The Velvet Underground & Nico

such a lovely story, i remember i’ve listened it for the first time while studying on the first year of philology. . and maybe hight school.. the voice of nico matched perfectly. it was a peak of the sound discovery for me as a teen.

I didn’t know this was a collab with Nico. Iconic album

Venus in Furs and Heroin sure are something. (European Son sure is something too, in another way…) With this The Velvet Underground becomes the artist/band with the biggest discrepancy between my highest (four stars for this) and lowest (one star for White Light / White Heat) rating for their albums, with the latter being also my only one star given nearly 600 albums in. Maybe I need to revisit it.

Hell yeah! I have this on vinyl. Honestly, I think this album is better than Sgt. Pepper. It’s very diverse and experimental, which we would see in the Velvet Underground’s next album, “White Light/White Heat.” My favorites on here are “Sunday Morning,” “I’m Waiting for the Man,” “Venus In Furs,” “Heroin,” “There She Goes Again,” and “European Son.” I also love the dreamy pop songs as well, especially with Nico on vocals, including “I’ll Be Your Mirror,” “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” “Sunday Morning,” and “Femme Fatale.” This is probably the best rock album from the 1960s. I wish was born in the 1940s and lived in New York so that I could see them at the Exploding Plastic Inevitable and grab 3 original copies of the album. Easy 5 out of 5.

Album de rock /avant-gardiste vraiment bon, qui s'écoute bien, avec beaucoup de très bonnes musiques. Les paroles de Lou Reed sont étonnantes avec du bon.

Until this album popped up for me, I never realized that The Velvet Underground started out as The Velvet Underground and Nico. Evidently, Nico was forced out of the group shortly after this record was released, and I have to say that after listening to the album, the songs she sang lead on just didn't seem to fit. The rest of the album had a sound that was way ahead of its time and I would have never guessed it was recorded in the 60s, whereas the songs she sang lead on had a 60s psychedelic sound to them. I knew a few of the songs on the album, but not super familiar with it. Definitely different than what I expected. Clearly a groundbreaking album for the time and deserves to be on all of the "greatest album" lists, but definitely not for everyone.

ze graet one

This is not my cup of tea. I respect the artistry and ambient feel of the album, but I am not the biggest fan of Lou Reed in general. It's a well made album, with great production value and great songwriting, but I don't like the artist.

Pretty cool stuff. Last track made me dizzy. Feels so classic - but I also get why it wasnt well received at first. Glad I finally got to see what this one was about. Great record to do mall laps with.

I very much enjoyed this debut album from The Velvet Underground! I’ve heard many of these songs individually but never as a collective so that was fun. The themes and vibes of the album are very indicative of the time in which it was produced. Overall, I had a great time listening to this alt/experimental rock album and it’s one I would listen to again in the future!

fuckin loved this. really needed this vibe today

Damn fine album!

I don't love every song on this album, but there are many amazing songs that stand-up today, and as so many people already know, Velvet Underground and this album influenced countless numbers of bands and musicians from the moment it came out and continuing until now. It is truly one of the most influential albums ever.

3/10 - nah, overrated hippy rock

I enjoy velvet underground. I like Lou reeds voice. I could have lived without heroine, I did not enjoy that song.

Not an every day listen, but i appreciate it.

An absolute classic, banger after banger. One of my favourites, accessible yet out there. The drones man! 5 Heard before? Yes Owned: No 60/248 (24%) Will I get: Already have

This is kind of the big one for me. This is, in my opinion, one of the greatest, most daring, most singular rock albums of the '60s. The formula here is so simple, but in this simplicity, it finds itself foretelling the arrival of punk in such a unique way. The garage brutality of Iggy Pop and the MC5 gave us one facet of punk. And The Velvet Underground gives us another facet of punk, they lay of the foundation for punk's artsiest tendencies. The Velvets made a fucking *racket* but you don't experience the freeing catharsis of other proto-punk while listening to it. The Velvets were much more interested in making your blood run cold. They know when to quiet down to a beautiful, gossamer sheen on songs like Sunday Morning, Femme Fatale, All Tomorrow's Parties, and I'll Be Your Mirror. But, even when the music is quiet, it's never comfortable. The minimalism undermines the lushness, the blunt flatness of Lou Reed and Nico is offputting, and their transgressive lyrics are occasionally frightening. The result is paranoid, alienating, and still effective in 2026. And when The Velvets really redline the throttle, it's something just as incredible. As the minutes wear by, hard rocking riffs turn to grinding, caveman pummeling on songs like Run Run Run, European Son, The Black Angel's Death Song, and (sort of) I'm Waiting For The Man. But what really sells these songs is The Velvet Underground's secret weapon: John Cale. John Cale's cello is used, basically, as a noise element. The screaming of that cello is one of the things that makes this album exciting, and truly difficult, even now. Lastly, I'd like to mention that the two absolute greatest songs here are where the two sides of The Velvet Underground connect; on Venus In Furs and Heroin. Both are the most transgressive and exciting moments on the album. Venus In Furs is an ominous, shimmering drone, the lyrics are about BDSM, it was released in 1967. It's an incredible song. Heroin has both a steady pulse, and a monumental build. It collapses into an insane tom part and the loudest cello ever recorded. The lyrics are a detailed, blunt description of shooting up heroin and feeling your heartrate triple. We still don't really write this type of song about drugs. And, I would like to again say, this was released in 1967. It is an incredible song. If this doesn't sound like a good time, it probably won't be to you. I do think this should be in rock canon, but I don't think there should be an expectation that it be universally adored. But regardless, there is something magnificent and utterly unique about this.

The worst parts of the 70s

I can definitely see why this was so influential, but I much prefer their later work.

A very Mongolia typa beat and very calming

always seen this album being on many lists and recommended by many people and finally gave it a listen. it was good, not an everyday listen though. thought i would say this is definitely one of the most mainstream experimental-, art-, avant-garde rock album i've heard.

What's left to say? The importance is obvious, for every kind of alternative music. Not just the ones you can hear here (which is everything from lo-fi to noise rock) but just opening up the space for every other sort of experimentation. And it's also a joy to listen to, with Heroin still one of the best songs ever

Haven't been propertly connecting with these albums for a few weeks while too busy to listen properly. Did sit and properly absorb this though. Outside 'Venus in Furs' that remains cool, despite it being everywhere , tonight I gravitated towards the more experimental tracks (Black Angel Death Songs, European Son). Not really keen on the tracks with Nico. Hard one to rate on the star rating. I will listen to this again. err, 3.5 stars.

very calm intro, very 60's, reminds me of beatles. this is supposed to be played on a car ride, like driving south to LA and its like in one of the hottest spring day. i only like nico's voice imho. 3/5

Finally listened to this want to spend more time with it but interesting that it was released in 67!

Honestly this is we have the white album at home.

nothing special after sunday morning … sorry

iconic, sehr gut, liebs

nett

I haven’t done this one yet? If you know any Velvet Underground albums, it’s probably this one. Its he quintessential VU record. It’s not as spicy as White Light / White Heat will be, but it’s a little more interesting than the third, self titled, record.

Lo conocía pero no lo había escuchado nunca, muy bueno.

Favorite songs: Sunday Morning, I'm Waiting for the Man, Femme Fatale, Run Run Run, All Tomorrow's Parties, There She Goes Again, I'll Be Your Mirror

I liked this. Obviously a significant album and my first time listening to the whole thing, as opposed to individual tracks.

