I love [Lou Reed]. Like his ex-brethren from the Underground, he's got guts. No compromises. Berlin was the most naked exorcism of manic/depression ever to be committed to vinyl. His technique is to alienate the listener so bad that the listener perceives himself as some sorta in-squad just to say he digs Lou Reed: this is hip. Lou Reed has last laugh; voila Metal Machine Music. Other praise: pushing free sexuality come-out. Problem is, he's come out so far he's fallen in. (p. 72)

Bruce Malamut, "Lou Reed Is Not Jimmy Reed," in Crawdaddy (copyright © 1976 by Crawdaddy Publishing Co., Inc.; all rights reserved; reprinted by permission), May, 1976, pp. 71-2.∗