THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
With leader Lou Reed's sophisticated, poetic eloquence and adoration of rock & roll, the classical fearlessness of John Cale, the warmth and expertise of Sterling Morrison, and the steady, cool stylistics of drummer Maureen Tucker, this is clearly a band like no other. Eclectic and absurd, friendly and confrontational, with a sense of humor and a refusal to conform to expectations, they were detested by nearly all of their American peers -- when they played San Francisco with Jefferson Airplane, they were ridiculed mercilessly by the latter band and practically booed off the stage -- and were almost militantly ahead of their time.
Throwing out songs like "Heroin" and "Sister Ray," they gained a reputation of danger and elitism that has left them one of the most misunderstood bands in the classic rock pantheon. What people miss is that druggy anthems are only a part of the story, and "Heroin" is a defiantly anti-drug song anyway. This music may be dark at times, but it's also joyous, wide-ranging and truly life-affirming.
After catching a Velvets show in California, Cher was heard to say "Let's hope it's killed before it spreads." Unfortunately, she got her wish, despite constant critical acclaim and the ceaseless ingenuity and accessibility of their work. In the world of Mamas and Papas and Grateful Dead and Doors, this band just didn't belong... though Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix, and even Jim Morrison all are said to have admired them. It's perhaps because they returned to the populist theory of rock & roll, of music as freedom from boundaries. Boundaries were now what the music was about, and as a result the Velvets were never at home and never would be except in the world of individuals who truly loved music.
They never had a chance to find success or even grow up before their maddening split, but they left behind a catalog rich with nuance and ripe for discovery. Ignore everything you've ever read about them, including this, and dive in. This is something everyone should share.
ANNOTATED DISCOGRAPHY
ALBUMS REVIEWED:
The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) [A]
White Light/White Heat (1968) [A+]
The Velvet Underground (1969) [A+]
Loaded (1970) [A+]
Squeeze (1972) [D+]
LIVE ALBUMS
Live at Max's Kansas City (1972) [A-]
1969 Live with Lou Reed (1974) [A+]
Live MCMXCIII (1993) [B]
Bootleg Series Vol. 1: The Quine Tapes (2001) [A-]
Live at Max's Kansas City: Deluxe Edition (2004) [B+]
COMPILATIONS
That's the Story of My Life (1973) [C-]
The Best of the Velvet Underground (1989) [B+]
RARITIES COLLECTIONS
VU (1985) [A]
Another View (1987) [A-]
Loaded: Fully Loaded Edition (1997) [A+]
The Velvet Underground & Nico: Deluxe Edition (2002) [B-]
BOXED SETS
Peel Slowly and See (1995) [A]
OTHER WRITING
Another (brief) look at LOADED (2007)
WEBBLOG ARCHIVE:
(Boldfaced links actually contain VU-related material; others are just passing mentions.)
Wuzzon #9
Village Green Preservation Society
current music
guitar heroes
current music
The Science of Sleep
anybody want a mix
Zombies / Love
Brian Wilson: Smile
car mix
Sunday Morning
Yo La Tengo review
rock books
Prince: Sign o' the Times
Wuzzon #6
Lou Reed: Between Thought and Expression capsule
some Lou Reed stuff
Lou Reed: Rock & Roll Animal capsule
current music
Beck essay
The Murder Mystery
Here She Comes Now
music I'm enjoying
Pitchfork parody review
site news
Robert Quine RIP
Head Held High
the best cd's I own
VU reviews posted
Heads reviews lost
Talking Heads box review
open letter to music industry
REM concert review
capsule review of Television: Blow Up
music emotions survey
200 bands assessed III
200 bands assessed II
Nirvana essay
Kurt Cobain vs. Here She Comes Now
angry oscar rant