The Velvet Underground & Nico

No todas las canciones son buenas pero tiene picos altos. Black angel death song de lo más raro que escuche, me gusto.

Nice late-60s rock

Honestly, I didn't get the big deal with this!!!

sunday morning is one of my favorite classic rock/alternative songs. it's so simple, but emotionally complex and almost entrancing. im waiting for the man is a catchy presumably queer, love song with an awesome riff. even though i don't like nico at all as a person, she is a beautiful singer on femme fatale. venus in furs is an interesting song musically and lyrically, but it has a unique charm run run run remains me of bob dylan and other late 50s/early 60s rock and alternative groups. sadly, i have to say it's my least favorite, i come to lou reed for lyrical content, and this feels mostly instrumental and lyrically hollow. all tomorrow's parties is just- kinda bland. nothing really notable about it if i can remember. heroin is a heartbreakingly perfectly ode to the drug and lou's addictions throughout his life. it slowly builds to an incredible conclusion and is probably the best track on the latter half of the album. there she goes again is a good track. however i do feel like it's mostly filler. i'll be your mirror is absolutely perfect. it's one of the best alternative love songs ever written, and i plan to play it at my wedding if i ever get married. the black angel's death song is a sweeping almost horror song, which is almost definitely the inspiration for the halloween theme. overall, a 4.75/5. genuinely one of the most influential albums of all time, even if some of the tracks aren't up my alley.

Almost went with the 4 cause Venus in Furs, but I convinced myself in the end.

Started out strong, it's long jams frustrated me

Sonically this is an outstanding album with plenty of treats for the listener. Lyrically it’s seedy, gritty and underground. I can only imagine how groundbreaking it was in the late 60’s. I loved the ending / time signature shifting in “all tomorrows parties” Fave tracks: “Heroin” “Run Run Run” “All Tomorrow’s Parties”

Iconic.

Lou Reed. No hace falta decir más.

Casi un 5. Pero la última canción es muy pesada. Me gustan There She Goes Again y Femme Fatale

5 star album. Hated it the first time I listened to it in high school. Kinda liked it a few years later. \"Get it\" now that I'm in my late 20s

Very good! I don't think I consider it one of the best albums ever, but I understand why so many do. I loved "Sunday Morning" and "I'll Be Your Mirror". "Heroin" is incredibly brutal, harsh and difficult to listen to, but it absolutely should be that way. Overall, very good.

Quite pleasant. Some songs had some ear-hurting sounds, though.

Good album

not really my thing

2021.11.22

Muy buen disco. Cultura general

I liked it, bit different but cool

Album interesante, el ultimo tema del album se me hizo realmente dificil..

a somewhat barren album with shades of art pop, folk punk, hippie rock, psychedelic screeching, and everything in between. not quite my cup of tea, but you have to respect how they packed so many foundational ideas into a single album

Bárbaro

It's run the gamut from cult classic to basically being the most overrated underrated album of all time. I for one am all in favor of songs that capture the excitement in searching for heroin (Waiting For The Man) and describe the experience of using heroin (Heroin). This album lets you have the entire heroin experience, including addiction and withdrawal, and you come away with no desire to try the drug. You feel like you've already gone through the entire experience. There's a sort of magic in that. Bands with female drummers are always among my favorites (The White Stripes, The Carpenters). Not especially hot take: I wish Nico sang every song except for Heroin and I'm Waiting For The Man.

Is this on the list twice?

The Velvet Underground's eponymous album (without Nico) was the first record that generated for me on this odyssey. I found that one to be a bit boring, but that could not be further from the case with this. Everything about this is cool, including the iconic album cover. The music is varied with interesting and unusual elements throughout. However, it remains very much of a piece, with a consistent lo-fi and arty vibe which ties together the range of styles. I personally prefer the more mellow moments, but each track from 1-9 contributes to its brilliance. However, the final two tracks are basically just noise, which is a shame. The first nine tracks of this are a 5 star record. Half a point has to come off for the final two, but in practice I'll just pretend they don't exist. 4.5/5.

The rating's unfair but I've listened to this album so many times in my life it drives me crazy. I never liked Nico songs when I first listened to this album and now when I hear her it's nails on a chalkboard. Besides that though, it's a classic. Seriously, I just hate it.

2.5

Wavey sounds, droning vocals, not my thing

groovy intro, understand why this is revered. have not had an ah-ha moment yet

I feel like I was supposed to like this album more than I did. I can appreciate how revolutionary this was when it was recorded but I didn’t really enjoy listening to it.

This is the debut album of the band The Velvet Underground, recorded during an art tour with Andy Warhol. This album was ignored by consumers & critics when released and even banned from stores for its dark lyrics. But years later it's regarded as one of the most influential rock/alternative/pop albums, and described as the original art-rock record. This was a "prophetic" rock album released too early to be commercially successful, but was a sign of what was to come in rock music's future. A great album to listen to, with experimental sounds, dark lyrics, and a trip for the ears all the way through.

Fine

This album's especially great for giving Nico multiple opportunities to say "clown" (pronounced 'klauhn')

3.5

One of those less deniable classics. Responsible for a lot of terrible bands, and a few good ones. Such a strong opening from the twee, gentle Sunday Morning, to the jangly driving (and only slightly overrated) I'm Waiting for The Man to the sad Femme Fatale to a droning, sinister Venus in Furs and on. Heroin is the only break this album takes for mediocrity - Lou Reed was always at his most dull when he was trying to be edgy.

