People tell me that Lou Reed and his Velvet Underground were a groundbreaking band that brought the grit and drugs of the NYC Lower East Side into the previously tidy and respectable world of rock music, but I've always found the majority of their songs to be either (a) half-assed and disappointing, or (b) excruciatingly lifeless and dull. Part of the problem is that drummer Maureen Tucker played with mallets and no cymbals, so even the 'rockers' don't actually 'rock.' Another part of the problem is that I've never been able to get into their ballads - neither hypnotic nor particularly pretty, they've always struck me as simply boring. The one aspect I do actually like about them is Lou Reed's gruff wheezy monotone, which as far as I'm concerned is about the
only welcoming aspect of the band. But then I was never a part of the Warhol
art scene nor do I intend to become a part of it any time in the near future.
See, I need my rock to ROLL - not just sit there and fiddle its diddle for ten
boring minutes. When I want druggy profane '60s bullshit, I'll take the Fugs, thanks!
The Velvet Underground & Nico - Verve
1967.
Sitting through this album is like trying to stay
awake while driving your car down an endless stretch of highway at dusk while
it's lightly sprinkling outside and you know you've got about five more hours
to go. In other words, play this CD in your car and YOU WILL DIE. John Cale's eerie viola is a killer addition, and there are definitely a few songs that force chill bumps onto the arm of even me (the snakey "Venus In Furs" is amazing, for example -- why couldn't they have recorded more evocative material like that one?). However, endless messy boring-as-dirt tracks like "Heroin" and "European Son"
totally suck out all the energy generated by perfectly normal catchy little
songs like "There She Goes Again" and "Run Run Run." I would never
argue that Lou Reed was a lousy songwriter; I love a lot of his solo material! I just personally need
something more than 'pleasant' melodies and raw lyrics to bring me back time and
time again. And the Velvets just don't provide that for me. The
instrumentation (aside from the cool viola) is blandly straightforward mid-'60s
blues/rock/lounge, the tepid drum sound completely prevents any of the material from gettin' goin', and only a few of the songs are beautiful or weird enough to rise above the overall dreary tone and excite my brain stem. Plus, I can't stand Nico's thick German vocals, so "I'll Be Your Mirror," "Femme Fatale," and "All
Tomorrow's Parties" are automatically shot to Hell.
- Reader Comments
- corpsebag@hotmail.com
Maybe not as good as White Light / White Heat but still one of the
greatest albums ever. How can you diss "Heroin", and "Venus In Furs"
- Weigelda@aol.com (Dave Weigel)
Man, is this ever overrated. I love "Sunday Morning", "Femme Fatale", "Venus
in Furs", and "Heroin", but the rest is boring. That's it. I don't see this
as a great album. 5/10.
By the way, as far as overrated albums go, this is about 100,000 times better
than The Jesus and Mary Chain's Psychocandy.
- markc@javanet.com (Mark Cybulski)
Good album, but probably the most overrated album in rock history. The
pop songs are great, as is "Heroin". But the shitty production (sounds
like it was recorded in a garage, but it doesn't have the novelty of
being low-fi), and Nico's God-awful vocals (What an embarassment!!) drag
it way down. The last two songs are impossible to sit through. 6 (maybe
7)/10.
- yearzero@earthlink.net (Chris Collins)
I dunno why a bright guy like Lester Bangs loved these guys so much.
They managed to make noise and crappy instrumental prowess sound
boring.. that actually takes work! Like you say, advanced for '67, but
compared to the (vastly more aggressive, influential, and
NON-PRETENTIOUS) Stooges.. forget it. "Venus in Furs" and "Heroin" are
pretty good, but overall, no thanks.
- Anarky1000@aol.com
This whole album is amazing! Er, except for Nico's songs. Why did they get
talked into putting her on? Well, besides Nico, all is well. "Sunday Morning" is
brilliant, "I'm waiting for the man" is great rock, "venus in furs" scares me,
"heroin" has cool drumming, "run run run" has weird ass cool lyrics, and Nico
sucks....except on "all tommorow's partie"s, but only because the cool piano
stuff and the lyrics. I give this album (9/10)
- cliffnorth@localaccess.com (TAD)
Mark, I know what U mean about these guys, but ... this just in ... "All
Tomorrow's Parties" is ... almost ... not bad. I ... kinda like it. & Nico
.. can almost sing it.
Imagine it sort of as The Byrds, only with a drugged-out German-woman
lead-singer, mayB....
I dunno, 2 me it could almost have been a hit. I mean, it's got a nice
slammin drum sound, it's got those raga-style guitar & keyboard
sounds....it was 1967, after all. It would've fit right in with George &
The Beatles' Indian stuff & "Eight Miles High"....
Well, mayB not. But I can almost stand this 1 track. Can almost Njoy it,
even.
I bought a Velvets best-of collection & listened 2 it a couple times, & I
respect Lou Reed 4 just still Bing alive (sorta like Keith Richards, if U
get my drift), & I'll admit that "Heroin" is certainly ... intriguing &
unsettling.
But music 2 get sad & depressed 2? On purpose? Hmmm. Interesting area, like
listening 2 stuff that sounds bad 4 U cos it might actually B good 4 U. A
real Artistic Accomplishment, whether U like it or not. I used 2 think King
Crimson was like that. But KC thrashes around & gives U a way out. VU just
sounds hopeless, just total darkness 4ever, no light at the end.
I don't know, I guess U had 2 B there....
Just thinking: Wouldn't Elmer Fudd do a GREAT version of "All Tomorrow's
Parties"? --
"An whot coztume shall D poh gul weh ... Fo all tomowwoh's pawties...."
Ghod, he'd B even better than Nico....
- ckay@iserv.net (Chris Kay)
I guess after following the Velvets, the various off-shoots, etc., for
some 25 years, I could agree that not all of the experiments came off
with a beautiful conclusion. Why should it? It is better to try and
fail and try again than give up like most of the pukes that have oozed
up from the primordial smoke haze of downtown. The velvets first LP
contained sweet, sweet, heart-felt innocence and cold eye needle
popping. That was the whole point. Most of the severe hippie acid
assholes of the day either died or slowly caught up to (and followed)
the then nascent Nihilistic literati hoi polloi. That, in my estimation
was the truer mirror of the day, an impression that still obviously gets
short shrift. The Velvets simply did not create "product" like the very
late Jim Morrison or the always mostly commercial David Bowie. I doubt
if the 19th century artists like van Gogh, et al, even thought much
about marketing deals, repackaging, etc., when the basic urge to expel
their souls on canvas hit them. I guess you either hate 'em or love
'em. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground.
- kburt@seascape.com (Kent Burt)
"Run Run Run" and "There She Goes Again" are NOT "perfectly normal
little hippy songs" - The Velvet Underground had NOTHING to do with the
hippy movement - they were about as far away from that as anyone could
be in 1966-67...they hated playing San Francisco because they HATED
hippies! Listen to the words, pal - there is NOTHING hippy-ish about
this record. I can't believe how many people wrote in agreeing with
your worthless review. I mean, it's not my favourite Velvets album
(that would be the third), but this album started a whole movement of
angry, fucked up, misfit rock and roll... And Nico was in the band
because Andy Warhol liked her and thought it would be good to put
someone so beautiful in such an ugly context as the Velvet Underground
and the Exploding Plastic Inevitable. The band didn't like having her
there - but they gave her a few songs to sing, and then she went on to
do some solo stuff in a little while...
- AZAHEDAN@energy.state.ca.us (Aaron Zahedani)
Who here on this list of Nico haters has really listened to the much
maligned Femme Fetale and I'll Be Your Mirror? Whether you'd like to
admit it or not, true Rock n Rollers have more to say than fuck the man,
lets fuck shit up and have a party. Songs like Hendrix's Little Wing
and Floyd's Fearless are what really get to me, when your stoned
again and wondering why or when your girlfriend turns out to be the
piece of shit you began to think she was when you first caught her
vibes. The VU songs you hate have lyrics written by Lou Reed, and are
fittingly sung by Nico, Nico Icon. Think man.
- starostin@geocities.com (George Starostin)
Wow... one strange record it is. There's certainly lots of Eastern
influences, which is why all the songs sound so slow and numb, but I'd
say there are other influences here, too. The most weird thing is that,
although the native German here is Nico, Lou Reed's songs sound German
too - like the kind of stuff you'd hear in a Nazi cabaret in the 30-s.
Or in a Marlen Dietrich film. Or something like that. Weird! Anyway, I'd
rather say I like this record than I hate it, although it's really a
tough question. The problem is, you start fine and right there in the
middle of the record you suddenly find yourself falling asleep. Like you
know, 'Sunday Morning' is a fantastically beautiful song; 'I'm Waiting
For My Man' strikes you with these quasi-German intonations and its
ridiculous pulsating beat; 'Femme Fatale' has Nico and it's a great
melody, but it adds little to the impression already given by 'Sunday
Morning'; 'Venus In Furs' starts cool, but its third minute is crucial -
either you are lulled or not. Me, I am. So I really cannot say much
about the following tracks. 'All Tomorrow's Parties' is cool. The last
two or three tracks suck - there's not a terrible lot of virtuosity, and
feedback experiments are better left to Jimi or Pete.
I think this record is certainly unique in a special, 'sixty-seventh'
way. If compared to other records of that groovy year, I'd rate it
somewhat above Are You Experienced, Surrealistic Pillow and Piper
At The Gates of Dawn (it is somewhat more entertaining melody-wise),
but significantly below Sgt Pepper, Satanic, The Who Sell Out,
The Doors and Disraeli Gears. At least THESE whoppers don't make me
want to yawn. And also, I could never appreciate 'Heroin'. Still, I have
nothing against Nico. She's a pretty cool singer.
- bougopgs@eckerd.edu (Gregory S. Bougopoulos)
I basically think you're reviews are way off base. The Velvet Underground
were one of the most important and best groups in rock history and you
degraded them to mediocre status. I have agreed with you on many of your
reviews (and your taste in music as well) but not this.
The first album is a 10. "Femme Fatale" and "I'll Be Your Mirror" are two
beautiful songs that still shine, "Heroin" and "European Son" foreshadow
Sonic Youth et al. and "There She Goes Again" is much better than the
hippie songs you identify it with. The hippies, for the most part, were a
bunch of bored kids looking for a group to belong to (like most youth
cultures); the Velvets were outcasts who didn't give a damn.
- dwingert@terra.cc.oh.us (Deb)
First off, anybody who doesn't like the Velvet Underground is an
ignorant prick. While studio weasels that you enjoy like the Beatles
were off making dull, predictable records that you couldn't distinguish
from the other, the Velvets were at least trying something different.
The Velvets told the truth when it came to gritty subject matter like
sex and drugs, and they only way they could do that was with music that
was aggressive and unusual. Heaven forbid a musical group try something
unusual for once. People like you are probably the same folks who listen
to dull, predictable bands like Matchbox 20 and 3rd Eye Blind and hate
any band that has a unique, original musical style.You'd rather listen
to the same stale rock cliches that dime-a -dozen bands churn out now.
What a wuss you are. The Velvets were, and still are, the greatest rock
band alive, and if they were on the radio, they'd still be more exciting
than half the crap on the air.
- waterloo78@aol.com
another thing that seems to be forgotten, the velvet underground & nico was
recorded in early '66 (but released in '67 due to label problems), so should
be lisetened to in that contrast. it ranks up there with blonde on blonde,
revolver, aftermath, and face to face, released around the same time.
- cjkdesig@flash.net
One of the ten greatest albums ever made in my opinion. Finest VU work in
their ouerve. "Sunday Morning" is hypnotic and dreamy, "Waiting For the
Man," "Run Run Run" and "There She Goes Again" are friggin' awesome rock
songs. Cale's viola scrapes on "Venus In Furs" are what make the song, NOT
Reed's lyrics--the same practically goes for "Heroin" as well (although
those words have an incaculable impact on future musicians). "All
Tomorrow's Parties" and "Femme Fatale" are practically ruined by Nico's
voice, although she does a good job on "I'll Be Your Mirror" and "Black
Angel's Death Song" is one freaky-sounding tracks once again helped out by
Cale's awesome viola. The final song, "European Son," is best described
as a sneak preview of what White Light/White Heat would sound like.
Required listening.
- jltichenor@earthlink.net (James L. Tichenor)
Wow, a couple years ago i wouldn't have agreed with you on the Velvet
Underground and Nico Mark, but now.... Wow it's pretty bad that the
only way i can listen to this record now is if i smoke weed. That ain't
a compliment for them. I like his lyrics and all, but yeah... the punk
rock side of me wants to smash some fucking LIFE into these recordings.
