The Velvet Underground & Nico

Ugly and pretty pop meets narcotic drone art. Well crafted hooks meet unhinged noise. So easy to forget just how weird this record is, given that it is canonized to high hell, and I have listened to it a million times. Astounding.

What a nice album to revisit. The simplicity and the hooks grab me every time. Well done.

There are no weak links here. Lou Reed and Nico have two weird, great voices, and the music breaks new ground while somehow also seeming understated and modest.

Makeita saundeja tässä, jousia joita on käytetty oikein!

All tomorrow’s parties was my favorite! That one I could listen to again more than once. But somehow did not feel the same about most of the songs. Many of them made me just wish it was over sooner.

10/10 My favorite albums of all time. Every track is timeless. No notes

9/10 Favorites: Sunday Morning Femme Fatale I’ll Be Your Mirror

There are better Velvet Underground albums than this, and better Nico albums than this. Its influence cannot be denied, and as a project backed by Warhol it is the epitome of a ‘cool’ album. Trouble for me is, these are some of the VU’s weakest songs. There’s flashes of brilliance throughout (All Tomorrow’s Parties remains a favourite) but the songs here feel very basic compared to anything on Loaded or White Light / White Heat. Was nice to revisit this though, I probably haven’t listened to it in full for about ten years.

this albums does not get old, love it

As good as heroin!

Oh, geez. What do I say that hasn’t been said? How many copies have I owned? How many bands did it launch? Probably a top 10 record.

Femme Fatale - 10/10

Already listened to it, arguably one of the most important rock albums of its time, with a very prominent message within about drug addiction. Almost psychedelic in sound and nature, and very ahead of its time, a 10/10 in my eyes.

like i think i have to give this a 10/10?? because 1: i think all the songs sound good and some of these songs are genuinely like amazing and 2: how they fuck were they doing that in 1967!!!!! bro what the fuck!!!!!! some of these parts are insane, like if heroin or european son came out today it would still be experimental and the fact that they were doing this in 1967 is wild

- Gefällt mir besser als White Light/White Heat - Spezieller rockiger Vibe - würde ich vielleicht nochmal hören, aber wahrscheinlich nicht alle Songs Topssong: Run Run Run

I enjoyed it but probably wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it

Have listened to this album a few times and I'm convinced I'll never really 'get' it. I assume that in 1967 this was blowing people's socks off. Must be a 'me' problem since I believe the people who say it's so good.

Not my thing

Not for me. Felt like being sober in a room full of stoned people jamming on instruments. A lot of moments where it was really harsh and noisy in the earphones which had me wanting to quit. A couple of enjoyable moments maybe. Lou Reed was also partly responsible for Metallica's worst album which is difficult to forget.

While it feels a bit dated and lackluster at points now, the influential nature, especially its time, of it is clear. I think most of the appeal for me comes from Lou Reed’s voice, while I kind of strongly dislike the Nico songs. The first 30-seconds of each song is good and fun, but then it feels like they just keep going after that. “Heroin” is a classic though and an exception to the rule.

Great album. I don't necessarily like each song, im not a huge fan of the female singer, that might be Nico? But overall great sounds and a cool sound i like.

A garbled mess. Sounds like inexperience to me. Lack of consistent rhythm, several songs dragged on far too long with super repetitive verses. Very boring and repetitive. Not enjoyable. 3/10.

4/5

One of the best albums of the 60s, perfectly encapsulates psychedelic rock.

I liked it better than I thought I might…uneven still but the good stuff is really good!!

So very seminal. Again, the Savage book is great context.

Some cool songs but mostly forgettable.

I've listened to this album in full before and would say it's my favourite Velvet Underground album. I really like Nico on some of the songs, and they haven't got too weird yet (mostly).

Incredibly influential on future artists? Yup. A spot in my regular listening rotation? Not so much.

pretty good generic rock 3/5

Classic!

I liked this for exactly 3 stars

I find the back half more enjoyable to listen to, but the album overall still feels like a revelation almost 40 years after it's debut

Fun vibes but ultimately not a memorable album.

Mid, just noise. Really loved two songs though

First full listen. I was afraid of this album as a kid. Love it as a 60 year old adult. So smart, honest, daring. And good!

4.5

Algumas músicas legais, e outras insuportáveis.

Some beautiful melodies and thought provoking lyrics in a sea of distortion. Classic

Good but also some bad songs

One of the finest examples of an album that changed music. This challenges the assumption that you need to be a musician to make music. Through their short existence they became musicians though, but this shows raw, unfiltered Songwriting experimentation at its best

Good.

as revolutionary as this was it has been obliterated by albums inspired by it

More interesting than good.

Definitely an influential album. The darker tracks stood out for their ambient, moody atmosphere. You can hear how much future music grew from these sounds, even if it’s not always an easy listen.

Rating: 10/10 One of the greatest albums of all time. So experimental, creative, and groundbreaking, this sounds like nothing that came before or after it. A truly unique album that is perfect besides the last two songs. A timeless classic.

When I've first listened to the album somewhere in the early 00s, it blew my mind. It starts with Sunday Morning and my first thought when I've heard it was "you're telling me this is the music people were making during the Beatles era"? I felt it sounded like a modern song, not one from almost 40 years ago. And it's not just Sunday Morning, there's All Tomorrow's Parties, I'll Be Your Mirror, Heroin - I could list the entire album that way. One of my favorite albums of all time.

Overall weird genre amalgamation that I just couldn't get along with. 2 stars is a generous rating, but there are a few songs of value. I have a feeling it's going to rate well on this site for some reason though... - Lovely opening song. Very gentle and sweet - 2nd song is a weird Bob Dylan Punk mix. 2 chords and dense lyrics. Annoying

langweilig

Okay, admittedly I'm not the biggest fan of Lou Reed prior to this, but I also don't know much about him and his music. I'm more than willing to dive deeper here on a band I don't know much about but seems to have had a massive influence on artists I love. First listen, I love the early melodies! The opening tune Sunny Morning very reminiscent and foreshadowy of the hit to come, Femme Fatale. Having previously heard the REM cover of this song, and the later song on the album, There She Goes Again, it feels important to circle the square and listen to the originals. Certainly makes me want to revisit Dead Letter Office and relisten after this. Later night listen, this truly is one of the top 10 albums of all time. Had a great talk with a friend about this. Listened again tonight. It's astounding. Indescribable. Listened to the album in entirety about 15 times this weekend. What a discovery for me, my first big one through this project. Very thankful.

It's that good

en ciertos momentos me han recordado a los rolling me gusta el rollo experimental de algunas canciones, en general me ha gustado el álbum, aunque algunas canciones son un poco largas y repetitivas pero otras me han parecido originales canciones favs: sunday morning, i’m waiting for the man, there she goes

There are many people who claim they bought or listened to this album when it first came out, which of course is untrue. The Velvet Underground was nowhere to be found on the radio when these early records came out, but it was the release of Waiting for the Man and Heroin along with Walk on the Wild side on mainstream radio in the early 70’s that brought the band or Lou Reed to people’s attention. This is a landmark album of which so much has been said that I have nothing to offer. Classic.

personally. they are ok, must be missing something, sound ok but wouldn't seek this out

Great.

Not my style if music. Not bad though.

5 stars.

I can see why so many people find this album compelling. Lyrically it’s saying things that no one was talking about. Unfortunately the music just doesn’t grab me. Trying to be cooler than cool.

Started off ok, but the second half was tedious and self indulgent.

