THE VELVET UNDERGROUND ALBUMS RANKED AND REVIEWED - THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (1969)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
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I really like their change in direction on "The Velvet Underground" album. This album reminds me a lot of late '80's/ early '90's alternative rock. Very ahead of their time. On some of these songs, I like the original "closet" mix better, and others, the newer mid '80's mix. My three favorite songs are: "What Goes On', "Beginning To See The Light" and "Candy Says". I also like Maureen Tucker's vocal on "After Hours", and the outtake "I'm Sticking With You". Those are very '80's/ '90's alternative rock. I give this album an "A-". A very good album.
Probably my favorite Velvet Underground album. My favorite songs are probably the same as yours. That live version of "What Goes On" is absolutely killer!
I really love this album cover especially because it’s SO in the moment. No phoney posing or anything.
1. White Light/White Heat (10/10)
2. The Velvet Underground (10/10)
3. The Velvet Underground and Nico (10/10)
I’m sure this will already have been said in the comments section beloooow, but I’ve just done some research and the cover Lou is holding is the October 1968 edition of Harper’s Bazaar :)
Thanks CSM! I Always enjoy! If I wanted to turn someone on to the Velvet Underground, I always went with this one. As a Gen Xer, I thought the 3rd album had a clearer connection to the popular college bands of the 1980s (REM) and the wave of Indie bands of the 2000s (Belle and Sebastian). I remember playing this one on a Freeform radio station in Tucson in the 1990s and I had caller think it was a brand new release. A great compliment to the band, no doubt.
In my neck of the woods, there seems to be a general consensus that "The Couch Album" is the pinnacle of the Velvet's career. I tend to agree. Over the years, i have grown to love it more than all other VU albums (and I love them all).
Honestly my favorite Velvet album and one I replay all the time. It's got some of the best vocal performances of their career and the instrumentals are top tier. Fave songs are impossible for me to pick but I adore Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, I'm Set Free and Murder Mystery. It's basically got everything I love about them in one place, it's the album I most relate to emotionally plus it's got a cute Maureen Tucker vocal on it. A win for everybody.
The Murder Mystery is The Velvets version of Revolution #9.
The Radiohead of the 60's.
Three favorites
1. What Goes On
2. I’m Beginning To See The Light
3. Candy Says
Best songs: 'What Goes On', 'Candy Says' and 'Pale Blue Eyes'
Albums ranked:
1. The Velvet Underground & Nico
2. The Velvet Underground
3. White Light/White Heat
Definitely a nice album after such a crazy heavy album, there are some very sweet songs on it and more light hearted songs.
Glad you mentioned the 1969 live version of What Goes On, as you would say it's killer. It's one of my favorite live albums period, that version of New Age is also better than the studio I think. We're Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together is great as a non album track.
I've always thought that What Goes On should go on longer. It gets into that groove and you just want it to go on and on.
I had the thought of ‘aw, it’s a shame you didn’t sing After Hours or Pale Blue Eyedto Jinx at the beginning’…but then realised how disconcerting it would’ve been to see you scream Venus in Furs or Sister Ray at her 😆
A major about face from the previous noise-fest that was White Light/White Heat, the self-titled is a more hushed, melodic, smooth-textured affair. Much more straightforward, as the avant-garde leanings are toned down greatly (probably due to Cale's absence.) My favorite song is the gorgeous Pale Blue Eyes, then I would pick Candy Says and I'm Set Free as my other two favorites. Not sure on a least favorite.
It's a good album. Cover is ok. I think it's not innovative like their debut or their second album, but still the lyrics are good and some of the music is intresting. I think the band's softer side is more shown here, but actually they've already showed it in some songs of their previous albums. I love The Murder Mystery, top notch track. It makes me feel like I'm having a nightmare. It's the most experimental song on the album , and probably the only one, love it. The other songs are good, I enjoyed them all, but I think they could have done better by proper folk rock bands, pop rock bands, blues rock bands, since those are the generes of the other songs. Even though somehow the fact that they are played in a kind of rough way makes me think of them as a precursor to the alternative country music and anti-folk music from the 90's, and that's good.
I see you aren't including VU which should have been an album between White Light and this one. Unfortunately nobody heard it until the 80s but it's really quite good. The follow up is much weaker but even it has good stuff on it.
