You're absolutely correct! But in this case - part of what Lou Reed sold to the public since the very beginning of the Velvet Underground was a palpable contemp

You're absolutely correct! But in this case - part of what Lou Reed sold to the public since the very beginning of the Velvet Underground was a palpable contempt for mainstream notions of what was "acceptable" whether in terms of sonics (his solo "Metal Machine Music" album), lyrical content ("Heroin", "I'm Waiting for My Man", "Sister Ray") or attitude. So I'm genuinely surprised that long term fans of Lou's would be surprised that he'd play the hits with a begrudging sneer.