The Velvet Underground & Nico

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Great stuff

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.

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

Gutes Album, kenne ich schon lange.

Comforting. Sounds like breakfast coffee.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Important then. Sorta important now.

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

Very odd but inspiring in its avant garde

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.

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

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.

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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)

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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!

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

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.

Very chaotic last song

One of bees faves

60s sex drugs and rock and roll

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

Неплохо, но местами песни скучные

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

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

Starting a record with Sunday Morning is so brave. I don't think I have ever enjoyed the last 2 songs.

Classic simple grooves with personality and style

A good album, but I could really hear the production quality leaking through to be less enjoyable. There were some pretty solid songs on there, but I didn't find it hitting song after song

Sadly I'm not really into drugs and/or squalor, but there are definitely highlights on this flawed classic.

Cool, edgy, unique. Loved it. Feels like a five-star album, but the topics are difficult for everyday listening, so I'll go with a high 4.

-another incredible classic. i think i love Nico’s influence on this one more than anything else, she has an absolutely phenomenal voice and touch -so glad i gave this album another chance because it incites a feeling in me unlike pretty much any other i’ve heard -Favorites are Sunday Morning, Femme Fatale, Venus In Furs, and Heroin

While it's not really my thing I do appreciate what they did for music in the mid 60's.

I like it but don't get the overwhelming hype. I'd be 3.5 if I could

Historically significant. A good album but not quite a 5.

All time classic truly revolutionary

can’t really believe i’ve never listened to this whole thing

Starting to get their whole vibe. Really enjoyed this overall, dirty but often spare at the same time

Actually much better than I initially remembered! Nicos voice is still infuriating but you can hear why they influenced so many other artists!

classic. blew my mind in 1984 when i first heard it

I think if I didn't know this was supposed to be a perfect album, I'd give it 4 stars, so I'm trusting my gut

4.5 stars So many great, classic tracks on this album. Sunday Morning, I’m Waiting for The Man, Femme Fatale, All Tomorrow’s Parties, I’ll Be Your Mirror… There’s a lived-in quality about this album that sounds so right to my ears (and the other self-titled Velvet Underground album too). This came out 2 years before yesterday’s album, From Elvis in Memphis. Sounds like a different universe. The last couple songs kinda took me out of it but it didn’t bother me that much since they were at the end.

Amazing album, brought me so much joy when I saw it was my album for the day! Whilst loaded is definitely their best album, this is timeless

A classic! Love Andy Warhol and Lou Reed. Nico will pay for her crimes though. This album is so quintessential New York -- real beatnic Washington Square Park, West Village, hitchhiking from your small town in Ohio to get to the big city. Today's transplants will never know. You really do see its influences all over modern music -- from its contents to its cover. Venus in Furs is one of the best songs I can ever forget about; which makes for a real treat whenever I do remember it. Another standout on this listen is "All Tomorrow's Parties". It makes me want to throw a party at the Chelsea Hotel with all my it girl friends of the 70s that ends in someone jumping off the ledge (metaphorically of course). After this listen, I'll be revisiting the Patti Smith novel. This album reminds me how much I love New York. The New York that's always ephemeral and fleeting. The one that only exists in memories and stories in your mind.

Понравилось, но слушать сложно. Долгие треки полностью не смогла прослушать, звук давит на мозг.

Oh

Plenty of albums (and artists) have hype around them and I tend to be allergic for hype. This weirdness proves me absolutely wrong with this allergy and my prejudices. This album is packed with cool weirdness!

I know this album by it's visuals. I know this album by it's name and of "Nico's" tragic life. Many of the songs are familiar as covers, such as Venus in Furs by Electric Wizard. And finally I know it by the impact it has had in alternative music in general. Yet, I've not heard this album in full before. Feels weird man.

One of my favorite albums. Such a unique sound.

Som en svamptripp med hög diskant

a smooth and easy listen.

I prefer the Lou Reed Songs over the Nico fronted ones, but I really enjoyed this. Can understand why it blew people away in 1967, and with a few more listens it could go up in my estimations. 4 stars.

Perhaps scandalous at the time, but tame by today's standards. Pretty good album overall, and contains the song that lent the title to a book from one of my favorite authors (William Gibson): All Tomorrow's Parties

Favoriten Sunday Morning Femme fatal Heroin There she goes again Ill be your mirror Im Waiting for the man

4.4 iconic. faves: there she goes again, i'm waiting for the man, femme fatale

It's a masterpiece

“waiting for the man” and “heroin” are two of my favorites from this album. Broaching everything from drug addiction, sex, gender identity…all in 1967.