They just drag and drag and drag. Like i said- good with marijuana-
otherwise- sedate me first before putting this one on.
- bgreenstein@nctimes.net (Ben Greenstein)
I'll agree on one thing - "Heroin" is an incredibly boring song that
goes absolutely nowhere. But, however awful Nico's voice is, she can't
stink up "All Tommorows Parties," with its great drums and that cool
piano thing. The other songs she sings are good, too, but I think that
Lou should have told Andy to screw himself when he suggested letting her
in the band, and just sang them himself. I mean, did they honestly
expect a german model with no talent to make them sound better? I give
this an eight - it's not my favourite, but it's still pretty
entertaining. "Waiting For The Man" is great, too.
- dopowell@startext.net (Rorschach)
This isn't punk music, which explains why a lot of bad reviews have been
posted here, but without this here album, punk might not have gone anywhere.
There's a ton of weird, 67 style fucked up songs like venus in furs, black
angel, etc. This is definetly a better choice for those who don't want to
hear the ramones overtones on every album they have.
- michael.blume@gte.net
Velvet Underground and Nico is a great album. I don't know why you
think to yourself that "Heroine" sucks out all of one's energy really badly.
It's friggin' cool, dude (especially the viola noise, man, that ROCKS)! It
sounds like a pre-Relayer masterpiece. Nico has a really cool voice,
so what's up with you bad-mouthing her? Huh? "Femme Fatale" rules as well,
you dig?
Also, Lou Reed has such a groovy voice. Wicked lyrics will rule the day. My
point? Like I said, it's a great album, so up yours! A 7 out of 10 for
making one feel like trying to stay awake while driving a car down an
endless stretch of highway at dusk while it is lightly sprinkling outside
and knowing it's about five more hours to go? No way. NO FUCKIN' WAY!!!!
On the other hand, you were dead-on about "European Son". The first 30
seconds of it are pleasant, but the rest of it plummets into a snoozed-out
jam
through and through and through and through and through and through
and.............EEEEEEEHHHHHHHH. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
Anyways, despite your dispicable bias against the Velvet Underground, all
the other songs are amazing. A 9/10 for this shellac!
- InMyEyes82@aol.com (Zach English)
Oh, really guys...all these Velvet disses are just breaking my heart! How can
you not see the icy beauty in Nico's voice, the way Lou's lyrics create a
window into another world, the mesmerizing viola swimming above the kick and
grind of the rhythm section....jeez. Learn to wean yourself OFF of punk rock
for an hour or so and see something from the other side of the tracks. This
is not "boring", or "depressing", or "too arty"...it's real, and it's gritty,
and it's the truth. The songs are just pure beauty to these ears, and the
claim that the album is tiresome blows my mind. I LOVE how Maureen's drums
don't splash and kick all over the place, just staying that breezy little
rhythm she knew so well. The melodies are incredible, and only strengthen the
lyrics' impact. I mean, honestly, guys...let's put down the Ramones album
that we've probably heard billions of times (through them AND every other
fast punk band) and just see something original for a change.
- mjamison@psln.com (Michael Jamison)
Okay, first off, boys, Nico has the most awesome voice ever. She's just
a bad ass, what can I say? And the low quality sound only inhances the
great Velvet Underground-ness of it. Like their live bootleg stuff.
It's just such a great sound for them. And Lou Reed is the coolest dork
ever.
- fatdan_138@hotmail.com
hey, just saw your site.. great job! i LOVE your reviews on Black Flag,
Minor Threat, The Dead Kennedys, and [last, and best] the Ramones! my
favorite bands ever!
But wait.. you have reviewed one more band... one of my personal favorites,
that i have often been slammed for listening to... the Velvet Underground!!
obvoiusely, you have done your homework on this band. you know [as does just
about everybody now] the impact they had on underground music. I agree that
the music is slow, too slow at times. I agree with your reviews on all the
other albums... except for the first one.
i'd give that one a 9. Not a 10, it's too slow for that. But songs like
"Heroin" and "Venus in Furs" really make you think about all the things that
you consider to be "true" and/or "right" in your life, and whether or not
they are quite as good as you thought. I love Lou Reed's words for that one
reason. He may be a fucking asshole, but he was a musician, so what the
hell, ya know?
also: one band for you to listen to -> the Minutemen. from what you said
about Greg's guitar playing, i KNOW you'll love this band. I don't want to
oversell them, though. Just goto SST Super Store and buy ANY of their
albums, perferably their later, jazzier albums. you'll see what i mean.
anyhow, great page. visit mine if you want...
http://fatdan.cjb.net
- cola@together.net (Brett Colasacco)
With The Velvet Underground & Nico and the subsequent White Light/White Heat,
Lou Reed and the gang ground up the sacred cow of rock
and roll. It took them until The Velvet Underground to actually form
it into a hamburger. Loaded simply added the condiments.
- richbunnell@home.com
Hoot mon is this album good. Sure, the stuff that most ears will pick up is the happy
normal poppy stuff like "Sunday Morning" and "There She Goes Again"(GREAT song), but I for
one like the bizarre dirgey stuff. "Heroin," for example. That's a cool song. It keeps
speeding up and slowing down and there's this viola shreeking in the background and
it all rules! Rules, I tells ya! "European Son" blows, though, and even though Nico's three
songs are all great melody-wise, they should've just told Andy Warhol to go to hell and
let Lou sing those songs too. The album is still very deserving of a nine.
Also, I agree with someone else on this page that if you really HATE the Velvets, you'd might
as well give them ratings that indicate this. 7 means "good, no bones about it," remember?
- mstreet@asiaonline.net (Malcolm Street)
Er, I actually like Nico's voice on this album; it adds an extra tone of
the exotic and wierd to it. In particular I think it works brilliantly on "All Tomorrows'
Parties", with its doom-laden atmosphere and lyrics of loneliness in the big city.
How on earth can this album send anyone to sleep? Waiting For the Man,
Run Run Run, Heroin are three of the most snarling pieces of rock n roll I've ever
heard? I also like European Son with its wild sound-scapes, as someone
said, a sneak preview of White Heat, White Light, the thoroughly creepy Venus in
Furs, All Tomorrow's Parties and Black Angel's Death Song and the
contrast provided by the lighter songs in the collection, which nevertheless have their
own sting in the tail.
One of my all-time favourite albums and one which richly deserves
its reputation as a ground-breaking masterpiece. Side 1 is one of rock's greatest
achievements. So there!
- jason_a@earthlink.net (Jason Adams)
The album cover is really great. I think Warhol was experimenting with his
own celebrity, seeing if he could increase an album's value just by putting
his name in big script letters on the front. With a banana, of course. As
for the album, it's interesting but overrated. I think critics give it extra
points because of its history, but half the tracks just don't do anything.
The other half, though.
- cloud_149@yahoo.com (Rorschach)
Ahh, VU & Nico. I'm surprised that this album garners
as much hate and resentment as it does on this page.
I'd compare it to a movie like Citizen Kane, whose
ideas have been reused and reinterpreted so many times
over the years that it gets that not-so-fresh feeling.
What we have here, ladies and germs, is the
introduction of art into rock and roll and for the
most part, the beginning of "underground" music. I
don't know how many people realize this, but this
album was recorded in its entirety in the early months
of 1966, though it was not released until nearly a
year later. This album was created before Revolver and
Pet Sounds were unleashed upon an unsuspecting world,
when psychedelic music was just in its infancy, and
several decades before anything close to this kind of
music would be popular. Its often been said that very
few people heard this record back in the sixties, but
everyone who did formed their own band. We've got the
primal sound of Run, Run, Run taking a riff and
plowing it into the ground, the avant garde drone of
Black Angel's Death Song, the lush delicate pop of the
Nico songs, and lyrics that would have almost
certainly been scrutinized by a Congressional
committee had this album sold in anything close to
respectable numbers. To rag on this album is to
disregard the enormous impression it made on all
unpopular music that followed, and I'll be damned if
it is not granted its rightful place amongst the
revolutionary music of the world.
- Jcjh20@aol.com
I agree, overrated album, but there are indeed some really beautiful stuff on here
though, "Sunday Morning" for instance. "There She Goes Again" is a very nice song as well, that
REM have actually covered (They also covered "Femme Fatale", which is a nice song as
well). I actually like Nicos vocals on here as well, they are quite nice (although they
should of just let Lou sing the songs). I actually like "Heroin" as well, its slow as shit
(clocking in at 7 min) but i seem to enjoy it. Definatly some dull spots here and there, so
all and all id give it an 8.
- Muggwort@aol.com
i am kind of torn about the Velvet Underground and Nico on one hand it captivates me and starts up my imagination with songs like "run, run, run",
"waiting for my man" and "Venus in furs" on the other it kind of bores me with songs like "black angles death song", "European son", "femme
fatale" and "Sunday mourning" so I would have to give it a high 7.
- useless_creep@hotmail.com (Steve)
I love this album, but aside from "All Tomorrow's Parties", Nico's
songs are ruined by her HORRENDOUS voice. She has the worst voice
this side of a Golden Throats compilation.... it sounds like Warhol
exhumed Eva Braun's corpse, brought it back to life, shot it full of
smack, then stuck it front of a microphone. Nico's voice alone brings
this record down to an 8.
- gray0187@tc.umn.edu (Jon)
I completely agree. I think image and attitude are posturing as music most of the time for the Velvet Underground. Let folk get a few years older and they won't be pulling this
record out very often. Once the novelty wears off, it sounds really really boring and uninteresting. Also, bad experimental bands traditionally exist nowadays (and the VU are
in this vein) because they can't hack the acceptable trend. The best catchy songs of VU are not in the same vein of catchiness as the best by the Police or Beatles or what have
you. Now, those bands that have hacked the acceptable trend, whose songwriting is good enough, can expand to experimentalism with success and melodic punch rather than
boring experimentalism that is for its own sake. The Beatles are this sort of band, Bob Dylan is another example. VU are weird and "experimental" because that's the only
way they are interesting, and even then, they still aren't that interesting. Nico's voice is a terrible bore by the way, you don't have to sing poorly to add emotion or atmosphere
to a song. They have their good points that I can appreciate(who doesn't), but they are so vastly overrated that I am inclined to dislike them more than they probably deserve.
I would be more happy with liking the bits I do and suffer less grief for the parts I don't if they were some unknown indifferently approached band like Soft Machine or
Unicorn. Rabid fans are always ignoring the flaws of their group, and to me that's not something a true fan would do. As for those who say "they are the best band ever!!!!"
give yourself a year or two and you'll find out how wrong you were without exception. No band is the best ever.
- Colin T.
greg bougopoulos knows where it's at. listen to him.
if you are reading this and haven't heard this album yet, do yourself and get it. even if it you don't like it, you'll be affected (and that's never a bad thing).
- andy@theleeches.com
As we in England say:
Bollocks.
This album is just as relevant as Sgt Pepper or Exile on Main St or any
other "most influential record ever".
People who close their minds to any genre or style are bigots. So what
if a particular sound doesn't light your fire? Dig deep enough & you'll
probably find that the very thing you're decrying has had a major
influence on some of your favourite bands.
To me, the story of a junkie is just as relevant as a McCartney ballad
about a girl leaving home, just as sad, but no more or less important.
And it makes no difference if the song in question is accompanied by a
slick George Martin string arrangement, or by a strung-out raw as fuck
speed-fuelled screech. So what if Nico sounds like some fuckup teutonic
smackhead, after all that's what she was.
I've owned this record for 23 years & I still listen to it, still LISTEN
to all the parts & inflections, & still get scared shitless by some of
the darkness - in a century or two this record will have the same
resonance as we currently perceive in Sibelius or Shostakovich.
- vtxk@iup.edu (Dave Bates)
It would be inaccurate for me to call the Velvet Underground my
favorite band, or to say that I really like feedback-induced noise
(Led Zeppelin is my favorite band, and it doesn't get muchy more clean
and studio-perfected than that). But The Velvet Underground and Nico
is probably the single most important album of the 1960s, save for
maybe Sgt. Pepper's. I think the problem that a lot of people have
with the album is that it is raw--the sound quality is poor (compared
to albums of the time), the feedback can be ear-splitting at times,
and the vocals (especially Nico's) are nothing special. I personally
enjoy listening to this record, but I can certianly understand why
most people wouldn't. At the same time, I think we need to
differentiate between reviewing based on preference and reviewing
based on objective standards. Personally, I would call VU and Nico a
great album because I can listen to it 5 times in a row and hear a
different album every time. Using more objective standards (Ie,
influence on later musicians), this is one of the 5 greatest records
in the history of rock and roll--none of the art rock bands, punks,
post-punks, indie rockers, "shoegazers," metal bands, or drug bands
that followed ever would have existed without The VU, and this album
in particular. I respect everyone's opinion about this being a bad
record (especially considering how tough it can be to listen to), but
at the same time, I think we need to take a good close listen to any
serious rock album released after 1970--I guarantee you'll find a
little "Heroin".
