Velvet Underground

[murkrow]

In my opinion, only the live album is listenable.

What do you think?

 

[pure_mercury]

The debut is one of my Top 10 Greatest Albums of All Time, and the #1 Debut Album of All Time. White Light/White Heat is also great. Velvet Underground and Loaded are lesser, IMHO; both have three or four great songs, but they're not spectacular, nor revolutionary. I like Lou Reed's 1970s solo stuff better than those two albums. John Cale's solo stuff also varies, but was quite brilliant at times.

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

I've always thought that the Velvet Underground was one of those bands that lots of people liked because they felt like it's a band they should like. I know they're supposed to be influential and seminal and all those good rock critic words, but frankly I'd rather listen to a jackhammer.

 

[pure_mercury]

I've always thought that the Velvet Underground was one of those bands that lots of people liked because they felt like it's a band they should like. I know they're supposed to be influential and seminal and all those good rock critic words, but frankly I'd rather listen to a jackhammer.

I actually think that they were an excellent band. They wrote about 30 amazingly great songs in five years. Being influential is great, but the reason they were influential was they were truly great for a few years.

YouTube - The Velvet Underground-Sunday Morning

 

[LadyJaye]

I've always thought that the Velvet Underground was one of those bands that lots of people liked because they felt like it's a band they should like. I know they're supposed to be influential and seminal and all those good rock critic words, but frankly I'd rather listen to a jackhammer.

I have to agree with you - aside from a few songs they did, I thought most of it was pretty bad. Unlistenable. But, I will give Lou Reed credit for being original.

 

[INA]

I actually think that they were an excellent band. They wrote about 30 amazingly great songs in five years. Being influential is great, but the reason they were influential was they were truly great for a few years.

YouTube - The Velvet Underground-Sunday Morning

Yep. Also YouTube - the velvet underground - jesus
I can understand differences in taste, but usually reserve "unlistenable" proclamations for real cacophony or tuneless robot sounds.

 

[pure_mercury]

Yep. Also YouTube - the velvet underground - jesus
I can understand differences in taste, but usually reserve "unlistenable" proclamations for real cacophony or tuneless robot sounds.

Metal Machine Music is practically unlistenable, as a Lou Reed example. But so is something like that "Amen" song Kid Rock did.

 

[INA]

Metal Machine Music is practically unlistenable, as a Lou Reed example. But so is something like that "Amen" song Kid Rock did.

*moseys on over to youtube page for Kid Rock's Amen.*
listenable but not listen-worthy. I must have a high audio-pain threshold.

 

[pure_mercury]

*moseys on over to youtube page for Kid Rock's Amen.*
listenable but not listen-worthy. I must have a high audio-pain threshold.

I find that song execrable. I hate when idiots decide to raise my consciousness.

 

[INA]

I find that song execrable. I hate when idiots decide to raise my consciousness.

I hear that.

 

[kuranes]

I began my VU experience as a young man with the "Live at Max's Kansas City" album, and all I remember liking much on that was "Sweet Jane", and it was the first time I heard them do it. I had already heard Mick Ralph's version on Mott The Hoople's "All The Young Dudes" and it was interesting to see the differences. I bought the "Transformer" solo album and liked it a lot. Then I went and bought the first solo and I only liked the song "Wild Child". I bought a few more solos after that, but I was starting to feel his best days were over until the live album with Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner came out. The sequel from that same concert was good, too. I bought my last LR album with the "Blue Mask" ( with the exception of some later live albums ) or the album "Street Hassle" ( whichever came later ) although I'd always go see him when he came around to Chicago. There was an old double vinyl live VU album that had "What Goes On" and some longer versions of old songs that were pretty good on it, but I guess I enjoyed the solo careers of Cale and Lou more than the earlier stuff. Lou hasn't rocked my world much lately, but there is a new band called the Warlocks that sounds a lot like the best of the VU, if you want a 00's version of that sound.
YouTube - the warlocks-baby blue
YouTube - the Warlocks - Surgery

Best "different" Lou song - "All Through The Night" off of "The Bells" album.

 

[pure_mercury]

I began my VU experience as a young man with the "Live at Max's Kansas City" album, and all I remember liking much on that was "Sweet Jane", and it was the first time I heard them do it. I had already heard Mick Ralph's version on Mott The Hoople's "All The Young Dudes" and it was interesting to see the differences. I bought the "Transformer" solo album and liked it a lot. Then I went and bought the first solo and I only liked the song "Wild Child". I bought a few more solos after that, but I was starting to feel his best days were over until the live album with Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner came out. The sequel from that same concert was good, too. I bought my last LR album with the "Blue Mask" ( with the exception of some later live albums ) or the album "Street Hassle" ( whichever came later ) although I'd always go see him when he came around to Chicago. There was an old double vinyl live VU album that had "What Goes On" and some longer versions of old songs that were pretty good on it, but I guess I enjoyed the solo careers of Cale and Lou more than the earlier stuff. Lou hasn't rocked my world much lately, but there is a new band called the Warlocks that sounds a lot like the best of the VU, if you want a 00's version of that sound.
YouTube - the warlocks-baby blue
YouTube - the Warlocks - Surgery

Best "different" Lou song - "All Through The Night" off of "The Bells" album.

I like The Warlocks a lot, although they lean more toward the psychedelic, heavy shoegazer side of things.