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Sneer · 04-01-2009, 07:04 PM

The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground released four spectacular albums. The first two, with John Cale, were experimental, often abrasive and sometimes deeply unsettling explorations in sound - subversions of the rock & roll formula. Then Cale left, Doug Yule came in and, coupled with Lou Reed's desire to access a mainstream audience, the third eponymous instalment came into fruition.

For the first time in a while the Velvet camp was acting as a relaxed, cohesive unit shorn of the tensions bubbling through the WL/WH sessions. This is explicated clearly in the music. It's tender, measured and full of confidence - obvious in swaggering numbers such as What Goes On and I'm Beginning To See The Light, songs that seamlessly intermingle with delicate ballads such as Candy Says and Pale Blue Eyes. Theres is a maturity to the songs as Reed really flexes his songwriting muscles; this album to me is the documentation of a journey of self discovery - lyrics often depicting a mind perturbed and conflicted; yet as it progresses clarity begins to seep and unravel from the lyrics and elegantly laid back musical arrangements - I'm Set Free serving as an exhortation for this point.

Listening to this album is a truely life-affirming experience for me personally, and it represents a band free from the shackles experimentation (which is a paradox in itself). Its difficult for me to name a favourite Velvet album - they all bring something different to the table. Yet this is the most personal listen of the lot, the one that resonates within the self most implicitly - what more could you want from music?

04-01-2009, 07:04 PM	#105 (permalink)
Sneer Let it drip Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 5,430	The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground released four spectacular albums. The first two, with John Cale, were experimental, often abrasive and sometimes deeply unsettling explorations in sound - subversions of the rock & roll formula. Then Cale left, Doug Yule came in and, coupled with Lou Reed's desire to access a mainstream audience, the third eponymous instalment came into fruition. For the first time in a while the Velvet camp was acting as a relaxed, cohesive unit shorn of the tensions bubbling through the WL/WH sessions. This is explicated clearly in the music. It's tender, measured and full of confidence - obvious in swaggering numbers such as What Goes On and I'm Beginning To See The Light, songs that seamlessly intermingle with delicate ballads such as Candy Says and Pale Blue Eyes. Theres is a maturity to the songs as Reed really flexes his songwriting muscles; this album to me is the documentation of a journey of self discovery - lyrics often depicting a mind perturbed and conflicted; yet as it progresses clarity begins to seep and unravel from the lyrics and elegantly laid back musical arrangements - I'm Set Free serving as an exhortation for this point. Listening to this album is a truely life-affirming experience for me personally, and it represents a band free from the shackles experimentation (which is a paradox in itself). Its difficult for me to name a favourite Velvet album - they all bring something different to the table. Yet this is the most personal listen of the lot, the one that resonates within the self most implicitly - what more could you want from music? __________________ LastFM Sneer's Emporium of Sound Fright Team radio show Last edited by Sneer; 04-01-2009 at 07:16 PM.