I always thought I really loved this but maybe I just thought I should?? Or not the day for it??

amo

Mellow, kind of underground feeling pop rock

Hovering between a 2 and a 3 here, need to come up with a way to decide... Found one: it's Lou Reed, so it's a...

65/1001 :: The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 8 Fav Tracks: Venus in Furs, I’m Waiting for the Man, Sunday Morning Listen before you die: Yes. Most definitely. I’ve listened to this before but TBH not enough. This album is just cool AF. Lou Reed is on another level of cool. Also Andy Warhol produced this? What the hell does he know about producing? Sounds pretty good though… I much prefer the Lou songs over the Nico songs. For whatever reason the Nico songs sound a lot more 60s. Not in a bad way but a lot of the Lou Reed songs have a more timeless quality to them. This is another one I need on vinyl.

Ahh the Velvet Underground, art music. Now I'm not saying it's bad by any stretch, I very much enjoy it. I do prefer their later albums as they have a more mature sound even when they are experimenting. This album lays the groundwork for those later albums and you can hear it. They are the proto alternative/punk band, they influenced a bunch of other bands. You might not like their sound as it is more experimental but you can't deny their talent. It's a great start for the weirder music that comes out later. It's a great album to give a chance to.

Nice

1. Sunday Morning - 5 Not a great sound vocally and instrumentally there's not a lot to it to critique to begin with. It's not a bad track. 2. I'm Waiting for the Man - 6 Good sound. Bit too melodic in the lyrics but the track moseys along well enough. 3. Femme Fatale - 6 Lyrically very very strong. It has too much of that early 60s/late 50s rock and roll doo-wop sound. The barbershop quartet type of track. Other than that it's enjoyable. 4. Venus In Furs - 9 Lyrically great but the wailing of the guitars and violins are excellent. Instrumentally the track is absolutely fantastic. The tone change into the chorus is superb. Great track. 5. Run Run Run - 6 Guitars sound good but the track has not stood the test of time. Lyrically it's not anything more than average in the verses. Choruses are significantly better. Third verse is also quite enjoyable. 6. All Tomorrow's Parties - 4 Lyrically it's not a good track but the piano and the guitars do very here to recover some enjoyment out of the track. Percussions sound solid as well and the constant unwavering drum beat also adds good flavour to the track. 7. Heroin - 10 Artistically brilliant. Everything about this track feeds into the theme: the wailing of the guitars into their classic riffs, the lyrics starting start forward before exploding into a diatribe of topics, the octave of the collective sound rising and falling. Excellent track. 8. There She Goes Again - 7 Lyrically good until the outro. Instrumentally very good too. It's an enjoyable track overall and one of the better ones on the album. 9. I'll Be Your Mirror - 2 It's just too slow and melodic. Lyrically uninspiring, the track will put you to sleep more than anything. 10. The Black Angel's Death Song - 0 Instrumentally horrible. The violins and guitars screech unpleasantly throughout the entire song and vocally it's more of a preaching track rather than singing. Awful sound. 11. European Son - 4 More a jam track to end the album which is not really an ideal way for it to end. The guitars going from riffs to screeching isn't hugely enjoyable. The track also goes on for too long without the jam changing barely at all. Average Rating: 5.36 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 2.68 Rounded Up: 3 Stars

Mmmmhhh excepto All Tomorrows Parties, no tuve mucha felicidad. Aunque por la época seguro se le voló la tapa del seso a más de uno. Nota: 3.4

It’s hard to review an album that has been so overhyped and overpraised over the years... The last time I listened to this album, I was much, much younger. I didn’t care for it back then (I really can’t remember why), but I enjoyed it far more this time around. Quite a lot of songs – most of all the mythical « Heroin » - sound very Doors-like, so it’s hard not to compare them ; but this album came out only 2 months after The Doors’ first album, so it may not be a direct influence. I think both bands just really managed to capture the spirit of their time, with a mix of sultry blues, psychedelic musings and vaguely disturbing vibes. The lyrics of Heroin must have been a shocker back then (and probably still are today). Overall a great album - thick and hazy as opium smoke, obviously influential, and still very modern by many aspects. I considered giving them a 5*, but it’s a tad too sweet for my taste (the Doors were definitely more unhinged IMHO), and Lou Reed’s voice somewhat still lacks in maturity.

Oh the banana album, I wanted to be hyped ! In the end, I found it good but not terrific....still some harsh sounds and Lou Reed toxic vocals makes it relevant, even for today.

Critics have been hyping this album forever as one of the most important in music history. I guess to really get why, you would have to put yourself back in 1967. But I don’t want to get this approach on this album, because I know that the lyrics only gave it its groundbreaking dimension. If I just play it as it is, the innovation doesn’t exactly jump out at me and it is quite an average album. “I’m Waiting for the Man” does give a glimpse of how Lou Reed will sound on Transformer, sure, but aside from that, I’m not blown away. Honestly, I prefer their third album, which we already listened to in this challenge, and definitely some of Lou Reed’s solo work.

Veel killer, weinig filler! Echt veel topnummers, waardoor de soms iets te lange experimentele stukken wat luisterbaarder blijven. Wat goed is, is ook echt goed!

Not my style overall but I enjoyed the final two tracks. Idk why I thought velvet underground were heavier. I'm probably being an idiot and getting them mixed with another band.

Sounds like the mamas and papas on a massive downer! Happy to never have to sit through that again!

- talvez se não tivesse o andy warhol por trás não seria o álbum deles mais famoso - é um bom álbum de estreia com ideias bem modernas, relacionadas a minimalismo e música concreta - poderia ser melhor, mas o impacto e influência dele são muito grandes até hoje

Weh

Definitely hipster. More lo fi than I expected. Nico’s voice is actually kind annoying.

I already tried to enjoy this album a few times. This was another failed attempt.

It was ok, a bit different from the other things from that era, but still kinda boring. Not bad though.

Classic

Me gustó el concepto del álbum.

I have yet to be impressed by a Velvet underground record.

•4/5 • deceptively loose and unrefined, but the songs are great and they hold together so well • love the album even though my favorite version of each song isn’t the original

A really schizophrenic album - from the noise of European Son to the icy pop of Mirror, this veers everywhere, and I love it. I have heard Waiting so many times (& in so many versions) I'd be happy never to hear it again. But the equally sharp Run Run Run is a highlight here. So much to enjoy, and so many moods. The only slight hesitation is the wish that they had the technology to capture or reproduce more bass at that time. The sound is a little thin in places, especially compared to White Light, but most of these tracks warrant 5 stars on their own.

Just perfect. Fuzzy, beautiful, fucked up.

I have to like this if I want a chance with the alt girls

Album No. 022 on my list. Yet another experimental, avant garde, and highly influential early rock/pop album. And one with an iconic cover! I found that this is an okay-ish album. “Femme Fatale” is a long-time favorite of mine, and “Sunday Morning” is a solid pop song. The rest of the songs is more progressive and experimental to various degrees. Many of them are still alright, some I did not like (e.g. “European Son”). I get why this album has had such a long-lasting impact. To me personally, it does not appear all too much, but it’s still alright. Based on my personal feelings and disregarding the overall impact, 3/5 stars!