- oliver5200@hotmail.com (Adam Bruneau)
I always think it's funny how people claim punk (and subsequently any truly
meaningful post-70s rock) started with the VU and tend to sneer at the
'panty-waisted' efforts of the Beatles - doesn't it cross their mind that,
in addition to restless experimentation, one of the major sources of
inspiration for post-70s underground rock was it's older brother from the
60's? The tradition of bashing out garage/psych tributes to the very moptop
heroes that indie snobs often tend to put down? Isn't it possible that,
while the Velvet Underground were certainly influential in one way, the
Beatles were in their way as well? And even other 'sell-out' groups like The
Pink Floyd? David Bowie? The Doors?
Anyways, I do quite like this group, in fact I love them. And this album
frequently battles with "VU" (the album) for the title of my favorite of the
60s; I give it 9/10. "Venus in Furs" is stunningly hypnotizing, and "I'm
Waiting For the Man" is raw and simple mid-60s garage rock at it's best. But
"European Sun" does tend to extremely bore me as it stretches out, starting
out strong and, after the brilliant sound of shattering glass, ending up on
a noisey plateau from which it never really develops.
The truth is, as inventive as the record is, Frank Zappa had already done
'weird' sound collages (side 4 of his debut), The Beatles had already
recorded hypnotic drone-rock ("Tomorrow Never Knows", "Rain"), The Who had
already written pop songs about confronting unorthodox sexuality ("I'm a
Boy", "Happy Jack"), and The Pink Floyd, an entire continent away and
featuring a genuinely insane lead singer/guitarist, had already begun
putting on live multimedia presentations, complete with extended, droning
jam sessions that, like the Velvets, bored the mass audience to tears. You
can say, and rightfully so, that the Velvet Underground was tremendously
influential, but I think it would be outright lying to deny the possibility
that, maybe others had influenced them as well?
They weren't the end-all-be-all of punk rock. Nor underground rock. But yes,
they played all these things and they did them darker and bleaker and rawer
than anyone had yet. And Lou Reed has the coolest fucking voice in rock 'n'
roll. And "Sunday Morning", especially when played at _just_ the right time
under _just_ the right conditions, is a shimmering slice of heaven.
- gray0187@tc.umn.edu (Jon)
IN answer to the guy that says VU will be appreciated like Shostakovich and Sibelius.... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA... ahem...
oh man.. 23 years of lsitening to that record... exit this roman shell-uh! ... hee hee
shosty and sibelius were kinda universally recognized as geniuses... lou reed dug up Beat poetry corpses and ripped off other pop songs (Marvin Gaye's HITCHHIKE FOR CHIRSSAKE!!!! HE STOLE A MARVIN GAYE SONG IN ITS ENTIRETY FROM A CORPORATE MOTOWN SONGWRITER AND ADDED DERIVATIVE LYRICS!!! PRETTY GODDAMN PUNKISH!)... you make the call
image is at work here, not talent. good thing shostakovicht was one ugly motherfucker.
- andy@theleeches.com
in reply to gray0187.
"shosty" & sibelius were equally villified in their own time. shosty in particular got loads of shit for creating atonal, boring, irrelevant dirges. sibelius was a smack (ok, opium) head. sound familiar?
actually, a good deal of punk rock is about ripping off some corporate asshole and whacking on a bunch of derivative (or should the word be derisive!!) lyrics, well it is where i come from anyway - that's the fun.
image? well, i'd say lou reed ain't exactly brad pitt. & his 80's hairstyles were crimes against humanity & offensive to even a partially sighted guide dog. & what's the big deal with him anyway? a lot of people on this page seemed to have forgotton that john cale was just as (if not more) instrumental in their sound.
like i said, 100 years is time enough for some real objectivity. wish i could be around to prove it, my only solace being that though i'll be dead n rotting in some damp grave, so will jon of gray0187@tc.umn.edu fame!
jesus, how sad am i that i feel i have to defend my opinions in a naval-gazing my-dad's-bigger-than-your-dad verbal sparring duel? mass murder is about to be committed in our names by our oh-so-wise leaders, and here's me bickering about the 2 grooved sides of a lump of vinyl.
- telecentrocampana@delta.com.ar
Here comes a guy from the lesser world.
Pero como no podía ser de otra manera voy a escribir mi crítica en mi idioma natal.
A mi modesto entender, el disco es impresionante debido a la gran variedad de matices que podemos observar en él, además teniendo en cuenta el contexto histórico del que ya se ha hablado bastante, yo le daría 9/10.
El disco comienza de manera magistral con un sonido angelical, el segundo tema nos demuestra con muy poco como ellos podían rockear!!, el tercer tema (grandioso) nos introduce quizas la primera rareza, una belleza germana con una voz impactante (o les cabe alguna duda que esa voz carente de matices es en realizad impactante), el cuarto tema (great!!!!!!!!!!!!) con Cale luciendose en sobremera, el quinto tema rock primal en excelencia, letra imponente (estupendo), el sexto tema (digno de The
doors) tiene un piano armonioso y está lleno de climax.
Heroin un clásico, el octavo tema "Hitchhike"creo, no es basura hippie, lindos coros, lindos cambios de ritmo, es un tema digno de ser escuchado a altos decibeles´.
Luego Nico despertando mi deseo sexual nuevamente.
Lo demás no me interesa demasiado pero no me disgusta.
- Quicksand1971@aol.com
One of the best albums vie heard. Since the first time I heard it drunk and stoned fell in love with it. Heroin without a question is the best song in this album. Lou Reed is a genus
- Zophael979@aol.com
As far as late 60s underground groups go, I prefer both the midwestern punk sound of The Stooges (one of the best rock bands ever) and the MC5 (hippie slogans with loud guitars---a precursor to punk rock if there ever was one) to this stuff. Then again, it's an entirely different mood that the Velvets shoot for on this record. VU&NICO is very slow, mellow, and drugged out. It's good music to write to. Good music to relax to. Good music to OD to. You get the idea. This is dreamy pop music, guys. You'd be silly to mosh to any of it.
It opens with one of the Velvets best songs, the dreamy pop of "Sunday Morning", which would've been considered a classic of the classic rock era had someone like the Beatles recorded it. Other pop classics include "Femme Fatale", the lyrically anti-pop "There She Goes Again", and the one attempt to kinda rock out, "Run Run Run". Of the less poppy stuff, "I'm Waiting For the Man" is kinda good in the way Sonic Youth can be kinda good...you can't rock out to it, but it has a cool hynoptic sorta sound and the singer (Lou Reed, in this case) has a really cool voice. "Venus in Furs", while sporting that weird Indian psychedelic sound that was all the rage in 60s psychelia, managed to rub me the right way.
However, the most powerful moment here is definately "Heroin". Whether it be the too-drugged-out-to-rock sound of the instruments or Lou Reed's powerful vocal performance, this song manages to send chills up my spine.
It's not all good, though---and don't let anyone tell you that it is. Nico absolutely slaughters the otherwise decent "All Tomorrow's Parties" with her horrendous vocal performance (she did fine in her other two numbers though, especially "Femme Fatale"). Also, the last two songs on the record are just boring, overlong drones.
Sure, there's a lot of pretentious arty stuff, but there's some quality pop in here too and some of the pretentious arty stuff isn't half bad. As long as you don't come into this expecting the hard and fast Ramones-style stuff (and who in their right mind would?), you should find something to like. Or you could just invest in some Funhouse or in some Kick Out the Jams if you want to hear something better. Whichever.
***1/2 out of *****
- perfectpitch@sbcglobal.net (Pat Shipp)
"...none of the songs are beautiful enough to become hypnotic". Aw c'mon Mark, you've got to be kidding me. Take one more listen to "Sunday Morning" and tell me that isn't beautiful and hypnotic. I find it funny that every time somebody bashes Lou Reed's singing abilities, they never mention this song. Probably because narrow-minded people hate to be proved wrong.
Anyway, I hate to sound like I'm jumping on the bandwagon, but I think this album is a masterpiece. The lyrics, the playing, and above all, the MOOD of these songs are simply in a world of their own. Apart from the gorgeous "Sunday Morning", you have cool, ass-whoopin' punk rockers like "I'm Waiting For The Man" and "Run Run Run". That's right, the roots of punk rock lie in this album. And many a punk band would eventually cite this as a huge influence on their careers.
And what about "Venus In Furs"? God, if that's not hypnotizing, then NOTHING is. Probably the most hypnotizing song that I have ever heard. And I love the line "Taste the whip, now bleed for me", though I still can't quite decipher what it's about. "There She Goes Again" is a hilarious song about a prostitute, again done in that special Velvet Underground style. The songs with Nico are a mixed bag. "All Tomorrow's Parties" isn't really all that great, but "Femme Fatale" is CREEPY AS HELL. I'm serious. It is the darkest, most eerie song I've ever heard. Nico manages to give me scared-shitless goosebumps with her unusual vocals. And "I'll Be Your Mirror" is painfully emotional.
But the last two songs, "The Black Angel's Death Song" and "European Son", pretty much suck. Basically just a bunch of noise and noodling. However, the other songs MORE THAN make up for it.
Oh yeah, and "Heroin" is a cool song but much too overrated.
- lettfer@web.de (Lettfers Art)
Good day to you Mr. Prindle,
And yet again you've proven that's you prefer large dick to small cunt. Calling Heroin a bad song is like saying .... hmm like saying heroin sucks. You fucking asshole your wrong about everything you write. But since you get depressed everytime you like in the mirror I'll just skip the possitive stuff.
This one hell of an album. Also Nico is a bad singer with less talent than you, Reed could bring her in the place. The rest nice, too this a must have - Mr. Prindle is a must kill.
Fuck you
- dead-beat@socal.rr.com
There was a point in my life where I could have recited every lyric on this fucking album. This album and the Velvets' other works paled everything I have listened to before then.
God a song like "Heroin" which was the first thing I heard of this album. It's so beautiful. The sound of the viola gives the sense of the syrienge piercing through your skin. The words are so fucking right on for the music. There's something beautiful about almost all these songs (maybe not "European Son" it's just an awesome rocker). "Venus in Furs" is without question the song that inspired the goth movement.
The Velvets were a big fuck you statement to the rest of the shit going on in the 60's. Maybe the Rolling Stones looked the part first but the Velvets really didn't give a fuck what anybody thought. Don't let the Warhol entourage fool you.
- uglytruth@hotmail.com (Hossein Nayebagha)
On the Stones American version of Out Of Our Heads, there's a song called "Hitch Hike", or at least that's what I'd guess going by the chorus. I just wrote a reader comment noting a similarity between a song by the Strokes vs. Tom Pettey. These things happen all the time. BUT, it pisses me off that I've turned 22 and I had to hear this on my own, here that "There She Goes Again" is pretty much plagarism, next to "Hitch Hike". It's not just a matter of basics, same rhythm, same breaks... I don't care if it's just a coinsidence or what, it sounds just like it, and yet, no one has ever said a god damn thing... I mean we're talking about two legendary bands here. Oh and no one needs to point out that the Stones one is a cover, that's irrelevant... Also I have no idea how much or how little it's been rearranged.
As for VU&N... Why bother commenting on everyone's darling band. I like it... I also find Nico's vocals a bit stupid, but they don't bother me, and it's actually pleasant on "Femme Fatale"... And it's cute how she pronounced "parties" on that other song. "Sunday Morning" would be my favourite... Rating? I don't know, maybe 8/10.
- spinaltomek@hotmail.com
Many people seem to hate this one for the same reasons and still like and
dislike different songs. Personally I think "Sunday Morning" is one of the
most perfect songs ever recorded. So pleasent, so calming. "Venus in Furs"
features a really cool, dark mood and "All Tomorrow's Parties" is (although
sung by aweful Nico) is in the same spirit and very catchy..."I'm Waiting
For My Man" and "The Black Angel's Death Song" are also cool, the rest is
boring, slow, generic crap. Even the noisy "European Son"...okay, there's
noise, but they don't know how to do it properly, it's just a band dicking
around, so why bother?