It's scary how they were ahead of their time. They are immersed in the dark, oppressive atmosphere of German expressionism and French existentialism, but they also exhaled an epic libido: each song was a sexual fetish, and a cathartic sadomaso release. (9/10) FT: Heroin, Sunday Morning

I have always loved this album for all of its flaws and its genius

Weird and psychedelic, has extremely repetitive drums, bass, and chorus. Fav song was Venus In Furs

Undisputed classic, both in influence and substance. The sound is raw and stripped-down and the lyrics are reflective of the emerging counterculture of the era. There is so much diversity in this album and it has such a distinctive sound. Favorite tracks: Sunday Morning, I'm Waiting for the Man, Femme Fatale, Venus in Furs, Heroin.

banana

Better than the last but still washed over me

Heel vet album voor die tijd, super progressief

The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) If one is careful to keep in mind that this was produced in 1967, one can appreciate its positives while observing its many negatives. On the plus side, the music of The Velvet Underground, led by singer/guitarist/songwriter Lou Reed (of the great hit “Walk on the Wild Side”, 1972), successfully breaks from the sometimes stifling confines of 1-3-5 chord structures and Scotch-Irish melodies (tracks 4, 10, 11). The group deploys a groundbreaking ‘droning’ compositional structure (tracks 5, 6, 7, 10) that would be (more successfully) followed by others (e.g., the last six minutes of “Three Days” by Jane’s Addiction) And the lyrics make a more explicit dive into the hitherto under-explored themes of opioid use and sadomasochistic ‘sexuality’ (Some will argue that this is not a ‘plus’, until one admits that since these themes are part of our culture, it would be a poverty if artists were forbidden to treat of them). On the negative side, these works are poorly performed. Nico (tracks 3, 6, and 9) cannot sing. And her voice is not helped on “Femme Fatale” by the serious distortion on her channel (too much gain required?). Sterling Morrison’s rhythm guitar is frequently out of tune; likewise John Cale’s viola is suffering in the intonation. Maureen Taylor’s drumming is good and innovative, but it fails monstrously in the attempt to keep the group together, especially in passages where there are frequent and complex tempo changes (e.g., on “Heroin”—although it could be argued that this was intentional, to produce a ‘heroin effect’, in which case it was a bad musical choice, and it confirms my dictum that heroin always screws up the music). I suspect that Reed and Taylor paid little attention to one another in the studio. I also suspect that this rhythmic disjunction was so bad that on several occasions Taylor was dropped from the mix altogether. The recordings are under-rehearsed and sloppily improvisational. The musical ad lib is fine for concerts, but an album is an album. And finally, it’s terribly obvious that the group needs a good (and brave) bass player. Brian Eno famously said of the influence of this album that while only 30,000 people bought it, they all went out and formed rock bands. To the extent that that’s true, it could have been because those 30,000 thought anybody can do this. Listen to the closing track “European Son” (as much as you can stand) for an illustration. Brian Eno should stick to producing. 2/5

I was all over this album when I was in my early 20s, as it should be. I like that this is one of those legendarily influential albums that still holds up. It doesn't quite feel like an artefact of its time, it's weird and edgy enough to still feel current-ish in an unusual way. The pop songwriting craft is there, along with songs about heroin addiction that aren't as boring as drug addiction is. The melancholic feeling is sublime and it is probably very apt for these troubled times. I am very happy that this album exists and I want to peel Andy's banana.

This is my 100th review. A special kind of symmetry in that my first album was Berlin by Lou Reed. In case you were wondering, I gave that one a 3. It’s hard to review an album that you love, an album that is one of your favorites. There’s a sense of obligation to say something meaningful, but the album is also wrapped up in all kinds of feelings and experiences that are hard to extricate from the music. I don’t have a single favorite album. I have a small number of albums that I consider foundational to my tastes in music, my attitudes about music and, to some extent, my world view. This is one of those albums for me. If you've never heard the Velvets before, that first song is deceptive. The twinkling celesta, the strings, "Sunday Morning" is a lure into a very dark, gritty space. Feedback, dissonance, dark lyrics that take you to dark places, oh yeah. This album is a scar across the lovely face of music. VU is one of those bands that cracks open the possibilities of what music is allowed to sound like and what we as listeners should expect from music. As I said, foundational. I’ve been listening to this album for about 30 years now and it still challenges me. I love that it still challenges me, that it’s never boring. There are still moments on this album that make me uncomfortable, a flash of distortion that will make me tense up momentarily, a turn of phrase that will make me stop cold for a second from whatever it is I’m doing. This is music that is designed to make you uncomfortable. But it’s also immersive and fascinating. I have never in my life met anyone like the people Lou Reed writes about. But he writes it so vividly that you feel like you can understand it. The world revealed in this album is terrifying, but somehow also alluring in a twisted way. The Velvets shine a light on that dark underbelly of what’s acceptable, revealing depravity, humanity, and a surprising beauty. The arrangements of these songs are deceptively simple for the most part, but every sound is precisely placed, every distortion intentional. Cale’s explorations of the viola paired with Reed’s own experimentation with guitar tuning creates a powerful sound that no one has ever been able to match. Add in the steady, minimalist backbone provided by Moe Tucker and Sterling Morrison and you have a sound for the ages, one that’s been copied incessantly but still never really captured. Also, for as much as this is an album is worthy of serious thought, it also is just excellent music. It can be sweet, it can be catchy, it can be provocative, it also at moments just simply rocks. You can’t ask for much more in an album. Fave Songs: (The whole album, favorite to least favorite): Heroin, I'm Waiting for the Man, Venus in Furs, Run Run Run, I'll Be Your Mirror, Sunday Morning, Femme Fatale, European Son, All Tomorrow's Parties, There She Goes Again, The Black Angel's Death Song

Good album

Absolutely PERFECT album. Genuinely one of the greatest achievements in rock, and music in general. One of my favorites!!!

alcune belle, alcune pessime dai

First VU I ever bought after they were covered and name dropped by R.E.M. on Dead Letter Office (which was actually the first R.E.M. album I ever purchased). 16 year old me didn't completely get it but it sure grew on me. An all time classic by a band whose entire studio catalog is comprised of nothing but classics (I can pretend Squeeze doesn't exist, try and stop me)

good

Pretty okay. Slow, mellow songs all the way through. 0RS

I loved this album!!