So tempted to give it 5 stars but Herikn just didn’t do it for me and really I think I love the covers that others have done of these songs more but definitely worth 4 stars. Standouts were "I'm Waiting for the Man“, "Run Run Run" and "There She Goes Again”

Es un disco que no me enloqueció, pero me transmitió las vibes de la epoca.

Okay. I’m beginning to think this random album generator is playing tricks on me. Every album so far as been “meh”. But this one? Yeah, no. I could just hear the pretentious blaring in my ears. No thanks.

Somebody explain this one to me because I don’t get it. I also don’t do drugs…so.

Brilliant album, brilliant concept, brilliant songs. Lou wrote such pretty songs as well as the street wise stuff. I missed the Velvets in Europe by two months in 1993. Oof.

I've heard this album, at least piecemeal, before and I never liked it. Listening to it all the way through now I get it more... But it's still a 1 to me. The rough production, the monotone beat, none of that gets to me. What kills it for me is the lack of groove. It's so stiff.

2026.03.25.

kind of boring

no lo terminé de escuchar, me sentí obligada a escucharlo. La instrumental me copa, pero el chabon no me transmite mucho. igual siento q para la época fue un gran álbum, personalmente hoy en día no conecto

Good album, 4 stars

I am slowly realising that I am, in fact, a Nico fan.

beat poetry proto-punk... zo'n heerlijk album. lou reed ik hou van je i would have done tons of cocaine with you and kept you alive forever (kleine twin peaks meme referentie voor de liefhebber) (ik ben de liefhebber). ga allemaal velvet goldmine kijken !!! rippie nico

It's one of many great albums released in the legendary year of 1967. Somehow, "The Velvet Underground & Nico" stood out even in a sea of innovative classics. In many cases, an album that was considered controversial at the time of its release later becomes a classic (e.g. most '80s metal). "The Velvet Underground & Nico" is one of those albums. Imagine hearing "Sunday Morning" on release day; it must've been bewildering. 4 stars for "The Velvet Underground & Nico".

What about this band is worth listening to?

The cover is iconic, but the audio is mostly a tough listen

There is an old quote about this album that goes something along the lines of "it sold 1,000 copies and created 10,000 bands." Which, listening to this album again after several years of picking and choosing from Lou Reed's discography, makes sense. To this day it feels fresh, still as alive as it must have felt when it first released. There isn't another album like this, whose brazen descriptions of the American underculture of the time still resonates today, for better or worse. From the first note of Sunday Morning it transports you back, both because of the mastering of the album (this album demands imperfect and scratchy mastering), and because of the way that Reed and company serenely go from one note to the next. It is fantastic, and maybe flawless. Highlights are Sunday Morning, I'm Waiting for My Man, Venus in Furs, Run Run Run, and Heroin. But, in reality, its the whole album.

Definitely not my choice of music but it wasn’t what I was expecting of “The Velvet Underground”; I was expecting rock or something more grunge-y. Favorite song of the album is The Black Angel’s Death Song and Venus in Furs but I didn’t genuinely like any of them. Maybe I’m just too young to appreciate the cultural significance of this album.

I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. This is really good. Sunday Morning is beautiful, it has a gorgeous melody. I'm not the biggest fan of spoken word, but it kind of works on this record. The abrasive, screeching parts weren't pleasant to listen to, though.

Speciaal, heel tof

Still sounds revelatory.

I'm a Velvet Underground fan, but theres no need for the final track on this album, NO NEED.

I wasn't that aware of the full album but I really enjoyed most of the tracks, apart from a couple of experimental ones. Pleasantly surprised.

Venus in furs aside this didn’t really do loads for me. I appreciate it was very ahead of its time but If this is proto-punk it’s also proto-great songs. Lou reed has his…magic moments… but IMO isn’t this one of them

I dig. It's giving me Dylan vibes.

Boring.

Not sure why this is so influential, kinda boring

Chill oldy classic. Jaime mieux la voix de nico.

Первый альбом, который мне выпал Пока не знаю как работает сайт, боюсь не успеть оценить потом. Поэтому делаю выводы в момент прослушивания, перевод, конечно же, ещё не почитала. Однако очень приглянулся инструментал, который создал атмосферу сочетающуюся с сегодняшним настроением. Точно послушаю до конца, даже скорее всего переслушал снова. Исполнитель был не знаком до сегодняшнего дня. 20.03.2026

okay

One of the most iconic albums in music for a reason

The kind of album that is only good way after the fact, after everyone's chewed on the musical concepts for a decade or so and started to do the same thing and cover the good songs on the album, just better. Def could have done with the noise outro

while i find this album a bit uneven there are some real highlights on here that i would come back fot again and again. Its is also an abaolute signpost album for punk even though theor minumalist ‘i’m just here to make sure the band stays in time aand that’s it’ went full maga (but that’s beside the music).

Top banana

Love this

boundary pushing to say the least very brave for its time, filled with all kinds of theme that were considered taboo back in 1967 can be a tough listen with its harsh sound and abstract song structures but there's a song or two that can be enjoyed casually

Um álbum tão clássico e icônico que chega até a ser chato falar dele. Droga de banana! Recentemente mergulhei mais a fundo no Velvet Underground e descobri que esse é na verdade um dos meus discos menos favoritos deles. Não que eu ache ruim, mas acredito que o grupo tenha produzido outros discos bem melhores que este. A voz de Lou Reed faz muito trabalho pesado na criação da atmosfera dessas canções. Possui aquele som puro, meio sujo, inconfundível da década de 60 que foi tão desesperadamente imitado em anos seguintes. Nico ajuda também, com seu estilo vocal de quem claramente não sabe cantar tão bem, mas que possui um enorme charme. E no final, este é um disco simplesmente ‘cool’, não há mais o que dizer. Ele é desleixado, relaxado, e completamente decomposto. Mas pelos membros da banda serem tão bons, eles conseguem fazer o som pouco requintado ter a sonoridade linda deste disco. E nem entrei ainda nos méritos revolucionários do disco. Em uma década composta de tantos álbuns super-produzidos (obrigado, Beatles!), o approach do Underground é interessante e foi fundação pro futuro do Punk. Uma semente que germinou brilhantemente nas décadas de 70 e 80. Por isso, tenho que agradecer a eles. Ainda prefiro o disco preto e branco ao oposto do disco da banana (Malditos álbuns homônimos), mas esse segue sendo um ótimo e brilhante disco. Essa banda não erra. 5/5

idk man. Letras profundas y una queja social notable pero la instrumental me ha enganchado -0

The greatest debut album of all time. The Velvet Underground & Nico (who brought a touch of European mystery to a group of street-smart New Yorkers) would prove impossible to top (they came close!) and influence nearly every band worth lending an ear to for decades to come. Songs about Sadomasochism & Edie Sedgwick (Venus in Furs & Femme Fatale) Nico (I'll Be Your Mirror) Drugs (Heroin) and the dark side of the happening all under a delightfully phallic album cover by the master of ceremonies himself, Andy Warhol. What a ride! Only The Beach Boys and The Beatles would release better albums in the 1960s and no one after that though a few bands came awfully close (The Cure, Joy Division, Television, David Bowie, Sonic Youth, The Dream Syndicate, etc.) released almost 60 years ago, The Velvet Underground & Nico still sounds out of time and timeless, dangerous and beautiful and truly the rare album you should absolutely hear before you die.

This is one of the albums I would have loved to have come across in chronological order because as a 80’s kid who leaned toward alternative music in my teens a lot of the sounds on this record seem like a familiar palette, so it would have been cool to hear how much it differed from the preceding sounds to get a more comprehensive understanding of how influential it was.