A secret about me: I've never listened to this album before, as iconic and influential as it is, especially in genres that I enjoy. I fully understand how this album influenced so many bands. It's psychedelic punk rock art. As a pure listener, though, whatever that means, I don't know if it holds up as well against the test of time. Heap praises onto it for being a founder of multiple genres, carving its way through the musical jungle with its heavy distortion and what Lou Reed would call singing. But know, it's really not that great. I do still think it's good! But it's definitely not as great as its reputation. It definitely does have its place on this list; it's 1001 albums to listen to before you die, which also necessarily includes albums whose influence is greater than its listening experience. Favorite Song(s): Sunday Morning, Heroin

oh yea, the backbone of modern punk. New York after the 60's. lou reed is one of those guys that doesn't really seem to be the best at anything, but he knows music and he knows this scene. Heroin is an amazing song, that sets up the next couple decades of experimentation mixed with the DGAF attitude about impressing critics are even fellow musicians. for this to be the first record with a Warhol original as a cover is about as cool as it gets. they were in the thick of it, and Lou would go on to basically be 2nd godfather to punk after Iggy. music conventionally follows a pattern, and this is so unsettling and raw that it destroys the line between reality and the actual songs. you either love it or hate it. for that alone its a 4/5. not super huge on Nico, but her involvement does enhance the eclectic feel to the album.

Great album.

Great way to start thisnjourny

Easily a 5 star album if not for a few tracks where Lou Reed is furiously channeling Bob Dylan in a way that makes a listener wonder if he hates Dylan and is satirizing him

I have since discovered that I am not a huge Lou Reed fan, but his work on VU with John Cale is awesome, especially this album. I also learned that I am not a Nico fan, but on this album her vocal inclusion adds texture to this album. Her song, Femme Fatale, is a perfect Cure the Hangover, or just a quiet Sunday morning after listening to Heroin on repeat for hours. What I always liked about this album the contrasts of emotion, from the light start of Sunday Morning, to the curiously honest Waiting for My Man in which the character openly talks about his drug dealer, to Venus in Furs, and Run Run Run. Listening to “Heroin” is like taking heroine without the lingering effects, costs or addiction. Even the Black Angel’s Death Song feels like the tail end of a drug binge. This album is definitely not for everyone, but it is definitely for me!

Random thoughts: * This has been one of my favorites for at least 20 years now. Can't remember when exactly I "discovered" the Velvet Underground but it was based on a list like this. Probably one of those Rolling Stone magazines with the 500 greatest albums of all time. * There is no doubt this was an influential album as it's impacts are still reverberating today. You can hear this in many indie and alternative bands now. * I always found it weird that the very first album by the Velvet Underground was a collaborative effort that never happened again. That is just kinda strange. But Velvet Underground and Nico just work better together. * The Andy Warhol impact is cool and punctuates the impact of this band on the overall culture. * I'm Waiting for the Man is the best track hands down! I still bob my head every time I hear this song. Makes me want to go hangout at the corner of Lexington and 125. * The rest of the songs are pretty great too just not as great as Waiting for the Man. However, I can do without European Son. Always kind of a sour note to end the album. * This is a certified classic. Hands down for both listening and influence.

Groundbreaking ⭐️heroin

Here is a legendary collective of aloof artists and cool cats. Their record is like a community mural where all are welcome to doodle, whether complementary or incongruous to a design. It's a droning-tone kraut-folk drum circle frame of mind. They take on some heavy topics, but without lingering in a joyless dark forest. What really gets to me is how Nico's flat, "coffins creaking" voice somehow makes a perfect match with Velvet Underground and swells in sweet affectation. Cool isn't necessarily cold.

Ergh. Absolute dogshit

Brilliant album! We're back in my wheelhouse with the music of this era.

Muy buen album, me encanta la incorporacion de nico. temazo tras temazo

Decent tunes, a bit overrated it sounds like but i enjoyed it for the most part.

Classic. Certified timeless effortless cool.

Føles 15 minutter kortere end den var. Den trækker ikke ud i for mange kroge af vanvid, men fungere bare rigtig godt.

Den lægger hårdt ud med to klassikere. Hele albummet er en blanding af catchy melodier og eksperimenterende kompositioner.

Great, ground breaking album!

I don't care how much of a hipster it makes me. This isn't an album it's a sacred text. 6 stars.

really good sound. wasn't expecting it to sound so soulful, but the added female vocals from Nico really made it special.

I expected more

Easy going happy vibes. Once again an album which is slightly too repetitive for my taste

!!!!!

There's been a heck of a lot written about this album and most of it is true. The start of the New York scene that gave us Patti Smith, The Ramones, Blondie, Television and Talking Heads. The tracks sung by Nico should make this album disconnected and awkward but they don't, they lift it to another level.

This might be some of my least favourite music ever. It is scratchy and pingy. If the damage isn’t done physically by these high frequency clanks, it is done emotionally.

Не моё совершенно. Культовость осознаю, но мимо

Extremely influential, also amazing songwriting here, Heroin is an amazing song and I really like Venus in Gurs and Sunday Morning. One of the best out there.

Yeah! I like this.

Still better than Kanye West.

No. This is definitely not a t-shirt brand.

Great album! Also one of the coolest album arts of all time with the peelable banana. But I guess that's what you get when you have Warhol producing it. A very good listen, now to go listen to Chelsea Girl since I got that one a few weeks after this one.

- hmm i’m not sure i like the vibe of this music but i think that it’s not bad, quite hoppy at times - there she goes is or i’ll be your mirror probably the best song out of the album imo

I liked the first couple of songs (femme fatale is my favourite i think) but i didn’t love the screechy clangy stuff that started to appear later in the album 😭 i know that this band and album are very significant in music history…makes me feel bad that i’m not rating it higher but i just didn’t enjoy it that much 🫣 honestly maybe im the problem and i need to listen to more rock and experimental stuff

There were some great songs on here, I especially liked Sunday morning (ofc), femme fatale, run run run, and there she goes again. However, I think it was a tad too excitements for my taste, want a fan of the screechy strings and the last song was one of the quest things I’ve heard in my life. This was another album where I mainly appreciated it for its place in music history, but I doubt I’ll return to much of it.

Oh this is such an amazing album. I've always thought that it was a bit dated, and I see it less relevant nowadays than other of the 60s/70s (e.g. Jimi Hendrix, Beatles, Led Zep, etc.). I know that it was revolutionary in its moment and that is a cornerstone for those born in the 50s like my dad. But somehow, it feels like for younger generations it is a bit less impactful than for theirs. That said, when listening to it again, I can clearly see that this is a masterpiece. With its subtle, yet frightening approach, one can nothing but feel the chills when thinking about these pack of weirdos shooting heroin on stage and complaining about the city. Talking about influences, that minimalism in some songs (e.g. using just guitar, no bass) also reminds me of a preceding version of Jesus and Mary Chain's Supercandy. These kinds of examples prove (me) that this is not another rock album of its era like Rolling Stones', but something more dangerous and disturbing, and I can now understand what my dad's generation felt about this. Or maybe not, as they had no idea or english, etc. Who knows.

Influential rather than completely listenable. But interesting and innovative in parts.

I don't remember listening to this album all the way through but for sure we would have turned off the final track before it had finished. I guess I know a lot of these songs pretty well and the majority of the album is great. I imagine that I'd enjoy the descent from waking up to being completely wasted on heroin, which seems to be how the album tracks, more if was a junkie - but I'm not. Despite that it is still a dangerously beautiful homage to drug addiction. 5/5

some very good songs but found it lame, maybe it was just my mood ill relisten to it

Este álbum é um clássico e só tem um pequeno defeito em 2 músicas que eu acho que torna ali uma parte do álbum mais monótono, mas é todo ele genial e super consistente. Abrir com o Sunday Morning e fechar com o European Son é incrível!

Marmite. You either love them or hate them. It's repetitive in a good way, something you can zone out to, and it takes you along on a lil journey. I do love it but I admit that there are more musically interesting albums.