And: the drummer seems quite afraid of using cymbals and her snare almost
all of the time... This makes "the Velvet Underground & Nico" the most
not-rocking rock (or whatever) record ever.
- browningub40@peoplepc.com
Just a few comments about this album i'd like to share here:First of all, it's nowhere near as bad as you seem to think it is.It's great actually, better than anything made today. Secondly, I'd like to add that the main reason I believe you mentioned for disliking it was that it's way too slow, well, personally I think that is one of the reasons i like em. It seems like every other band around that time was trying to speed things up too fast, as least they were trying something different. By the way you mentioned that they are a late sixties band, actually they came out in early 1965 making them a mid sixties band, they came out at about the same time as the fugs did. This album was recorded in '65 by the way, just not released until later.
- OSLANE@student.gvsu.edu
my friend and I were discussing this - and I think this album is a perfect example - debating, I suppose, how one should view music, either in the context of the time and what it stood for/its place in history or what a person would think about it just by listening to it with no context behind it.
I guess it's personal preference, I probably like this album a lot more than you, since those things you hate are things I like, including nico's "stormtrooper vocals", but, amongst other things, to deny its importance is a bit off considering how many bands you can point directly to it... and i even inlcude the stooges, who I love way more than vu, but to deny the "I'm waiting for the man" influence on "I wanna be your dog"? also the shrill metallic and percussive guitar style seem to have been directly adapted into the sound of both modern lovers and talking heads, the avante noise making seems to have influenced bands like pere ubu and the fall and I guess the no nonsense street sensible lyrics and lack of musical skill influenced punk bands. dee dee ramone even said he wrote "chinese rocks" to top lou reede's "heroine."t it stood for/its place in history or what a person would think about it just by listening to it with no context behind it.
- ninestraycats@gmail.com
well, nico's voice is certainly an understandable reason for blowing off the songs she sings on, but that's unfortunate, since otherwise they're really great songs (i shouldn't say otherwise, i personally have come to like her voice, but it certainly took a loooong time). all tomorrow's parties is pretty rollicking, although also pretty druggy. the other two songs are just GORGEOUS pop songs. very mellow mood, great songwriting.
i totally see where you're coming from with your complaints about this album. i guess it's hard to call it a CLASSIC, only because the songwriting isn't always top notch. but it is fucking marvelous. the sound of the album, the lyrics, godamn, that mood! i can see its influence and how it was a big deal back then in 1967. when the v/u do weird shit, like black angel's death song, venus in furs, they're great. when they do long jams, like i'm waiting for the man, all tomorrow's parties, they're great. when lou reed writes a great song (he IS a greate songwriter), like femme fatale, i'll be your mirror, they're great. but the somewhat generic pop of there she goes again, for example, isn't balls to the wall glorious. run run run is more or less in the same vein, although it does have a pretty wild guitar "solo." there's that weirdness again!
- Kevin
Maybe boring in places but so were a lot of the 60's rock genre bands. See what happened to John Lennon when he cut loose from The Beatles and created the masterpiece "The Plastic Ono Band." In any case, each time I play The Jesus and Mary Chain, among others, I feel truly blessed by The Velvet Underground. If you don't have it on vinyl, get it on eBay and warm up your turntable for a sonic treat!!
- nineinchgoth@hotmail.com
I can completely understand what you (and others) dislike about this album. It's not for everyone, and it'll probably take a few listens until you even vaguely appreciate it, but in my humblest of opinions it's a fine debut and probably the best entry point. After all, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND was about 90% gentle (though sardonic) tunes, and WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT is their noisiest effort overall; VU&N finds a nice middle ground between those two extremes. Oh, and I do actually like Nico, but her voice was far better suited for her abstract solo efforts (THE MARBLE INDEX, DESERTSHORE, etc.).
- Ben
This is an overrated album, but it's still good. It's just that the bad stuff on the album ("Heroin", "Black Angel's Death Song" and "European Son") is very bad. Long depressing dirges with a bunch of lame sound effects. I don't mind Nico, but I'd like it better if Lou sang her songs. I'll give this a 7. Favorite is "I'm Waiting for the Man".
- Elliot Imes
Thank you so much for trashing, or at least not praising, The Velvet Underground & Nico. I listened to it for the first time last night, and I am furious that this record has been worshipped and revered for so long. There is almost nothing enjoyable about it! Nico’s involvement is an absolute embarrassment and proves it shouldn’t be taken seriously as music. It was just a commercial product with a model awkwardly inserted into it. The actual quality of the recording is lackluster, with a quiet rhythm section being completely drowned out by inappropriately loud (and sloppy) guitar solos. Too many songs are directionless, noisy exercises in boredom. The only thing that band excelled at was creating an aura of cool around themselves that somehow convinced people to like them at the risk of looking unhip. And that same pressure to like it or be unhip has carried on for almost the last 50 years, with sad losers falling for it every year. But not you and I!
Add your thoughts?
White Light/White Heat - Verve
1968.
2018 UPDATE: At age 45, I've finally grown to like "Sister Ray." So ignore that part of this review, written when I
was about 23.
This one starts off very promising, with a couple of noisy, catchy blues-rockers heralding an unexpectedly energetic and amphetamine-happy new sound. Then "The Gift" gives us a great story set to a spiffy Stonesish melody, and "Lady
Godiva's Operation" has some hilarious overdubbed Lou vocals that'll
set your tummy a-rolling. After that, though.... Holy ships.
See, I'm told that some people consider the 16-minute "Sister
Ray" to be a classic noise epic. I
don't. It bores the hell out of me. It sounds like The Monkees trying to be
a wild psychedelic band. Lou keeps singing about somebody sucking on his
ding-dong, the drumbeat NEVER becomes hypnotic, the noise is too tinny to kick
ass, and they just keep repeating the same dull musical ideas over and over
and over and over again for a full quarter-hour. To hear this sort of thing
done correctly, please see Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive," recorded one
year earlier for their Piper At The Gates Of Dawn LP.
Man, I fucking
hate this band. Should I go get McDonald's? It's kinda late in the day, and
I don't wanna spoil my dinner, but I'm a little bit hungry. Ahh screw it, it's
snowing. I'll just eat a magazine.
- Reader Comments
- corpsebag@hotmail.com
How original!!! Seriously a twenty minute songs consisting of Lou Reed
rapping (or how they would put kicking out rhymes but we know it's a
60's version of rapping) over 2 chords for 20 minutes!!!!!!!! "Sister
Ray" is the best song ever written. "Here She Comes Now" makes me cry,
and "White Light / WHite Heat" makes me wanna play drums. Who cares-
great album.
- Weigelda@aol.com (Dave Weigel)
I'd like to go on the record and say that "Corpsebag" is a fucking moron.
"Sister Ray" is the best song ever written? Jesus Christ!
This is the VU's worst record, by far. "The Gift" gets boring after a few
listens, and "Sister Ray" is an abomination, so that means, um, about 28
MINUTES of this album is garbage! The four pop songs are okay, "Here She
Comes Now" being the best but they all have this weird feedback vibe that
really gets boring. They sound like early Pink Floyd wannabees (by the way,
take Mark's recommendation and buy Pink Floyd's first album. It blows this
shit away). 4/10
- yearzero@earthlink.net (Chris Collins)
A bit better than the debut, but still... for something this
distorted, it's amazingly un-rocking and drained of energy. "The Gift"
and "Here She Comes Now" are good. "Sister Ray"... a proto-punk
masterpiece? Naw, it's just plodding and boring.
- azitelli@stevens-tech.edu
i haven't heard any of their other albums. my friend gave me this one. i
like it. i don't know what i was expecting. ummmm...for that era, it
seems to kick the ass of anything...but i've never heard any of that old
pink floyd stuff......although, it's actually not as exciting as most of
the post punk stuffffffff..........sister ray and the gift can get
boring, but after not hearing them for awhile, they blow you away...the
gift creeps me out, too...and i like the feedbackness...but i heard her
call my name just sounds too much like pavement...my favorite is the
lady godiva song, it's pretty bizarre in my book...
oh by the way, just kidding about the pavement thing, they ripoff the VU
sometimes, i just want some guy to get all pissed off when he reads that
and write an EMail to me saying that i'm an idiot and i can just laugh
at him...........
- bougopgs@eckerd.edu (Gregory S. Bougopoulos)
I agree that "Sister Ray" is too long but it is
still better than most stupid "jams" many groups decide to unleash upon
audiences. "Lady Godiva's Operation" and "Here She Comes Now" are my two
favorites off here. A 9.
- dwingert@terra.cc.oh.us (Deb)
I really pity you. Your musical taste is so limited that you can't
recognize the Velvet Underground as the greatest musical group of all
time. You probably enjoy studio weasels like the Beatles, whose albums
all sound the same. At least the Velvets tried interesting new musical
approaches. You're just an ignorant prick with your head so far in the
sand that you won't touch any musical group with a unique style. If the
Velvets were on the radio today, they'd still be better than most of the
dull crap that passes as rock these days. Of course, you probably enjoy
that boring crap, don't you?
- Waterloo78@aol.com
you'd be hard-pressed to come up with another guitar solo as fucked-up (yet
sweet-sounding) then the one on I Heard Her Call My Name. Sister Ray also is
nice.
- huckcherry@hotmail.com (Xavier Fabriano)
I usually don't agree with Lester Bangs, but I'm just going to have to
agree with him here. I don't think you're really tuned into the
aesthetic of this band. Whether you want to admit it or not, these
guys had a huge influence on a number of people. This was one of the
first bands to almost completely avoid the use of cymbals (which take
up the frequencies of the guitar) which was a technique made popular
by 80's King Crimson and Peter Gabriel. So there it is - rock cliche
number one - gone. As other readers have said, with the exception of
a few, there is really no band that at that time that approached the
brilliant brutality of Lou Reed. He wasn't singing about the trends
of the day. Even ballsy psychedelic pop groups like Jefferson
Airplane ever got that ballsy. Rock cliche number two - gone. Now,
look at the background of John Cale, an acolyte of Aaron Copland and
John Cage who arrived to America on a Leonard Bernstein scholarship.
As you know, he played electric viola (the most "avant garde" thing
about their sound). How many rock bands before that experemented with
that? You can name a million and one art rock bands that did that
afterwards. Rock cliche number three - gone (and created). Don't
forget their influence on bands (and they were a million times better
than the Stooges, but the Stooges are affecting in their own way).
For better or worse, they influenced a million punk/alternative bands,
and surprise surprise, even Donald Fagen of Steely Dan admitted that
Walter Becker and himself had originally planned to build a band in
the mold of the Velvet Underground, chanteuse included. The most
successful thing an artist can do is to get the desired effect from
his/her audience. They got the effect they wanted. Conjured up the
feelings, images, senses, that they wanted. To me, that is what makes
something truly successful.
- cjkdesig@flash.net
Classic. Practically paved the way for punk and Sonic Youth (who are in a
class all by their own). Title song is great, "The Gift" a wonderful black
comedy read by Cale in a deadpan tone (I also like the part where Reed, Cale
and Morrison go "Ahhhhhhhh" after the line "...and he wasn't there), and
"Lady Godiva's Operation" is one of the creepiest songs I've ever heard.
"Here She Comes Now" is a nice, QUICK poppy song, "I Heard Her Call My Name"
is a pretty cool meshing of feedback, free jazz and Beatle-like backup
singing. And as for "Sister Ray" ... well, it's one hell of a powerhouse,
but after the ten-minute mark, you say to yourself "Enough is enough."
Still essential though for historical reasons.
- jltichenor@earthlink.net (James L. Tichenor)
First off- i'd just like to send a big FUCK YOU to dwingert (or Deb) up
there. See, the problem is that she spoke badly of the Beatles- calling
them "studio weasels" and saying "all the records sound the same."
Hmmm.....
hehehe.
You stupid cuntrag. Does anyone else find her coments laughably
stupid? I wonder if she's ever even actually sat through a whole
Beatles album. They were one of the mostly artistically progressive
bands- never afraid to change and very prolific and especially VERY
diverse. But thats the funny thing- taste in music that is (and
opinions thereof)- cuz shes saying the Underground were the "greatest
musical group of all time." does anyone else find this absurd? There
were good for a few things but not becuz of their music itself. And as
for the statement that they were trying various new music
approaches..... *snicker* Lou Reed is still doing the SAME shit today
which is what- 30 years later?