So as one of the apparently influential albums ever, and such a recognisable cover, fair to say this album had a reputation before I listened to it. Having done this series though I have learned to temper my expectations, and I’m glad I have learned that as if I hadn’t I think I would have been very disappointed in this. This was fine. I’m beginning to think I’m not as impressed by this type of music as the general music listener, but I respect it for what it is. There is nothing absolutely awful about this, but I wouldn’t say there was anything that really really pulled me in. It to me was just super okay. I will relisten to see if anything changes, but as of now it’s cool.

Cool

Damn, I think they out-kinked the Kinks with that Venus in Furs song. I forgot to include The Velvet Underground when I was listing off proto-punk bands before, but they might be even more influential since I think they came before a lot of the others and had more of the taboo anti-society subject matter in their songs.

Not entirely sure how to feel about this one. I've never had an album fluctuate so wildly between grating and interesting. Maybe there was a sound quality issue with the version I listened to, I'm unsure.

One of my favourite albums by one of my favourite bands.

don’t know why but I never used to think as highly of this record as many others. On first listen something didn’t ‘click’ with me and I was just left feeling unsatisfied due to the hype of the record. I relistened again today and found much more enjoyment out a lot of it. Still some tracks I’m not too keen on (the closer is just not my thing), but overall a great record

gave us weezer

This album sums up what the Velvet Underground is. Being the absolute opposite to the mainstream rock acts at the time. The sound of this album, has trickled through the alternative rock to Sonic Youth to Arctic Monkeys. It's influence on the musical world can't be denied.

ahh that's much better

Heh

Dug it! Also suddenly understood some references from other songs after listening to this. "Sunday Morning" "I'm Waiting For The Man" "Femme Fatale" "Venus in Furs" and "Heroin" were faves on here.

Looks cool

The Velvet Underground two days in a row... This might make me biased. But music is biased already, I guess. I'm sorry, this was boring at times and noisy at different times. I will not be coming back to this.

Maybe I just don't get it. Also, not a fan of Lou Reed's voice. My favorite part of this album is the Warhol cover.

It was good, I wanted it to be great.

One of my favorites, Venus in Furs buys you 5 stars

Discordant at times, never very listenable. Not a fan.

Really good and i don’t even like the VU

Este álbum se absorbe por cada poro de tu piel hasta que llega al alma misma para adormecerla y curarla desde adentro

Sobrevalorado

4.5

I wanted to like it, but didn’t

Sorry, but the only influence this can be attributed to is that it allows artists to pass instrumental noise off as art, other than just noise. Just reads as unpolished/trashy, not because it’s an artistic choice, but because it was born out of a lack of talent, motivation, or even just understanding of any level of the recording process. I’ll give it credit for its tackling of “dark” subject matter sonically for the late 60s, but its sound doesn’t do anything to elevate it. People conveniently forget when discussing the importance of this album that there were far more interesting counter-cultural artists across all different mediums at the same time, who actually use formalist talent to portray said touchy subject matter…

Nico dragged the party down for me. Otherwise a milder version of White Light/White Heat

Это хотя бы можно слышать

Hmm, very unique. Kinda weird.

:,(

Always like VU.

Not my cup of tea… 😐

5/10

I’m learning I really don’t like experimental rock

pas mauvais mais ya des bruits latents à la longue c'est désagréable à écouter

- As explained in a previous review, I'm boycotting them because (racist) Lou Reed assaulted women, and Nico is a total racist, too. - I did listen to this album a lot before I learned what terrible people so many famous musicians are. - There are a lot of great songs with unforgettable melodies and moody lyrics, which I appreciate. - I also really like that there are two distinct singers - and to have a woman's voice that is so low is pretty rare and interesting. - I like the jangliness of the guitar, but I don't love its tone, which is so thin. - I enjoy the random instrumentation (like the glock, etc.) and the bass throughout. - But like all Velvet Underground albums, there are songs that I tend to skip, e.g., Run Run Run and the final two songs, so I find it goes on too long.

There would be no alternative rock without this record. Period. The Velvet Underground started life humbly in New York City and weren't really gaining much traction until an eccentric artist by the name of Andy Warhol decided to take a chance on this strange, uncompromising band and have them as the house band for his art exhibitions, and would soon come to manage the band on one condition: they hire this beautiful German model named Christa Päffgen (better known as Nico) to sing with them. The resulting album, 'The Velvet Underground & Nico', is easily one of the most important albums ever released, not only because it dared to experiment and challenge the listener (courtesy of Lou Reed's dark, evocative songwriting), not only because Andy Warhol's striking banana artwork became one of the most famous album sleeves of all time, but because it captured a moment in time where life was tense and rebellious, and the cultural fabric of the United States was beginning to shun the squeaky-clean nuclear family image of the 1950s. The songs on this record go in all sorts of directions, from dreamy, calming numbers ('Sunday Morning', 'Venus In Furs') and raucous rockers ('I'm Waiting For the Man', 'Run Run Run') to cautionary tales ('Heroin') and female empowerment ('Femme Fatale'). Reed and Nico share lead vocals on this record and there's quite the stark contrast between the two. Reed plays the role of the classic uncompromising rocker who doesn't give a f*** what you think of him, he'll just do whatever he feels like, and his gruff, no-nonsense attitude would come to define his entire career, for better or worse. Nico, on the other hand, clearly doesn't have a lot of vocal talent, but Warhol clearly saw something artistic and unique in her, and her haunting, European croon somehow works on this record, especially on 'All Tomorrow's Parties'. The best song on this album is easily 'Heroin', where it's quite hard to tell whether Reed's endorsing or speaking against the drug. Reed was a known heroin addict for many years, but there's no denying it enhanced his creativity, and 'Heroin' rises to such a level that it almost makes you feel like you're on the drug yourself, complete with the uncomfortable come-down courtesy of the dissonant strings (courtesy of electric viola player John Cale) leading the song out. It's both scary and mesmerising. Reed combined with Nico, Cale, Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker to make a record that was initially shunned as inconsistent and unlistenable in places, but if it wasn't for 'The Velvet Underground & Nico', so many genres: punk, garage rock, krautrock, post-punk, post-rock, noise rock, shoegaze, gothic rock, art punk, and indie rock: likely wouldn't exist. Best songs: The entire record

Crazy how big and attention drawing this album is, while arguably not the best Velvet Underground album. To me, the noise elements are hard to mix with songs that are so sweetly soft like a Sunday Morning or a I’ll Be Your Mirror. Even so, they represent a type of purity in the exploration of the musical landscape by visionaries like John Cale and Lou Reed. Nico is used wonderfully across the album, adding a softer hardness to the album. Singers with unique voices magnified in a way that doesn’t feel like it creates a division between them and the music is a real joy. Not just a moment in time, this album remains the moment till this day. Faves: Heroin, Sunday Morning, I’ll Be Your Mirror, There She Goes Again, Femme Fatale

I'm probably uncultured for this but man I didn't like this at all.

love the banana album. im surprised that i got so annoyed at haunting violins. highs and lows that average out to pretty good. favorite song is I'm Waiting For The Man, but i do love Heroin

Rating: 9/10 Rightfully considered the proto-everything album, because it really does sound like the future of all rock music as we know it through its run of bold experimental tracks. Still hard to beat the strange feelings and reactions this album evokes. Lou Reed is a great songwriter and has excellent pop sensibilities through all the weirdness. He and Nico both make great leading and backing vocals. The droning guitars and piano with the drums all come together with arrangements that somehow work. Like the weirdest garage band ever assembled. My favorites are Sunday Morning, just classic and timeless, Venus In Furs, in which that guitar tone and the viola strings really are haunting, and Heroin, for making such a great poetic tune about the experience of doing hard drugs. It might just verge on a 10 for me because the more I think about it the more I think there’s only one lesser track in my eyes as I listened to it a couple more times again. At the very least I’ll round up to 5

Feels like I've acquired ADHD halfway through this last song. Kind of a decent jam sesh and is almost charming in how strummy and scattered it is, but ultimately it's decent at best and not something I'm itching to go back and listen to again 4.7/10

This album sucks

🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌

Couple of decent tracks. Not really my bag

I mean it's a classic for a reason. My dad tried to put me onto this a couple times, and like I got what he was saying about it but it didn't really click with me. And to tell the truth I'm still not sure it clicked with me, but I really liked it. I don't think it's perfect, but there's a ton to love here. Favorites: I'm Waiting for the Man, Run Run Run, European Son

Some excellent songs, but some parts too avant garde for me

Loses points for Nico's tone deaf drawling, which ruined some otherwise good music

Blown away by the seductive melodic cuts. Album is the perfect representation of the burgeoning community of artists and icons Andy Warhol created with The Factory in New York. Wildly Inspiring.

