The Velvet Underground & Nico - Classic Album Discussion

I'll be joining johnniegold in offering discussions for albums that stand the test of time.

My first offering is The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground. This album represents sex, drugs and rock & roll, plain and simple. The imagery is obvious ("Heroin", "There She Goes Again") and abstruse ("The Black Angel's Death Song", "European Son") all at the same time. Heroin use is a main theme in the album's songs, but sado-masochism, the party scene of hipster New York City 1967 and even good old-fashioned love ("I'll Be Your Mirror") can be found in this gem.

The songs in which Nico sings show that she's obviously not a trained singer, but the deep timbre of her voice is at once mellow and harsh, two polar opposites in the same sound. Add to that the avant-garde instrumentation, rollicking songs and Andy Warhol's production and you have what many consider to be the greatest rock album ever.



Here it is in all its cheeky glory. Discuss!

Tough, abrasive and wonderful. A pivotal addition to my library. This is the album that opened my ears to garage, punk and, by definition, proto-punk. Although I think that the Nico songs sound a little dated, on the whole the album hasn't lost an iota of its power. Heroin still gives me chills - that screeching string instrument in the "frenetic" sections is so dissonant and atonal.

Much is made of Lou Reed's street-wise, kinky realism and its impact upon the band. Yet in my mind, the unheralded backbone of the Velvet Underground is Maureen Tucker. Her unique rhythm on the skins added a certain je ne sais quoi (which was notably missing from Loaded).

This is an album to crank and scare the neighbors!

Shane, nothing like jumping in with both feet. VU, the Andy Warhol house band. These tracks definitely conjure up images of the soft white underbelly of the New York social scene in the mid to late sixties.

Fave tracks are I'm Waiting For The Man and Run, Run, Run which has that psychedelic rambling style reminiscent of the Doors.

Add Nico for a little Teutonic-styled decadence and it all adds up to... A classic.

Nice one.

I can't believe you guys are discussing this on a shaving forum. Anyway, great album, one of my all time favorites.

A little over nine years ago I bought VU's "peel slowly and see" box set based on a recommendation without ever having heard their music before. Turned out to be one of the best music purchases I ever made.

Nico's voice is unique. I happen to like it a lot. Anyway, for those who want to hear what her artistic vision sounds like, check out her albums "marble index" and "desert shore". Intense stuff.

I do thoroughly enjoy this album periodically.

I'm 32. While I still lived with my parents and they bored me with: "the music from the 60's was the best ever. Nothing like the crap they do now."

I would answer: "You’re probably right, check out this" and I'd put "heroin" on (the music, I mean )
ehehehehe. I guess they were referring to "sweets for my sweets" or something similar....

This one and Loaded are my two faves from the VU.

scoopster said:

This one and Loaded are my two faves from the VU.

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Shane, let's add that one to the list.

johnniegold said:

Shane, let's add that one to the list.

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I will, eventually. Don't worry, I think we'll all be surprised, hopefully pleasantly, with next week's pick.

I know I am looking forward to it.

Shane said:

I will, eventually. Don't worry, I think we'll all be surprised, hopefully pleasantly, with next week's pick.

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No love for White Light, White Heat? What is more Velvety than 'Here She Comes Now,' 'I Heard Her Call My Name' and 'Sister Ray?'

This theme is fantastic! How I wish it were mine, I have so many ideas...

professorchaos said:

No love for White Light, White Heat? What is more Velvety than 'Here She Comes Now,' 'I Heard Her Call My Name' and 'Sister Ray?'

This theme is fantastic! How I wish it were mine, I have so many ideas...

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WLWH is my favorite VU disc. I first had it on 8-track back in the day. It made it through many a trip until finally dying in college. It was only this past year that I finally replaced this gem. I Heard Her Call My Name and Here SHe Comes are great tunes. The Gift still cracks me up. Not necessarily the story but Cale's deadpan delivery. And Sister Ray...well, would we have Can with Sister Ray? Try to imagine Yoo Doo Right or Halleluwah without Sister Ray.

this one is a classic! I first heard it in 1974 and it opened the door to a world of non mainstream music for me.

professorchaos said:

No love for White Light, White Heat? What is more Velvety than 'Here She Comes Now,' 'I Heard Her Call My Name' and 'Sister Ray?'

This theme is fantastic! How I wish it were mine, I have so many ideas...

Click to expand...

White Light is pretty good too. I am bit little too much of a "production" snob so I prefer more sonically polished albums. Loaded has good sound. White Light is a bit too rough (as is intended for a punkish band) for my taste but the material is good.

cvac said:

Nico's voice is unique. I happen to like it a lot. Anyway, for those who want to hear what her artistic vision sounds like, check out her albums "marble index" and "desert shore". Intense stuff.

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+1, Nico was a true original, and many critics credit her with inventing "goth".

All I can add is, Great album, great songs, VERY influential, very dark, very real.

NOTICE: no cymbals on the record at all. It gives it an almost celtic-feel, but still in 4/4 rock an roll.

I don't think anything will ever sound like Venus in Furs or Heroin. Those are truly groundbreaking IMO.

I'm going to jump in with a one-degree removed comment. I was there, but somehow missed the VU in the sixties. Probably from living in a small town with limited access to decent fm stations. But Jackson Browne had a funny comment on his recent Solo Acoustic, Vol 1 CD when he introduced the song "These Days", and explained it was recorded by Nico when he was 17, and he played electric guitar (instead of acoustic) to satisfy Warhol's desire to make it sound "more modern", although Warhol also added a string quartet. Browne had forgotten about it years later when he was sitting in a movie theatre and heard the familiar guitar intro on the movie soundtrack, and thought "well, I used to play it just like that...".

I'm looking forward to the music posts, and hopefully can make a more meaningful contribution in future threads.

Thanks!

Such a wonderful record. My favourite song is 'I'm waiting for the man', what a melody and the lyrics.... This is Lou at his very best.

For me, Nico was the Marlena Dietrich of The Blue Angel for my generation.