Pretty good but I wasn't a fan of the final track.

Drop de siste 2 låtene og det blir 5

Great album - can hear all kinds of influences in hear.

The context is important here- the roots of indie and emo are here.

This has a lot of good songs on it. I like the mixture of the female and male singers on the songs. Something very unique about the album but some songs just not for me and it's a bit too long

Whenever Nico does her thing this album hits. Also sunday morning is pretty good.

Lou Reed is one of a kind. Excellent album.

The screeching guitar perfectly dials into the drug use and era. Heroin makes me feel so uncomfortable, yet comfortable at the same time.

I'm more of a self titled VU guy. But this one has plenty to like - or at least consider. This album introduced so ideas into the culture. Most (many) good. We don't get here without it.

This was a trip. I realized as I started this album that even though I knew of the Velvet Underground and I knew of this album from the artwork, I'd never actually LISTENED to it. I enjoyed basically the whole thing! There were a few sections that went into noise rock more than I like, but there are definitely songs on this album I can see myself coming back to. My favorite was probably Venus in Furs.

heard this in the past already Sunday Morning - 5/5 I'm Waiting For The Man - 3/5 Femme Fatale - 5/5 Venus In Furs - 4/5 Run Run Run - 3/5 All Tomorrow's Parties - 4/5 Heroin - 4/5 There She Goes Again - 4/5 I'll Be Your Mirror - 5/5 The Black Angel's Death Song - 2/5 European Son - 2/5 Average score: 3.7/5 (rounding up) nico's singing improves the velvet underground's sound immensely, and i don't even really care for nico very much as i've mentioned in other reviews of TVU/Leonard Cohen albums, i cannot stand Leonard's vocals most of the time. however, i feel the group's performance overall was better on this album, or at least good enough for me to look past the weaker moments

Fantastic album!

Better stuff has been made by its legion of inspired followers, but still a classic.

Varies between dark and dirty, and heartfelt and seductive. And I like Nico's singing voice.

Æ har aldri hørt på det med vilje før, men det høres akkurat ut som forventa. Uten at det e til forkleinelse for noen, bare sjølbekreftanes.

First album, and I like where this is going. The variety of styles and their performance amazed me. Several songs are prime examples of peculiar and wonderful psychedelic rock subgenre. Mostly saved calm ones to my playlist. Love the album cover, very pretty and distinguishable. Songs saved: 5/11

Yeah Cool listen. Liked this one

I could have sworn that I’d heard the banana album by The Velvet Underground and Nico, but apparently not. There weren’t any tracks I found familiar here, although my partner seemed to know all of the words to Venus In Furs. I did like this album - it got a little trippy at times, but always stayed pleasant. The highlight for me is Nico’s voice. It’s unusual but still lovely, and so very identifiable.

I can see why people don't like this album. Nico has a terrible voice and can't hold a note. But somehow it works for me.

An album that is more important than enjoyable, but it does retain its ability to jar even after 50 years and you can hear a lot of the future of music in it.

Already listened to it, interesting and modern album for its time. New folk , but not rock.

I get it, and I think it’s great, but I don’t quite love it - a v high 4.

An album I'd heard of (the cover art is pretty famous) but not listened to. Really enjoyed it for the most part - especially "Femme Fatale" and "Heroin", two great tracks. This is a great and for good reason.

Not really for me

You know what! Hell Yeah!

This was cool. Nico's whole deal always makes me feel like I'm in an episode of SNL, but regardless, it was an interesting album and I'm glad it exists. Will I turn it on again? Probably not.

Loved. Perfect Sunday morning listening

Okay this 60s stuff I'm on board with. It's got a slightly haunting energy and it's just generally a bit darker and more interesting than most 60s stuff imo.

Surprisingly, I've only really 'got' this album recently. It's something I admire and appreciate more than actively love, but it is still an album who's world I very much like being inside. It's incredible how icy and imposing songs like 'Venus in Furs' still sound.

The band that permanently broke rock n roll, smashing windows with sonic bricks. The fact that whispery, serene “Sunday Morning” flows right into Lou Reed’s anthem to his dope dealer is one of the greatest 1-2 punches in music history. The tail end of the album kind of wanders off in a haze but they’re doing every genre and doing it with absolute disdain for all of it. Long live VU.

Yeah. Ok.