Ok i guess not my bag though

Classic

An absolute beauty!

9,5/10 (maravilhoso) Disco inesquecível, letras marcantes

Lindo de bonito

I know this album too well

I like that the album art is a banana

I went into this not wanting to like it, because of all the wanky bearded overhyping of it. However I gave it a fair go and it is a decent album, better than the other velvet underground I've listened to. I'll be generous and give it a 4

So ahead of its time! Sunday Morning is one of the best songs ever.

The Velvet Underground; Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) !!! Все, написанное ниже, является личным мнением автора и не претендует на признание в качестве истины первой инстанции. Здесь только то, что в альбоме услышал я, и в той форме, в которой я это воспринял. Всем мир. ЧТО: Один из самых влиятельных альбомов в истории рока. Дебютник TVU, записанный при участии немецкой певицы Нико. Классическая культовая пластинка со всеми атрибутами: экспериментальное звучание, первоначальный коммерческий провал, критика, переходящая в признание культового статуса произведения. Альбом оказал огромное влияние на развитие рок-музыки (особенно альтернативы) и популярной культуры, в частности на историческое становление постпанка в 1970-х. КАКОЙ: Один сплошной эксперимент. В первую очередь внимание привлекает стандартное использование необычных инструментов и нестандартное использование обычных. Так на Sunday Morning появляется челеста (вообще уважаемая и любимая рок-музыкантами того времени), а Venus In Furs сыграна Ридом особой техникой, которую он назвал ostrich (все струны настроены на одну ноту). Причину, видимо, следует искать в сотрудничестве участника TVU Джона Кейла с экспериментальными композиторами (например, с Джоном Кейджем и его подготовленным фортепиано). Кроме того, сам Кейл использует электронный альт. На треке Heroin он издаёт одну ноту на протяжении всей песни, передавая ощущения наркотического трипа. Интересное использование темпоритма, который то ускоряется, то замедляется. Под конец Heroin вовсе срывается с цепи, заливаясь нойзом и делая прослушивание местами невыносимым, что также работает на атмосферу и стиль композиции. Напротив, Venus In Furs не отпускает слушателя до конца. Она нравится, она привлекает и затягивает своей вязкой, барочной, вальяжной атмосферой, олицетворяя тем самым человеческую страсть, нечто потаённое, скрытое (что пересекается с текстом). Встречаются здесь и, с позволения сказать, логичные поп-песни 60-х. Занятное сочетание даёт американская рок-музыка и европейское угловатое звучание вокала Нико. Альбом разнообразен настолько, насколько это возможно, и подчёркнуто экспериментален. Отдельно можно сказать про обложку авторства Энди Уорхолла, которая, с моей точки зрения, не только вновь иллюстрирует экспериментальность альбома, но и позволяет ощутить самобытность творческой среды, в которой он создавался. О ЧЕМ: Лирика альбома выдержана Лу Ридом в традиционных для него мрачных, прямых и провокационных тонах. Тексты затрагивают нетрадиционные для воздушных замков 60-х темы наркозависимости, человеческих пороков и влечений, сексуальности и сексуальных девиаций, садизма и мазохизма. Рид как всегда пишет смело и прямо, но не для намеренного провоцирование слушателя. Его вдохновляли книги и стихи, смысловые концепции которых он переносил в контекст музыки. Постоянная смена настроений, создающая уникальную атмосферу пластинки, явно достигается, в том числе, за счёт работы с текстами и достижения их совместимости с вокалом. ИТОГ: Альбом, влиянию которого нет предела. TVU & Nico учит быть более открытыми не только в музыке, но и в осознании себя как человека, имеющего пороки, несовершенного существа; забыть о страхе. Полный интересных музыкальных решений, этот альбом является точкой пересечения аудио-визуального таланта нескольких гениев, собравшихся, условно говоря, в одной комнате, чтобы изменить музыку навсегда. ЛУЧШИЕ ПЕСНИ: Sunday Morning, Venus In Furs, All Tomorrow’s Parties.

Another work of genius.

One of my favourite albums

A totally different and hard hitting album. The songs here tell stories that resonate. Listening to this album is always an experience. Overall it’s really good. Some songs can get a little dull. 7.8/10

Some songs were chaotic but others were had a solid melodic structure

Déjà écouté

The proto-everything album. I certainly enjoyed it, but honestly Nico drags this down by a lot. I like the ripples it caused more than the album's splash itself, but the forward-thinking experimentation is pretty incredible in and of itself.