Hmm this album was interesting. For every song I enjoyed there was one I disliked. The vibe was super 60s and shockingly the first time I’d ever listened to the Velvet Underground. The bass on European Son - slapped. Then they do something ass like add in smashing glasses adlibs and bongo drums.. Weirdly I enjoyed Nico’s vocals more than Lou reeds… Again some songs I loved- others were just a miss for me

Great stuff

A bunch of hipster who couldn’t play their instruments properly

Early Cage, Eno and Lou! As a NYer it’s all about the lyrics.

Uskomattoman hirveää. Biisit muuttuivat yhä psykedeellisimmiksi albumin loppua kohti niin että lopulta vingutus sattui korviin. Laulajan ääni, eikä hänen tapansa puhua laulamisen sijaan saanut minua pitämään tästä yhtään enempää. Mietin myös onko säveltäjä unohtanut, että feidaamisen lisäksi on muitakin tapoja päättää kappale.

Didn't really enjoy this one. Between what I think were intentionally discordant sounds and what I think of as sort of stereotypical (probably because of this album) late 60s rock, there just wasn't much here I really enjoyed. It feels like an album that's Art with a capital A, at the expense of being an actual enjoyable listen.

That damn banana haunts my dreams, and it really doesn't get much better on my second listen. I can't think of many albums I've listened to that I feel got worse the second time around. It's really close between this and Rubber Soul by The Beatles for the most overrated album ever in my opinion. There are two or three good songs, but the album as a whole is an absolute slog and significantly more influential than it is good. Lou Reed's solo work is better in genuinely every way.

gut

Clásico.

Not for me

A good album which has clearly influenced a lot of other artists ( I've noticed that Coldplay lifted large parts of the album Viva la Vida from this album). Other than Nico's slightly distracting accent, an excellent record from start to finish.

Fucking incredible

Heroin is one of the most impressive songs ever written. There’s some other gems here too. A couple clunkers tho

you know what sucks? this album is really good. going into this i only knew sunday morning and femme fatale so i knew i was gonna like at least two songs but i really didn’t wanna like any more than that because c’mon nico is a pos and this album ive been told is severely overrated but i think the hype is valid. it is very good.

I liked This album was so much better than white light/white heat super impressed. Now I know the allure of the Velvet Underground. The song heroine is brilliant produced by Andy Warhol is a super plus. 7.0

Gilmore Girls made me think I’d like this more

Very interesting, not as good as the last velvet underground album I listened to. 5.1/10

i <3 lou reed and the velvet underground

Famous quote says: the album only sold 10,000 copies when released, and every person who bought one started a band.

Gutes Album, kenne ich schon lange.

70s man music. I liked it but not going to listen again.

Some obvious hits (I'm Waiting For The Man, Heroin), but heard some that were new to me (Sunday Morning, Run Run Run). Cool sound for 1967.

Comforting. Sounds like breakfast coffee.

One of the greatest albums of all time. It still sounds fresh and innovative 56 years after it was recorded.

A classic and a sign of the times, except I could have done without the It girl of the moment Nico, her “singing” just takes me out of it.

Do not listen to European Son if you're trying to get anything done

Hacía años que no volvía a reescuchar este disco. Tiene un je ne sais quoi que me aleja: su propuesta no me resulta atractiva. Sin embargo, si hubiera que juzgar a este disco por su importancia habría que ponerle no cinco, sino 10 estrellas. Antes de votarlo y ponerle 3 estrellas decidí escucharlo otra vez. Y ahí vuelvo a entender lo importante y significativo que es este trabajo. Me resultan desagradables las últimas dos canciones, las más experimentales del proyecto. Y podría vivir sin Run Run Run y tal vez I'll Be Your Mirror. Pero las otras canciones son fantásticas. Mi favorita es, y no creo estar solo, Venus in Furs, oda al sadomasoquismo con la experimental viola de John Cale. Pero realmente la calidad de todo este trabajo es muy alta: cuando lo iba a reescuchar me había olvidado de algunas canciones: qué las canciones que canta Nico no son muy buenas, qué Waiting for the Man es medio repetitiva y tiene una melodía tonta, qué Heroin es una canción larga donde no pasa nada. Pero no, mi memoria probó no ser segura (otra vez más): la voz de Nico en canciones como All Tomorrow's Parties es perfecta (tal vez sí no me interese tanto como suena en Femme fatale), I'm Waiting for the Man tiene pequeñas sutilezas que la hacen interesante, además de describir a la New York gritty de una forma que cientas de canciones de Frank Sinatra y similares nunca habían hecho, y Heroin es una canción envolvente y atrapante que no me aburrió ni me dio sensaciones de déjà vu pese a sus 7 minutos de duración. Por todo esto voy a subir la calificación a 4 estrellitas, aunque sea probable que no vuelva a escuchar este disco por un largo periodo más. Lo disfruto, entiendo su importancia, pero también consigue saturar.

Delicate in parts then full frenetic expressions, the vocals are mesmerizing and the instrumentation captures a wild feeling.

Wow. I just finished mushy banana music album. This doesn't speak to me in any way. My brain feels like it just came off a trip, if I knew what that felt like. I can get how it was important at the time, but I'm not a fan of the hipster poet music.

Standout Songs: I'm Waiting For The Man There She Goes Again

Fucking love. Absolutely must listen before you die

Kommentarer överflödiga. Herregud vilken jävla platta! 5 av 5 rakt igenom (utom sista två spåren). Den är så rå så att det nästan gör ont. Fullständigt brutal platta!

Clearly I'm missing something obvious here. Because what the actual fuck. Whaaaaat a suck fest. Were they all taking their first music lessons on the same day? And someone hit record? Looks like someone accidentally plugged their guitar into a toaster. Oh, and by the way, Lou Reed can't sing for shit. Oh, and by the way, Nico can't sing for shit. I return to -- what the fuck am I missing here? Fave songs: - Sunday Morning - Femme Fatale - Heroin - I'll Be Your Mirror

I definitely like some songs and some aspects of this album but is not really for me 2/5

Need to listen to fully again, but undoubtedly great album

A shimmering work of incadescent genius. Listened to it three times straight. I'm like 99% sure I'd find every single one of them absolutely insufferable (and would want to fight Lou reed within about two minutes), but this is the best of the best and the top of the tops.

Oh man, time for a big boy. I've never heard this record or any song adjacent to the group, but I've heard that this album is very experimental, and with that in mind, I gave it my first listening. My inital experince was quite good, but I have to say that I expected it to be way more experimental than it actually felt. Fortunately, this opinion changes with the more listenings I gave it to. I'll start talking about the songs that suprised me the most: - 'Sunday Morning' is a wonderful start to the album. The little xylophone melody is beautiful. - 'Venus In Furs' uses a electric viola and it is very interesting. It gives the song an intense ambiance. It also reminded my a lot of Godspeed You Black Emperor's music. - 'Heroin' sees the returning of the viola, but now is more in the background, until it hits the last moments of the song, when it starts to sound very noisy and viol-a-ent (sorry, I have to do it) . Beside, one of the most remarkable aspect of this track is the use of crescendos and accelerating rhythms that always end in them returning to the initial pace. This allows the song to feel very dynamic and quite a bit energetic. - 'The Black Angel's Death Song' is another song which uses the viola. If I didn't make it clear, I loved how they used this instrument through the whole album. Adds a lot of personality. - 'European Son' is the closing track and also the longest one of the project, and it does an incredible job at ending the album, with pure noise madness. The rest of the songs, I found them to be more on the 'ordinary' side of psychedelic rock. Nonetheless, I still enjoy them very much, and with more and more listenings, I'm discovering a lot of details which make them feel more unique. My only complain about this LP would be the production, as it can feel a bit rough or crispy, but this had to be due to the technical limitations from that time. Overall, an incredible experimental record that I loved. As a side note, I want to express how good it feels to hear something that really feels psychedelic and experimental from this list. A lot of what I've being getting didn't feel as strange as I wanted to, or even felt bland and uninteresting.

absolute musical masterpiece 💞

some of the songs were ok, but most of them were kind of boring to me. i’m just not a lou reed guy.

