It is said is it not master, that the eyes are the windows of the soul? Photograph: Yui Mok/PA
Even by his own, famously iconoclastic standards, Lou Reed's latest release is an oddity. The original Rock'n'Roll Animal has apparently turned Crouching Tiger, providing the soundtrack and narration for an instructional tai-chi video featuring his teacher, Master Ren GuangYi.
It transpires that Reed has become quite the martial artist of late. "I wanted to learn more about power and fighting," he explained in a recent edition of Kung Fu magazine. His partnership with Master Ren, moreover, is described as "a journey of friendship, discovery and a mutual love of martial arts".
The fruit of their labour is yours for $39.95 on Amazon.com. Teaser footage showcases all manner of exotically named tai-chi techniques, apparently filmed in a tranquil corner of Central Park. Viewers are free to marvel at such moves as Strange Dazzling Hands, Wise Skinny Elbow and Wiggling Ass of Fury. (Apologies to the purists if I have some of the names slightly wrong.)
Whether this represents a good move for Lou is more open to debate. On the one (dazzling) hand, it would be churlish to begrudge him his outside interests. On the other, those shots of him waving a samurai sword look a little, well, silly. In the meantime his eager talk of "power and fighting" risks making him sound like Gareth out of The Office.
You'd be a fool to tell him this, though. He'd probably kill you with a contemptuous flick of his pinkie finger.
