The Velvet Underground
albums
True, music is the most important thing, but every once in a while the band will fuse the two very
greatly, where the style of living becomes the music, then the combination rebels against everything
style and music had stood for. If this makes no sense, compare The Velvet Underground's albums
to anything else of the time, and you will see what i mean. Maybe through the production and a
couple of ditties, you can tell the band came from the sixties, but everything else is completely
timeless. They were beyond doing their own thing, they are the only band I have heard from the
sixties that were completely removed from rock n' roll traditions. Lou Reed and John Cale were an
amazing team, and its two bad they only made two albums together, but what albums. Anyways, the
band had no equals in originality. Everything else can be said below; but the "alternative" to pop
rock music started here.
Band Members: Lou Reed - Vocals, Guitar
Sterling Morrison - Bass, Guitar
Maureen Tucker - Drums
John Cale - Viola (first two albums)
Nico - Vocals (on VU & Nico)
Doug Yule - Bass (last two albums)
Best Album: The Velvet Underground and Nico
Biggest Influences: Bob Dylan, John Cage, Chuck Berry
1967
The Velvet Underground & Nico - 9/8
The album is often viewed as some kind of noise-fest all the way through, but that is not true.
Five out of six of these songs are pop to the core, but they are beautiful. Andy Warhol, the bands
manager, brought the German born singer Nico into the group, and she singes three of them:
"Femme Fatale", "all tomorrow's parties", and "I'll be Your Mirror". The latter of the three is the
sweetest, and brings a certain fragile quality to the record. These songs along with "Sunday
Morning" and "There she goes Again" represent pop music in all of its forms. The other six songs
form opposition to pop, by incorporating middle eastern sounds like in "Venus in Furs", strung out
orchestra instruments on "Black Angel's Death Song", and long dirges about drug addiction such
as "I'm Waiting for my Man", "Run Run Run" and "Heroin". The album uses these songs as
gateways to the future where they create their own world, but it is "cool" to be in this world.
Something about this album makes it fun to hear, maybe because it is trippy in way that was never
possible before. Instead of just trying to be "psychedelic", The Velvet Underground were something
else: a living, free force that could go in any direction musically in just a second. They lived it too,
like the Rolling Stones were gritty, the Velvets were underground, night time artists, visionaries.
The closer "European's Son" is a messy, disorganized, freak out of punk music frenzy that fits
because an album that is as experimental as this could not end any other way that all out chaos.
Like i said, the whole album is not chaos, just the last song, but that song has one thing in common
with the others. They are all unbelievably fantastic.
- Trevor e.y.
1.sunday morning- 4
2.i’m waiting for the man- 4
3.femme fatale- 4
4.venus in furs- 4
5.run run run- 3
6.all tomorrows parties- 4
7.heroin- 4
8.there she goes again- 4
9.i’ll be your mirror- 4*
10.the blank angel’s death song- 4
11.european son- 4
1967
White Light/White Heat - 7/8
......one long sonic journey. White Light/White Heat is a lot of mumbling and drifty music, very
different and more experimental than their debut. Gem's like "White Light/White Heat", "Lady
Godiva's Operation" and "Here She Comes Now" are classic songs for the Velvets, and tell stories
of simplicity just like the music is. Simple sounding songs can be deceiving though, because if it
was that easy to write a song, everyone would do it. So to make it sound simple is quite the task.
Other 'songs' like "The Gift" and "I Heard Her Call my Name" are these long journeys of notes with
words thrown in. "The Gift" does not work; it is a tale of sex and perversion that is extremely boring
and impossible to follow, and it is eight minutes long at that. It's the only bad song on here though.
It is impossible to say how influential the last two songs are. Simply put, they laid the groundwork for
hundreds of band in future years, including: Sonic Youth, Yo la Tengo, The Feelies, The Strokes,
Stereolab, R.E.M., and pretty much any band who is considered "indie rock" or uses "noise" in their
music. "Sister Ray" especially, a one of a kind song to say the least. Seventeen minutes of solid
back beat by the fabulous Maureen Tucker, ramblings by Reed about 'hiting it sideways' and
'sucking on a ding song', and solid noise and feedback by the guitars and organ in the
background. Somehow it is all always interesting and ever changing though all the length. To say
that has to be heard is an understatement; "Sister Ray" is one of the best rock songs ever. The
band took a year break after this onslaught of music, they were human after all. I think. - Trevor e.y.