Not a fan of Nico or the feedback but other than that, I’ll take it.

Banana. Distortion. Risqué lyrical content. Some more distortion. Some great song making hiding amidst the drugs.

I love VU. This album is mostly good. There are some experimental, psychedelic moments that are just noise in my opinion, but overall it’s solid.

The old-school NY hipsters loved to tell you that you had to listen to this. It's decent, gritty stuff. I kind of liked it.

In some ways, having a ridiculous number of 60s psychedelic rock on this list does offer a good contrast to how different this album was from similar artists of the time.

I think 🤔 the point of the album and the band themselves are to be as subversive as possible. It definitely makes that attempt. Lou Reed has his best performance vocals until Transformer. But Nico… oof. Musically too Dylanesque without the folky credibility. Here’s the thing. I just simply don’t enjoy the VU. They just make me cringe. It’s a lot like Andy Warhol’s art. Mostly conceptual, and groundbreaking by bringing the subversive stuff up from the underground. Without being able to cite any example, there’s a lot of stuff from the underground that is well executed and thought through. VU are a little too spontaneous and sloppy for me to clearly see the concept. But according to Wikipedia all rock is essentially transgressive. So they do succeed at making rock music. I s’pose. 100% influential. Very risky. Not all bad. I get the experiment. It just freaks me out that this all gets so much love. 🤷‍♀️

i’ll be your mirrorrrrrrr

Somehow sounds both old and modern

The band, album, and cover art are all iconic...but the album falls flat, and at times is a bit annoying. To like the Velvet Underground is to like easy going, low tempo music, which can be appreciated, but the album grows weary on the listener.

Improved since first listen Strong start to album Understand the importance and why people like it but just not really for me I would give it a 3.5 if I could but I cant give it s 4 so I have to go 3

Important then. Sorta important now.

not bad, it just isnt hitting

Good 60s album.

Lou Reed is one of those artists I've always avoided because I find his singing quite boring. I didn't clue in the lead singer was Lou Reed until halfway through the album, and this is definitely the best work I've heard from him. With that said, there's no memorable moments on this album that will have me coming back for more.

When it's good it's incredible, I just don't like nico that much

I like every song Nico isn't on and that's not even because of her politics. I just found her voice to be very unpleasant on this, which is strange because I do like her song Reich der Träume.

Very odd but inspiring in its avant garde

This is one of the greatest. I honestly feel that 100% of my friends all have this album in one way or another.

It's really just OK with some forays into plain annoying. Cannot quite understand how this is groundbreaking, "seminal", and influential. Some of the songs sound a bit like 60's hippy-ish folk-laden tunes - Sunday Morning, All Tomorrow's Parties, I'll Be Your Mirror for example. "Heroin" is grating. The jangly guitars are good, but the drone in the background throughout annoys and whoever told Lou Reed he should be a singer was obviously riding the horse themselves. The end is a screechy mess. European Son is horrendous. I love a good instrumental jam... and even when folks go out on musical tangents and come back, kind of jazz-like. But this sounds like some children that picked up instruments with no training and just banged some shit out. Femme Fatal is well written and poorly sung. I've heard a few (apparent) covers of it, and it's a fine enough song. I actually had to doublecheck to see if these guys wrote it. I thought it was an older song. So, points for this one! Here's how I think this could be called influential - If I was 20 and I heard this, I might think, "If they can put this out there and make it big, then I sure as hell sure can!" Not influential as in, "One day I aspire to be that," but more like "Shit, I can do better than that, right now!"

I own this album. I know this album. I know how influential this album is. I also think it is full on drones. Ostrich guitar. Droning orchestral parts and droning voices. Nico's voice is haunting and the rest of the band sing well also. There are some gems in here and decent songs too. But, on my listen, I found myself annoyed by the droning and some of the more experimental parts. The guitar solos on 'Run, Run, Run's, and basically the end of the closing track. I can see why this album is some important, but also why critics are divided on it (when it was released). 'Sunday Morning', 'Femme Fatale' and 'Heroin' are favourites, and I discovered how much I liked 'There she goes again'. But, holding it back from five star status is the reusing of melodies, experimental parts and drones that at times can annoy me. 4 stars.

This album is like being a downtrodden young man, living in a grimy part of town. Your girlfriend is cheating on you and you hate your job. Even though you have minimal expendable income, the weather is nice outside so you’re gonna go for a walk. You’ll spend your last twenty dollars on a couple of bottles of cheap cider, and sit in the park finding beauty in this day, regardless of what else is going on.

Maybe you had to be there at the time. Maybe you needed to hear this before you heard the stuff that came after. Interesting lyrical content and some interesting instrumental parts, but not anything I'd like to listen to again

*** Ok, but not more

boring af 1/5

This rating may make some people angry, but that is okay and they will get over it. I think this is quite possibly the most overrated album to ever be released. There are two good songs on the project and a lot of non directional fluff. I understand that albums this raw weren't really around at this time, but just because something is unique does not make it any better as a project. The first person to wipe standing up also thought that he was changing the world and yet he was entirely wrong about the correct way to clean his ass. 3/10

Yeah, four stars. I don’t have a lot to add. It’s an extremely important album, and it’s extremely good!

i feel like this album will probably grow on me more with time, not bad i think i jsut need to give it a few more listens

One of the true sounds of the future. Whether they truly knew it or not, whether anybody wanted it to be or not. It just is. Gentle beauty and brazen cacophony dwell together on this album and within this group of musicians more effectively than almost anything.

First time listener it’s great

Few albums are more iconic than The Velvet Underground & Nico. The myth and lore that surround it certainly influence the listening experience but can also be a bit of a distraction from the music. I tried my hardest to listen to this as if it was the first time hearing it and what I found this time around still held up to the high expectations. There is a raw emotive intensity with the album that draws you in. I find it almost uncomfortable to listen to in bits (the drone of Heroin, Run Run Run) but then it balances itself out with the subtle and poetic songs (I'll be Your Mirror, Sunday Morning). In some ways this album is intimidating and you genuinely have to be ready for it and up for the journey to listen to it - but taking the time to do that I'm still blown away that something so simple can have such a strong effect. I don't know if I "like it" the same way I might enjoy a classic album from the Beatles or Zeppelin... But I do think this album is undeniably one of the best in terms of impact and pure artistic merit.

This is yet another incredibly influential and incredibly divisive albums that's full of droning, dissonant and atonal noise, and feedback. It won't be for everyone, but I absolutely love it! I'm Waiting for the Man, Venus in Furs, Heroine and the Black Angel's Death Song are huge highlights for me. Heroine is honestly a perfectly crafted song.

Album 853 of 1089 The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) Rating : 4.5 / 5 It’s not packed with mainstream hits, memorable melodies, or even standout musicianship—and yet, somehow, it still feels like a great album. I’m not entirely sure why, but it worked for me. It’s a good listen, and one I feel I should revisit with the lyrics in front of me to get the full effect. I like Lou Reed, and that probably helps. There’s really no clear reason this should be a great album… and yet, here we are.