Not bad not great, Heroin was good

this was my first time listening to this album all the way through; i appreciate it's value and the huge impact on the music scene as a whole, but it left little to no impact on me. i appreciated the lyrics the most, but i do feel the album is a touch overrated. i can't give it more than a 2, because the majority of songs i just did not enjoy at all. also fuck that racist cunt nico. ft: heroin lft: i'll be your mirror, european son

I previously enjoyed one of Lou Reed's solo albums, Berlin, so I was excited to listen to my first Velvet Underground album. This album contains a mixture of noisy, experimental songs with songs that I can only describe as basic pop-rock. I was underwhelmed by most of the songs, which made me wonder what was considered so revolutionary about this album. I'm guessing it was the subject matters, ranging from BDSM to drug use. The darkest, dirtiest songs were the ones that I enjoyed the most, namely Venus In Furs and Heroin. 3.5/5

I think I'm more fascinated by the lore of Velvet Underground / Lou Reed than I am with their music. Sometimes it just sounds out of tune and offbeat to me which turns off my ears a little bit. However, this album is very reflective of its time in that it's distinctly 1960's and sounds like it could not have possibly come from any other decade.

Brian Eno once pointed out that this album only sold something like 30,000 copies upon its release but that every one of those 30,000 copies started a band. It's really impossible to overstate how influential this album is, especially for a guy like me. We could probably do a list of 1001 albums inspired by the Velvet Underground and Nico and it'd be packed with 5-star bangers from some of the greatest acts in music. I first heard Venus in Furs when I was like 19 and it blew my mind, I had no idea a song could sound like that. It's not exactly the kind of jam you blast in your car, but it's the kinda music that hits the nervous system. John Cale is a musical genius, in case you were wondering. Lou Reed ain't half bad either. His lyrics are equally repulsive and enthralling. I go back and forth between liking and being indifferent about the Nico songs; guess it just depends on my mood. Sterling Morrison and Moe Tucker deserve credit, too. Everyone had something to contribute on this album and I'm glad they all did.

On the dot revolutionary, all the lights flashing on the slot machine, coins pouring out the slot, each one marked with Lou Reed's head. JACKPOT JACKPOT JACKPOT. The pit manager is coming over to you with a big sack to help you out and you can't tell if he's mad at you but you get the sense that whatever you just did was a big deal. New sounds on every listen, Run Run Run really struck me on this one. Not even one of the canonical songs, just a good heron song. But not even the best one on the album! (my pick for that is I'm Waiting for the Man) Venus in Furs is totally legendary, might be top 5 songs of the 1960s. The Dylan influence is all over this album but Reed & company synthesize it and make it their own, something totally distinct and belonging to a separate scene. Favorite Tracks: Sunday Morning, I'm Waiting For the Man, Venus in Furs, Heroin, There She Goes Again, European Son

Loved the track Heroin but not not much else

There is a good biography on spotify. Didn’t know the band. Did know the sound of Lou Reed on guitar.

my beatles

Liked it. It had a vibe.

VELVET UNDEGROUNDS IS AMAZINNGGGGGGGGGGGGG so was this album :D

Reconozco que es muy bueno pero creo que envejecio un poquito mal, a mi al menos no me suelen fascinar ritmos asi porque me aburren un poco. Me gusta mas lo que hace Nico en solitario.

Buen disco, lo sentí como un disco sumamente artístico, sincero, sin pretensiones y sin expectativas. Simplemente músicos haciendo música y disfrutando de eso. Grandes canciones como Sunday Morning, Femme Fatale, Heroin (graaan canción). En general creo que es un disco icónico, con un sonido sincero y auténtico, con grandes letras, gran performance y que inspiró a muchos artistas a crear música. Gran disco.

🍌

(100/100)

favourites: Sunday Morning, Venus In Furs, Femme Fatale On the fisrst listen I liked it, but I thought I hadn't liked it that much. But then I couldn't get it out of my head. Turns out I do like it. And I do like it that much.

This record thrives most when it leans into its more atmospheric side. Listening to this from front to back truly showed its rare and timeless quality, and while the mid-album stretch can feel a bit repetitive at times, the high points are nothing short of legendary. An essential listen. Favorite/s: Sunday Morning, Heroin Least favorite/s: Run Run Run

Never actively listened to this record until now. It's good enough to listen to again.

9/10

Masterpiece

I’m in the camp of people who never spent any time with this because of the way others gushed. I thought there was no way it could live up to the hype. I was wrong. I’m glad to finally listen to it and see what I’ve been missing out on. I love it!

An absolutely perfect album. No weak tracks, and some of the greatest songs ever written. Helped to lay the foundations for a lot of music to come

banana jako dobar ali pomalo neujednačen album. trebalo mi je vremena da ga docijenim - u stvari sam shvatio da sam ga tek danas, u lijepe lagane šetnje, odslušao skroz u komadu bez prekida. uzme li se u obzir vrijeme kada izlazi, sirovo genijalan. zadnja stvar najslabija, jednostavno nažalost bezvezna u usporedbi s ostatkom. vrh valjda venus in furs, premda ima i ostalih jakih kandidata. na rubu između četvorke i petice, dat ću mu ipak četvorku jer mislim da imaju boljih albuma (svakako loaded)

I've heard this one before - I liked it back in college but I really just love Sunday Morning. Definitely influential!

1967 is one of those years that changed rock n roll. Even though this album did not make an immediate splash, the ripples of time have proven that this truly is a classic and influential work of art.

This is an album that is more important than it is good. I did like it, but mostly, I appreciated it. It sounds radical for 1967, musically, lyrically, and stylistically. Early psychedelia, transgressive, lo-fi. And with an iconic album cover. I’m also not generally crazy about Nico, though I think she works fairly well here.

An interesting piece of rock history.

A number of song I like, nothing I absolute love

Very 60's music, I'm surprised this was considered an experimental album. The only songs I find all that experimental are "Sunday Morning", which sounds VERY contemporary, "Heroin" for it's dissonance at the end, "The Black Angel's Death Song", and "European Son". None of these are experimental by today's standards I think, but I could see it being experimental back in the 60's. I don't hate this album by any means, but I don't love it.

Didn’t really enjoy this overall even though i liked a few songs on their own, the production sounded bad to me and their weren’t many melodies that caught my ear

I listened to like half of it and it was good I’ve been meaning to

Possibly the most fun 60’s album to listen to (besides some Beatles albums)

Overall impression 3.5. Some great songs such as "There she goes again" but some harsh edges hold it back from being a n easy favorite.