Despite having seen the artwork (what seems like) a million+ times in my life, I had never listened to this album in full. I had heard a couple songs in various contexts before, so I wasn't completely blind to it. Even so, I was caught a bit off guard from my expectations- in a good way. This one felt like a well thought out, complete album. All the pieces came together to make something impressive and impactful. What weak spots there were blended away into another solid, good song. The music composition wasn't particularly complex or intricate, but seemed perfectly fitting for what each song was. A great example of not overdoing it (which seems to plague a lot of music production). When there was something extra on top, it was complimentary (chaotic strings, for example) and added to the experience rather than distracting from it. Reed's vocals fit the content very well, even though I normally don't love his tone. I actually preferred his effort's to Nico's, for whatever reason. Importantly to me, the album held my attention all the way through. Songs that had long runtimes didn't get old. Songs that were short left me wanting them to go on a bit longer. There were a few negatives; it did seem repetitive at times, and certain songs definitely were weaker than others. It also trended almost too much toward simplicity, and some parts felt like they could use a bit more emphasis or complexity to bring it out. Even so, this is one that I would say is a great album as a whole. I will be coming back to it for another listen. Overall: 4.2/5

3.54

i liked it a lot, i enjoyed the variety of kinds of songs on the album and i feel like they were way ahead of their time. would definitely listen again

Ethereal. Reminds me of the beatles

ganz gut aber es ende nervt

Me gusta mucho, pero es de esos discos que a pesar de su universal adoración, yo me quedo un poquito atrás en ese amor. Sí, es un discazo, ¿pero el mejor disco de toda la historia? Cada vez que lo escucho lo disfruto, pero no entiendo por qué es amado a ese nivel. Pero bueno, discazo sí es.

kenn i

Lots of great tunes, rich production and shades of The Doors and Dylan's drawl.

There's a lot of variety on this album, you can tell that as a band the Velvet Underground hasn't fully captured their sound yet. Some of the songs on hear would sound right at home on a Stones album. Good stuff; would play again. 3.5/5

great songs, not just my cup of tea

funny banana anyways this album is fuckin great

This one is going to take more than one listen to absorb. I tended to prefer the ones where Nico took the lead on the vocals. Which are so sweet compared to the Lou Reed songs. It’s a fairly schizophrenic album. Sometimes the lyrics are so out there that it almost feels pretentious (The Black Angel’s Death Song, I’m looking at you). But then there’s I’m Waiting for the Man which is very immediate. And Heroin which doesn’t try to hide a thing. Lots to think about. Not boring. But not really anything that is something that would make me happy to listen to. I can only imagine going back to this if I’m in a pretty low mood and just want to sit in a little funk.

Very good

I think they could have left out the three songs featuring Nico; but the remaining songs have a sense of urgency about them that I liked.

Good stuff.

Honestly maybe it just hit at the right time, but this album was a real gateway for me into noisier, more experimental music. The first time I heard 'Venus in Furs' it was electrifying.

Some absolute classic, genre-bending folk tracks on this. It really feels like what the cool kids were listening to in the ‘60s without being too pretentious. The songwriting is great, the production is solid, and the performances are good for the most part. There’s not much to dislike about any of this. 9/10

Átta mig á því að þetta er gífurlega áhrifarík plata. Sunday morning er bjútí. Nico hefur alltaf pirrað mig. Svona plata sem hipster vinur þinn segir að sé best. Mitt huglæga mat er hins vegar að þetta hreyfir ekki mikið við mér. Hljóðblandan er pirrandi á köflum og þessi óhljóð í lokin fengu skip. Tek normie 60's soundið frekar. Normies unite.

already liked it, but this is definitely a great album. experimental without being unlistenable.

A seminal debut from one of the most important bands ever. And boy is this band really unlike any other. I always have conflicting feelings over this album though. On one hand, the experimental nature really does it a lot of favors when it works. But it doesn’t always work. And it mostly doesn’t work when Nico is front and center.

great song solection and vbabana

didn't like the Nico songs

Very good. Really enjoyed this

Classic album. Knew I liked it. Second side weaker.

Good, experimental music at the time it came out. Not a fan of all the vocals. Some great moments on this album.

The album and band that didn’t ever sell well originally but allegedly everyone who bought them back then went and off and formed a band. The music is a strange mix of gauche, almost whimsical, psychedelic pop (Sunday Morning, Femme Fatale, I’ll Be Your Mirror) and rough rock and roll (I’m Waiting For The Man, Run, Run, Run) and dark claustrophobic experimental (All Tomorrows Parties, Heroin, Venus In Furs, Black Angel’s Death Song, European Son). Where it works it works really well - on some of the darker songs; but some of it hasn’t aged well like Run, Run, Run. Favourite songs Venus In Furs, All Tomorrows Parties, Waiting For The Man, Sunday Morning.

It's banana how good this is

Funky and experimental. Did not quite land for me

A classic but not a 5 star for me personally.