60s Bob Dylan vibe basic but interesting

Didn't really care for this, it was fine but never really grabbed me

This was an album of drones. Heroin was full of drone. Then Black Angel’s Death Song had more drone. Followed by European Sun with even more. I can understand now how the infamous Lou Reed + Metallica album came to fruition.

[PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED] - this album would be considered avante-garde today, let alone in the 60s. Unsettling juxtaposition of the musical elements with the lyrical albums that has a wide range of sonic influences from folk to soft rock. Unbelievably creative.

What an album. It can be a difficult listen at times, and not everybody wants or needs that in music, but it can also be slow, soft, poetic. Then its gritty and powerful again. It drags you in with atonal, sharp, dissonant sounds then before you know it I'll be Your Mirror is playing and you are back to those Sunday Morning vives. The Run Run Run soloing shouldnt work but it does and I love it. There are few songs in existence like Venus in Furs and Heroin is a legitimate masterpiece. Then take into account the time, place, personalities and circumstances surrounding the band and you begin to understand the weight this album holds. Its a shocking, absurd , mess of a record that allows the sun to shine through every so often, letting you breathe, get your bearings, before it goes again to those dark places that you don't really understand. Its a record that sounds different depending on when and where you listen. I unserstand why some might hate it but for me its powerful, beautiful and I love it. 9/10

One of the Best

I love and hate the music on this album in turns. I can't with Nico, at all. Heroin and I'm Waiting for the Man are all-time favorite songs, but there is a fair amount of experimental art-house stuff that is hard to listen to. extra points for inspiring artists to come?

Boring and weird. I dont care what anyone says. Heroin is the best song on the album by far

Not for me.

The first listen, I was was a little disturbed by the lyrics. So I read about the album and the history, and then listened again. Musically, I love it. I still feel that the lyrics are a little disturbing, but I appreciate it more after learning about it.

Some of this is standard 60s fare, but so much of it isn’t. From the embrace of middle eastern tones, to the unapologetic heroin tribute. I loved “run run run” the most.

I expected to hate this because I found their second album unlistenable. But this is something else. Sunday Morning and Femme Fatale are pretty and understated, featuring Nico on vocals. Venus In Furs drones on with Eastern sounds and a martial drum beat, evoking post rock before anyone dreamed of calling it that. Except for the solo, Run Run Run could be the blues, distilled, taken apart and put back together a little askew. Nico's voice returns for All Tomorrow's Parties, giving it a sense of grandeur. Heroin then brings back the drone. It's a slow burn, Lou's sung-spoken vocals somehow working with the music. The dissonance increases in the second half, but its ugliness only emphasizes the beauty elsewhere. Nico again steals the show on I'll Be Your Mirror, a fleeting moment of lucidity before the last two tracks take the deconstruction to a new level. It's a gradual descent into distortion and noise. I struggle to describe it, but I finally GET this.

I played through this one twice. I had recently heard of the velvet underground, but hadn’t gotten around to listening to their stuff yet until now. At first, while I did like a few of the songs on this album and was intrigued by some of the very direct lyrics, but I didn’t quite get how this was such an influential album. On second listen through it clicked a little more. I was fascinated the distorted sounds and interesting droning yet simple repetitive hooks. Heroin made me feel like I was along for the ride with the chaotic escalating rhythms and poignant lyrics. But at the same time there are the beautiful smooth melodies of Sunday Morning and Femme Fatale. Further when considering the other music being made at the time I recognize how far ahead of their time they were and the lasting effect that they had on the future of alternative/indie/punk/grunge rock, which are definitely my go to genre(s).

Listened in the truck via YouTube music. Classic. It’s singable and fraught/tonal at the same time. Nico’s vocals are kind of hard to take seriously though.

På mitt ex står det att den kom 66 men det spelar kanske mindre roll. Ett pärlband ikoniska låtar men dess rykte är kanske lite orättvist gott, många av de här låtarna är bättre i coverversioner av andra artister än i dessa origonalversioner. Inflytandet går knappast att argumentera om, idémässigt är det delvis nyskapande för sin tid, men bandet låter faktiskt ganska taffligt och tråkigt och Nico är mer spännande solo än här. Tre år senare lät dom mycket mer sofistikerat och "färdiga", jag väljer det albumet alla dar i veckan. Sen kanske det bara är jag men all den där Reedska New York smartnessen står mig lite upp i halsen, det blir överdos av det över ett helt album. Lyssna hellre på The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground (1969), Stina Nordenstam - Dynamite, The Stooges - Funhouse

Klassikernas klassiker. Med rätta. Inspelningsljudet kunde ha varit bättre, även med 1967 års mått, men det är verkligen en randanmärkning.

I det stora hela en samling bra popmelodier (lite som Belle & Sebastian 30 år senare). Den taskig ljudbilden är väl medveten men hade nog mått bättre av lite mer hi-fi. Var ett tag sen man lyssnade på albumet, men tycker det håller än.

60-tals flum. Två ok låtar: Sunday Morning, There She Goes Again. Relevant när den kom, men inte längre. Hamnar väl på listan främst utifrån hur många som säger sig ha inspirerats av skivan. Snarare ett museiföremål en ett levande musikaliskt verk.

Ok so you need this to get to so many after. They wrote the playbook. Without them, no Clash, Television, Pavement, Sonic Youth, or any other descendants. I really liked this.

The moody, brooding vibe of this album comforts me in more ways than I care to admit. If “sadly hopeful rock for misanthropes” were a genre, this would be the gold standard.

Great music to do heroin to!! I kid But this album + a stroll in prospect park was a great way to recover my sanity after an intense couple weeks on multiple jobs 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎 (well most of the songs, you noisy buggers know who you are)

I am as disappointed now as I was eager yesterday to dive into some best-of Velvet Underground. This was like listening to a smash-cut of the absolute roughest Bob Dylan scatting. Heroin secures the 2.

Even though I know Velvet Underground had a big impact on many of my faves, this was just so-so to me.

I have a growing suspicion that anyone under the age of 50 who says they like the velvet underground is lying.

This is so ingrained in me, such a product of it's time but also a harbinger of things to come. So much variety between tracks. Didn't always care for the noise rock elements but they practically invented it so... Anyway it's a vibe and I wish I'd had some herbal refreshment beforehand

Favorites: I'm Waiting For The Man, Femme Fatale, Heroin It's a classic rock record for a reason. TVU (and Nico... and Andy Warhol to some extent) pushed the boundaries of music as a whole to create some of the most memorable songs you'll ever hear. It's one of my favorite records of all time for a good reason. Varied and innovative.

Was listening while heading to the shops in a lot of pain. I liked the drugged out aspects, the chilled vibes to some songs, the torment, and it greatly complemented my day. I choo-choo-choose to listen to it again with my eyes on the song titles too next time.

This album was an acquired taste for me… I dug “Waiting for the Man” and “Heroin” right off the bat, but the rest of the album went over my head as a teen… now, I can recognize the genius!

Cool instrumentals yet again but the vocals are not the greatest, recording quality also doesn't help with that. Some pretty cool uses of some cool effects and instruments tho.