Feeling generous, so rounding up!

I find a lot of this to be fairly straightforward pop, with Lou’s songwriting aspirations to be a Brill Building staff writer like Carole King and Neil Sedaka (R.I.P. Neil…) all over it. Sunday Morning is one of Elizabeth’s all-time fave tracks. I believe White Light/White Heat, their second album to be much more discordant. The album we played a lot in George Pohanka’s basement was their 4th, Loaded, which didn’t have Nico or John Cale and was very much a pop album with “hits” Sweet Jane and Rock and Roll. Try those tracks on Loaded and then try them on Lou’s live album Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal (it also has Heroin). 4.5 rounded down — I quite like it but it’s not 5-worthy.

Would have been a 3 if European son lasted much longer.

The album with the banana on the cover has a reputation for being difficult — even unlistenable to some listeners — but I’ve never really felt that way. Its rough edges, stark arrangements, and unsettling themes are exactly what make it so fascinating. Instead of polishing rock music, the band strips it down and pushes it into darker, stranger territory. In hindsight, it’s easy to hear how influential this record became. The raw directness of 𝗜’𝗺 𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻, the hypnotic intensity of 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗻, and the eerie atmosphere of 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝘂𝗿𝘀 would later echo through punk and experimental rock alike. What might have sounded alien in 1967 now feels like the blueprint for an entirely different kind of rock music.

this is how i find out lou reed was in the velvet underground. i was like wow this sounds like lou reed and what do you know

Muy muy chuli, tiene canciones q me encantan como Sunday morning o femme fatal y es un álbum en general bastante relajante, pero bueno tiene sus cosillas q le sobran

There is always money in the banana stand!

awesome. such a cool, weird album

Hat mich nicht geholt, vll falscher Moment falsche Zeit falscher Ort

Absolute classico

It's tricky to rate albums like this. On one hand, it's an undeniably influential work; on the other, I don't really feel like listening to it a second time. I'll give it a 4 anyway, for its merits—I don't want to just average it out.

I loved it. I’m a sucker for art pop. Man, the gritty realness, the darkness, the heroin addiction, the kinky sex, the underground vibe. Such a contrast to the conservativeness of mainstream culture and the spiritual and utopian visions of the hippies. Lou Reed is hypnotic. Nico is weak here as is some of the band but none of that matters - what matters is surrendering to this enthralling crawl through the dark streets and alleys and dungeons with the night people.

Really held up over the years

It's just noise. Constant incoherent noise.

Canon

It's not quite five stars for me, because there are plenty of tracks that I *like*, but none that I *love*. I hadn't listened to this in years and it was fun rediscovering some of the lesser known tracks.

Excellent album - felt the second half was a little weaker than the first 5 or 6 but really good

Not really my style at the moment, couple of nice songs (Sunday Morning, There she goes again) but some songs seeemed way too messy. Liked i'll be your mirror too

pretty good some songs were mid tho

Classico. A banana é muito boa pqp

Clássico

It's good, it's important, but I fluctuate on how enjoyable it is to listen to.

Pretty groovy -- great sound for the late 60s. Pretty influential.

I will never be as high as it presumably required to start digging this kind of music. “This album inspired this and that”? Ok, but everything inspired by them greatly surpassed the inspirer. Cultural significance (if any) alone doesn’t make something a must have to listen.

Fantastic. Love this album I

No. 372/1001 Sunday Morning 4/5 I'm Watiting For The Man 4/5 Femme Fatale 5/5 Venus In Furs 4/5 (2x) Run Run Run 3/5 All Tomorrow's Parties 4/5 (2x) Heroin 4/5 (2x) There She Goes Again 4/5 I'll Be Your Mirror 4/5 The Black Angel's Death Song 3/5 European Son 2/5 (2x) Average: 3,67 Enjoyed the start way better than I expected. Femme Fatale is my personal favorite. European Son was too experimental for me.

Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Masterpiece - Perfect throughout.

É curioso como este álbum não me conquistou na primeira audição, e hoje está entre as coisas mais legais que já ouvi. Não é o meu favorito da banda, mas entendo perfeitamente quem o eleja como o primeiro. Soa revolucionário e muito à frente do seu tempo; décadas depois, ainda poderia facilmente ser confundido com um disco indie atual. Para quem não conhece o grupo, as letras podem parecer puro sensacionalismo para época, afinal, estamos em 1967 e eles escrevem sobre sexo sadomasoquista, injeções de heroína e compras de drogas em becos escuros. Mas, depois de tantas audições, acho que não. Lou Reed está apenas documentando o mundo que conhece. Ele é um gênio.

The Velvet Underground & Nico é um daqueles álbuns que as pessoas ficam por anos recomendando e se deixa sempre em uma lista para "escutar posteriormente quando tiver tempo". E a verdade é que eu por anos ignorei esse álbum (mesmo conhecendo 1 ou 2 músicas dele) até ele felizmente aparecer como recomendação/desafio aqui. Eu gostei bastante dele - é um disco que escutarei mais vezes ao longo do ano tranquilamente. A sequência inicial com Sunday Morning, I'm Waiting for the man, Femme Fatale e Venus in Furs é fantástica! 4,25/5.

Disco surreal, incrível como tudo funciona, e incrível como decada de 60/70 tivemos o auge da criatividade em termos de utilização de novos instrumentos, novas tecnicas, uma busca experimental pelo novo. E nisso tanta coisa extremamente criativa surgia. Maravilhoso disco 4.5/5

Une combinaison parfaite de déchets et de cœur. Et la banane est le symbole ultime de la virilité Donne-moi plus! Plus! PLUS!!!

Firstly, this still sounds amazing. Secondly, I have about five life anecdotes revolving around Venus in Furs & I want to write them down so I won’t forget. J using it as teaching material in Chinese kindergarten, crazy French guy singing it constantly at the office, meeting an actual guy call Severin and just having to say his name twice, Arto’s part. That was about five.

It was good, groundbreaking. First half especially was really high quality. Really not sure about the second half but I guess it wasn't boring.

Really did not like this, and couldn’t even finish it. Maybe for a different mood, but not for general listening. The guitar tones really don’t do it for me and the scratchiness of the whole album is off-putting. If it was influential, so sorry lol

I do like Femme Fatale.

Glad this album exists and for its time it made great shockwaves. At this point though I've heard these songs so much that I don't really get much out of them anymore and at worst start yawning before they're over.

Iconic record, and I love the music. I just can't handle Nico's vocals. They're like nails on a chalkboard. Favorite track: Waiting for the Man

Very good. Kinda creepy.

Не оценил. Хорошего для себя ничего не нашёл. Есть пара затяжных раздражающих песен.

Cool album. Liked it. Standout songs: Sunday Morning Venus in Furs Ill be your mirror

Nice to listen to. Nothing for daily rotation, but would be a nice album to own.

4-5

I struggle with this one, mid 3? A couple classic tracks but doesn't really go anywhere or do much for me

Is it just me or did Nico kill the vibe Like I'm not sexist I just don't like the sound of Nazis

i feel like this album as a whole is not my thing rn. Sunday Morning tho, or honestly any song abt Sunday is high on the list for me, even more if it sounds so dreamy.

Very nice. I do prefer the two albums that came after this one but this is still a really awesome album. Rides the perfect balance between comforting accessibility and weird experimentation. Must-listen #301.

