"A tape of their earliest demos, recorded on May 11, 1965, and kept under wraps until now, reveals traces of things rarely associated with The Velvet Underground: blues and folk, earthy and traditional, uncertain and tentative—yet imbued with that rusty, corrosive Lou Reed spirit. It's a revelation." —Will Hodgkinson, MOJO. Light in the Attic Records is proud to present, in collaboration with Laurie Anderson, the first release in their ongoing Lou Reed Archive Series: "Words & Music, May 1965." Released to mark what would have been the late artist's 80th birthday, the album offers an extraordinary, raw, and poignant glimpse into the life of one of America's truly greatest poets and songwriters. This previously unreleased collection of songs, recorded by the young Lou Reed with the help of his future bandmate John Cale and mailed to himself as "the poor man's copyright," remained unopened in its original envelope for nearly 50 years. Its contents embody some of the most important and groundbreaking contributions to 20th-century American popular music. Firmly rooted in the folk tradition, these songs clearly demonstrate Lou's lasting influence on the evolution of modern American music—from punk to art rock and everything in between. These recordings are a true time capsule, capturing not only the first sparks of what would become the seed of the incredibly influential Velvet Underground; they also establish Reed as a keen observer with an innate talent for synthesizing the world around him and transforming it into pure sonic poetry. Featuring contributions from Reed's future bandmate John Cale, "Words & Music, May 1965" presents the earliest known recordings of such historic songs as "Heroin", "I'm Waiting for the Man" and "Pale Blue Eyes", which Reed would later record with Velvet Underground and indelibly shape, in their entirety.