Velvet Underground

[pedro]

Not everyones cup o tea but a band IMO had a major influence on modern music. They blew away the twee pop music of the 60's and were the gene of 70's glam rock and the 80's electro pop

[sixtyten]

Re: Velvet Underground

love 'em, although they mellowed considerablely and produced (IHMO) their finest album after John Cale left (The Velvet Underground lp)

[pedro]

Re: Velvet Underground

My own favourite is the VU and Nico..All tomorrows parties, sunday morning etc often copied never bettered

[pedro]

Re: Velvet Underground

Caught the end of a recent Cale concert on Beeb 4 a couple of weeks ago. A starnge bloke but undoubted musical genius.

On of my best memories of the VU was watching a video of their reformed concert in Paris(90's?) a granny on drums, a geriatric hippy on bass, washed out rock star on guitar and a welsh prima donna on viola... but when the first few cords of White Light kicked in wow!

[LiveToTheMax]

Re: Velvet Underground

Yeah, their 1st 3 albums are great, after Cale departed, just rock n roll (a few good tracks though here & there, just like Lou Reeds solo stuff). Their reunion a few years back was a big disappointment to me, sounded weak, worn out.

[AFBulimia]

Re: Velvet Underground

I love the Velvet Underground! I'm also a fan of Cale and Reed's solo stuff though I do think Lou went a bit ropey during the 80s... not so much the songs themselves, just the incredibly dated sound. That horrible 80s bass!

I really couldn't choose between line ups as I love both the more experimental side of things and the more pop orientated songs that they did when Yule joined the line up and Cale left. I do have one very unpopular opinion, mind, and that is that The Velvet Underground & Nico is their worst album... I know...I know... the songs are great but the production is awful and Nico, I feel, does that thing she was famous for: Sings softly when the song calls for strident and bellows like a foghorn when the song calls for gentle. Don;t get me wrong.... I love Nico and think she did some great solo albums... just she did some unlistenable ones too. Her version of 'The End' is awful.

The real question is.... Have any of you had the terrible misfortune to hear the last VU album, 'Squeeze'?

[sixtyten]

Re: Velvet Underground

I personally think their worst album was White Light/White Heat.
I've tried many times, but never got through Sister Ray in one sitting.
I have Squeeze, and yes, its pants

[AFBulimia]

Re: Velvet Underground

I personally think their worst album was White Light/White Heat.
I've tried many times, but never got through Sister Ray in one sitting.
I have Squeeze, and yes, its pants

Blasphemy! Sister Ray is hard going but its like a long walk in a Blizzard to a curry house! You spend most of your time wishing it would hurry up and end but you're always glad you made it when it does..... Or I'm a masochist. lol I loved 'Metal Machine Music'...hmmmm

Thing is about Squeeze... I kinda feel sorry for Doug Yule as the record company forced him to use the Velvet Underground brand when, as a velvet underground album it is indeed pants! as Doug Yule's solo album... It's not so bad really. Still.... it is still pretty pants.

[sixtyten]

Re: Velvet Underground

Too true.. Just had it on the iPod. As a Doug Yule album, its fine, just don't market it as a VU album.
He does do a passable Reed impression on Dopey Joe though

[zip55]

Re: Velvet Underground

My favourite is Live at Max's Kansas City ... recorded on a little hand-held, complete with all the background chat.