Anyway- aside from the anti-production i dont see whats so goddam
"underground" about the velvet underground. Drugs were making it into
the lyrics by the late 60's so they weren't revolutionaries or
anything. God, i dont find anyone else more annoying than ppl who think
the Velvet Underground is the best band in the world- except of course
for all the morons who like the Backstreet Boys. God i hope they suffer
painful deaths..... Anyway... oh im rambling, sorry. hehe
- bgreenstein@nctimes.net (Ben Greenstein)
Another 8, like the first album. The title track is great, catchy, and
loud - I would have liked a less abrupt intro, but I love the way Lou
(or whoever) giggles in that wild fifties style. They actually sound
happy! Until the end, when the feedback takes over. "The Gift" is
quite spooky - like a good spoken word song should be. I really like
"Lady Godiva's Operation," which is both mysterious/atmospheric and
catchy/bouncy. "Here She Comes Now" is a little out of place, but still
quite good, and "I Heard Her Call My Name" is one of the best uses of
feedback ever. Kind of grating, but somehow irresistable. And "Sister
Ray" (which does ruin the album) would have been great if it had only
been edited. Start turning down your CD player at 6:00 and you'll see
what I mean. The should have filled the rest of the album with
fully-fleshed versions of those fine demos on the box set. Made spooky,
of course.
I actually just got into this band recently. I borrowed the box set
from a friend, and I'll be damned if he's getting it back anytime soon.
The Velvets are so cool sounding - very interesting, unlike a lot of
bands. I still hate "Heroin," but the rest of the songs are just so
damn good it makes me want to sock someone. Probably Prindle, seeing as
he hates 'em so much.
- InMyEyes82@aol.com
It's pretty easy to see why Bangs loved this album so much: speed was his
drug of choice, and more than anything, White Light is a speed album. The
title track is the choppier "Heroin" that sings of heads and toes and the
excitement you get from an amphetamine rush, and almost every song here
revolves around drugs, sex, and Dionysian detachment to the point that it's
almost comical. Nietzche as aural splatter. Song quality is stellar, though;
I agree WHOLEHEARTEDLY that "Sister Ray" goes on too damn long (I usually cut
off at 'bout ten minutes into it), but it's such a powerful little chug-chug
thing that the Fall would later exploit to great results ("Slates, Slags,
Etc." being almost a direct extrapolation of "Sister Ray") and the lyrics are
disturbing/funny. "Here She Comes Now" is heavenly. 9/10
- mstreet@asiaonline.net (Malcolm Street)
Not as good or cohesive as the first album IMHO and to me the most dated-sounding
of their albums; it really sounds like a late '60's psychadelic piece. The
title track is massively overshadowed by the later version on "Rock n Roll Animal".
That said, there's some bits I really like. "The Gift" is a nasty black
comedy, "I Heard Her Call My Name" is a wild distortion exercise a la "European Son" and
"Sister Ray" is, well, Sister Ray... After listening to it for over 20
years I'm not sure I actually *like* Sister Ray, but I keep on playing it. It's as if the song has
me hypnotised like the stare of a cobra; maybe it fascinates me more
than anything with its manic energy and relentless pace. Certainly one of the most
extraordinary and unique tracks in the history of rock, and a mile
ahead of the boring, rambling hippy crap of "Interstellar Overdrive", which I also have on
vinyl and *never* play.
And after that John Cale left, the wild experimentation dropped off,
and they became Lou Reed's backing group...
- JohnnyB8@aol.com
I agree with Mr. Tichenor. How in the hell can you call the VU better than
the Beatles? The Beatles were rock and roll. No if, ands, or buts about that.
The Underground were ok, for the type of crapola music they were doing, but
they were by no means better than the Fab Four. Hey Deb, i give your musical
intelligence rating a 2/10.
- skrockout@aol.com
i believe that this album deserves much more than a 7. it's just an excellent
punk rock record. i love the fact that they can use only one riff for a whole
song, and it still will sound fucking great. "don't drag me down", "through
these eyes", "dear lover"....ah, it's just awesome. a great album.
- Brian
I think the whole debate over White Light/White Heat stems
from a severe difference in tastes among the reviewers on
this page. Involving those who dig the Velvet Underground,
there are probably two main "camps" that I can think of:
those who like the mellow/harmonic side of the Velvet's
catalog, and those who live for lo-fi noise freakouts.
White Light/White Heat delivered in spades for those in the
"noise fest" category. Nearly every song on this album
involves or centers around squalling, feedback-laden guitars
and tribal percussion. I LOVE it, but I can see where many
have complaints.
In my personal experience, this was the first album I ever
heard by the Velvet Underground. But NONE of the other work
by VU even comes close to sounding as primal and noisy as
WL/WH. So, I was kinda disappointed with the rest of their
works. This album is a direct challenge to the sappy crap
coming out in the 60's, which is perhaps why it is regarded
as so legendary. I give WL/WH a 10.
On another note: Pink Floyd? I don't think VU and Pink Floyd
are even comparable. Pink Floyd were more commercial (yes,
commercial), "progressive" (he he), and - for the most part
- boring. I outgrew Pink Floyd by 15. VU weren't THE
greatest, but at least they were confrontational,
nihilistic, and totally unconventional. What's uncool about
that?
- Colin T.
i kind of agree with that last guy... but i think this album synthesizes the two camps he's talking about... whatever
this is one is amazing as well; my favorite of theirs. beautifully recorded, a life changing thing...... if you have the ear for that sort of thing. sister ray, in
case you doubt (you doubter) is crazy
- dead-beat@socal.rr.com (Taeil Kim)
Hands down this album is thirty years ahead of its time. For instance look at how King's Missile's "Detachable Penis" became a hit, and it's story to music idea was from "THe Gift".
Shit, Lady Godiva could be a college radio hit right now. When listening to the song I thought they displayed a great sense of humor. You know where Reed's voice is set so high compared to Cale's. But I found out that they just actually fucked up. It's still funny. Rest of the songs are flat out awesome.
So much feuding going on here about this band.
I don't know why the Velvets and Beatles fans just don't mix for some reason. Why can't we all get along and eat shrooms?
- ddickson@rice.edu
This maketh no sense. I likest thine album more thanst thou. This fucketh up thee works. Can you tell it's 5 in the morning for me???? Anyway, this album I expected to hate, especially after hating "European Son" and "Waiting for the Man" from the previous album. I don't hate it. If anything, this seems more focused than anything else they ever released. "Lady Godiva", "I Heard Her Call" and the title track are honest- to goodness catchy POP SONGS, just disguised with tons and tons of distortion. And "Sister Ray"--well, I AM a frickin' brainwashed sell-out pop- lover, and Def Leppard rules, but dammit, so does this song. Worth every one of its 800 drone minutes. I give the album a nine, 'cause there's only five real songs on it. If they'd slapped a cover of "Lovely Rita" on it, it woulda gotten an easy ten. Good album from a normally not-so-good band. Prithee, et cetera.
- madminion@ecentral.com
I would agree that the VU&Nico is pretty overrated, but definitely a good (maybe great) album. I can take someone talking shit about it. But this...
Do you have any idea where ANY of the bands you like from the seventies on would be if it wasn't for this? You give the Beach Boys 10 stars and yet say this is dated. You give Yes TEN FUCKING STARS but say that Sister Ray is too long and boring.
I agree a lot with your more recent reviews (Swans, Scratch Acid, Jesus Lizard, PiL, Ramones, Black Flag) but you need to get it that none of this would be the same if it wasn't for the Velvets. I would bet that about half of the bands you have here own this.
- agakhan@mac.com (J.H. Malerman)
Eh. On White Light/White Heat, I must say that the "responders" here
are some of the most vulgar, juvenile excuses for ramblers here. I
like the Beatles, though I wish I'd heard more. But I am quite fond
of the VU because at their poppiest are nearly fun and light-hearted,
though sleepier or quirkier than most; At their least they took
garage rock and experimental musicianship to the next level of
dementia. "Sister Ray" is too long, I agree, but you totally ignored
the very pleasant "Here She Comes Now" and psychotic/catchy "I Heard
Her Call My Name". Shame on you, for polarizing idiots like that!
- ktotheatothei@comcast.net
Haha, as Richard Hell said, I find your site amusing. What the hell are
you trying to prove,? You dissect every album and pluck out any
originality as being "boring", your the kind of person who can't sit
through a decent movie because it doesn't have enough "action" in it.
Also may i add that your site serves no purpose whatsoever, you're
critiquing albums that have been written years ago in a environment and
scene which you were not part of nor have any understanding of. The
Velvet Underground are about as psychedelic as Andy Warhols' art.
You're critique of this album is entirely superficial and
misunderstood, this album was released in 1969 19 FUCKING 69, this
pre-dated the entire CBGB NY scene by years, and your rating the Who
higher. Not all art is pleasant to look at, if it was, what would be
the point of it? Of course you wouldn't know what art is if it bit you
in the ass.
- tvd123@mac.com
Great site, Mark, but you've really got to give Sister Ray and WLWH
another shot. Judging by your other reviews you may just need to
give this one another listen. You make a big deal out of King
Crimson distorting their bass, well, listen to John Cale distorting
his organ and see what he does with it. While you're at it,
you should really listen to John Cale's catalogue, I find it to be
much more interesting and satisfying than Lou's any day of the week.
- anya.ciccone@gmail.com
Just wanted to say that I was searching online for people who hated the Velvet Underground, and what do you know - i didn't have to look very far, because your awesome website once again writes exactly what i am thinking (well, most of the time).
Man, do the Velvet Underground suck or what?! I mean, 'White Light/White Heat' is good for about 4 minutes, but... you know what? it really isn't. I wasted so much time trying to like this band in high school that when I hear them i actually shudder.
Yuck.
- thepublicimage79@hotmail.com
Now I must contribute my (chipped/rusted) two cents about this album.
Firstly - these Velvet Underground reviews suck shit outta Hefty bags. This
is definitely a page in need of rewriting. I don't mind your opinions, since
they're innovative - even though I disagree with them - but damn, man,
they're just way below your typical standard (except for the "Squeeze"
review, which is genius, and the third album's review, which is fine). Don't
take it personally, you know I still love the site.
Second - I don't know if I would have ever gotten into more "out-there" or
"punk" music if it hadn't been for this album. I already liked Floyd,
Zeppelin, Beatles, Stones, your general classics, but I decided to try out
the Velvet Underground since they looked absolutely cool as hell and they
had a viola in the band, and I was looking for interesting sounds. The one
that sounded most kickass to me out of all their discography was this album,
described inaccurately on Amazon, with a line about "Sister Ray" being ten
minutes (try seventeen, you fucking moron amazon reviewer) of transcendently
pounding fuzz. This sounded REALLY fucking cool to me, as I was a huge Floyd
fanboy in high school and thus did not mind flatulent song lengths, and so I
went and took it out of the library (well, I took out Volume Three of the
"Peel Slowly And See" boxset, which they have all of in the library except
for Volume Two). And did I like what I heard? I certainly did! It was a
bunch of artsy noise! It was so terribly recorded it made most bootlegs
sound like studio recordings! Whoever engineered this slab of dried vomit
must've hated the band! You couldn't even hear the drums on the title track
because the piano and bass were so overrecorded! In a couple songs the
guitars would splatter feedback everywhere for no reason at all at
completely random times! Lou Reed couldn't sing a fucking note and didn't
even try to! They all sounded like they were high on speed! The lead guitar
on "I Heard Her Call My Name" sounded like it had hydrochloric acid slowly
corroding it from the inside out throughout the song! "Sister Ray" was a
hideous-sounding pinchloaf of overbearing improvisation that was way too
loud to easily ignore or fall asleep to! Obviously, this kicked my ass all
the way around the house, and I took it out repeatedly until I went and
finally bought my own copy in the summer of 2003. I actually don't know why
I dug the album so much, but I did; I'd simply never heard anything like it
before, and I really haven't heard anything exactly like it since. This
album is pretty much an epochal fuck-off document - probably just as much as
"Metal Machine Music" was, except this album had brilliant songs and came
out in 1968 besides. "Here She Comes Now" is gorgeous and almost too short,
"Lady Godiva's Operation" scrambles the line between outright perverse filth
and campy horror story, and the humor and instrumental sound of "The Gift"
is as black as the album cover (this one is probably the one I skip the
most, but I usually just pan right and turn into an instrumental). I am
biased towards this album, because I give it a nine or ten, but I love it.
It's basically the Velvets at their ugliest - and funniest.
Third - Lou Reed was a dedicated user of...speed, not heroin. Funny - you'd
think Keith Richards and Lou Reed were using each other's drugs based on the
energy levels of their respective records.
