Uncovering The Velvet Underground By Jessica Morrison

So, you've heard Phish cover Loaded, and you might even own this Velvet Underground record.  What about the band's other three studio albums?  If you haven't yet experienced all that the legendary group has to offer, then this is for you.  It's time to dig a little deeper and fully discover this nugget of a band.  

The Velvet Underground is a golden nugget indeed, albeit an unpolished one. The Velvet's music is often coarse and ugly -- but precious none the less.  The pop/rock ditties heard on Loaded were hardly the band's typical fare, and despite its popularity, it cannot be credited with the group's immense and everlasting influential success.  

Released in 1967, The Velvet Underground and Nico sharply deviated from the flowery, political, peace-ridden music of its 'love' generation.  It is a collection of electrically grating songs about drugs, sadomasochism, and the 'mod' lifestyle that the band was immersed in at the time.  Pop-artist Andy Warhol, the album's producer, appointed Nico, a Hungarian model and actress, to sing on many of the tracks, including "All Tomorrow's Parties" and "Femme Fatale".  Her cool and deep, though untuned, Germanic voice counters Lou Reed's rugged tone.  

"Heroin", is perhaps the most well known song on the record, dubbed 'The Banana Album' due to it's interactive cover bearing the peelable fruit.  It is an epic song that pendulously swings from one extreme to another.  Lonesome melancholy lyrics and hushed melodic instrumentation are juxtaposed against frustrated sentiments and distorted noise.  Reed has described The Velvet Underground's style as "music that matched the words".  There is no better example.  "Heroin's" musical composition is a creatively depicted description of its subject matter -- and is almost as addictive.  

The Velvet's raucous sound is thoroughly exemplified on their second album, White Light/White Heat.  Though listener's ears may be accosted by the record's blurry distortion and overt roughness, Reed's inventive song styling provides for an intrinsically interesting piece of art.

"The Gift", the 8 minute piece following the title track, is a story that was penned by Reed in his university years.  The words stream through in John Cale's British vox while the music crunches along overtop. Though the lyrics are hard to make out on the ill-produced album, they outline this ever-disturbing tale with remarkable eloquence.  

Clocking in at nearly 18 minutes, "Sister Ray" - the longest track on the album - is a brash and meaty jam.  This sonic battle presents each individual bandmember shamelessly maximizing their amp output in attempt to blow away their friendly rivals. Intentionally recorded in a single take, this rebellious song carries the Velvet's second album out with a bang.  

In keeping with their fondness for extremes, The Velvet Underground's third, self-titled, record begins delicately with the sweet ballad, "Candy Says".  Newcomer, Doug Yule's crystal vocals are the centerpiece of this slow melodic song, which even includes some beautiful 'doo doo ahhhhs' near the end.  Unlike its predecessors, a clear silky sound is retained throughout this album, which includes the popular favorite "Pale Blue Eyes".  

Fortunately, the band's quirk did not disappear with their distortion pedals.  "The Murder Mystery" experiments with overlaid vocal tracks.  Different lyrics, spoken in two distinct voices are simultaneously spewed forward for 9 minutes with the objective of having listeners subconsciously link the tracks in weird and wonderful ways.  

The Velvet Underground's agreeable sound, paved the way for the band's most commercially viable record -- Loaded.  The Velvet's last real album - the last one that includes any of the original members - was released in 1970 by a band that was already coming apart at the seams.  

Perhaps the group's disjointed relations were responsible for the missing attitude that had previously led the Velvets away from the mainstream -- or more likely, led the mainstream away from the band.  The final album boasts a great list of songs, including "Sweet Jane" and "Rock and Roll", but unlike the band's other records, it lacks anything distinctly 'Velvet Underground'.

Whether intentionally, or by their own coincidental shift in personal taste, the band's blatant disregard for public preference was significantly diminished on Loaded.  This bold spirit - along with immense talent, of course - is likely the most basic element of The Velvet's acclaimed musical influence in the decades that have followed.  The lush album is laced with pop hooks, though it lacks the grit that their earlier records possess.  Those scratchy Velcro hooks are the substance that has firmly fastened The Velvet Underground to the evolutionary face of rock and roll.    