I have a confession to make: I don’t like using the word “overrated”. If I don’t like something, I just assume that it’s my opinion. I don’t like using a word that tries to take down other people’s opinion to elevate my own. However, I feel like this album became an exception. I cannot for the life of me, understand the appeal of this album. I get that it’s influential and important and whatever. But best of all time? You got to be fucking kidding me. Outside of lyrical content, I don’t know what about this was daring or bold. It’s just felt like most other 60’s pop/rock I heard before, but now with a focus on drugs and other edgy shit. I feel people like this album because everyone else claims it’s the best and no one wants to be Mr. Contrarian. Well, I’ll be that guy. This is, and I don’t mean this lightly, an overrated album. Also, Nico in this album for like three songs. That’s criminally low. She’s the best part of the album and it’s seldom used. God, this was so mid. Favorite track: I’ll Be Your Mirror Other hits: Femme Fatale, All Tomorrow's Parties

Classic

My biggest issue with psychodelic music is that it lacks any consistency and while they may have wrote, created and recorded while on substances, most of the mainstream world can't listen to them while on substances causing them to lose a little bit of their luster and instead become (for me) confusing and disjointed at time. This album was not as bad as many leaning towards being more enjoyable, but there were still times the lyrics seemed to lack emotion or the instruments were just off enough that it was odd.

My favorite thing about this band is how they play their instruments like they are broken. Waiting for My Man is one of my all time favorite songs. I'm in love with that pounding piano. Run Run Run has a great tempo and live feeling similar to White Light White Heat (my other favorite VU album). Heroin does not glorify drugs. Lou is giving a very personal and matter of fact account about how heroin feels to him and that song has always scared the shit out of me and made me NOT want to do heroin. Black Angel Death song is pure poetry. Venus in Furs... yes! The only song on here that I don't especially like is European Son. They draw out the jam too long. My favorite Nico songs are I'll Be Your Mirror and Femme Fatale.

I respect The Velvet Underground for creating a genre of music that I love… psychedelic, washed out indie, but they themselves are boring. Maybe it’s Nico who sounds liked a bored little rich girl on here, though Sunday Morning is a great song. Add Lou Reeds disaffected tone and it all just sounds like they’d rather be anywhere else. Their “cool” factor comes from apathy and romanticizing hardcore drug use among the rich and full of shit. It’s just not my scene.

Despite being somewhat appalled by Nico’s solo album, Femme Fatale is my fave on here. She works well with others. I don’t love every song, but overall it’s pretty damn cool, and it might even be a 5 if it didn’t sound like their instruments were broken half the time. And if the last song wasn’t annoying filler.

3 songs sucked so hard. The rest of the album was a solid 4 with interesting new music and good 1001 albums example.

Was not my vibe for music

My early music memories were country folk and The Beatles from my Dad. Later though, on my own, I discovered punk and early techno. This would be the musical food i would eat forever forward. The Velvet Underground is part of my inner music vibe. It is almost hard to explain but it goes beyond the sound, the music, and into a kind of spiritual zone. It is like a movie you like but know, in a way, that it is not well received or perfect, maybe even highly flawed but you don't care to even defend your choice. Although The Velvet Underground & Nico are not needing defending as the album IS pretty great on its own. But added with all my history and formative years, it makes me an unapologetic fangirl.

We all know it’s influential and that everyone who bought it in 1967 formed their own band, yada yada yada, so I'll just say that the thing that most surprised me about this album the first time I heard it is how pretty some of the tracks are. I'll Be Your Mirror is so genuinely lovely, even Nico softens her imperious honking.

Boooooring

I like this album. The VU is one of those bands that is hugely influential, and has heaps of praise foisted upon them, but to me? They're fine. More than fine - they're good. But "legendary?" I have never felt that way. I will say that having Nico sing a solid chunk of this record works to its benefit. It's got some interesting production and feels extremely loose. Some absolutely iconic songs here, but I rarely ever return to this. Maybe I will now? Gotta knock it down a full star for the needless cacophony in "European Son." I have a headache.

I know I’m supposed to like this and it’s influential but I didn’t like it.

I’m not a huge fan of this one, kind of discordant noise for the instrumentation and the vocals/lyrics didn’t do much for me. 1.5 rounded up to 2 stars I guess.

I think that people who saw the VU in NYC originally, weren't inspired to start a band as much as they saw the VU and said, "I can do better than that." I really don't care about the VU, "waiting for the man" is great, but the rest doesn't grab my attention. I'll pass - start your own band, with a little practice you'll be better than the VU in no time.

I know the famous songs so well its funny how experimental the rest of the album is. Random lyrics (poetics, slam poetry?), weird sounds, steam, sharp guitar.

I’m a teenager at the record store again whenever I hear this album.

album cover is iconic but the music is not

it’s amazing obviously but i feel like it left a little bit to be desired. it’s such a highly regarded record that i thought i’d like it just a lil bit more. still fantastic

De la bonne musique de sieste Les bruits de grincement de métal sont agressants There She Goes Again c’est juste There She Goes the The La’s mais en pire. I swear y’a des accords or something qui se ressemblent À cause du potentiel de sieste quand il n’y a pas de bruits agressants et des bruits agressants quand il n’y a pas de potentiel de sieste, je pense que je vais lui donner un 2/5: Not for me

I recognize that it’s influential and a landmark album and all that, but the progressive and innovative qualities get lost when encountering something like this almost 60 years after it was progressive and innovative. It’s like someone showing you the first ATM in 2025 and being like “WOW ISNT THAT AMAZING” when you’ve regularly used products directly inspired by it for the past 15 years of your life. It’s like…cool, I guess?

не впечатлен.

I love this band and I love this album. I also love Lou Reed, but I do think I prefer the songs where Nico is the lead singer. Some of the experimentalisms I find to be a little bit grating, but overall this album is great. Standout songs: Sunday Morning I’m Waiting on the Man All Tomorrow’s Parties I’ll Be Your Mirror

It's so interesting picking out where different artists I love got some of their influence from. Some tracks off this are timeless, and had I not known of TVU, might have trouble guessing when it was from. I love the quiet tracks "Sunday Morning" and "Femme Fatale", Nico's voice sounds like she could be a late 2010s bedroom pop artist lol

Off the cuff remark: so many songs which seem simple and which manage to be captivating inspite of Nicos irritating pronounciations and are lodged firmly in brain. All the New York art stories aside (which I am aware of but don't really know) it is a great album Standout track: to pick just one? Sunday Morning, today, might be different tomorrow Revisit?: I do, and I will.

It's good. Hey, maybe it's even great. And it's wild that it came out in '67, but like so many of these albums, it mostly reminds me of later albums that I'd rather be listening to. The sound is there, the transgression is there, the just-so slightly out-of-place lyricism and vocals stand on their own as kind of a dare. But really I could be listening to Iggy Pop instead. Lou Reed has a knack for a hook as any Tribe Called Quest fan will tell you and that's really doing a lot of work here. Hated Nico's solo shit but like it here. Obviously ahead of its time, but if all the bands that came after had influenced this instead and it showed up in '77, it probably wouldn't be so heavily lauded. Maybe I'm just a dummy, but it doesn't attract me the way I feel something this formative should.

Great album

5 I will not mention the famous name attached to it. I will not because the album transcends that. It is a schizophrenic dark brooding album, especially with Nico's cold beauty. However, there is a warmth at the center that buzzes out in the melodies you feel in the moments In-between craving junk, attention, and a better coterie. In Velvet terms, it may not be love (just yet,) but the primitive strum and bang are earthly desires that bash out the four-letter word in some kinda Morse Code.

I am biased but always found this band really overrated.

This album is incredible. The original alternative rock, zero fucks given.

This is a really cool album. Every listen I like it more and more. Femme Fatale is my favourite song I think, even more than Sunday Morning. I’m glad I did one last listen before reviewing, because that definitely boosted my rating of this album. Really cool, I enjoyed it and will continue to enjoy it.

Very good 8

My jam!

