Light in the Attic Records (LITA), in cooperation with Laurie Anderson and the Lou Reed Archive have released the definitive reissue of Reed’s Hudson River Wind Meditations.
Originally released on CD only in 2007, the deeply personal project provides the best example of Lou Reed’s decades-long exploration into drone and ambient music, as well as the pioneering artist’s final solo album. The ambient compositions were initially created for Reed’s personal use, to accompany spoken-word meditations that his acupuncturist recorded for him. Over time, they transformed into music for Reed’s beloved Tai Chi and yoga practices. Eventually, the artist chose to share them with his fans, crafting them into an album with the late producer Hal Willner (Saturday Night Live).
Available on 2-LP, CD, and digital, Hudson River Wind Meditations has been produced for re-release by producers Laurie Anderson, Don Fleming, Jason Stern, Matt Sullivan, and Hal Willner; restored by engineer Steve Rosenthal; remastered by the engineer John Baldwin with vinyl pressed at Record Technology Inc. (RTI).
The 2-LP and CD sets are presented in a gatefold jacket designed by Masaki Koike and features new liner notes by renowned Yoga instructor and author Eddie Stern, who guided Reed’s practice for years. Also included in the physical editions is a conversation conducted earlier this year with Anderson, who discusses Hudson River Wind Meditations, as well as her husband’s devotion to Tai Chi — one of the album’s primary inspirations.
The 2-LP is available in three different vinyl variants, including Black Wax, Coke Bottle Wax and Glacial Blue Wax, while the Deluxe Edition includes the CD or 2-LP, a set of five 8×10 photos of the Hudson River photographed by Reed and printed on 10-pt High Gloss Kromekote C1S cover stock and housed in a glassine envelope, plus a 24”x36” fold-out poster designed by Yolanda Cuomo.