I get why this album was such a big deal, and so far ahead of it's time. It covers topics that were just simply not talked about (at least publicly) in 1967. From drug use, to prostitution, to even S&M... the pearl clutchers must have been screaming "but what about the children!!!". However, it's musically meh for me. There are a few tracks that stand out a bit but I think it could have been so much better. Call it blasphemy, but other than the lyrical content I really don't see what the big deal is about. But maybe that is the big deal, simply that these topics were starting to make it out of the seedy bars and hushed undertones of people's living rooms.

Great start. Need to look into the genre but yeah i think this might lead me to follow the path. T'was good. Some not my style some really good. I think i liked the slow paced ones more than the others. Anyway a good start. Rating: 2/5 Best Song: Heroin, I'll be your mirror

Off the bat impression: it fucking sucks. It’s a dissonant mess. I can get the impression of better albums that came after. I can see the influence, but this thing is a total dud. Great way to start this journey.

muy buenas letras pero musicalmente no me gusta mucho. Heroin fue mi favorita, me gusta que cuando habla sobre inyectarse la velocidad del tema aumente

ouais pas mal rien de fou c'est country quoi

okay last track is terrible to listen to. It almost burst my eardrums

if it were a bunny it would be bad actually it would be bad whatever animal

Put on your red pajamas and find out…

I will keep this short since I am writing this on Monday morning and am tired. This is a great debut from a great band. There is a lot to love here, and a lot of influence just from this record alone, that impacted how a lot of artists modeled their own sound. Biggest Hit - Waiting For The Man Biggest Miss (if I had to choose) - The Black Angel's Death Song Bonus Hit - Venus In Furs

Good but not for me, i knew a few songs of the band that i think are really good, although this wasn't my tasting but i do think it’s very interesting and i really liked two songs from it

Good one

i think i’ve heard most of these songs before in a different order, because of the VU “Best of” album, or wes anderson, or whatever. and i’ve pretty much always loved them, but somehow, being told to watch them “because a bunch of [British] critics have said you should,” kind of grates on me. i doubt i will really stick with this project, i was kind of curious just to look at the entire list, but not enough to buy the book, and certainly not enough to listen to them all blind, one by one. let me pick, cowards

First the bad stuff: Most of the songs were so monotonous that you could skip the entire centre section for instance and not have missed anything. The songs and especially the lyrics were nicely written but the vocals kind of ruined everything. Nico???? Wtf was that? The actual singer sounds like an angel compared to her Jesus Christ. The vocals are seriously such a shame because the melodies are so nice and in combination with the lyrics some of the songs could be genuinely beautiful. Now the good stuff: I liked the sound of the instruments and how most of the songs told somewhat of a story. My fav songs are Heroin and Sunday Morning. I think I’ll Be Your Mirror would be such a good song if it weren’t for the terrible vocals. Overall, it’s a nice album and I think it’ll grow on me.

Sitting in 2026, this feels... fine? I can definitely see how important it is in the history of rock and roll; that being said, it is a middle-of-the-road record to me. Funnily enough, the only song that really gave an impact was European Son, mostly because of the way it feels like the album is actively falling apart as it's being played.

I have friends who love this album. However, nope. Not for me.

If you don’t find this album utterly perfect then you shouldn’t be on here

I LOVE HEROIN

I recall, in the mid-80s, discovering that there was good music beyond what was on the radio. Instead of Whitesnake and Poison, I could listen to R.E.M., The Cure, The Smiths, The Violent Femmes, and many more. There was an alternative to "radio rock". And it was better. Turns out my discovery was almost 20 years late. Alt rock has been around since at least '67, the year this album was released. Listening now, I find this album more compelling than most of what was on the radio back then (not that I was alive then). For reference, here's the top 10 singles from 1967 according to Billboard: “To Sir With Love” — Lulu “The Letter” — The Box Tops “Ode to Billie Joe” — Bobbie Gentry “Windy” — The Association “I’m a Believer” — The Monkees “Light My Fire” — The Doors “Somethin’ Stupid” — Frank & Nancy Sinatra “Happy Together” — The Turtles “Groovin’” — The Young Rascals “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” — Frankie Valli Set against that context, the album’s drone and rawness don’t register as experiments so much as statements. This sounds like artists playing exactly what they mean, unconcerned with polish or hit potential. What draws me in isn’t the strangeness but the sincerity, the feeling that every rough edge belongs, and that sanding any of it down would weaken the music. Even if the music doesn’t connect with you, if you’re inclined to give it two stars on pure enjoyment, it earns two more for its innovation and influence alone. That still puts it at four, at minimum, and honestly that feels conservative. For me, the music does connect, which makes the case simple. 5 stars.

2 liked

Beautiful debut album from the Velvets. It's abrasive and angry, its subject matter of drug culture and overt sexuality are deliberately provocative, it's an anti-culture classic. My favourite tracks are Venus In Furs and I'm Waiting For The Man. Fantastic album, with more classics yet to come from this band.

Možda sam malo preterao sa hejtom, oprosti mi Ema..... Ne znam zašto baš je loše zvučalo kad sam slušao. Možda sam čuo samo loše delove jer se nisam nešto posvetio slušanju albuma. Poslušaću ponovo... Za sad svakako 2,75/5 Edit: vrv neću poslušati.....

Znam za ovo jako dugo skroz mi je okej ne znam čemu toliki hejt Milijane HAHAHA

Album- The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967) Favorite song from album- All Tomorrow's Parties Album Rating 6.5/10 Not my type of music tho. No songs added to playlist Listened to while playing Terraria and yapping till 5am Made me question what it means to be human Similar Niche to The Beatles (but better) Heroin gave me anxiety European son brings the album down a whole point

Not the greatest album of all time as some say, however there are some great tracks on it and it has clearly a massive influence. Andy Warhol may be a hack artist but his band is pretty good.

There were a fee songs I really enjoyed but I think on the whole it’s a little to prog in the wrong direction for me. Some of the songs like Heroin and European Son were really grating in my opinion, while others like Sunday Morning and Femme Fatale were great. 6/10.

Not terrible by any means but not my favorite? I think Femme Fatale is the best prolly

I would probably give it five just for Venus in Furs. The mix of 60s pop with avant-garde and experiments manages to work. I particularly enjoyed the guitar this time; so overdriven that it becomes percussive.

Even now, at times this pushes the limit of tolerable discordance. I can’t fathom how mind blowing it must have been on release as it is so varied, experimental, and different from so much likely being released at the time. I still find that my favourite song changes it practically every listen, which to me is indicative of a stellar quality album.

The Velvet Underground remains a band that I think is interesting (and obviously important) more than one I'd often like to actually listen to. The best part of the album is Nico's voice. Some good tracks for feeling relaxed and cool, like maybe if I wanted to walk around the East Village wearing sunglasses and smoking. Some of the more chaotic/experimental noise stuff feels a little like a precursor to Life Without Buildings, but then again, everything on this album is a precursor to like all of popular rock for the next several decades. Favorite tracks: Heroin, There She Goes Again, I'll Be Your Mirror.

A lot of this was great to listen to. There were some sounds that popped up throughout that were difficult to listen to.

Overall, I hated it There's something in this album that just grinds my gears and it's present in every song. I really liked Venus in Furs, but even that song just has something that feels off to me.

There's some all time classics on this album, but also some rather "mid" ones.

Don’t like Lou Reed’s voice. Reminds me a bit of Dylan. Jackie would be mad. Again.

yes it was like velvet.

True classic. The first side and a fair bit of the second are unimpeachable classics. European son goes on a bit but I think we can forgive that

Sounded like a more rocky bob Dylan at times which was good but I cant seem to get this album to click for me.

ouvi esse pela primeira vez aos 14 anos e só na primeira track eu já sabia que ia mudar a minha vida

9.5/10 - Big fan. I like having Nico on some songs and having Lou on some songs. Interesting topics, sounds, and arrangements. Heroin and I’ll Be Your Mirror are probably my two favorite on the album.

