p>Reed's 1975 tours are specifically well-represented, with twenty nine different shows present. The recordings include performances from his tours of Europe, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Of note is the July 21, 1975 recording of a performance in Melbourne, Australia, which also includes conversations between Reed and various individuals in both New York City and Australia.</p> <p>There are over twenty-five hours of original recordings from Reed's five-day run at the Bottom Line in New York City in May 1978. The recordings include the entirety of the two sets he performed each night. Portions of these recordings were used to make Reed's 1978 live album, <span class=\"title\">Take No Prisoners</span>.</p> <p>Reed's touring throughout the 1980s is also particularly well-documented. His 1983 to 1984 tours featured Robert Quine on guitar, and contain recordings that were used to make the video album <span class=\"title\">A Night with Lou Reed</span> and 1984's <span class=\"title\">Live in Italy</span>. Much of Reed's 1986 performances are notable for their utilization of binaural recording technology, a technique he first championed on his 1978 album, <span class=\"title\">Street Hassle</span>. These 1986 recordings are the only live performances specifically labeled as utilizing binaural recording.</p> <p>Reed ended the decade and commenced the next one with a series of concerts where he performed the <span class=\"title\">New York</span> album in its entirety, some of which featured Moe Tucker on drums. The 1990s also saw Reed performing twice for President Clinton, once at his 1993 inauguration, and again in 1998 during Václav Havel's state visit.</p> <p>Between 1993 and 1994, Reed also participated in a series called, \"In Their Own Words\" at the Bottom Line, which includes extensive interview footage, as well as Reed performing both original and cover songs along with a panel of musicians including Luka Bloom, David Byrne, Roseanne Cash, Victoria Williams, Kris Kristofferson, and Suzanne Vega. Additionally, between 1995 and 2000, there are a number of recorded performances of <span class=\"title\">Time Rocker</span> and <span class=\"title\">POEtry</span>, Reed's collaborations with Robert Wilson.</p> <p>The 2006 recordings of Reed performing the Berlin album at St. Ann's Warehouse include both the live performances and soundchecks. The album <span class=\"title\">Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse</span> was culled from these recordings. There are also twenty four unique shows from 2008, fourteen from 2011, and twenty from 2012, most of which were recorded using digital multitrack Pro Tools and Ableton software.</p> <p>The Velvet Underground Appreciation Society bootlegs consist of the first nineteen audio cassette releases by the unofficial fan label. The majority of these recordings feature live performances by the Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, John Cale, and Nico from the 1960s to the early 1980s. Some studio recordings, including demos and covers of Velvet Underground songs by others artists, are present on these recordings as well.</p>"}