1.white light/white heat- 4
2.the gift- 2
3.lady godiva's operation- 4
4.here she comes now- 4
5.i heard her call my name- 3
6.sister ray- 4*
1969
The Velvet Underground - 8/8
I really do wonder why this, the third album from the VU, is self titled. They had already done
that with their first record, though it had Nico in the line up. This one has neither Nico or John Cale,
and the latter's presence is missed. Oh, I love this album and all, it is consistent enough, but it
would have been more daring and challenging if Cale was still in the group. They were obviously
trying to get more noticed, and the poppier sound is present throughout the album. Throughout is
the key word though, because a song like "Candy Says" is not too far different than "Sunday
Morning" off the first album, but there are more songs like that throughout the length of the record.
All ten songs are pop rock or almost folk, and that is ok, as long as they are good songs. Maybe
Reed thought this album would be a new beginning for the band, hence the self title.
The album is often very drifty and sad sounding, and when there is a rocker, such as "What
Goes On" or "Beggining to See the Light", it JUMPS OUT AT YA! But these ballads are great. "Pale
Blue Eyes" is five minutes of serenade, and one of the most beautiful love songs ever written; "I'm
Set Free" has a great building chorus; and "Jesus" sure sounds like a genuine hymn to the man
himself. Two songs are not as good as the rest, anyone would agree, "some kinda love" just lacks
energy and "Murder Mystery" like White Light/White Heat's "The Gift" is just a failed idea at spoken
word bla bla that goes on for NINE minutes. Would have been nice to have Cale mess with these
tunes and beef them up, but alas, it was not meant to be. Reed makes a masterpiece of an album
here on his own (songwriting wise), and to some this is the best VU record. Miles away from the
debut, but a great, great night time album I listen too quite often. Though those two rockers do
always wake me up if I doze off. - Trevor e.y.
1.candy says- 4
2.what goes on- 4
3.some kinda love- 3
4.pale blue eyes- 4
5.jesus- 4
6.beginning to see the light- 4
7.i'm set free- 4
8.that's the story of my life- 4
9.the murder mystery- 2
10.after hours- 4
1970
Loaded - 5/8
I used to give this album 7/8 and i really wonder why. The first three songs, yes "prove", the
band could have radio hits/ singles, whatever. I doubt that was their original idea, know what i
mean? Yes, the first three songs are great mid tempo rockers, but that is all. No real emotion on
the album, in fact i think this has to be a parody to the record industry for telling the band they
needed some hits. "Oh Sweet Nothin'" is a great closer too, by the way. Now on to the crap. DON'T
BUY THIS ALBUM, BECAUSE IT SUCKS. "Cool it Down" is a goofy, stupid piece of garbage, but
nowhere near as horrid as the next three. Can anyone honestly listen to "New Age", "Head Held
High", and "Lonesome Cowboy Bill" without breaking out into laughter? What the hell where they
thinking? These songs are awful, like being stuck at a concert where your favorite band plays some
"new songs" and they are the worst shit you ever heard in your life, and you can't escape!!! Ahhhh!
The band parody's itself with it's 'time time' lyrics in "Cool it Down", and "New Age" is like "Oh Sweet
Nothin" with a lower I.Q. In all, a bad way for the band to call it a day, but it was their best selling
record to date. Gee, four great songs and six mediocre or horrible ones? You do the math.
- Trevor e.y.
1.who loves the sun- 4
2.sweet jane- 4
3.rock & roll- 4
4.cool it down- 2
5.new age- 1
6.head held high- 1
7.lonesome cowboy bill- 1
8.i found a reason- 2
9.train around the bend- 2
10.oh! sweet nothin’- 4
1985
VU - 7/8
It is nice to have this collection of lost Velvet songs around, though it is surprisingly short.
Don't expect any lost experiments though; the album is purely pop music. A lot of it works:
"Stepheine Says" and "Lisa Says" are powerful ballads, "Foggy Notion" (a miniature "sister ray")
and "I Can't Stand It" are great rockers in the traditional VU way, and "She's my Best Friend"
actually sounds like The Beatles! That is ok, The Beatles tried to sound like VU on many accounts
also ("I've got a Feeling", "Revolution 9"). "Temptation Inside your Heart" recalls the original band
members having fun in the studio, and it is nice to hear them laugh and mess up some. Those are
the great songs, and while "Ocean" is often covered by many bands and "Andy's Chest" turns up
on Transformer, the other four songs are not near as good as those great six. But hey, at least this
is available, because it shows more insight to an awesome band. They really could write great
songs, being experimental or just plain accessible, or mixing them both like no one before them.
One of the better b-sides available for any band. - Trevor e.y.
1.i can't stand it- 4*
2.stepehine says- 4
3.she's my best friend- 4
4.lisa says- 4
5.ocean- 3
6.foggy notion- 4
7.temptation inside your heart- 4
8.one of these days- 3
9.andy's chest- 2
10.i'm sticking with you- 2
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