Fourth - The facetious part of my idiotic commentary on the album actually
does feature one fact: the engineer, Gary Kellgren, did actually hate the
band, and I have a secret (and completely unfounded) suspicion that he went
out of his way to make it sound like armadillo dung. Why? Because Kellgren
was also the guy who engineered the Mothers of Invention album "We're Only
In It For The Money," and he's the creepy whispering guy who pops up
throughout: you can hear him saying that the Velvets are "even more of a
shitty band than Frank Zappa's band..." or something like that.
Fifth - I have no other points to make.
- Ben
This album starts off with the classic title track, and then just goes completely downhill. Lou Reed is capable of doing some excellent music but I can't ignore that occasionally he does put out garbage like this. Awful production too. The only redeeming quality of this album aside from the title track is "Here She Comes Now". This gets a 2.
Add your thoughts?
The Velvet Underground - Verve
1969.
How about if I just take a little nap and you finish
the rest of these reviews? e5rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroa8yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaa Hey, wait a minute! This album's actually pretty normal! It's
still awfully mellow when it wants to be but, unlike the dreary debut,
this stuff's kind of charmingly pretty! John Cale and his viola are
gone, and one 'Doug Yule' is in the band now, adding his fairly
pleasant voice to the proceedings every once in a while. "Candy Says,"
"Jesus," and "Pale Blue Eyes" are lovely songs, fairly reminiscent of the
Mamas and the Papas, and "After Hours" features some adorable Beat
Happening-esque vocals by drummer Maureen Tucker. Plus, great upbeat rockers
like "What Goes On" and "That's The Story Of My Life" present the band as,
well, a BAND, instead of an artsy Warhol drug experiment! A couple of songs don't
really register, and the indecipherable "Murder Mystery," aside from the
beautiful piano coda, is a lengthy "psychedelic" waste of tape, but I must
admit that I really don't mind this one at all. Good show, normal band!
- Reader Comments
- corpsebag@hotmail.com
Maybe not as powerful as White Light / White Heat but still a freggin
awesome lp. "Jesus" is one catchy tune.
- Weigelda@aol.com (Dave Weigel)
"Freggin"? You dumb bastard.
This is my favorite Velvet Underground record, and the only one I listen to
all the way through. What's it got? Great, moody melodies, and their best
"psychedelic" tune ever in "The Murder Mystery". Not a "great" record, but a
really enjoyable one. 7/10
- kburt@seascape.com (Kent Burt)
Yes, this is a pretty album - but not in a The Mamas & The Papas kind of
way, my friend... "Candy Says" is about Candy Darling, a drag queen
from Warhol's Factory scene... And "Pale Blue Eyes" is one of the
saddest, most achingly beautiful relationship songs ever written - it's
certainly no "Air That I Breathe" pap. Admittedly, "The Murder Mystery"
is a bit of a failed experiment, but few bands have ever recorded a
record as fragile and beautiful as this.
- bougopgs@eckerd.edu (Gregory S. Bougopoulos)
This album (more evident in the "closet mix") gave us
a lo-fi sound. Without John Cale, the Velvets lost their balls for noisy
music, but Lou showed us his songwriting power. A 10.
- mortlock@ihug.co.nz (Alex Mortlock)
You complete wanker how dare you question the greatness of this album.
I agreed with most of the stuff you say about other great artists, but I
hope you realise alot of them would sound vastly different or maybe not
have formed at all had this album not been released.
- cjkdesig@flash.net
How's this for a change: no feedback, drugs or viola scraping! "Candy Says"
is one beautiful song; probably among my top five VU tracks. "Pale Blue
Eyes" ... why the hell wasn't this a hit? It should have been. Jesus!
"Jesus" is really catchy, it even makes you overlook the fact it's three
lines repeated over and over again. "Murder Mystery" shoulda been left off,
but "After Hours" gets to me ... those lyrics are so depressing! But a
great (if downbeat) way to end what is my second favorite VU album.
- bgreenstein@nctimes.net (Ben Greenstein)
You're right - this is pretty normal! Except for the miserable failure
"The Murder Mystery," most of these are catchy, straightforward pop
tunes. The best of these are "What Goes On," which is a killer rocker,
the ballads "Candy Says" and "Pale Blue Eyes," and the absolutely
adorable "After Hours" - one of the band'd best ever. I've never liked
"Beginning To See The Light" as much as most, and I find "Some Kinda
Love" to be kinda boring, so I'd probably give it an eight. Just like
every other VU album!
- InMyEyes82@aol.com
Whereas the first two albums gave birth to the most aesthetically interesting
bands of the past two decades (Sonic Youth, the Fall, Public Enemy, the
Ramones, Television), this dandy little 'un unfortunately presaged R.E.M.,
the Counting Crows and the Feelies. Not that those groups are bad by
definition, it's just that they don't really take any chances lyrically or
musically. That's not the case here, though; almost every song registers
(excluding "The Murder Mystery", lame-ass experimentation as mood music that
bores my ass to hell), and Lou doesn't sound nearly as chauvenistic,
pretentious and unlistenable as his solo career would in a scant few years.
10/10
- mstreet@asiaonline.net (Malcolm Street)
First Nico went, then Cale.
And the result ain't half bad, except to me it sounds more like a
Lou Reed solo album than the first two. Agree that "New York Murder Mystery" is half-assed,
but the rest I like.
But that's the problem for me; this album's too laid back and, well,
nice to be a real Velvet's album. That said "Lady be Good", with Cale back on organ, and
"I'm Beginning to see the Light" are two of their greatest tracks.
A very good album, but not a great Velvet Underground album, if you see what I mean.
- CanryLITE@aol.com
Do you have any idea how stupid you sound? Boring? Unlistenable? You even compared The
VU to twee little hippie fuck around bands like the Mamas and THe Papas? All important
rock and roll today owes as much to the Velvets as the Beatles. If not just for innovation.
The VU started in 64-65 and were writing songs like Heroin and Im Waiting For My Man.
Which were honest emotional songs that carry much more weight than the pychadelic jerk off
rockers Pink Floyd. You cannot write off the VU as pretenous art rock. Lou Reed was
obsessed with rock and roll (see: "Rock and Roll"). The band existed before their Warhol
connection. The Velvet Underground also had the sense to evolve. After Cale left the band, Lou
turned to a softer musical style that suited his songwriting as well as the previous more
Heroin and speed adled style. All the punk you hold so dear comes from this band. Iggy
Pop, whom you claim to love, wanted to be The VU. Jonathan Richman was completley fucking
obsessed with them. The Mc5, Television, Richard Hell, The New York Dolls, all the
early punk bands wanted what the VU had.
- drazy@gatecity.com
Brilliant songwriting, some excellent rhythm guitar work (God bless you, Sterling, I hope there's a Fender and a nice Vox amp for you up there),
and my favorite V.U. album. Free from Worhol, Cale, and Nico, this is as close as Lou ever let us get to him lyrically. The album's impact is
enormous and your review doesn't go far enough. Zach 1-Mark 0. A perfect 10.
- Jcjh20@aol.com
I dont like this one as much as the debut, but there are some excellent tunes
on here, nonetheless. "Candy Says", "Pale Blue Eyes", "Jesus" are all slow,
soothing, melodic songs that i love and "What Goes On", "Beginning To See The
Light", and "Thats The Story Of My Life" are actually normal, catchy, bluesy
rockers. "Murder Mystery" isnt that bad, but its overlong of course. Also,
"After Hours" is so cute and happy, you tend to forget how sad the lyrics
are. I give it an 8.
- aostevenson@earthlink.net (Alex Stevenson)
A masterpiece. While Zeppelin and Hendrix (they were great too!) were turning their blues amplifiers to 11, Lou Reed turned the knob the other
way. Forget the artsy fartsy crap, this is perfect songwriting and singing. Beautiful.
- esweenor@charter.net (Eric Sweenor)
A very tired, blurry sounding album...
One thing that grabs you about this one is the sheer
conventional nature of it in comparison to the last two
fiestas of noise. "Candy Says", gorgeous - and Doug Yule's
cluelessly naive lead vocals fit it perfectly. "I'm Set
Free" may be Lou Reed's best song - "...to find another
illusion", it sounds hokey now, but damn, it still works!
I don't really like "Pale Blue Eyes" anymore - it goes on
too long and there isn't much going on except for the
lyrics.
I can't decide whether this or the first LP is the better.
Regardless, 9/10.
- NMcpherson@fac.unc.edu (Earl McPherson)
You know, on their Green Tour REM used to close the show with "After Hours" [at least they did when we saw them]. Not a bad album but I've got the paper cover from the jewel box stuck to the CD and I don't know what to use to get it off. I must've peed on the thing when I was asleep or drunk.- An eight.
- bylcote555@yahoo.com
The Murder Mystery is awesome! You guys just haven't figured out whodunnit! Try playing with the balance, there are two different things going on in each speaker, and the rhythm of the words in those two tracks interplay beautifly.The Velvets best album ever, the only one I enjoy all the way through.
- bdoleac@wesleyan.edu
Sure they're overrated, but their importance really isn't - and if the
debut record takes a fucking year to set in, so be it. But you can groove
to album number three from the git-go, which record also gives you an
inkling as to where the fuck Yo La Tengo came from. Not that side 2's
exactly perfect, but anyone who argues against the batch of tunes on side
1 is on my shit list, no question - neophytes should start here. Not only
does "The Velvet Underground" give you the impression that they really
were seminal, but it also suggest they really were great and they really
did redefine what a rock band could be - nobody else sounded anything like
this, and how else could Yo La Tengo, Pavement ('specially Malkmus & co's
first 3 ep's, collected on the brilliant "Westing" as you are aware), Joy
Division, Wire, Swell Maps, Sebadoh, even R.E. fucking M. even exist?
I've never liked the Velvets as much as a lot of critics seem to, but no
way would I want to live my life without this record and "Loaded", fucking
milestones both no matter how much hyperbole they've generated. Oh, and
by the way, the "Fully Loaded" edition of the latter album fucking rocks -
if you like "Slanted and Enchanted - Luxe and Reduxe" by all means get it.
The self titled 1969 record and "Loaded"? 9 out of 10 both - easy. Not
that the debut ain't terrific as well, though it may be considerably less
user-friendly.
- browningub40@peoplepc.com
I'd say, this album deserves a ten, in my opinion, this is the best record they ever made. Maybe not though, they're all pretty consistent I have to admit.My only complaint is that doug yule sings on this too often. And although I don't mind his voice too much I would rather hear Lou sing. But c'mon, a seven out of ten, that's way too low. Then again that's just my opinion.
- Ben
We're on the same page on this one. This gets a 7.5 from me. I love the softer, mellow sound here. Very pleasant album. Only things that kill it are the boring "Jesus" and the unbearable "Murder Mystery". Great melodies are abundant. Although its overlong, "Pale Blue Eyes"" is the best song. "Candy Says" and "What Goes on?" are great too. " After Hours" and " That's the Story of My Life" are charming ear candy. Big improvement over the last one.
Add your thoughts?
V.U. - PolyGram 1984.
A bunch of previously unreleased stuff. Some of it's
awesome (Lou's rockin' "I Can't Stand It" and the Maureen-sung "I'm Sticking
With You" open and close the record on really great notes), but a good deal of
these tracks are very clearly outtakes, like Lou's silly Association-esque pop
rocker "She's My Best Friend," and the dopey "Temptation Inside Your Heart,"
which
rivals only The Monkees' "Gonna Buy Me A Dog" for the title of Least Funny
Novelty Track Since The Dawn Of Man. If you're a fan, definitely pick it up,
'cause there are some essential tracks on here ("Stephanie Says" is as catchy
as anything on that Velvet Underground album), but don't expect the
"quality" you've come to associate with this "groundbreaking," "legendary,"
and "really interesting" rock and roll band.
- Reader Comments
- corpsebag@hotmail.com
Yeah not that great.
- kburt@seascape.com (Kent Burt)
Disagreeing again - this album is fucking essential! "I Can't Stand It"
and "Foggy Notion" are perfect prototypes of Unrest and Wedding Present
guitar pop. This record also contains many songs that were later
recorded by Lou Reed on his solo albums - and these versions are far
superior (Satellite Of Love, Andy's Chest, She's My Best Friend, etc.).
