Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground released their first album in the mid-late sixties, and disbanded in the early seventies. Their days as a band were extremely short, but in that limited time that they were together, they managed to be extremely influential and diverse. The band only released four original studio albums, but NO TWO OF THEM SOUND ALIKE. They went through more transitions in their short career than most artists do in long careers! Their second album, White Light/White Heat, was a complete hundred and eighty degree turn from what they did on their debut, Velvet Underground And Nico, and with the third release the band does another complete turn with their sound. Also, for this album, John Cale was replaced with Doug Yule. Read on for my review of the Velvet Underground's self-titled third album.

When I heard that the Velvets had decided to go on without John Cale, I was a bit shocked. He had been such an important part of the band. But, the band's chosen replacement for Cale, Doug Yule, was a worthy individual nonetheless. Sure, Cale's viola would be missed, but this was a new beginning for the band (actually, all of their albums were like new beginnings!) Because of Cale's absence from the band, Lou Reed became more involved in the songwriting process, and this ended up paying off. The songwriting is much more mature than on earlier albums. This album was released to a fairly large lack of interest, which is a real shame, because it's one of their finest efforts. From the beautiful ballad Candy Says, right up to the closer After Hours (sang by female drummer Mo Tucker), this album serves up some damn fine music. It's not quite as good as their debut (in my eyes), but it's definitely close to being the VU's finest recording.

Like with the previous album, White Light/White Heat, the only version of this album readily available in America is the remastered standard version. I was hoping these remasters would contain some bonus tracks, but oh well. We can't have it all, I guess. There IS a version of the album that contains bonus tracks, but it's only available in the band's box set. So, if you're just a casual or mid-level fan of the band, the standard version will do just fine.

The Velvet Underground is a damn fine classic pop-rock act, and they demonstrate it beautifully on their self-titled third album. If you're a fan of the band, I strongly recommend adding it to your collection. If you're new to the band, though, start with their debut, 1967's Velvet Underground And Nico. Lou Reed and his VU cohorts were all musical geniuses, and you can see why on these recordings.