Uncovering The Velvet Underground

By Jessica Morrison

So, you've heard Phish cover Loaded, and you might even own this Velvet Underground record.  What about the band's other three studio albums?  If you haven't yet experienced all that the legendary group has to offer, then this is for you.  It's time to dig a little deeper and fully discover this nugget of a band.  

The Velvet Underground is a golden nugget indeed, albeit an unpolished one. The Velvet's music is often coarse and ugly -- but precious none the less.  The pop/rock ditties heard on Loaded were hardly the band's typical fare, and despite its popularity, it cannot be credited with the group's immense and everlasting influential success.  

Released in 1967, The Velvet Underground and Nico sharply deviated from the flowery, political, peace-ridden music of its 'love' generation.  It is a collection of electrically grating songs about drugs, sadomasochism, and the 'mod' lifestyle that the band was immersed in at the time.  Pop-artist Andy Warhol, the album's producer, appointed Nico, a Hungarian model and actress, to sing on many of the tracks, including "All Tomorrow's Parties" and "Femme Fatale".  Her cool and deep, though untuned, Germanic voice counters Lou Reed's rugged tone.  

"Heroin", is perhaps the most well known song on the record, dubbed 'The Banana Album' due to it's interactive cover bearing the peelable fruit.  It is an epic song that pendulously swings from one extreme to another.  Lonesome melancholy lyrics and hushed melodic instrumentation are juxtaposed against frustrated sentiments and distorted noise.  Reed has described The Velvet Underground's style as "music that matched the words".  There is no better example.  "Heroin's" musical composition is a creatively depicted description of its subject matter -- and is almost as addictive.  

The Velvet's raucous sound is thoroughly exemplified on their second album, White Light/White Heat.  Though listener's ears may be accosted by the record's blurry distortion and overt roughness, Reed's inventive song styling provides for an intrinsically interesting piece of art.

"The Gift", the 8 minute piece following the title track, is a story that was penned by Reed in his university years.  The words stream through in John Cale's British vox while the music crunches along overtop. Though the lyrics are hard to make out on the ill-produced album, they outline this ever-disturbing tale with remarkable eloquence.  

Clocking in at nearly 18 minutes, "Sister Ray" - the longest track on the album - is a brash and meaty jam.  This sonic battle presents each individual bandmember shamelessly maximizing their amp output in attempt to blow away their friendly rivals. Intentionally recorded in a single take, this rebellious song carries the Velvet's second album out with a bang.  

In keeping with their fondness for extremes, The Velvet Underground's third, self-titled, record begins delicately with the sweet ballad, "Candy Says".  Newcomer, Doug Yule's crystal vocals are the centerpiece of this slow melodic song, which even includes some beautiful 'doo doo ahhhhs' near the end.  Unlike its predecessors, a clear silky sound is retained throughout this album, which includes the popular favorite "Pale Blue Eyes".  

Fortunately, the band's quirk did not disappear with their distortion pedals.  "The Murder Mystery" experiments with overlaid vocal tracks.  Different lyrics, spoken in two distinct voices are simultaneously spewed forward for 9 minutes with the objective of having listeners subconsciously link the tracks in weird and wonderful ways.  

The Velvet Underground's agreeable sound, paved the way for the band's most commercially viable record -- Loaded.  The Velvet's last real album - the last one that includes any of the original members - was released in 1970 by a band that was already coming apart at the seams.  

Perhaps the group's disjointed relations were responsible for the missing attitude that had previously led the Velvets away from the mainstream -- or more likely, led the mainstream away from the band.  The final album boasts a great list of songs, including "Sweet Jane" and "Rock and Roll", but unlike the band's other records, it lacks anything distinctly 'Velvet Underground'.

Whether intentionally, or by their own coincidental shift in personal taste, the band's blatant disregard for public preference was significantly diminished on Loaded.  This bold spirit - along with immense talent, of course - is likely the most basic element of The Velvet's acclaimed musical influence in the decades that have followed.  The lush album is laced with pop hooks, though it lacks the grit that their earlier records possess.  Those scratchy Velcro hooks are the substance that has firmly fastened The Velvet Underground to the evolutionary face of rock and roll.