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The Velvet Underground & Nico
: essential recording:When the Velvets recorded this debut, they were best known as the protégés of Andy Warhol (who designed the sleeve), and as a grating, combustive live band. Fueled by drummer Moe Tucker's no-nonsense wham and John Cale's howling viola, some of the straight-up rock & roll and arty noise extravaganzas here bear that out. But before Lou Reed was singing about sadomasochism and drug deals and writing lyrics inspired by his favorite poets, he was a pop songwriter, and this album has some of his prettiest tunes, mostly sung ...
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The Velvet Underground
: essential recording:Released in 1969 to an almost total lack of critical acclaim or consumer interest, the Velvet Underground's third album may well be the finest record of the band's career. Without the sonic terrorism of The Velvet Underground & Nico and White Light/White Heat or the ill-conceived commercial concessions that marred Loaded, the album's songs are free to stand on their own merit. And stand they do: 'What Goes On' and 'Beginning to See the Light' may be the finest flat-out rockers in the band's catalog, while 'Pale Blue Eyes,' ...
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White Light/White Heat
: :Nothing in their debut could really have prepared fans for the sonic assault the Velvets unleashed in White Light/White Heat. Freed from Andy Warhol's patronage (and Nico's vocals), Lou Reed and company strip production values to a minimum and turn out a primitive rock & roll masterpiece: everything on this record sounds distorted and abrasive. Depending on how you feel about these sorts of things, this makes it either their best or their worst record. Of course, underneath it all are some of Reed's greatest songs, from the title track to ...
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Loaded (2-CD Fully Loaded Edition)
: :Nothing in their debut could really have prepared fans for the sonic assault the Velvets unleashed in White Light/White Heat. Freed from Andy Warhol's patronage (and Nico's vocals), Lou Reed and company strip production values to a minimum and turn out a primitive rock & roll masterpiece: everything on this record sounds distorted and abrasive. Depending on how you feel about these sorts of things, this makes it either their best or their worst record. Of course, underneath it all are some of Reed's greatest songs, from the title track to ...
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Peel Slowly and See
:Album Description:Limited edition Japanese pressing of the 1967 album, re-released on CD and packaged in a 12 x 12 inch album sized LP replica sleeve with all the original artwork and tracks. Universal. 2005. essential recording:This comprehensive five-disc retrospective of the Velvet Underground chronicles the band from its earliest demo tapes, recorded in 1965, to Lou Reed's final work with band, in 1970. At their notorious peak, Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Mo Tucker epitomized the sound of intellectual art punks being spontaneously creative in Andy Warhol's Manhattan. Rock ...
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The Very Best of the Velvet Underground
:Album Description:The definitive collection from one of the most influential bands of all time. Contains all their singles & album highlights. Featuring six tracks from their classic, seminal debut album, 'The Velvet Underground & Nico' (1967). 18 tracks in all packaged in a slipcase. Universal. 2003.
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1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 1
: :Originally a two-record set, this live recording has been split and released as separate albums, volume 1 and volume 2. No matter, it's an essential document of one of the finest and most innovative rock bands of all time. 1969: Live catches the band at a juncture in their career, still reeling from the departure of John Cale and settling into the addition of multi-instrumentalist Doug Yule, who would help the band find their rocking heart. Thank god that Maureen Tucker was still around--her inspired, primal drumming makes this recording such ...
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Loaded
: essential recording:While John Cale certainly gave the first couple of Velvet Underground albums a signature sound, his departure enabled Lou Reed to do exactly what he does best: write kick-ass, stripped-down rock songs. On Loaded his talent comes to full fruition. Who can imagine a world without 'Sweet Jane' and 'Rock & Roll,' arguably two of the greatest rock tunes ever penned? The brilliance of those songs is so bright, it's easy to overlook a couple of other Reed masterpieces: the tender, epic discourse of 'New Age' (which highlights his ...
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VU
: essential recording:While John Cale certainly gave the first couple of Velvet Underground albums a signature sound, his departure enabled Lou Reed to do exactly what he does best: write kick-ass, stripped-down rock songs. On Loaded his talent comes to full fruition. Who can imagine a world without 'Sweet Jane' and 'Rock & Roll,' arguably two of the greatest rock tunes ever penned? The brilliance of those songs is so bright, it's easy to overlook a couple of other Reed masterpieces: the tender, epic discourse of 'New Age' (which highlights his ...
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1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 2
: :It's the rarest of live albums whose songs add anything to the majesty of the original studio recordings. This one adds immeasurable data to the Velvet's story. Without 1969: Live we might never have known that they were more than just an art outfit, that they could actually rock with fury. Check out Reed's strumming on 'What Goes On' if you want to have your mind blown. None of these staples of the V.U. catalog can be truly known without hearing these fully formed, fleshed-out versions, so for history's sake alone ...
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