If you have the Peel Slowly And See boxed set, you're only missing two
of these tracks, but if you needed the boxed set, you'll probably need
those as well. 8)
- frankfurter@home.com (Andrew Royal)
this is a strange album. i love the velvet underground, but all the
same i just don't understand this. the drums on 'i can't stand it'
sound downright cheesy (1982-esque) if you ask me. what this album
reminds me of, almost, though, is lou reed's second solo album,
transformer. i'm a huge fan of these reviews, i think it's the second
best rock criticism ever (first being lester bangs), and i've always
wondered if you like lou reed's solo work. i love it. transformer and
berlin especially, but i think everybody should love transformer.
you've said before on your site that the best rock 'n' roll is that
which borrows from music that existed before it. well, transformer (not
all glam, though) borrows like that from show tunes. but, lou reed's
piss and shit new york punk rock primitive ass hole noise monger
attitude takes all the bad shit out of show tunes. so you get
phenomenal rock that everyone cool should enjoy. and his voice is
electric. it just hits your heart (and i don't mean ann and nancy
wilson) like a shockwave. tomorrow at my highschool, a new girl is
coming. she loves punk. like your kind of punk. she's real cool. we
have some common ground cause i love punk like the clash and the ramones
and the pistols but i'm gonna get her to like transformer. i think
it'll work. alright. whew. i gotta go listen to abba and eat haggis.
haggis?
- Ben
I'm gonna have to disagree. I'd say more of an 8. I really don't like "I'm Sticking with You" and there's maybe two or three not so great songs here, but the good stuff here (and there's a lot of it) is pretty fuckin great. I wasn't surprised when I found out that "I Can't Stand it" was originally a VU song, but I was surprised that it was even better as a VU song. "Andy's Chest" also sounds better here than on "Transformer". "Lisa" and "Stephanie Says" sound great too. Lets see... "Ocean" sounds the same as it does on Lou's first (and best) album, but it's still good and "Froggy Notions" great but could lose a minute or two.
Add your thoughts?
Live 1969 - Phonogram 1974.
What with a woman's butt spread lasciviously all over the cover and a title like Live 69, it was quite natural that I would assume this to be
a double-album recording of a young couple engaged in the squishy, slurpy, stinky act of my favorite lovemaking position (either that or 70, where
the woman bends over at the waist and the guy curls up in a ball), so imagine my lack of erection when it was just the same old batch of
boringass VU songs performed in a concert shitting. I'll say this - "Femme Fatale" is oodles better sung by Lou than it was by Nico, "What Goes
On" has so much energy you'd think they weren't all on heroin, and a few others are passable girassible. Howeber, the band simply had too many
bland, draggy songs (Lou got MUCH better when he went solo) and "Ocean" is so long, I lived my whole life, died of old age and was reincarnated
as a cheeseburger by the time the record side was over. You're just lucky I'm a cheeseburger with some guy's finger in it - otherwise there'd be
no more reviews for you, America!(and the outside, lesser world)
- Reader Comments
- Tknumber14@aol.com
You're completely missing the point on this one! The Velvet Underground do what a lesser band could not; provide an alternative version able to compete with their studio renditions. Songs are long, drawn out and focuss on a different aspect of the music. The 8 minute "White Light/White Heat" is more subdued than the impossibly hectic studio version bringing to light exactly what makes the song so great. Hearing the Velvet Underground as a live band is like being let in on a secret. Some of these songs sound like the band was playing to less than ten people and that's depressing!
That and the fact that Reed sounds like he actually cares on this one, unlike the mean-tempered, non-encore-giving grouch of today. I mean, all those drugs probably eventually fucked him up so much he didn't want to give any more than he had to (he was all drain) but I'm still really fucking dirty about how when he came to Sydney last, he refused to play an encore. How dare he. So, hear him on this live album instead. It's great.
Might I add: it comes in two volumes on seperate discs. Call me old fashioned, but shouldn't they be combined by now? Oh well, buy them.
- Ben
This gets a solid 9 from me. Great song quality and another excellent performance despite the on inclusion of the abysmal "Heroin" and a disappointing version of "Ocean". Guess I can't really choose what my favorite song here is, but it is interesting to see that "Lisa Says" and "Ocean" date back to the VU days of Lou's career.
Add your
thoughts?
Another View - PolyGram 1986.
Even more outtakes. Most of these are instrumental
jams, though, so keep that in mind. "Rock And Roll" is a really cool song,
and the viola-driven pop rocker "Hey
Mr. Rain" is one of the few Velvets songs that don't make me wanna rip the album
off the turntable and stomp on it for an hour and a half (although not even I
have any desire to hear TWO different versions of it on the same cassette
tape), but most of this record is for collectors only.
GARBAGE collectors, that is!
- Reader Comments
- Ben
I'm gonna have to agree (for the most part). I'm sure there was better unreleased VU in the vaults better than that "Coney Island Baby" song (what's up with those vocals?) and that version of "Rock and Roll" sounds the same as it does on "Loaded". Other complaints aside, the instrumentals are pretty cool and I love those versions of "Hey Mr. Rain". I'll take that song over just about anything from "White Light/White Heat".
Add your thoughts?
Loaded - Cotillion 1970.
Similar to The Velvet Underground and just as
listenable. I tell ya - I doubt that this band will ever be one of my
favorites, but I must admit that there's something awfully likable about this
later-period stuff. This album, in fact, isn't arty AT ALL!!! It just sounds
like a band trying to make a record full of songs - like The Beatles or The
Stones, but without the same calibre of songwriting. Now, don't get all pissy -
I know that VU have their legions and legions of fans, but gimme a band that actually writes innovative melodies any day of the week. That said, I adore "Who Loves The Sun" (sounds like
The Turtles!!!), the classic hit single "Rock And Roll," and the (can't remember how it goes) song "I Found A Reason," and most of the others aren't too far behind. I can't stand "Head Held High" or "Cowboy Bill," though, and "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" goes on too damn long. Those were fine, fine descriptions of the unforgettable songs on this highly describable album. If you'd just like to hear one Velvet Underground album, this wouldn't be a bad choice; unlike their more famous records, it at least won't make you wanna slip a mickey into their heroin.
Weak vocals sure, but we can't all be Les Claypool.
- Reader Comments
- Weigelda@aol.com (Dave Weigel)
I like this one, too. "Sweet Jane" is a classic, and deservedly so. It's my
favorite Velvets song. (By the way, if you think I'm a poseur for liking
their most famous song, I have one question--how can a Velvet Underground fan
call someone a "poseur"?) "Rock and Roll" is supposed to be a classic, but I
would disagree. It sounds like something Keith Richards would write after a
lobotomy. All the songs fall into the category of "pretty good", but it's
nothing to get excited about. Mark said it perfectly--"..a band trying to
make...songs like the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, but without the same
caliber of songwriting". The Velvet Underground was a mediocre, unpopular
band, who by all rights should have been forgotten 25 years ago. But noooooo,
critics and Sonic Youth have to keep insisting that they were a great band.
And too many people fall for it. 6/10
- bougopgs@eckerd.edu (Gregory S. Bougopoulos)
Lou shows us that he can make a rock 'n' roll album like anyone
else, and he makes a great one. "Rock and Roll", "Sweet Jane" and "New
Age" stand out most. A 9.
- cjkdesig@flash.net
Flawed, but still kick-ass. "Who Loves the Sun" is one of my all-time
faves; man, those are some bitter lyrics. "Sweet Jane" is of course a
classic and my all-time favorite VU song. "New Age" and "I Found A Reson"
round out the quartet of perfect tracks on Loaded; the others are a mixed
lot. "Rock and Roll" has a nice, spacey guitar solo, but is pretty
overrated, "Cool It Down" and "Train Round the Bend" have some good parts,
but overall aren't great, "Head Held High" is pure joy, but kinda weak when
compared to some of the other songs, "Lonesome Cowboy Bill" just plain sucks
and "Oh! Sweet Nothing" is a poor man's "Hey Jude."
Far be it from me to tell Lou Reed how to put together an album, but
"Cowboy" and "Sweet Nothing" should have been replaced by
"Ride Into the Sun" and "Ocean," both on Rhino's
Loaded: Fully Loaded Edition. I also would preferred the alternate mix
of "Head Held High" and a very Bob Dylan-like version of "I Found A Reason,"
also on Fully Loaded. Still, a great way to end a stunning studio
career. Very much worth your listening time.
- bgreenstein@nctimes.net (Ben Greenstein)
The first side is absolutely incredible. The songs are all great,
straightforward pop music, especially "Sweet Jane" (the "full length"
version in the box kicks!), the charmingly beautiful "New Age," and the
groovy, silly "Cool It Down." As for "Who Loves The Sun" - I can think
of a whole mess of songs that are at least twice as bitter, but I still
think it's a fine melody, even with those stupid harmonies. And "Rock
And Roll"? Wow!
But side two? Not one song I like, especially not those painfully
obnoxious first two songs. (One note - I actually listen mainly to CDs,
but listen to them as if they were divided like the original vinyl
versions. Call me weird.) "Oh! Sweet Nothin'" is decent, but that's
about it. And it does go on for way too long - like "Hey Jude."
So, as a Velvet Underground album, I'd have to give it another eight,
because those first five are amazing. And "I Found A Raisin" is pretty
cool, too.
Hey, are any of you aware that Lou Reed's Berlin album is a perfect
ten and one of the best albums ever made? I'll bet you weren't! Check
it out!
- murraywest@xtra.co.nz
I knew it! I knew Loaded would get a comparetively favourable review on
a decidedly anti-VU site. For the record, Loaded is among the most
limp-wristed, bland and frankly embarassing albums ever recorded with
the sole aim of getting some airplay - and thats really saying
something! With the obvious exceptions of Sweet Jane and Rock n'Roll
(and out-takes such as Ride Into The Sun and the original version of
Satellite of Love, both to be found on the VU boxset)this is VU and Lou
Reed at their/his very worst. Theres a reason this was thier last album
together, guys.
- mstreet@asiaonline.net (Malcolm Street)
Sorry, I love the Velvets but I don't like this one. While it
has some individual good tracks (Sweet Jane, Rock n Roll, Head Held High, New Age) the spectacle
of the Velvets trying to make a commercial album is rather
underwhelming; "insincere" is one description I've heard and agree with. And for a band who made
their reputation by saying "Fuck you" to just about every
musical and lyrical convention it's a sad end. Really miss Mo Tucker's drumming as well. But I can
understand why people who *don't* like the Velvet Underground like this.
- gmack@btinternet.com
Allong with This Nation's Saving Grace by The Fall & Led Zep's
Physical Graffiti it's one of my favourite
guitar albums ever
- oliver5200@hotmail.com (Adam Bruneau)
God, this album is crap. And I don't mean it in a
"I-don't-like-Velvet-Underground-therefor-this-sucks" way. I have the first
3 albums. I love them to death. They're inventive, they're creative, they're
groundbreaking, and they're very catchy. This one is none of the above. I'm
well-aware of the fact that it was their "selling out" record or
whathaveyou, but there's a good reason why it never went anywhere on the
charts, because aside from "Sweet Jane" and "Who Loves the Sun" every song
here (yes, I'm talking to you "Rock and roll"!) is boring and goes no where,
even for radio crap. It's not even catchy! Just a bunch of hacked-out 1-4-5
numbers, all strung together in a faceless march with the 'big hit singles'
lining the first few tracks of the album. It's almost as if the inspiration
behind the first few albums went completely out the window, and it's very
sad....
- stephen.stroud1@btinternet.com
WrongWrongWrong
WrongWrongWrong
WrongWrongWrong
WrongWrongWrong
WrongWrongWrong
WrongWrongWrong
WrongWrongWrong
WrongWrongWrong
WrongWrongWrong
WrongWrongWrong.....Please understand this.....YOU ARE WRONG.
- esweenor@charter.net (Eric Sweenor)
Ever notice how "Baba O'Riley"'s riff sounds like a
louder, faster "Sweet Jane"...? "Sweet Jane" is part of
the DNA of rock music, I think, purely elemental riff,
catchy as hell, should've been a hit single, and so easily
covered by a garage band and reinterpreted (viz Rock 'n'
Roll Animal).
As for the rest of the album...I don't know. "New Age" and
"Oh! Sweet Nuthin'", though kinda long, are really lovely
songs, and "Who Loves the Sun", though it will make you
kill if you're in the wrong mood, is catchy like the
Sesame Street theme...it's a kid's song, for Chrissake!
From the guys who did "Heroin" and "Venus In Furs"! That
gets points for sheer subversiveness.