One of the greatest albums of all time. Blends noise, rock, and a softer pop side expertly. I wish Nico was an actual member of the band as she adds something so unique and charming to a harsh album. 10/10

1967? Sounds totally post-punk. Straightforward in a profound way. Listen to the end of Waiting For The Man--perfectly (I imagine) captures the driving desperation of a junkie's need. BTW just learned Lou graduated cum laude in English from Syracuse. These songs hit as many corners as they can and then some. I've heard this all before, but now I'm really listening and am entranced.

I grew up listening to this album. FFS my parents loved it so much they named me after the chanteuse. It’s been so much part of my musical DNA that it seemed fitting punctuation to be the album of the day when I picked up my other’s ashes. There is nothing I don’t love but it’s an emotional rollercoaster having been the soundtrack to so many life events. The Velvets reunion concert was probably the last concert we went to as a family. Life and emotions ebb and flow but I’ll always have this in my heart

If I were to create a Gregorian calendar for my relationship with the arts, both in appreciating them and creating them, the dividing line would be BH and AH with H being the moment I first heard "Heroin." It was 1987, and a friend showed up having just purchased the 20th anniversary release of this album. I had never heard of The Velvet Underground or Nico. I knew of Andy Warhol and knew of Lou Reed, but only barely. Walk on the Wild Side was probably the only song of his that I could name. I didn't know anything about this album, and I certainly didn't know that it was famous for being a gateway drug to alternative music or that it was a catalyst for so many musicians. I had a pure, black tar experience, completely unadulterated by any preconceived notions. Side one was fantastic. I liked every song I heard, but All Tomorrow's Parties and Venus in Furs sounded like they came from another planet. I just couldn't grasp that this album came out the same year as Sgt. Pepper. And then came Heroin. I must have said "I didn't know you could do that" five or six times while listening to this song. It just seemed to take every songwriting rule that I knew and toss it on top of a heated spoon. After that, I became obsessed with the band. (In the pre-Internet days, this meant putting in some work trying to track down their albums and bootlegs and searching for books and articles.) This was the first music I loved that my parents genuinely couldn't fathom that I liked. I remember my mom hearing "Heroin" and sincerely asking, "You LIKE this?" And yes, for me this was the gateway drug to so many other artists, not just in music, but also in movies and art and everything. I don't ever listen to this one much anymore. I still love it, but it's lost a little of its power over me, and it's even now a little hard to see what wowed me so much. But it's still great, it still sounds like it came from another planet, and I'm still hearing new things. (I never realized how weird the chords are in Venus and Furs!) And I can still picture myself, sitting on the couch, pouring over the album cover, and having my mind blown. I've been searching for that high ever since.

strong album

Lou reed. Its fine. Not really my thing. Nico voice is interesting Venus in furs is good. S&M Its more poetic than audibly interesting to me. Some songs are good. I appreciate it for what it was in the time it was made. Artistic and experimental. Last song was a slog. European son

some of the songs are phenomenal, but too many are a fucking slog

Craig: didn’t like it as much as I expected. Still some bangers though. Courtney: great until the last two tracks and they were both like a cheese grater on my brain.

Amazing

Can't say much that hasn't been said about it before. Besides being a trailblazer for every alternative band from later, it is also just a really solid album on it's own. There's a lot of variety and the Velvet Underground show their proficiency in each of these types of songs. Ragging jams switched with soft songs and it all works well together. It sounds dirty and less professional than contemporaries and that's what makes it so unique.

I was looking forward to this as I’ve never listened to this whole album but obviously know it’s iconic. Totally disappointed. Couple of great tracks (eg Sunday Morning), but the rest is that self indulgent swirly 70s dirge.

a collection of a few good tracks and a lot of STINKERS. crazy how such a well respected album like this is so hit or miss.

Mixed feelings about this album, on one hand, I'm not a fan of Nico one bit, and that sound is really off-putting for me. Meanwhile, the stuff with Lou Reed is fairly interesting, and those first tracks (especially the opener of Sunday Morning) were an enjoyable listen. Never been the biggest fan of this style of psychedelic rock, but it is certainly influential on music from this point. Also, that last track really drags on. I'll keep this as a three for now, but if I relisten it might feel like a drag instead of appreciating it more.

Not my taste but it's decent.

Tiene canciones buenas, al principio me sonaba como la música que suelo escuchar, pero luego me di cuenta de que se hacía muy repetitiva, y las canciones de más de 5 minutos sonaban estridentes, hasta el punto de que cuando terminaban sentía como cuando apagas el extractor de aire de la cocina

A sound I've really liked over the past year or two. I had a phase some years back where I got really into reading about Andy Warhol and that whole scene. Loved this listen, just a great time.

So here's the thing - it's always important to have context with historically important music. I've never listened to this album, but I know about it, and know of its influence. That being said, I think it's also important to review an album while stripping away that context. Take it on face value. So that being said, this album isn't very good. I'm not saying it wasn't completely original at the time. But being original doesn't make it great. The songs need to be good. And these aren't.

Overall: 10/10 I'm so glad I waited to listen to this one. I genuinely can't believe this was made in 1967, it feels so experimental, ahead of it's time, almost otherworldly at parts. Music wasn't supposed to be like this at the time, yet here are The Velvet Underground. You could drop this album today and I still think people would go absolutely bonkers over it's sound. I also really love Nico's voice so her songs were an added bonus for me. This is pretty much perfection. Fav Song: Venus in Furs

Tätä levyä oli kivempi kuunnella mitä edellistä arvioitavaa Samettista Maanalaista. Laulaja on parempi ja biisit eivät ole niin samaa höttöä. Kivaa kikkailua välillä. Tosin levyn ehtoopuolella alkaa kikkailu menemään oman maun yli, jopa tekotaiteellisen puolelle. Astetta parempi velvetti, mutta ei kuitenkaan herätä mitään himoja kuuntelemaan uudestaan.

Ei lähteny kyllä yhtään, rasittavia eksperimentaaleja möykkäbiisejä, vähän Bob Dylan vibejä ja 60-luvun perusrokkia. Kovinkin pitkältä tuntuva levy, ei hyvällä tavalla

I remember buying this when I was a teenager, listening to the opening track and thinking this will be up my street….. and some of it was, the more avant guard, art rock wig out stuff, whilst I am it sure was exciting in 1967, deducts points for me. I like it overall but feel it could have been a stone cold classic if it had less…. How do I put this…. art bollocks? 3.4

Now we're talking. Love the spare yet hooky, late 60s/early 70s New York asthetic of this record. Interspersed with dark street poetry, it was ahead of its time when it was made and still sounds great. Sometimes history requires people who don't give a fuck, and Lou Reed had the minerals. It's impact on the culture is still felt today. There are minor criticisms I could make, but overall this is a triumph.

When is great, it's really great. There's some classic songs on here that have stood the test of time. The fuzzed out jams are a bit much to have on record and I don't love Nico's vocals. But I think this would have been amazing to see and hear back in the day.

Day 185 Such an influential record and ahead of its time. Really interesting listen. Highlights Sunday Morning I’m waiting for the Man All tomorrows parties

Muy buen disco! Me ha gustado bastante Me quedo con Heroína

Similar to "Chelsea Girl" there is something to this album that pulls me in, even given it's not my typical style of music. Something mysteriously charming about a 60's minimalist record I guess.

Riktigt riktigt bra!

