Peel Slowly and See a Truly Original Band
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band first active from 1965 to 1973. Its best-known lineup is vocalist/guitarist Lou Reed, bassist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Maureen Tucker. Some see Velvet Underground as being a bridge between the pacifist themes of the late 60s and the sheer chaos and indifference of the mid-70s punk rock movement.
The Velvet Underground was one of the first rock music groups to experiment heavily with the form by incorporating avant-garde influences. The group's often raw, sometimes difficult sound would influence many later punk, noise rock, and alternative music performers, and singer Lou Reed's lyrics brought new levels of social realism and sleaze to rock. Critics Scott Isler and Ira Robbins argue that "The Velvet Underground marked a turning point in rock history. After the release of The Velvet Underground and Nico knowing the power of which it was capable, the music could never be as innocent, as unselfconscious as before."
The foundations for what would become The Velvet Underground were laid in late 1964. Lou Reed had performed with a few short-lived garage bands and had worked as a songwriter for Pickwick Records, a job Reed described as "a poor man's Carole King". Reed met John Cale, a Welshman who had moved to the United States to study classical music. Cale had worked with John Cage and La Monte Young, but was also interested in rock music. (Young's use of extended drones would be a profound influence on the early Velvet's sound). The pair rehearsed and performed together, and their partnership and shared interests steered the early direction of what would become the Velvet Underground. (read more)
Listen To Velvet Underground
But I'm gonna try for the kingdom, if I can
'Cause it makes me feel like I'm a man
When I put a spike into my vein
And I'll tell ya, things aren't quite the same
When I'm rushing on my run
And I feel just like Jesus' son
And I guess that I just don't know
And I guess that I just don't know
Heroin Lyrics
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Wikipedia
The Velvet Underground was an American experimental rock band formed in New York City, New York. First active from 1965 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although never commercially successful while together, the band is often cited by many critics as one of the most important and influential groups of their era and to many future musicians.Richie Unterberger, "The Velvet Underground", Allmusic, accessed April 29, 2007.
The Velvet Underground first gained a degree of fame and notoriety in New York City in 1966 when they were selected as the house band for Andy Warhol's Factory and his Exploding Plastic Inevitable events. The band's music and lyrics challenged conventional societal standards of t...
Links
- The Velvet Underground at Wikipedia
- Encyclopedia article including the history of the band, brief biographies of members and a discography.
- The Velvet Underground Web Page
- Online guide to the band; includes news, discography, videography, bibliography, interviews, audio files and photos.
- TheVelvetUnderground.co.uk v2
- Introduction to the band includes lyrics, biographies, sound clips and a gallery.
- The Velvet Underground at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- The influence of the Velvet Underground on rock greatly exceeds their sales figures and chart numbers. They are one of the most important rock and roll ...
Quick, what do you think of The Velvet Underground?
Blog Posts
- Creative Review - The Velvet Underground: A New York Art
- The Velvet Underground's association with Andy Warhol is well documented; perhaps what is less well known is the art that was actually made to promote the band's gigs and albums during the mid-to-late 60s. A new book documents the rise ...
- Book Critic: "The Velvet Underground" | Anthem
- Not many bands are as intimately and directly tied to their graphics, stage performances, and visual presences as the Velvet Underground. David Bowie comes to mind, sure, but he was such a showman; old SoCal punk bands certainly were ...
- Jim DeRogatis: The Velvet Underground: An Illustrated History of a ...
- When Lester Bangs, Lenny Kaye and every other half-cocked rock critic on the planet has weighed in on the Velvet Underground, what's left to discuss? Not much. That's why Chicago Sun-Times pop critic Jim DeRogatis lets the pictures do ...
- Buzzine » The Velvet Underground
- Let it give birth to you, give you the freedom to move for the first time?
Shout Out For The Velvet Underground!
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Fruits de Mer Records wrote
Hi - thought you might be interested in a new recording of Nico's song, 'Frozen Warnings'. It's by Alison O'Donnell, who used to be the lead singer with the cult acid folk band Mellow Candle.
It has been released on a new label, Fruits de Mer Records.
We have released the single in a very limited pressing of just 300 colour vinyl copies.
You can hear the track at www.myspace.com/fdmer (and order it direct from us at the site too!).
I hope you'll feel that Alison has done justice to the song, and to the artist.
Thanks for your time
Fruits de Mer Records
www.myspace.com/fdmer
www.myspace.com/fdmer2
WorldTravelers916 wrote...
velvet underground i have all their albums!
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Signhappy wrote...
I'm Waiting for the Man is one of my all time favorites. Nice lens about a great band.
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