This is dope. From vocals, to experimentation, to the impact it had on music, all solid. However, and I mean this shit, Andy Warhol drags this down a point

Solid

Muy posiblemente esté entre mis 5 discos favoritos. Cada vez que lo escucho termino sintiendo como si mi canción favorita fuera cambiando de una otra entre Waiting for the Man, Sunday Morning, Venus in Furs, Heroin o There She Goes Again... en realidad no tiene puntos débiles ni canciones de relleno. Un sonido como no había ningún otro en su momento y como no había escuchado nada en el momento en que lo conocí hace tantos años. La música undulante pasando por canciones dulces, psicodelia con el acelerador a fondo, rock y llegando a incluso el ruido total pero que tiene orden y sentido y hace una obra de arte. No hay mucho que pueda decir sin que se oigan a halago tras halago. Las letras todas inusuales incluso las que pueden ser un poco más convencionales o románticas, el resto hacia el ya conocido tiraje de drogas, exceso y prácticas sexuales poco comunes que siempre les caracterizó. Conocí este disco quiza hacia los 12 o 13, sin poner atención a las letras y simplemente recuerdo que me agradaba la música de Venus in Furs. Con el tiempo lo reencontré como a los 16 cuando me adentraba a leer mucho Burroughs, Kerouac, Ginsberg, etc. y no podía haber obviamente mejor acompañamiento, era tal cual como si un autor adicional hubiera plasmado todo en música y se sintiera todo compaginado a la perfección; de esos momentos que a veces menciono en la juventud de cada quien que marcaron hitos fuertes. Todo lo personal que puede ser el disco y ni siquiera ya creo tocaré la magnitud de importancia musical e histórica que representa. Es ya sabido que gracias a este disco se abrió un abanico de bandas y géneros gigantesco con el pasar de los años que estaban tremendamente endeudados con Velvet Underground. No quiero extenderme de más siendo repetitivo. Uno de esos discos perfectos para mí.

Mucho mejor de lo que me esperaba dado el antecedente de Velvet Underground. Quizá de haberlos oído en el orden opuesto ambas opiniones serían muy distintas. Lo que es muy claro es que en este disco me es más evidente el lado musical y lírico y está alejado del casi dadaismo y noise que sentí en el otro. Si bien no son las rolas que traeré en el celular la próxima vez que no tenga otra cosa que oír, creo que puedo apreciar mucho más su valor como letras y como exploración de sonidos.

Leuk album en lekker experimenteel!

This experimental and debut album has been cited for its influence on other artists. As I listen to it, I just hear attempts to mimic and build upon others from Dylan to the Byrds or the Beatles. The original parts with odd layerings are what minimize the result to me. Each track feels like it starts with a really good beat, sound or theme and then it goes either off the rails or on and on so repetitively.

Ugh. Well, their first album is markedly better than the second album. I do know “Waiting For The Man.” So there’s the one song, like in the other album. This one… it’s just so sixties. And not in a good way. It’s very dated. And you could feel the Andy Warhol influence all over it. So as opposed to the second album which was like a 1.8 rounded up, this is probably a 2.2 rounded down. I did not hate it as much, but it sounded so incredibly dated and pretentious I can’t imagine coming back to it.

Ah, this is your brain not on drugs (or on less hard drugs). A completely different album than their sophomore attempt. Very Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, Frankie & Annette etc. in terms of its upbeat tempos and bubblegum rock feel. The lyrics are a bit edgier of course but it still feels like safe/G-rated 60s rock more than half the time. Even when it goes dark it doesn't really feel that way given the musical arrangements. A bit of a Bob Dylan feel. Sunday Morning is a very inviting opener - I'm sure the old folks and middle agers thought "oh now this is a nice band" hearing it. Femme Fatale has some awful distortion in it and is one of a few darker tracks with some unusual musical accompaniment (3,4,7,10). A bit schizophrenic in terms of whether they are happy rock (I'll be Your Mirror) or edgy rock (Heroin). A fine album but nothing truly remarkable about it.

I enjoyed this album. Unlike the follow up, this was accessible without being to far our there.

I hated White Light/White Heat but I went into this ready to give it a chance. I'd call Side 1 (the first six tracks) a 4, maybe even a 5. Great song-writing. Venus in Furs is probably the nicest sounding song ever written about BDSM. I really liked the droning viola in this. All Tomorrow's Parties is an excellent song - I knew the cover version by Japan, but never heard the original. Good stuff. Side 2 has way too much annoying feedback and sloppy guitar, similar to White Light/White Heat, which makes me want to give Side 2 a 2 at best. In fact, after listening to these two albums, I think Lou Reed was just a lousy guitarist who covered it up by playing noise solos. Ever time Lou Reed plays a sloppy solo filled with feedback I want to punch him, which would be rude since he's dead. I'll give the whole thing a 3. I understand its influence, but I can't take the noise.

Nothing but love & respect for Lou Reed & the gang

This is like my 4th VU or Nico album so far, and I really just... don't get it. It's all very dreary. I can appreciate the historical significance, but it's really just not for me.

Je connaissais mais j’avait jamais prit le temps de l’ecouter actif en entier.je suis imprwssione, c’est envoutant .4.95 car je ne sais pa si c’est un album que j’ecouterais n’importe quand, mais j’y reviendrai tres prochainement.

Actually not as bad as I was expecting! Good 60s pop and garage rock. I can understand why it is so influential. Terrible noisiness in European Son, which is quite a good song for the first 2 minutes.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think I've listened to this entire album before. There are tracks that I like and would listen to again ("Femme Fatale", "Sunday Morning"), and most of the album is good enough. Two tracks have so much added noise ("European Son", "Heroin") that I wouldn't want to put this album on again. Most of the tracks were good, but if I'm rating the album as a whole - "no thanks, it's not for me."