The cover is great. Just a very simple B&W off the cuff captured moment in time.
Moe in an interview stated that the Velvets weren't the same after John Cale's departure. And she was 💯% right, without them imo they are pretty meh, some nice folk Pop songs, but no more. Nothing compared to those two seminal albums with Cale, that would change rock music forever.
I think this is my favourite VU album
Larry, for the stuff recorded between the 3rd album and Loaded, it’s a bit confusing as much of it is spread over 2 80’s compilations, VU and Another View.
However, there is an alternative available that includes all of it. Unfortunately it’s vinyl only, but at least the tracklist can be found here: www.amazon.com/1969-2-LP-Velvet-Underground/dp/B076GFJN1N
The first 14 tracks is the 1969 material and the ‘side 4’ is earlier recordings made in 1968.
Any idea who assembled it, how they picked the running order? Was Lou involved? I'm glancing through the book "Transformer - The Lou Reed Story" and it looks like the first 3 songs recorded in '68 were Ferryboat Bill, Temptation Inside Your Heart and Mr. Rain "Cale's recording swansong with the Velvets, a return to the prominent drone and viola."
@@1nelsondj Song-sequence was done by Bill Levenson from Legacy Recordings on Universal/Polygram in 2014 and is based on the bonus disc included with the 45th anniversary edition of the 3rd album. It’s the same guy who put together the original ‘VU’ and ‘Another View’ compilations in the 80’s. I think ‘VU’ helds better together as an ‘album’, however, with 19 recordings from 1968/69 on this 2014 ‘1969’ album, he has done a proper job in trying to make it an uniform listening experience. Beware to only order the EU pressing. The US pressing is really bad, according to many costumers.
Another important factor is that Levenson on this album used vintage 1969 mixes where he could, as opposed to the compilations from the eighties. And the tracks which did not have a vintage ‘69 mix, recieved a new 2013 remix from scratch, to make them sound more in line with the ‘69 mixes. The biggest surprise is probably ‘I Can’t Stand It’, that was clothed in 80’s reverb on ‘VU’ and now sounds bone-dry.
Really enjoyed this album relaxing and a better listen than the first 2.
Velvet underground A-
White light/ white heat B
Velvet underground & Nico B
First and white light can flip flop but for now ill go with this
"The Velvet Underground is the third album by The Velvet Underground" 😂 That made me laugh how that had to be documented.
I did a little research and I think he's holding a Bazaar magazine
Thanks!
Another great album. Hard to pick a favourite but it would be between Candy Says, Some Kinda Love, The Murder Mystery, Pale Blue Eyes and What Goes On. There is no song I don't like.
I was the person who asked you what do you meant by "forced", talking about songs. But I was asking you how do you spot a forced song, not so much what forced means. But anyway I don't wanna you to explain this again, I don't force you XD
I think a good example of a "forced" song is "Close To You" by Muddy Waters. His vocal inflections and the ad-libs he uses in between the lyrics, sound very forced, not natural.
What Goes On is great.
The first Velvet Underground album I heard and together with Loaded the most accessible. The first two are great for their experimentation but I can’t listen to them as much especially White Light/White Heat and Sister Ray which I know you love Larry. I just find it jarring and annoying which I suppose is the point of it but it does nothing for me apart from make me want to turn it off.
They went more acoustic and I love it! An album full of beautiful tunes and great singing, it´s an A+!
Three favorites: Candy Says, What Goes On and Jesus.
Least favorite: The Murder Mystery.
Album rankings:
1. The Velvet Underground
2. The Velvet Underground & Nico
3. White Light/White Heat
It's a good album but I dislike 'Jesus' which sounds like Lou was pandering to more conservative music fans. The album did have its fans, R.E.M. covered 'There She Goes Again' and 'Pale Blue Eyes' in addition to 'Femme Fatale'. Patti Smith also performed 'Pale Blue Eyes' throughout the '60s and '70s, several other artists too. Bryan Ferry performed "What Goes On" (with elements of 'Beginning to See the Light') on his 1978 solo album "The Bride Stripped Bare".
Best of all the group's memory was kept alive in an episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", 4x03 'The Harsh Light of Day'. As the Scooby gang is at Giles' house Oz goes through Giles record collection and says,
th-cam.com/video/O0U3XlvezWQ/w-d-xo.html