[Denim]

Considering my age, I should have heard the debut album decades ago. I finally had a chance to get a copy and haven't listened all the way through yet. So far, I'm not excited about it. I thought the critics hailed this as one of the great albums of all time. To me, it sounds rather dated. Kind of like how early Beatles sounds dated. Granted, it was created in 1966 or 67. I can understand it being big then, but I expected it to be on par with other works from the same time period.

Someone enlighten me. What made this so spectacular? I'll listen to it a few times before passing on it, and I hope it wins me over. I'm typically a main-stream guy. This CD should have blown me away. Does The Velvet Underground have a better CD to sample? Somehow, I've managed to skip them my entire life.

 

[gratefulshrink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denim Considering my age, I should have heard the debut album decades ago. I finally had a chance to get a copy and haven't listened all the way through yet. So far, I'm not excited about it. I thought the critics hailed this as one of the great albums of all time. To me, it sounds rather dated. Kind of like how early Beatles sounds dated. Granted, it was created in 1966 or 67. I can understand it being big then, but I expected it to be on par with other works from the same time period. Someone enlighten me. What made this so spectacular? I'll listen to it a few times before passing on it, and I hope it wins me over. I'm typically a main-stream guy. This CD should have blown me away. Does The Velvet Underground have a better CD to sample? Somehow, I've managed to skip them my entire life.

I'm not really sure what you "expected". First off, VU were never really mainstream. Perhaps the Loaded album was as mainstream as they got, with hits like Sweet Jane and Rock & Roll. But the first album was an entriely different affair. And you have to take it in its historical context. It was recorded in 1966, at which time there really wasn't any avante garde rock music. The Beatles were starting to experiment with psychedelia, as were the Byrds, but VU was all of a sudden playing with dissonance, drone, and discord. And then there was the proto-goth sound of Nico. And the proto-punk garage sound of other songs. It's not at all an exaggeration to state that the album was influential to many, many bands.

All that being said, I do understand what you mean about it sounding "dated", but I think that only applies to some of the weaker/softer tracks, like I'll Be your Mirror and Sunday Morning. But really, almost all of the other tracks seem timeless to me, impossible to really categorize, and uniquely part of the VU sound.

In terms of sampling their other CDs, as I've said, Loaded was porbably their most accessible album. In contrast, White LIght/White heat was their most experimental/dissonant album, and the self-titled album may have been their most mellow.

If you really want to understand the background for Punk music, as well as drone-rock, and maybe even shoegazer, then you have to at least listen to all of their albums from 1967-1970.

 

[jonnyhambone]

First, listen to it several times...in different contexts, times of day, moods, etc... V.U. provided the blueprint to build the proverbial city of Rock and Roll. You need to give 'em repeated listens and try out 'Loaded', 'White Light/White Heat' and 'V.U.' Dated?...I dunno, these all came out pre-1970, which is kinda crazy, though most of these songs seem very contemporaneous and even, still edgy...almost 40 years later!!

 

[markl]

The album was not "big" in its time, it sold squat, it's only in retrospect that it grew in stature. The usual line is that 500 people bought Velvet Underground records, but they all formed bands as a result.

That album and the other VU albums are significant for their influence on other musicians, and for the fact that they were really the first band to inject adult themes into rock 'n roll, which had heretofore been largely sweet bubblegum kids stuff. Lou Reed went places others had not yet gone. Listening to it now, it isn't such a shock, as everyone is doing it thanks to VU, but it was back then.

I would suggest you grab a copy of Loaded, their final album (preferably the remastered 2Cd ed.). It's a much more slickly-produced pop album with classic songs like "Sweet Jane" and "Rock 'n Roll".

 

[Denim]

Thanks for the history lesson, guys. I knew the group had some significance, just didn't know in what way. I'll listen to this one a few times and follow up with the other CD's.

 

[s m @]

Well, I'm a huge VU fan, and I actually kind of agree with you. Although I do enjoy the first record, it's definitely my least favourite of their main albums, and actually of their stuff overall (they have a lot of other essential material).

But still give it another try, it is good. If/when you want another one to try, I'd definitely say go with The Velvet Underground, or Loaded.