Trash

oh my god. why why WHY how is this influential. this is the worst album ever. the voice- awful. and the background? i cant even call it music. why is there screeching. it hurt my ears. this is not good in ANY way. the first song was just boring but it got progressively terrible each song after I did not enjoy this album for even a second I don’t understand how this is influential in anyway. sorry 😞

Who did I wrong in this or another life to deserve this week...Patti Smith and now this back to back. Uninspiring-at-best so-called songs about drugs and the streets, many of which were "sung" by Lou Reed. oooo edgy! Oh but at least it closes with *pure genius* [suffers through untold minutes of no-composition feedback-drenched dissonant sounds of a band openly mocking the idea of music and/or anyone in the future voluntarily listening to this] in "European Son" ..... what the absolute hell - was there nobody around to put the brakes on this?? -10/10 0 stars to everyone responsible in 1967 for foisting this mess upon the public.

3.5

Love this, really acted as the vague portmanteau for rock and defined the proto-punk genre, brought rock backs to its roots

My first exposure was freshman year of college (2017). Before spotify, I would queue up songs on a Youtube playlist and play them in a random order. One day, probably listening to a Beatles or Doors song, Youtube recommended me Heroin on the right sidebar and it was one of the most astonishing things I've ever listened to. I never heard anything like it before. Initially I thought it was something modern until I discovered it was 1967 when rock was still only getting established. Now I want to remark again that this was my freshman year, so at the same time I was getting introduced to all the countercultures on campus. Due to the topics of drugs and LGBT, I would associate it with the Rocky Horror Show / steampunk culture that was so strong at my school. This atmosphere made me view music as more than just a melody to sing along to but like a gateway to an entirely different perspective on life. Through VU and Lou Reed, I saw the streets of forbidden society, the kind we turn a blind eye to thinking it's dangerous. It would take me another 3 years to finally listen to the whole album, but I'm glad I did not just go into the album blind. I knew how to go into the album. This is an avant garde album. But it is a successful avant garde album, which is very very rare. Whereas pop music was heading toward a direction of being more refined, complex, and crisp, this album went in the exact opposite direction. But I don't mean backwards to 1965 (which is what people thought when they heard this album in 1967). I mean forward by utilizing simple chords and lofi techniques in creative ways that would be picked up by garage bands and later punk. Except the Stooges, no one would was even doing anything like this for years to come. So besides the atmosphere and innovation, how does the album hold? I think almost all the songs are perfect. Sunday Morning is the best opener (holy shit I'm writing this on Sunday Morning). Love the celesta. Femme Fatale is the most classic song, almost like a Carpenters song sang through a tin can. Venus in Furs the most atmospheric song, giving me hard drug and BDSM imagery... Reminds me of A Clockwork Orange. Run Run Run is like rock n roll on speed. I love how simple it is, how it doesn't progress anywhere, but it just keeps going on with periodic distortions that give the audience anxiety. All Tomorrow Parties' sounds like a Jefferson Airplane outtake (which is a compliment I think). There is nothing in this world I love more than the intense drumming and drone in Heroin that creates the atmosphere of the craziness in taking smack. Black Angel's Death Song best shows Lou Reed's poetry and interesting production techniques. European Son is an amazing closing track, beginning with classic Chuck Berry and then diverging into an awesome display of conflicting instruments and feedback distortion.

Yes So gentle, no over singing in this one Sound of New York

A slower softer listen than I was expecting with some very experimental sections. Favorite song was probably Sunday Morning.

John Cale and Lou Reed really go together so well. Welsh excellence!!

It’s velvet underground. It’s good if you’re in the mood

Pretty amazing psychedelic album. Definitely a lot of weird and melodic sounds here. Some tracks would hook a lot less than others but It's definitely something I'll listen to again.

Raw driving energy. Still not fond of Nico's voice but the songs seem cooler every time I hear this album.

Meh

2.75

Just don’t like it. Have never been able to “get” it

the crisp high notes pair well with mcdonalds sausage biscuit

I’m not on nearly enough drugs to appreciate this kind of music. I’m sure KG&TLW fans dig this, but I cannot. WHERE ARE THE 5’s?!

Read up on the history of the album, will probably have to listen to it again, but for sure certain songs and lyrics in this album sure hit in a way. Uh, that last song though. Was never a fan of long af instrumentals to end off with, this ones just a shit ton of noise that vaguely sounds like music.

There’s a lot of music we wouldn’t have without this album.

Greatest album ever recorded.

I liked it more than I thought. The slightly out of tune guitars and the chaos throughout really made it something that lingered in my brain.

May 6, 2021. Not what I expected, but pretty cool

Ok these guys have some solid stuff but kinda fuck that album. At least the end — I ended up literally about to smash something during European Son. That shit ain’t music. Sorry I’m in a bad mood but that song honestly might’ve been the reason haha

Fine, but not particularly interesting.

was nice to listen to some more velvet underground, as I've only heard some songs. Will definitely play songs from this album more often

Leuk vibennn

3,2 Hey, i like this, dit is best oké. Maar weer soms echt kut geluiden! Zoals het nummer heroin en einde van european son, wat ne kut sound. Voor de rest oké. Andy warhol cover also goat

Zo mooi, zo rustig....dit is een classic Favoriete: femme fatale, sunday morning

I don't have a hot take for this one. It's a classic.

the sound quality is what I'd expect from 1967, but the riffs and grooves are catchy, and the vocals are soothing.

Great at the beginning, too noisy by the end

A thrilling and tremendously influential experimental rock album. It's blend of pysch, proto-pop, art-punk, dream pop and on and on is what makes it such a fascinating and still wholly original sounding work. It's a difficult work but one that rewards every minute you engage with it.

