The Velvet Underground

I bought the other three Velvet Underground albums fifteen years ago but somehow only picked up this one after Lou Reed’s passing. I feel like I’ve been missing out on their best work. I loved “The Velvet Underground and Nico,” but felt her voice was a little off-putting; it sounded like she was trying to sing with a mouth full of chewing gum. (Also, “Heroin” and “Venus in Furs” were revelatory tracks, but “European Son” felt like noise for noise’s sake.) The title track on “White Light/White Heat” was one of my favorite openings ever, and “The Gift” was a story song like none other, but “Sister Ray” felt like still more gratuitous sound, an experiment that didn’t prove its hypothesis. And “Loaded” has long been a favorite of mine, but with all its poppiness, it sometimes felt a little slick. (Don’t get me wrong—if I can produce anything as memorable as any of these, I’ll consider myself massively successful.) But “The Velvet Underground” somehow combines every other album’s strengths, while also avoiding their weaknesses. When it slows down, it’s a smooth listen without being bland; when it speeds up, it’s exciting without being discordant. Lyrically, it’s top-notch: “What do you think I’d see, if I could walk away from me?” Reed asks in “Candy Says,” somehow turning a character study of a New York transvestite in the late 1960s into something universal and timeless and true. And “Pale Blue Eyes” might be the truest depiction of adultery ever set to verse. (Or second-truest, after Gram Parsons’ “We’ll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning.”) It gets everything right—the obsession, the tangled emotions, the desire for both safe separation and suffocating closeness. And that goes for the album as a whole. It’s perhaps fitting that they named it after themselves—for a lesser group, that might make it seem like they’d run out of ideas, but here, it’s more like: “This is who we are; this is everything we’re capable of; this is us firing on all cylinders.” There’s an eloquent and sinful sadness to the first third, and strange and hopeful spirituality in the middle, and even a main experiment (“The Murder Mystery”) near the end that proves that the band’s central premise was sound, that experiments can, in fact, work.

Sounds of Underground And everything in between

I had previously given a bad review to "The Velve Underground and Nico" for bad sound and amateurish playing, and I refuse to even touch "White Light, White Heat" for the same reason. Back in the day, though, I had bought those albums with this one, and the difference is night and day. On "The Velvet Underground", the band can play; Lou Reed can sing (well, a lot better anyway), and the writing is phenomenal. Only one song, "The Murder Mystery", recalls earlier avante garde doodlings. The rest of the record is top-notch pop craft with just a hint of streetwise grit. Some of the songs are simply beautiful; all of them are uplifting. If you are curious about the Velvet Underground, get this one or "Loaded" first.

It’s a good album, not their best but far from the worst. Seller should change the product photo though because it’s NOT the “SUPER DELUXE” LP as shown (which is full of demo/rare versions… also it’s like 6 CDs and not available on vinyl as far as I know). This is the regular 3rd album. Still a good album. Better than Taylor Swift.

Some good songs.

Oh man! I love listening to this album on streaming. I wondered what it sounded like when it first came out on vinyl. It's excellent! It hits me in the feels even more, if that is possible.

I've loved this record since I first heard it almost 30 years ago. After Lou Reed died, a friend said she didn't know anything about him or the VU so I put this CD in and we just listened in the growing darkness. At some point I realized she was crying. After the album ended I asked if she was OK and she said "That had all the beauty, the sweetness, the harshness and edge of life -- all in a few songs. Can we listen to it again?" It's good to know that it hasn't lost its power to amaze and move people after all these years.

I remember buying the vinyl version of this album decades ago. I just purchased the CD because I heard one of the songs in a store and it sounded so hip still today. It has not aged in the least. Not even slightly outdated as some great albums are despite their place in the annals of rock history. The VU were so ahead of their time they should definitely be given another listen or a first listen. Don't miss out on this one; it shimmers with cool.

Klasse, wie alles von Velvet Underground

Ok, i Velvet più puri e seminali sono quelli dello storico esordio del 1967 al fianco di Nico. E quel magico 67 ci aveva regalato un altra gemma come "White light, white heat", album a mio avviso non considerato come dovrebbe (lo trovo splendido). A quel punto se ne va anche John Cale e al suo posto entra Doug Yule e onestamente non è la stessa cosa. I Velvet si nutrivano del dualismo e della rivalità tra Cale e Reed. Venendo a mancare uno dei due poli inevitabilmente la tensione si spezza. Questo terzo album è tutto frutto del solo Reed. Ed è un bel disco. Che abbandona le tensioni rumoriste di "white light", che non ha il macabro fascino dell'esordio ne quell'aurea malsana e depravata. E' un album più intimista, a tratti malinconico. Sembra davvero che Reed sia consapevole che quell'avventura è ormai alla frutta e la saluti con rimpianto e malcelata tristezza. E in questo è esplicito un brano come "pale blue eyes". ma c'è spazio per una ventata psichedelica in "What goes on" cosi come si avverte un blues malato in "Some kinda love". E poi "Candy says" pezzo alla Reed al 100%. Da ricordare anche il personale sermone di "Jesus" dove Reed chiede a Cristo di aiutarlo a trovare il suo posto nel mondo. Si...era consapevole che una fase si chiudeva e un altra si stava aprendo......

Great album. I think that, among a certain subset, The Velvet Underground were as influential as The Beatles. Without them, I don't think REM, Tindersticks, Papercuts, The Reds, Pinks and Purples, The National, Yo La Tengo, The Strokes or even Lloyd Cole and the Commotions would have formed. I have never understood why this album hasn't sold more. It may, on occasion, deal with some taboo subjects, but it is far from avant garde. It is, in fact, very melodic and accessible, particularly the first 7 songs. "Candy Says," "What Goes on," "Pale Blue Eyes," "Some Kinda Love" and "Beginning to see the Light" are particular favourites. As usual, great service from Rarewaves USA. These guys are the best!

Very bad pressing probably from some digital master.Muffled mids.Muddy lows, shrill/harsh/sibilant highs.Sounded like some cheap mp3.Such a shame considering that this album is a must have on vinyl well only if it a well pressed one! So much more modern day pressings..much like a box of chocolates..You never know what you get.Most definitely give it a miss.

Love this album nothing more to say.