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TheCellarTapes · 04-20-2009, 09:49 AM

The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground LP
(1969)

Tracks

1 Candy Says 4:04
2 What Goes On 4:55
3 Some Kinda Love 4:03
4 Pale Blue Eyes 5:41
5 Jesus 3:24
6 Beginning to See the Light 4:41
7 I'm Set Free 4:04
8 That's the Story of My Life 2:04
9 The Murder Mystery 8:56
10 After Hours 2:07

The Velvet Underground’s self titled third album marked a directional change for the band who had already demonstrated a knack for producing raw and avant-garde material of an exceptional nature. In 1968 on the eve of recording this album, The Velvets lost a key member of the band in Welsh bassist, John Cale, but with Reed still in place and in the prime of his life artistically, there really was no danger of this album being anything other than marvellous.

Recorded in Hollywood, California in 1968 and released on The Verve record label in 1969, The Velvet Underground LP saw the band move to a more controlled and relaxed vibe than was apparent on their first two outings. Gone are the distortions, the sporadic pulsating Tucker drums, and the whaling violin. In their place is a sparse and sensitive sound, but still with the very simplistic production style truly unique to The Velvet Underground.

The album begins with the strikingly beautiful Candy Says, a haunting song which is so simple it is untrue, as a song it is very reminiscent of Sunday Morning from the bands first album, but I tend to think Candy Says is the better of the two songs due to it not even trying to be gorgeous but simply because it naturally is.

The album then moves forward with What Goes On, this song is more in line with previous Velvet Underground albums, but again is missing touches that would have no doubt gone into the song if recorded in 1967 and with input from Cale. Far from this being a negative point, I feel the lack of avant-garde moments here as a natural progression for the band. Indeed What Goes On really is no bad song; in fact it’s a pretty belting number.

By now you should realise that this album is no White Light/White Heat or indeed a Velvet Underground and Nico, it is however just as exceptional. With Pale Blue Eyes, Jesus and Some Kind of Love, again The Velvet Underground demonstrate their new style for the relaxed and elegant which oozes throughout this record.

There is one more classic Velvet Underground moment with track 6; Beginning To See The Light, like What Goes On, it has all the basics which would have been invaded by fuzz, pounding drums and a whaling violin a couple of years previous, but here on this 1969 outing, this song is stripped down and instead of relying on the avant garde it focuses instead on the performance of Lou Reed, which it should be said on this song is one of his best vocals to date.

My favourite Velvet Underground song can also be found on this record on Track 7; I’m Set Free is a special song, like the rest of the album it is understated, but the lyrics combined with the vocals from Reed, backed with the basic drums of Tucker, you can feel this song getting more and more captivating as it progresses and marches forward, brilliant stuff.

The album finishes with the pretty After Hours, with the innocent and sweet vocals of drummer Maureen Tucker. This song rounds off this album nicely. 43 minutes of sheer warmth and glow which most mainstream and hardcore audiences probably never knew the band had in them. This is Reed's moment in the sun and he does not disappoint, committing to vinyl one of the most innocent, sincere and beautiful albums ever recorded.

04-20-2009, 09:49 AM	#85 (permalink)
TheCellarTapes Music Addict Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 490	The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground LP *(1969)* Tracks 1 Candy Says 4:04 2 What Goes On 4:55 3 Some Kinda Love 4:03 4 Pale Blue Eyes 5:41 5 Jesus 3:24 6 Beginning to See the Light 4:41 7 I'm Set Free 4:04 8 That's the Story of My Life 2:04 9 The Murder Mystery 8:56 10 After Hours 2:07 The Velvet Underground’s self titled third album marked a directional change for the band who had already demonstrated a knack for producing raw and avant-garde material of an exceptional nature. In 1968 on the eve of recording this album, The Velvets lost a key member of the band in Welsh bassist, John Cale, but with Reed still in place and in the prime of his life artistically, there really was no danger of this album being anything other than marvellous. Recorded in Hollywood, California in 1968 and released on The Verve record label in 1969, The Velvet Underground LP saw the band move to a more controlled and relaxed vibe than was apparent on their first two outings. Gone are the distortions, the sporadic pulsating Tucker drums, and the whaling violin. In their place is a sparse and sensitive sound, but still with the very simplistic production style truly unique to The Velvet Underground. The album begins with the strikingly beautiful Candy Says, a haunting song which is so simple it is untrue, as a song it is very reminiscent of Sunday Morning from the bands first album, but I tend to think Candy Says is the better of the two songs due to it not even trying to be gorgeous but simply because it naturally is. The album then moves forward with What Goes On, this song is more in line with previous Velvet Underground albums, but again is missing touches that would have no doubt gone into the song if recorded in 1967 and with input from Cale. Far from this being a negative point, I feel the lack of avant-garde moments here as a natural progression for the band. Indeed What Goes On really is no bad song; in fact it’s a pretty belting number. By now you should realise that this album is no White Light/White Heat or indeed a Velvet Underground and Nico, it is however just as exceptional. With Pale Blue Eyes, Jesus and Some Kind of Love, again The Velvet Underground demonstrate their new style for the relaxed and elegant which oozes throughout this record. There is one more classic Velvet Underground moment with track 6; Beginning To See The Light, like What Goes On, it has all the basics which would have been invaded by fuzz, pounding drums and a whaling violin a couple of years previous, but here on this 1969 outing, this song is stripped down and instead of relying on the avant garde it focuses instead on the performance of Lou Reed, which it should be said on this song is one of his best vocals to date. My favourite Velvet Underground song can also be found on this record on Track 7; I’m Set Free is a special song, like the rest of the album it is understated, but the lyrics combined with the vocals from Reed, backed with the basic drums of Tucker, you can feel this song getting more and more captivating as it progresses and marches forward, brilliant stuff. The album finishes with the pretty After Hours, with the innocent and sweet vocals of drummer Maureen Tucker. This song rounds off this album nicely. 43 minutes of sheer warmth and glow which most mainstream and hardcore audiences probably never knew the band had in them. This is Reed's moment in the sun and he does not disappoint, committing to vinyl one of the most innocent, sincere and beautiful albums ever recorded. Last edited by TheCellarTapes; 04-20-2009 at 01:25 PM.