Having never knowingly heard Velvet Underground before, if this is what they normally sound like, I don't want to hear another album. The only reason I can think this album would be influential is if every garage band wannabe hears it and thinks "I can do better than this" and they DO. I get pushing boundaries and letting your art be your art and doing your own thing, but that doesn't mean it has to influence everyone. "The Black Angel's Death Song" has that haunting viola in it, but the hissing detracts from the song. "European Son"? Garbage. I feel like I could have gone my entire life without listening to this album and been happy. My Rating: 1/5

meh…

Not their best

Incredible record with good songs all throughout. The experimentation, the feel of the songs makes it very enjoyable.

Didn't need to listen to this again to know that it's a classic, but did anyway. Even if it weren't for the retrospective evaluation of its influence, the album is great; mixing the whimsical and melodic Nico-led songs with Reed's baritone vocals and lyrics that delve into subjects that even now feel unsettling and seedy at times. The guitar work from John Cale is great too, he really makes that instrument scream, sing and wail without being excessively flashy. Considering then the legacy it had in laying the foundations for lots of alt-rock and punk bands for decades to come, plus the iconic cover art, it's an easy 5*.

Listented to this maybe 4 times in the last two days and have a lot of thoughts. I'm spending too much time on this... Where I've landed is this is cool as hell. Many bands try to develop mystique and Velvet Undergound, no doubt with some intention, did it effortlessly. The world they bring you into with this album is unlike any other. Lou Reed and Nico carry the day here - coming off as cool and weird as ever. They deliver on being the seedy underbelly of all the flower power movement at the time and I'm sure was refreshing, and maybe distrurbing, to many. Reading up on this one I did not know the Warhol was the actual Band Manager. I also had not heard of the Plastic Exploding Inevitable (a multi-media experience with Warhol movies and the Velvet Underground etc.) which sounds awesome. I like all the tracks, or at least aspects of them, but this time I'll Be Your Mirror stood out. I've always loved Nico and I don't know why. I think its because she seems so out of place, but happy with that? Very nice sounding voice too. Listening through the first time I thought the premise was she was singing this to a dirtbag and showing them what a piece of shit they are. Second time through I realized thats not what it is, but i like that version better. Black Angel Death Song might be my only hang up. IMO its a Dylan rip off and doesn't make sense. Lou Reed is great. I want to know more about Warhol and this Plastic Exploding business. Gotta to back and compare to the first VU we got.

"I'm Waiting for the Man" might be the most audacious and brash American rock song ever written, given the context of the time. Were it simply about going to Harlem to buy heroin (as the lyrics imply), it would already be more transgressive than 90% of songs of the era. But Lou Reed has an almost genius level talent for being shocking, and so also makes sure the song's lyrics could also be interpreted as being about a white boy going to Harlem to get (presumably) buttfucked by a black male prostitute. You can argue the wisdom and taste of making a song like this, but you can't say its not interesting. This antagonistic, maverick spirit animates the whole album (a song about loving Heroin and another about BDSM, Venus in Furs, carry this theme forward for example) but other parts of the album temper the darkness with surprisingly lucid touches of tenderness, self-awareness (Sunday Morning, All Tomorrow's Parties) and even optimism (I'll be Your Mirror). These tones might sound like they contrast, but they don't really - they inform, enhance and even complete each other. The music itself also contains these same strange dualities, being at times melodic, almost childlike, and other times going off the rails into pure anarchic madness. Again, it's the unusual combo of these elements and makes the final result so compelling and clearly one of the most influential rock albums ever made. Clearly I've put too much thought into this, as I've probably listened to this album more than any other, especially between ages of 16-19, when I would have said this was my favorite album. The Velvet Underground's music creates a world of grit and grime and madness that is particularly compelling to a certain type of suburban white boy. Given how much I loved this album that is largely about heroin, It's a miracle I never got into heroin like so many other kids from Sean and I's town. I guess pretty early on I thought - if this drug is fucking up an unhinged, deranged maniac like Lou Reed, what would it do to me?

Another album where every unique opinion has been made and theres nothing else to do except make an effort to give it a complete play And somehow this one still sounds fresh😎 The rough production/recording on each song with the super mature themes are master works of art. I genuinely find them to get me dancing or suck me completely into a story European Son is the only track that pushed the avant guard a little too far and its an odd artifact of aged avant guard that didnt ever become the guard. The other 10 tracks are fantastic Loved Run Run Run and Ill Be Your Mirror this time through

Velvet underground just isn’t for me. Nothing catches my interest

I've tried to get into this so many times over the years, and it still feels like an album we're all being bullied into liking. I did enjoy it alot more this time around - Sunday Morning and Venus in Furs were my favorites. You can hear the building blocks and influence on bands like Wilco, but I guess I like the more polished, poppy version of this sound than the fully avant garde. Giving this an extra star for one I may try to come back to - again.

I went into this expecting something grandiose, something magical due to how critically acclaimed it is, and all that I've heard of it before actually listening to it, and honestly I was quite disappointed. By no means was it bad, but it just wasn't incredible, it didn't meet my expectations and overall it was just okay. I liked Sunday Morning tho.

experimental - little weird. definitely of the times. not my cup of tea, but not bad.

I don't understand people who claim not to "get" this album but who give five star reviews to albums that would not exist without it.

Very chaotic last song

Great album. Probably VU’s best, certainly their most consistent.

I get this is a historically important album, and appreciate the significance and individual sound, but did I enjoy it? Some tracks, definitely. But I'm afraid I don't get the hype.

One of bees faves

60s sex drugs and rock and roll

Very solid album, quite relaxing although the ending is a little tiring.

Interesting album. Never listened to Velvet much but I like it.

Неплохо, но местами песни скучные

Decent.

Some good interspersed with some average or poor ones. Rather indulgent.

When it's good, it's great but when it's bad it's ugly I would happily listen to a cut-down version of this taking away the extraneous & extended tracks

Groovy

One of the bulwarks of modern music.

If it wasn’t for Nico this would be 5 stars

I appreciate that it has had a world of influence but I'd rather listen to those than this. Similar to Dylan in that covers are so better than the original.

Excellent. 4.5 stars but rounding down.

Ahh, the banana album. I'd actually fairly recently revisited this prior to today's undertaking, so it has remained fresh in my mind. Fearless, unsettling, and weird yet strangely accessible in some respects, it would have been a travesty if this hadn't been an entry of the 1001. This was years ahead of its time, and it still sounds just as vital approaching 60 years later. Nico's contributions to the album only elevate the sense of eeriness and detachment evident throughout, still provoking debate to this day, although for my money they are just as crucial a component of its makeup as any of the unorthodox-of-the-time instrumentation. My Dad was a huge proponent of this album, released during his birth year of 1967, and it was one of the first records he ever purchased alongside the likes of Pink Floyd and Kraftwerk.

A classic album. One of the great ones in the history. And really great music for the most parts

Andy Warhol’s banana.

prefer the minions original

Every song on this is incredible. Heroin is the clear standout for me. Right now, it's one of my all time favorites

Influential

It was alright but a bit too weird for me.

Complete sh*t. 0/5

No es para tantas pompas, no lo creo, le daré unos puntos, pero creo que está muy inflado

It inspired me definitely. It made me know that I can make art even if I don’t have the professional skills. That I can do good art with some skill and finding the right idea to communicate and the way to do it. In any field I believe in myself I can do all that because of this album. And the belief I have in myself in doing anything of art is really higher after listening to the album.

Excellent LP

The Velvet Underground never really vibed with me to be honest, but still this is probably the best of them and I can understand the appeal!