Makes me want to do heroin. I know its not supposed too, but it does. This is my type of 60s music. Deep and dark

Great album, awful recording quality

Undeniably one of the most important and influential albums of the last century. Perfection.

Rock and influential figure of punk. The band has an interesting story on Wikipedia. Buthowdoesitsounddd?? Good: Sunday Morning - Beautiful. Feels like a good dream ya dig Femme Fatale - I wish the whole album sounded like these two songs I’ll Be Your Mirror - light and breezy like a linen pantsuit Bruh: Heroin - this song is the epitome of this album. something about the pulsating drum heartbeat and the unnerving electric strings work with the vocals and it’s beautiful. Still weird but nice. Then ~5min in, and the guitar is literally screeching like it wants to die. And I want to die too. Wtf happened. Bad: Venus in Furs - really not pleasant to listen to European Son - it’s like they’re playing rock in the garbage disposal Overall:4/10. When it’s good it’s goooood. But when it’s bad it hurts. Will def be adding Sunday and Femme to a playlist

Some songs I liked, some I didn't so much. I got rather bored after a while. 2/5 stars.

Very experimental and edgy, love the vibes it gives off, the album is a complete experience. Stand outs: Heroin, Sunday Morning

last 5 mins being boring guitar jerking off so cool wow, opener track does bang tho

1. Sunday Morning - 9/10 2. I'm Waiting For The Man - 8/10 3. Femme Fatale - 8/10 4. Venus In Furs -8/10 5. Run Run Run - 9/10 6. All Tomorrow's Parties - 7/10 7. Heroin - 9/10 8. There She Goes Again - 7/10 9. I'll Be Your Mirror - 6/10 10. The Black Angel's Death Song - uhh 11. European Son - so long jfc

I haven't even listened to this one with much attention before. Didn't realize how much flower child is in this one. I always thought it was a little more punk than that. Sort of a sweet folk album and a noise rock album smooshed into one.

Great late at night ease back album. Psychedelic 60s vibe

Ok enough I guess but just basic and monotonous and the irritating screeching and scratching was annoying. And never Nico.

Expected I was going to like this more than I did. Love Nico’s voice. The tracks didn’t ‘go anywhere’ enough for me.

it's decent! yea not as brutal as the Nico solo album. She's used sparingly here and somehow her voice sounds alright. The rest is fine, though I still stand by the fact most of the popularity is due to the Warhol clique connection.

Listening to this album all the way through has been fun and entertaining. A lot of Bob Dylan vibes further into the album, but I guess that's just the product of its time.

Yes I dug it. Have not really listened too much to it before and would certainly require more listens to mine its full depths, but there’s some early punk in there, right? Bags of tonal variety. I enjoyed it.

Great album definitely understand why so highly regarded.

A godlike album cover for a less than decent record

To my mind, Lou Reed's gift as a lyricist is for literalness and plainspeak poetry. So I was surprised when I listened to this for the millionth time and realised I'd always assumed this was the one where he's more gnomic. Probably because of the album's avant-garde edges. Not so. When he says, "And I feel like I just don't know" on Heroin, he means it. What he does know is what's down back alleys, under ground and after dark. The music is just as filthy. The inclusion of gentile European tradition signifying Nico by Warhol (more likely director than producer) is a masterstroke, both elevating all this American vulgarity with her presence but also upending and debasing what she signifies.

It’s honestly amazing how influential this album is when you look at it from the surface level. On the surface it’s just simple songs with lots of distortion over them, but when you cut into the nitty gritty of it, you find an amazing album consisting of some very risqué lyrics and themes. The songs themselves are a stunning example of how less is more in music. As demonstrated with the lack of any competently forged riffs on these albums, but more a collection of chords that form a melody and the lack of any form of cymbals in the drums.

просто уже за Venus in Furs можно лепить пятеру и признавать топом, одна из лучших песен эвер. Но только тут как бэ и другие номера — моё почтение. Открывашка вообще чудесна, героин — культовый депресняк, Вейтинг фо май Мэн — внезапно слушабельный блюз роцк, Фем Фаталь — охуенное исполнение от Нико. Для 67 года это не то что прорыв это просто как Гагарина в космос запустить, как придумать водку с пивом смешать. До сих пор мало кто что-то похожее сделал, а в те времена этот альбом просто убрал всех этих ваших битлов и роллинг стоунзов, любивших поизображать шутов при пидорасах. 10/10, тупо маст лисен, и банан вот этот пусть у нормисов ассоциируется с годным музлом (да и искусством хороших обложек тоже)

Хороший альбом. Сперва кажется довольно скучным и немного архаичным, особенно на непопсовых треках. При этом не подталкивает себя выключить, не душит. По мере переслушивания треки становятся приятными. Такими, что был бы не против слушать раз за разом. Но всё же не охуенными. Прям охуенным, кроме обложки, могу назвать самый попсовый трек, Sunday Morning. Он заходит сразу и не надоедает. Остальные – хорошие и отличные. Так, на самом деле даже бы ничего и не выкинул. Но по эмоциям отбиваются не сильно. Да и в целом альбом не похож на то, что я кому-то бы порекомендовал между делом. Так что твёрдая четвёрочка. Вот тут явно заметил, что моё восприятие порой сильно привязано к самочувствию и настроению. Альбом слушал несколько дней, сперва маленько душил, а однажды проснулся, включил и сказал: «Бля, хорошо же». И впрямь хорошо. Но не отлично.

Fav : venus in furs Beh c'est bien

Where cutting edge art and music met. This album encapsulates the era of Rock in NYC, while still being timeless enough to be appreciated all these years later.