Their sound seems so unique. It is so innovative and smart. Every song has its own sound and is nailed perfectly.

venus in furs, that's all i have to say

Complete grower. Started to love it after a few listens.

Wassup Nico. I like her songs the best, her voice is one of a kind. I'll Be Your Mirror was probably my favorite. Overall I enjoyed listening to this and checking another white whale/cultural milestone off the list.

Absolutely one the best and certainly most essential of any recordings on this list.

Det er noe hint av musikk innimellom.

jel treba da me bole usi od ovoga? kao, ozbiljno me zanima. ali ok pesma se zove heroin - ako je heroin ista kao ova pesma sad jos manje imam potrebe da to probam nego ranije, a vec mi je zelja bila nepostojeca, hvala velvet underground! ovo je zvanicno previse avangardno za moj ukus, ja se izvinjavam sto nisam vise kul, ali ovo stvarno nije napravljeno za uzitak obicnog gradjanina kao sto sam ja. mozda da je bolje izmiksano lakse bi se slusalo, jer ima puno skicanja instrumenata, ne znam koliko je to namerno, a uopste mi nije mnogo pojacan zvuk. ali dobrooo 1967., ill give it a pass... ova poslednja pesma je gitarska verzija of just hooting and hollering. gotovo je thank god. mozda sam ja samo lose raspolozena, ali ovaj album je bas smoriooo. najbolji delovi su tamo gde je zenski vokal. ovo ostalo... yawn

some highlights for sure

The first few songs are great especially Waiting for a man but the album tails off soon after and the last few tracks are just noise. I can hear how this is considered so influential for it’s time but musically it’s a bit hit and miss

not really feeling the first song ngl...this is definitely some white people music. it sounds groovy, hip turning type of music but its very much white. is this nigga gay? Descendant and pianos on the back of the second song. third song isnt bad. fourth song is very interesting, i like the violens there really making the song for me, this sounds very raw, old westesn, fok . firth is cool but the guitar has some weird screeching to it, its kinda throwing me off. bth the beginning of this album feels and sounds very different from halfway through the album. all tomorrows sound native, like first nations made the song. i dont like herion, i know what it was trying to do but no. is there she goes about a prosititute...? ngl this is trying be experimental but it's not really landing for me. im one the last song and bru... the fuck is going my nigga LOL , niggas just making noise. niche music final boss.... and why is this 7 min long???? overall i didnt really like the album.

really loved it. listened to it while walking around Lexington in a 62 degree, sunny February day while snow hastily melted. the last song, European Son was a bit tough to get through but still 5 stars

peak baby peak

4.5

Art piece. I have this album. Collectable. To say it is experimental is generous.

Did not enjoy.

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Venus In Furs, Heroin, There She Goes Again Subversive lyrics: ✅ Avant-garde: ✅ Banana (for scale): 🍌 This is now my second experience with The Velvet Underground, and third if you count Lou Reed's Transformer. The songs are interesting and diverse. The instrumentation is excellent. Lou Reed is awesome as usual. I am quite happy listening to this, even though I only got in two listens. This is going into the rotation.

Fine I guess.. Känns väldigt overrated. EDIT: Lyssnade igen, var väl lite väl taskig med 2, höjer till 3

I am certain that at the time this was released, it would have appealed to most people in the era it was thrust upon us, for me now, it feels dated and it unfortunately hasn’t aged well. I struggled with this and could only pick out 1 or 2 stand out pieces. More miss than hit.

It is an iconic record. One of the most important and influential pieces of music of all time. Lou Reed at his best. 10/10 [KEEP]

Iconic for a reason, but still not a fan of the random bits of audio feedback that grate on the ears. Besides that, solid album! 3.75 stars.

6.5/10

Its classic status and impact on music culture is undeniable, but in my mind I always preferred self-titled or Loaded to this one; or at least thought it was _slightly_ overrated. Mostly because I never really warmed to the Nico tracks. And yet, as I pressed play and one iconic track gave way to another, and then another, and then another...yeah I was wrong. The true greatness of this album to me is that the minor flaws just don't fuckin' matter. It's still perfect.

Some tracks gave me Pixies vibes (specifically I'm Waiting For The Man) which kind of makes sense since I read that the Pixies were inspired by The Velvet Underground much like many other bands at the time. This speaks of how influential this album was back then, but I wasn't honestly that impressed. No track really stood out to me enough that I would like to listen to it again and the length of some is certainly one of the reasons why. Another reason is that some of the tracks honestly have unlistenable sections because of extreme strings or guitars, especially the last 2 tracks. At that point it just becomes noise rock which I'm not a big fan of.

Highlights: Sunday Morning, Venus in Furs, All Tomorrow's Parties The record didn't stand out too much to my ear. It was a bit too simple and the vocals sounded like they were recorded on a shitty microphone. Although All Tomorrow's Parties was a highlight I much prefer later cover versions of the song from Japan and Ferry. I liked the droney sound of Venus in Furs. I get that the record was influential at the time, but it didn't sound all that special to me.

Yet another seminal album I’m hearing for the first time (blasphemy, I know). It’s hard to believe it was made in 1967. Nearly 60 years later, it still feels fresh and completely its own thing (though it clearly spawned generations of artists). There are many great songs, but “Venus in Furs” is a 10/10. It’s not a perfect album by any means, but that is part of its brilliance.

1/1001 Psychedelic rock? Yeah it was like I was on LSD. Apparently an influential album. Forgive my uncultured self, but it was a less-than-decent listen, wouldn't recommend. Song recommendation: I'll Be Your Mirror

The Velvet Underground are one of those bands that is simultaneously hyper influential, and somehow not influential enough. All standard histories of rock music point to them as the progenitors of punk rock: instead of singing about peace and love like the hippie bands of the era, they were writing songs about scoring hard drugs, shooting said hard drugs, and sado-masochism. Of course influence and lineage in music is never that straight forward, and it's never a single band as an inception point for an entire style of music, but there is a cultural shift represented with this band. Where I think they were not influential enough is that there's a lot happening musically on this album beyond the social and cultural aspects of it, and for me, I find that by far the most interesting part of it. Lou Reed's guitar tunings, particularly the so-called ostrich tuning where each string on his guitar is tuned to the same note, give a strange and unsettling quality to the guitar work on Venus in Furs and All Tomorrow's Parties. John Cale's violin playing is superb here, the drones produced by them being unlike anything I've heard in any music that has anywhere close to a similar reach as the VU. The punk rock that supposedly descended from this was for the most part much more musically conservative than the Velvet Underground were. They brought the avant-garde properly into rock music, and it would take years and bands like Sonic Youth (via composers like Glenn Branca) who were likewise steeped in the New York art scene to really pick up on the avant-garde aspect of the Velvets. Five stars for me.

Probably would have been a 2 if it were not for Nico.

this is like a cult classic or something? it wasn't bad but certainly interesting. last song was a headache to listen to tho Would I listen again: nah, not my thing Deserves to be on this list: yeah for the cover art alone 3.2

Cool cover, lukewarm music

One of the absolute albums that defines countless genres. A stonecrops classic for eternity

I'm just a normal guy living a normal life man

não gostei muito, apenas 2 musicas

I tried to like this, but I didn't get a lot out of it. The more conventional dimension of the music is kinda boring to me, and the more experimental dimension is painful rather than intriguing/engaging. I know the album is very influential and ahead of its time, but it doesn't really speak to me.

Too Andy Warhol for me

Not too bad. Some songs I really enjoyed, while others not as much. Some songs were not my cup of tea, but I could still find them interesting.

I always forget how great Venus in Furs is, song of all time tbh