Why Don't You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964 -1965

MOJO ‘REISSUE OF THE MONTH’ WITH 4/5 REVIEW: ‘WHY DON'T YOU SMILE NOW
DEFINITIVELY ADDRESSES AND ILLUMINATES THE WEIRDEST PART OF THE VELVET
UNDERGROUND’S ORIGIN STORY. THIS IS THE BEST OF THE MADNESS AND MINUTIAE THAT HAPPENED ALONG THE WAY. DIG IN WITH A SMILE.’

8/10 REVIEW IN UNCUT : ‘ON ‘WHY DON’T YOU SMILE NOW’ WE FINALLY GET A CLEAR LOOK AT ONE OF THE ROOT STRUCTURES AT THE BASE OF THE VELVET UNDERGROUND - LOU REED’S TIME AS A SONGWRITER AT PICKWICK RECORDS’

Light in the Attic, in cooperation with Laurie Anderson and the Lou Reed Archive, announces Why Don’t You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964-65. The latest instalment in LITA’s critically acclaimed Lou Reed Archive Series is a compilation of pop songs penned by Reed during his mid-60s stint as a staff songwriter for the long-defunct
label Pickwick Records. 

Before establishing himself as an enduringly iconic singer, songwriter, musician, and poet, Reed got his start as an in-house songwriter (and occasional session guitarist / vocalist) for Pickwick Records—a label specializing in sound-alike recordings that emulated the major pop hits of the day. Encompassing everything from garage rock and girl-group pop to blue-eyed soul and teen-idol balladry, Reed’s output for Pickwick ultimately offers a fascinating early glimpse at his ever-evolving and truly limitless artistry.