It's still difficult to decide. A few tracks here
("Lonesome Cowboy Bill") are garbage. But it's resonant,
simple, catchy, and grungy. Your life could be saved by
rock and roll...or not, but it's worth a shot, eh? 8/10
- irontyrant@earthlink.net (Michael Grefski)
Like many a college student I was duped by the supercool elite into believing the Velvet Underground was the best band ever. I actually listened to them pretty non-stop for about a year until I figured out that a lot of their stuff (while experimental and daring and the first of it's kind) stunk. Actually stuff by Wire, Pere Ubu, Die Kreuzen, Can, Amon Duul II, Guru Guru, Flipper, and Voi Vod is a lot more daring than anything VU came out with and some of those acts were contemporaries of Lou Reed's Flying Circus. But LOADED is actually OK. I think it's because it's the first album the VU made as themselves. Not the band trying to please Andy Warhol, not the band trying to impress Greenwich Village art snobs, just themselves. Thus after the poppy Monkess style silliness of "Who Loves The Sun," the rest is pretty super cool. I like the whole album, but the best cut is absolutley without a doubt "Oh Sweet Nuthin'." It's more sublime and affecting than the entire previous "quiet" VU album put together. OK, I'll shut up now and listen to some Ozric Tentacles who are also better than VU.
- newone88859@hotmail.com
Well, there's one thing that you can say about VU fans, and that's that they
have a great sense of humor! But honestly, I like this album pretty well.
They certainly aren't my favorite band, but sometimes they really hit the
spot like no other. It seems like a lot of bands today are just trying to
put a lot of super complex parts together and make this difficult beast, and
that's all well and good, but sometimes you just want to listen to songs.
And when i wanna listen to songs, I dig out someting by the VU or Fugazi or
the Ramones or somebody. I don't know. This is going nowhere. Loaded=great!,
self-titled=great!, white light, white heat=great!, nico=good, sometimes
great.
- Ben
This is the VU at its peak. "Who Loves the Sun?" is my favorite here. Too bad Lou Reed left the band before this came out. I think they would have been great if they continued in this direction. Definitely my favorite studio VU album, I'll give it a 9.
Add your thoughts?
Live At Max's Kansas City - Cotillion
1972.
I
read somewhere that this was the last show that Lou
Reed ever played with the band, but I can't verify that one way or the other.
Might as well have been, though. The pretty songs are still pretty, but the
recording sounds terrible, and the star of the show is some guy standing near
the recorder (Jim Carroll?) who keeps asking for Tylenol or Tuinol or
something. Maureen Tucker was on maternity leave, I
think, so some other Yule is sittin' in on traps. One thing about this record
- with all that Yule, it's awfully Christmasy! Let me close these reviews by
just pointing out that lots of people really like the Velvet Underground, and lots
of bands I really like (ex. REM, Sonic Youth, Throbbing Gristle) point to them as
influences. Hell, I saw The Remains (Dee Dee, CJ, and Marky Ramone plus Dee Dee's
wife) play a few weeks ago, and even THEY did a VU cover!!!! So clearly they
were an important part of American popular music. Still - they were only slightly above average if you ask me. Good morning!
- Reader Comments
- break7@moran.com (Tim Eimiller)
Hiya, Mark. I've been reading through your Velvet Underground reviews and
I have incredulously discovered that you rank them with concessions to
OTHER critics' opinions of them! You have never done this before! You were
quick to say which Who albums you liked and which ones you didn't and ranked
them accordingly; what makes the V.U. so special? If you hate their first
record, you hate it, give it a rating that SAYS you hate it. Do professional
critics rate albums according to what others in their profession dictate?
Don't be such a pushover for the V.U. hype, sheesh.
I also want to compliment you on how entertaining your reviews are. You have
an engaging style of critique, and no review is ever boring. But six stars
for Quadrophenia? Gasp! That's my favorite record! And you actually LIKE
Presence and In Through The Out Door? I just can't get over
that... But I've
already beaten this one to death.
- corpsebag@hotmail.com
This is the equivilant to Loco Live by the Ramones. Not musicwise just
cuz this is one great bootleg. If only they would have stopped trying to
rock out and do "Heroin" or a "Sister Ray". Maybe if Moe Tucker was on
drums instead of John Cale this could have been more groove.
- dbwilson@earthlink.net
I was so happy to read these reviews; I was beginning to think I was the
only one who hated this band. I bet you all the 80's-90's bands who are
always talking about how much they love the Velvets never really listen
to them. It cracks me up when people say Reed's Metal Machine Music is
unlistenably boring - hell, almost all the band's stuff is unlistenably
boring, outside of a few solid riffs like "Sweet Jane."
- riffraff3@juno.com (Nolan C. Kordsmeier)
I find your lack of appreciation for the Velvet Underground is
astounding. You seem to be a big fan of sonic youth, pavement and other
alt rock bands, so i dont see how you can dismiss the velvets as being
boring. They started it all. They emerged during the midst of 60s pop
crap and exploded with a new and innovative sound. They are a large
influence on alternative music and that is hard to miss. I guess you're
one of those close-minded people who has to have music "rock" so they can
dance to it. YOur review of this heroic band is trite. You should learn
to appreciate them and not demean in the incompetent way you did. What a
disappointment
- VU1967@aol.com
For someone who states such a total hate for the velvet underground, you
definately had lots of praise. As an enormous
VU
fan, I was quite disappointed to hear anyone say they hate them, but hey,
your
opinion is your opinion. Just one question though: If u hate them so
much,
why do u spend so much time listening to all their records?
- alrey@worldnet.att.net (Alan Reynolds)
What's with all these assholes busting the Velvet Underground? No, they
didn't change the world, no entertainers did (except maybe for Dylan, of
course), but that's not their job. I just like to listen to them. Thirty
years later. I bet thats all they were goin for.
- asludwig@erols.com (Allen C. Ludwig)
Of all the rock n' roll acts in history, only The Beatles, Dylan, and the
Stones can come close to the Velvets as influences. Your worthless opinion
counts for nothing. Listen to the great artists of the last twenty-five
years, and most will cite the VU among their heroes. It's not their fault
that you just can't understand the revolution, you loser.
- bv147@yfn.ysu.edu
You dig Madonna but act like listening to the VU is a chore? What
the hell's wrong with you? The VU are too cool for words. I said
it before but I'll say it again: It's the scandal of the Web...
- hiseitz@win.bright.net (Blake G. Seitz)
I LOVE THE VELVET UNDERGROUND. HOW CAN YOU SAY THEY ARE BORING. THEY
ARE THE BEST BAND IN THE WORLD BESIDES SONIC YOUTH. I COULD NEVER FALL
ASLEEP LISTENING TO THEM. FUCK YOU, IT ROCKS. AND SO DOES
PSHYCHOCANDY BY THE JAMC TO WHOEVER SAID IT. FUCK YOU.
- granny.granny@worldnet.att.net (Elizabeth Litscher)
Dear blake,
not only is typing in all caps childish, uninteresting and unsightly, whne
you try to make a point by saying that they are the second best band next
to sonic youth, I say seek proffesional help. Yeah, VU are interesting at
the same time pioneers, they lack a lot of mixing and one other thing
ACTUAL MUSICAL TALENT.
p.s. all members of sonic youth take dicks up the ass
- bgreenstein@nctimes.net (Ben Greenstein)
Let me get this straight - you claim to hate the Velvet Underground, yet
you own all of their albums. It's possible that you're just less
financially challenged than I, but this makes little sense me. Oh,
well.
You also claim to hate slow, mopey music, but you like the Cure, early
REM, and the last two songs on The Cars. I agree, some Velvet stuff
is boring, but it's more engaging than some Pink FLoyd.
- BugAvenger@aol.com
I like the Velvet Underground. I also like the Talking Heads.
- deathsquadassassin@yahoo.com (The Unblinking Eye)
Hey Mark-- You are always talking about how much you hate the Velvet Underground, but their four studio albums received the following grades: 7, 6, 7, 7. Pretty good (if not great) marks for what is supposedly the most boring, pretentious band in rock 'n' roll. What gives?
- Browningzool1@aol.com
You have some issues with your velvet underground section.
- Ben
A 5? I'll give this an 8 or 8.5. Sure the sound quality brings it down, but the playing is very tight here. Jim Carroll's dumb monologues between the songs are annoying too. Some of these songs ("I'm Waiting for the Man", Pale Blue Eyes") are better than the studio versions and it's nice to hear Lou sing on songs that Maureen and Nico normally would have sang.
Add your thoughts?
Squeeze - Polydor 1973
FINALLY Lou "Asshole" Reed is out of the band and they can really sprout their wings and fly! Doug Yule, the only truly talented member the band ever had, has hired a much more talented group of professional songwriters and musicians to replace -- what were their names again? Sterling SHITTerson? Maureen SUCKer? Ha ha! No but seriously. How could Doug Yule lose when surrounding himself with the rock-solid drums of Deep Purple's Ian Paice, lead guitarist Walter Powers playing his hot country-blues licks and searing hard rock solos, and soft rock country-western vocalist Willie Alexander providing gritty Southern-styled gravy train good time singin' and playin'? Short answer: He couldn't. And finally the name "Velvet Underground" is synonymous with "quality," Squeeze demonstrating how great the Velvet Underground could have been all along if only they'd stuck to songs about "Dopey Joe," "Little Jack" and that "Mean Old Man."Boasting all the excitement and mystique of The Doors' Other Voices and The New Improved Electric Prunes' Just Good Old Rock And Roll, Squeeze refashions NYC's favorite overrated mopey drug addict poseur outfit into a barrelling powerhouse of bouncy novelty country-rock songs. Through such timeless classics as the oompah polka "Louise," the "What The Kinks Would End Up Sounding Like In The Late '70s"-esque "Jack And Jane," and the Osmonds-style rockin' out glam rocker "Caroline," the NU-VU are intent on singing songs about every person they know -- and they've SUCCEEDED! Whether paying tribute to "Pinball Wizard" and "Sympathy For The Devil" in "Little Jack" or paying homage to "Martha My Dear" in "Crash," this white-hot slab of lightning in group form isn't afraid to mine its past to forge its present and make a clay bowl in which to pour its shining future.
As an interesting aside, "Friends" is actually a really good song! Maybe it was left on here by mistake?
- Reader Comments
- esweenor@charter.net (Eric Sweenor)
I've never heard this but Doug Yule's pleasant enough so maybe it's not gut-wrenchingly, soul-shreddingly terrible. I do, however, have a 4-cd live Japanese boxed set of all post-Lou Reed, "Yule's Too Cool for School" (that's as clever as I get) era VU. Problem is, there's so much static I can't hear whether or not it's any good. My guess is it's no real loss.
- sonicdeath10@hotmail.com (Eric Benac)
where the hell did you find this album? i didn't even think it was released on cd. it can't be any worse than some of lou reed's solo stuff.
- ideoteque108@yahoo.com (David Mansfield)
I have read your site for years now, and I have agreed with you for the most part. I was reading your reviews of the Velvet Underground and I am totally with you man. I felt like I have been going crazy lately because I felt like I was the only one who did not like them at all. I love the bands they influenced, but man I can't stand Lou Reed and the gang. S and M, Herion, ect, I am sorry it just doens't do it for me. I just wanted to say they are the most overrated band of all time, I think, and I am totally on your side with them sucking.
- robert@biermandesign.com
What the fuck. Is this guy a joke? Grow up. Who are you anyway and by the way VU (because obviously no one can type out the velvet underground, because it’s just way too hard?) is like the most inspirational timeless shit I’ve ever heard. That is life. Just simply sitting somewhere completely into a song because you could’ve written it yourself? Common you can’t listen unless you can relate. He has courage, and at least he’s bold enough to change styles, put his sickest thoughts out into the world; and his thoughts aren’t even sick. All of you boring normal people, stop listening to Lou and switch over to like hip hop please because you are fake fucking people. He is hardcore. Has anybodies life been 100 times as interesting as Lou’s? he’s lived enough lives to make up for all of you. By the way try writing a song and see what comes out of you. It won’t be close to the power he exerts by talking one note. Or even looking at his face. I like everything he’s ever done and that is because you take all or nothing. And there is nothing I wouldn’t take.
- kilgoretroutmaskreplica@hotmail.com
A great example of why we shouldn't always go by allmusic; Powers and Alexander don't appear anywhere on this album, Doug Yule and Ian Paice were the only musicians involved in this album. Actually I like Doug Yule a lot and this album, though inferior to Loaded, confirms what I suspected before hearing Squeeze: he probably was the main man behind Loaded's sound (even if not its songs. But are the compositions REALLY all that's cool about that album?)
As a sidenote, it's absolutely shameful that Yule wasn't inducted into the CROCK and roll hall of fame with the Cale, Reed, Morrison and Tucker. There's no justification for that.
Add your
thoughts?