My First Velvet Underground

The banana album and White Light/White Heat, then Live 1969.

Absolutely essential in all respects.

-- Ian

Alex,

Your authoring a thread for my benefit was kind. Thanks dudemeister.

Having just done some sampling something tells me VU will complete my little Sonic Youth-YLT love triangle.

(In John Mclaughlin voice)
The answer is- all of them. Yopu won't get Heroin, Rock and Roll, Sweet Jane, I'm Waiting for the Man any other way.

PS don't go to the store drunk or you may end up with a Velvet Revolver album.

The 3rd album is my personal favourite (i.e. its a bit of an outsider in that it always seems to be underrated by the critics) - just called The Velvet Underground and is very acoustic and laidback in the main. Includes Pale Blue eyes, Candy Say and I'm Beginning To See The Light ("some wine in the morning/and some breakfast at night!")

Rich

Ludwig, Ludwig, Ludwig...

There are several routes:
1) Hardcore: Buy "White Light, white Heat" and savour the beauty that is "Sister Ray" five times over. The world will make more sense.
2) Sensible: Banana record
3) Wuss: Third album
4) Foolish: Loaded
5) Quirky: Live 1969
6) Spoilt rich boy: the 5 cd box set with out-takes
7) While you're at it, pick up a copy of Chelsea Girl by Nico which is full of beautiful songs - by Dylan, Reed, Jackson Brown!, Tim Hardin - given the most spooky, otherworldly treatment with string quartets and raw, strummed electric guitars.
8) Steer clear of Lou Reed solo

Kevin

[This message was edited by kj burrell on Wed 09 June 2004 at 9:05.]

And Max's

P

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Good point about Velvet Revolver. Avoid at all costs.

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I've seen some very good reviews of their new album, not heard anything though.

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2) Sensible: Banana record

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The Banana album is one of the most overrated albums (by critics etc) ever made, fair enough its ok but don't set you're expectations too high.

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8) Steer clear of Lou Reed solo

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Don't agree. I think the best of Lou's Solo work (New York, Berlin, Transformer) is far superior to the Velvet Underground stuff.

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Hmmmm. This is a bit like the overrating The Beatles topics that crop up from time to time (likewise "Pet Sounds").

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Don't Agree.

It's often said that not many people bought this when it was released (True) (If you bought this on release you were one of the few), but most those that did went on to form bands (Questionable?). Even if this is partially true and the album was hugely influential (which I'm not denying) those that were influenced went on to produce much better albums of the same ilk. An album can be influential without being any good.

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that were influenced went on to produce much better albums of the same ilk

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Come on, then Greeny, give us some examples!!! I'd like to see if there's anything missing from my collection. I still hold to the view that, in terms of lineage, most great rock music connects back to the VU, the Byrds and Beefheart rather than the Beatles, The Beach Boys and the Stones. (And I know The Byrds were influenced by The Beatles before anyone starts, I just think what they did echoes more through my collection.)

Kevin

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Come on, then Greeny, give us some examples!!! I'd like to see if there's anything missing from my collection. I still hold to the view that, in terms of lineage, most great rock music connects back to the VU

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You are missing my point somewhat, and seem almost to be contradicting yourself. Do you think VU influenced great music or not?. If so then you agree with my statement above and don't need me to point out what great music followed.

How can anyone describe the VU as overrated? Lou Reed's entire solo career seems to me to be an attempt to recreate his early, great, VU songs. So, if nothing else, he himself wouldn't have a solo career without the VU.

Oh, and it's impossible to overrate the Beatles.

-- Ian

Beatles overrated? Too right they are.

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You are missing my point somewhat, and seem almost to be contradicting yourself. Do you think VU influenced great music or not?. If so then you agree with my statement above and don't need me to point out what great music followed.

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Hi Cranky!! No, not missing your point, just wondering whether there are any VU flavoured bands I've missed: so Sonic Youth, Patti Smith, Television, YLT, Talking Heads, MBV, Six by Seven.... Who would you add?

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Oh, and it's impossible to overrate the Beatles.

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I've always had them down as a very inconsistent group: some good songs, loads of naff songs, historically important in terms of the industry and culture but not their music, and, on the debit side, Paul McCartney.

Kevin

[This message was edited by kj burrell on Wed 09 June 2004 at 11:39.]

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Not really. I think they were an average pop band.

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In that case you clearly have no sense of history. The Beatles invented modern pop music as we know it. You don't have to like them to recognise that, although not liking them seems like an odd POV to me.

-- Ian

Since they profoundly influenced just about everything and everyone that came after them, they can't be overrated, by definition. They're sui generis. This is an entirely separate question as to whether someone's right to like them or not. So there ;-)

-- Ian

Youth of today, I don't know.

Bring back National Service is my view.

-- Ian

Ian

The Beatles and Zorn? And I thought I had catholic tastes!!

Kevin

hi Kevin

You can't not like the Beatles. It's like not liking breathing.

That's my take on it anyway.

-- Ian

So is indifference like having asthma?

Kevin

Velvet underground imo the single most important band to come out of the 60s their influence is everywhere, also you can add to the list of velvet influences David Bowie and Squeeze amongst others.

If you werent there first time around the Velvets are probably a bit of an aquired taste, but it is worth the trouble of seeking out the early albums. Lou Reeds solo work can be both amazing (New York)and disapointing sometimes. a personal favourite of mine is Lou Reed a perfect night in London, the sound quality and recording are excellent.

Also some of John Cales work is worth seeking out, i have in mind Hobo Sapiens and his collaboration with Lou, Songs for Drella a tribute to Andy Warhol.

I used to roadie for a heavily VU influenced band, and although they wrote and performed all their own numbers as an encore they would come out and play white heat white light (a lot faster and harder than the original)it always went down a storm, and shows 30 years on VUs numbers can be improved upon, and still sound bang up to date.

Mike.

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If you werent there first time around the Velvets are probably a bit of an aquired taste

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If you were there first time around you probably never heard of them and almost certainly didn't buy their albums. They sold next to nothing until they became a bit of a cult band many years later.

The Beatles on the otherhand......

I don't quite know what definition of average Alex is using to describe The Beatles. Average number of number 1's? Average Single sales? Average Album sales? Average Impact (OK here you admit to them not being average). How Many Beatles songs can you hum or even sing? I bet it's more than any other artist? Average Songwriters... Really!!!

hi greeny,

some of us were there the first time round, and bought their records (banana album), i think the point is, that those who did buy their records became inspired to form their own bands, and consequently influenced the way some musical trends went.

Agree with you ref the Beatles though-----regards Mike.

Oh Alex,

How about a guide on "Blue", should be an interesting comparison with the output of "The Beatles" . Apart from Dancing, can they actually write words/music, sing without the aid of a vocoder or play any instrument?; It will make fascinating reading. Mike Lacey's reply awaits.

Denis

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Originally posted by kj burrell:
While you're at it, pick up a copy of Chelsea Girl by Nico which is full of beautiful songs given the most spooky, otherworldly treatment...

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If by "otherworldly" you mean flat, flat, flat vocals...

I've had this on vinyl since the day it was released, and even play it every decade or two. I always end up wondering what I ever saw in it.

Davie

I guess I'm off to the other corner...