I had a great time listening to this, I thought the voice in 'I'll be you're mirror' was interesting to listen to, and I liked the different themes I found them kind of captivating

Of course I knew The Velvet Underground by name, I know the famous banana image and I've definitely heard a couple of the songs without ever knowing it's by them (especially the opening song Sunday Morning). Yet, for some reason I was never interested in them and my expectations were low. I really don't know why though, as this album is just really good. The depth and versatility really caught me by surprise and I can easily imagine this album being as hugely influential as it ended up being. Saved this album and will re-listen. I do have one criticism: I really could have done without the final six minutes of the album.

Nunca me llamó la atención The Velvet Underground, había escuchado de ellos pero nada de su música. Y pues este disco no me parece malo pero tampoco nada memorable

so happy this one came up

Ja, ein Klassiker. Aber nicht so ganz meins. Und Nico, die Sängerin, kann den Ton nicht treffen. Wenn man sich die Geschichte auf Wikipedia dazu ansieht, weiß man warum

Wouldnt buy

Listened to my vinyl copy. Sounds kinda harsh. Bad surface noise, especially on Heroin (side 2, track 1).

I can hear why it's respected and relevant, but just doesn't really appeal to me.

Too much for office tunes

My limited knowledge of the velvet underground is that it was a club in New York...or possibly LA, where you could be your freakish best and live out your sexual fantasies for a night and everyone else would have to put up with them. It was run by an equally freaky dude who would encourage the artistic elitists to get up on stage and put some musical entertainment on for the adoring patrons. This led to a band under the same name as the club, which led to this album...among others. Am I close? Do I really care? Does anyone care? Would I recommend you go out & buy this album?...Definitely not. 1 Star!

2.5

old white guy music, alternative version, I guess. 2 songs in, and i'm not impressed. We're working in the 2 range, give or take. Let's see.... GAWD, the MUSIC just isn't any good. Maybe the words are witty or progressive or whatever, but the sound is crap. 1/5.

classic. i think VU were coming up at this point. venus, sunday morning, waiting for the man, femme, heroin. all bangers

Really good album. It's easy to see it as one of the bridges between so many different genres. It's both all over the place and coherent.

meh

Not bad.

Mmmmmmmmm

blessed with 2 VU albums

Obvio clásico. La raíz de donde nace todo: punk, indie, jingle jangle, shoegaze, etc.

7/10 maar deze kaulo woeshoem website pakt geen halve ratings

Meh, sonido innovador para la época, pero no me gusto mucho. Se nota que fueron influencia de bandas de los 90 .

I preferred side two. But overall I though it was lyrically and musically pretty average but I get it. At the time it would’ve seemed better

I liked this album! Different in a good way

Y’know it is what it is

mmm mas o menos

4/5

Variadito y sí dan ganas de hacer un bailecito torpe. Venus in furs fue la que más me gustó, está heavy y lenta. Aunque todas me gustaron en realidad. Jamás en la vida había escuchado a esta banda, solo había visto su famosa portada de andy Warhol, probablemente elnhechod e que Warhol está en la portada me ahyantaba. Qué bueno que lo escuché. Mood: psicodelia :3

Great album.Influenced many artists.

Just ok

Surprised me!

I love the album cover, but most of the songs are unlistenable to modern ears. Nico is really bad.

An album I bought yonks ago without knowing much about the VU, and it hasn't disappointed. Some of these tracks are timeless - 'Venus In Furs' would be somewhere on the list of my favourite songs of all time. Nothing else quite sounds like it. The only fly in the ointment is Nico, I'm afraid. I don't buy the 'ice maiden' thing, and too often her contributions, whilst possessing a certain guileless charm, are simply clumsy

Truth time. I’ve never given it a full listen before bc everyone tells me I’m supposed to like it and I resent that. That being said, I really did enjoy this haha.

Esta guay

Not for me.

Muy repetitivo

Could never get into these guys

Really like Venus In Furs and Run Run Run and Heroin. Great art rock album with noise from Lou Reed. Strong 8/10, maybe 9

The Velvet Underground es de esas bandas que me gustan cuando las escucho (no tan seguido), pero que siento que ya no me pertenecen (?). Igual, revisitar este disco fue lindo y algo que siempre me impresiona de él es cómo con sonidos y tonos tan distintos entre canciones, lo pienso y sí me la creo como unidad. No que todos los discos deban serlo, pero aquí creo que funciona. Me gusta desde lo melódico y quizá hasta infantil de la música en "Sunday Morning" con todo y su letra en un punto medio entre la desesperación y la esperanza, hasta el final ruidoso, caótico de "European Son". Disfruto sobre todo "Femme Fatale" y "Heroin" y pus ya. 9/10

Definitely paved the way for punk, noise rock, alternative, and probably a thousand other mini genres. Must have been very provocative at release.

Chill, nice. Definitely something I could live without.

Disco redondo, completo, un lujo escuchar esto hoy en día. Quitando alguna canción que no me termina de gustar por prejuicios más que otra cosa, creo que es un disco con 5 estrellas en casi todas las canciones y por supuesto con 5 estrellas como conjunto sin dudarlo.

Bastante coñazo psicodélico. Algunos temas, como European song son una auténtica tomadura de pelo.

Being important does not make an album good.

Heroin mola European Son

I guess this is ok... Never been a huge fan. Heroin and Sunday Mornings are good. Mostly art songs that don't do it for me. As a whole I'll give it a 3.