 

[Jbucla2005]

I have everything (that I know exists) of the Velvet Underground that got re-released onto CD, and a bunch of Lou Reed solo albums. I guess you could say I'm a Velvet Underground, um, junky. For me the appeal has a lot to do with the energy of VU, the unique sound and approach, and the individuality of it. There is something so striking about Lou Reed/The Velvet Underground. I really like John Cale's work and the drumming and singing of Maureen Tucker (who played standing up!) This music is more about fun and expression of a unique individuality in a world of city streets and lights more than anything else. Songs like I'm Waiting For The Man, Venus in Furs, and Heroin are absolute classics. I second the recommendation for Loaded, and especially the 2cd set which has been mentioned, since the second cd contains many unreleased cuts and I actually prefer it to the first one!

 

[boodi]

I hope you'll fall in love with the slow and rock psychedelia of VU.

I'm a huge fan of the album
"The Velvet Underground and Nico"
I'd like any fan you included to try to listen Jefferson Airplane "White Rabbit "

It's just a song and my stupid supposition , that anyone who likes "The VU and Nico" should adore that song.

[size=xx-small]*Run away afraid of his own stupidity with his own stupidity in his hands* [/size]

 

[boodi]

[size=xx-small]*returns again suddenly*[/size]
again any VU and Nico lover : worth to check out Cowboy Junkies' cover of "Sweet Jane" .
worth!

[size=xx-small]*then leaves again leaving some stupid dust behind*[/size]

 

[Denim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boodi I hope you'll fall in love with the slow and rock psychedelia of VU. I'm a huge fan of the album "The Velvet Underground and Nico" I'd like any fan you included to try to listen Jefferson Airplane "White Rabbit " It's just a song and my stupid supposition , that anyone who likes "The VU and Nico" should adore that song.

I kind of expected VU to be a bit like Jefferson Airplane for some reason. Or at least to rate as high in my mind musically. I still haven't listened again, but I'll give it a few spins soon.

 

[gratefulshrink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denim I kind of expected VU to be a bit like Jefferson Airplane for some reason. Or at least to rate as high in my mind musically. I still haven't listened again, but I'll give it a few spins soon.

Nope -- very different on many levels.

The Airplane typified the San Francisco sound -- flowers in your hair, folk-rock roots, populist, protest songs, jamming with many solos, lysergic influence, free love.

VU was harsh austere East Coast/New York aesthetic -- Andy Warhol loft/studio, elitist, doom and gloom, ties with minimalist modern/classical music, repitition and drone more than free jamming, opiate influence, sadomasochism.

 

[shesmylovernow]

Just keep listening to it over and over again. Take a break. Come back to it. Eventually it will 'click.' I was less then impressed with the album when I first heard it. I'd put it in my all-time top 5 now.

 

[varro]

Easily one of the top10 albums there is.. Maybe the bad recoding is bothering you, thats the only thing i can think is dated. But thats how they wanted it to sound. Another good album is "white light/white heat" allthought its even worse recorded..

Oh yeah and dont even think of comparing this to Beatles.

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denim Someone enlighten me. What made this so spectacular? I'll listen to it a few times before passing on it, and I hope it wins me over. I'm typically a main-stream guy. This CD should have blown me away. Does The Velvet Underground have a better CD to sample? Somehow, I've managed to skip them my entire life.

there are generally two VU camps (of the people who like them): those who prefer the more melodic albums Velvet Underground and Loaded, and those who gravitate toward the more cacophonic Nico and White Light/White Heat.

i like them all, but i'll generally listen to WL/WH more than the others.

they may not be your cup o' tea, but if you put them into historical context and listen to the parts that make up the whole, you'll hear what made them so influential:

John Cale's viola was riffing on post-modern classical composition... you can hear echoes of Phillip Glass in his solos. Lou Reed was singing about hookers and sadomasochism and junkies and sex-change operations in 19-freakin-66. the droning instrumentals would still sound at home in a lot of forward-thinking music today (think Stereolab, Radiohead).

and VU's influence was really a delayed reaction... not until the 70s did they even start getting the props they deserved, mostly from David Bowie, and later Iggy Pop. but bands like the MC5, Big Star and The Stooges started cropping up, and gradually the trickle became a rush and voila, we had punk.

and in the 80s, just about every would-be post-punk indy rocker you could find had a banana t-shirt. now, VU in a wanna be rock star's collection is pretty much an after-thought. but then, well, they were really like no other band of their time.

 

[chadbang]

Nice summation, VixAjax.