My parents were in their very early 20s when this came out. That blows my mind. I don’t think there’s a chance in hell that they listened to it then. Because I feel like if you hear “I’m Waiting for the Man” as a young person in 1968 then that’s pretty much game over. You’re not buying Steve Miller and John Denver records after that. And my dad definitely had THOSE records. Ah well… At any rate, I love how odd and imperfect it is but it will always need more Nico.

Nico <3 Lou Reed <3 John Cale <3 Moe Tucker <3 Sterling Morrison <3. Perfect in its naivete, purity, experimentalism, tonal painting. Just perfect. The world of sound would be a lesser place without the existence of this album.

A classic but also a couple of songs I'm not so fond of. But on the whole, very enjoyable

Loved this album as a kid! Never noticed how bad the bass was off on Femme Fatale on my old cassette version. Still enjoyed it!

some fragments sound good, but in general it is too bland for me, though it does sound that guitarists know what they are doing.

Didn't really enjoy the album.

Elements of psychedelic and pre-punk. Clearly influential and for good reason. Heroin, Sunday morning, Femme Fatale <3

I was already very familiar with this album and love it. Great to revisit - it’s been quite a while since I listened to it all the way through.

Good album up to the last noisy song, otherwise would have given higher marks

Absolute classic one of my favorites

not my style, but not bad.

It's one of the most perfect albums ever. There isn't a bum note. No song that isn't classic. It's astonishing that it is a debut record.

Very Wes Anderson esque

6/10

Should listen again.

Great history, not my favorite album

is this better than Loaded, no, but still was pretty and happy. each song I end up liking by the end. 🍌

Nico ruins a fantastic album

cool

Half good songs, half bad

Production: 13/20 Songwriting: 16/20 Innovation: 17/20 Bangers: 20/20 Emotional response: 18/20 =84 Class class class class class

Had high expectations. Was disappointed.

A great album! Venus in Furs was a favourite and would gladly add to regular listening,

Cooler sound!

At first I didn't like it...then I put a heroin spike in my vein and it started to sound really good.

2.5 rounded up. Started strong, hated Heroin, really hated the last song.

Each song has a pretty unique vibe

Nico <3 Lou Reed <3 John Cale <3 Moe Tucker <3 Sterling Morrison <3. Perfect in its naivete, purity, experimentalism, tonal painting. Just perfect. The world of sound would be a lesser place without the existence of this album.

Great

Nice rock album. Personally I don't think it stands out.

I'll need more listens because I think I get the hype but I'm not too sure... It sounds fairly timeless, though

Surprised how much i liked this

Love this

This was physically painful to listen to.

gut? Hab aber nicht so genau zugehört.

I love this album. Heroin is a banger and a half.

Lou Reed and Nico’s voices are a match made in heaven.

1.5

Acho que sempre me canso rápido desse álbum

Just a great album

Venus in Furs has long been a favourite. It might even make my all-time top ten tunes, I get chills from it every time. There are some other good songs on this album, but Nico's voice drives me a bit nuts. Even the songs I don't like so much work well in the context of the entire album though. Highlights: The Black Angel's Death Song Venus in Furs

Great album, deserving of the hype.

Awesome!!

Very good, very groovy... Velvety 😉

Good old classics, enjoyed a few songs, others I did not particularly enjoy

Não gostei muito :)

I gave this album my first listen back in high school, and I'll be honest, I didn't get it. The breadth of my musical knowledge wasn't as wide back then, and I couldn't appreciate the artsier sounds or the groundwork they laid for so many amazing bands and artists after. Now it's been a few years, and I hold some of those artists in my highest possible regard, artistically: Bowie, the Talking Heads, Joy Division/New Order, even more modern acts like LCD Soundsystem and the myriad post-punk outfits we have going today. So if I still don't fully "get it," I at least now totally appreciate this album as the source of inspiration for music I love that also happens to have more than a few great tracks on it as well. I'm not at the point yet where I can give it a perfect score (the second half is noticeably more hit or miss than the first imo), but this is an album I think I'll only appreciate more with age.

A very strange album which can feel both musically great while being uncomfortable to listen to - as the songs appear intended to be.

Way cooler than I thought

Where’s my mink?

Fine, probably the most forgettable of them so far. Actual classic rock.

1/1001. Got ‘Em: 1 Need ‘Em:0 Vinyl quality: fair— surface noise throughout. V5008 Canadian Mono.

Production was a little tingy and ran alittle too long

Another iconic album with very controversial lyrics for that period of time. I imagine how shocked my grandparents must have been when listening to this kind of music and how revolutionary it must have been. Aaaand yes, there were drugs involved...for sure.

I went through a real Lou Reed phase last lockdown. Love how honest and raw this album is.

Not my scene. Couldn’t get into it and it all felt all over the place.

Had to skip multiple songs that violated my ears

Puuduttava levy

Lou Reed is a great musician but not really a big fan of this sound.

Super classic.

I listened to the album after several years and I enjoyed it! My favorite song is Heroin and Venus in Furs. The last song is too experimental for my taste.

Better than I remember. Not as boring.

I respect The Velvet Underground and like a lot of their stuff, but there are parts of this one where they lose me. Mostly it's the parts with the electric viola (wtf), and unfortunately, that overshadows what would otherwise be some really solid stuff. The album that has Sweet Jane on it should have been on this list instead. Best track: All Tomorrow's Parties

Iconic... album art but what’s with the music tho? Not very special or interesting or good really

It’s a bit avant garde but I always loved this album. My music teacher in college always used to say that only 1000 people bought this album but every one of them went on to start a successful band

8.5-9/10 FT: Venus in furs

Absolute Classic

ICONIC. Not my first time to listen to this and i looped it a few times now.