Would Sir care for a starter of some garlic bread perhaps? No, thank you. I will proceed directly to the intravenous injection of hard drugs, please. "Sunday Morning" is a light opening bop before you hit the harshness of "Venus In Furs" and "Heroin"

Nico sounds amazing on every song she’s on. The only thing preventing this album from being a 5/5 for me is European Son. I can see why it’s regarded as one of the best albums of all time by so many.

Some songs seemed like he can't really sing, but that doesn't stop him! I also want that confidence in life. Overall I liked this album.

Great album minus the last 2 songs

Varied mood and feel but something comforting all the way through.

Ya, it's a good album (a wee bit pretentious with Warhol and Nico involved though).

20/1001 Hard to imagine, but long before Spotify, before Napster, before Myspace and before Steve Wright In The Afternoon, music was still evolving, unaided, at a fair old pace. When The Velvet Underground & Nico was being recorded in throughout 1966 it was undoubtedly ground-breaking stuff, but does it really warrant the praise that has been heaped upon it over the years? The thing is, by the time the album was released, almost a year after the sessions began, EVERYONE who owned a guitar and a pair of sunglasses (and probably lots of people who didn't own either) had formed a band and recorded an album. Don't believe all the hype, there were other bands doing what The Velvet Underground were doing by March 1967. The important thing though, and how I'm approaching all of these albums, is that Velvet Underground & Nico do it well, and with style. Forget the legend, this is still a smart collection of songs which benefits from the contrast between Nico's wistful, torch song vocals and Lou Reed's trademark snarky drawl. Light and dark. Sunday Morning, Femme Fatale and All Tomorrow's Parties have an undercurrent of something sinister lurking just below a light and catchy surface. Elsewhere the deviance and drugs are right out in the open in I'm Waiting For My Man, Venus In Furs and Heroin. Sadly, the cacophony of noise which makes Venus so compelling early on becomes irritating as the album plays out, the final two tracks spiralling away from the canny melodies and irritable rhythms that held the interest in the album's earlier art-school experiments, resulting in - well - just unbearable noise by the final minutes. Is this album alone responsible for the birth of alternative music? Probably not, but it is still worthy of this list and demands a listen whatever your musical tastes. Side one of the original LP is pretty much perfect, while Heroin sets the more uncomfortable tone for the flip side before two more chart-friendly offerings hold off the eventual implosion at the denouement.

Good stuff

First listen to this album although I had heard of TVU as I'm fan of Lou Reed's Transformer. First impressions were really positive, a varied and interesting album that encourages repeat listening. Some vocals like Sunday morning sounded Dylanesque, then others with Reed's cool delivery. I listened blind then looked at the date and couldn't believe this was made in 1967. I can totally see how it has a reputation as being ahead of it's time. I can see myself getting into it even more after multiple listens. A win for this project from my perspective.

quite good, bit sleepy

“I think this LSD trip needs a soundtrack” “Say less”

Great album.

7/10

The terms “honest“ and “raw” get thrown around way too often when describing certain music. But I can’t think of a better description than that. Beautiful musical artistry by allowing the lyrics and instruments to paint a picture (nod to Warhol of course).

This record has some clear classics. It’s transcends its time for sure. I wasn’t into every single song, but still really solid record. Lou Reed is a master.

Legendary trippy album

'Heroin', 'Waiting for the Man', 'Sunday Morning', 'There She Goes Again' - absolute jams.   Never have and really don't understand the appeal of Nico though, 😕 5 stars if Nico isn't there......but then it wouldn't be "The Velvet Underground & Nico." Quite the conundrum - luckily she only leads 3 songs. This is for sure a classic, though.

It clicked. Still not as good as Zappa.

I’ll be honest I’m not the biggest fan of this style and sound of rock music so much of my time with it may be learning to listen to it. The album took a few songs to get the gears turning for me so I apologize in advance for not having the most glowing review of this classic album. Also shout out to Run Run Run for blowing out my ear drums at 10am. Favorite Song: Heroin

I will certainly give it props for how daring it is. In retrospect, its revolutionarily daring. I see why Warhol took special interest. Be it because my ears have been sullied by its progeny or I'm not giving it the fairest shake, it only teeters on great. Lyrically, I don't find Lou to be my favorite writer. Musically, this album just doesn't move me. Maybe it's a little too "proto." Not quite the defined alt sound I want and not quite the polish the band would quickly develop into. A "to each their own" moment I suppose. I acknowledge its importance to a lot of the musicians I praise and genres I enjoy, but my personal enjoyment trumps context. Rating: 7.7/10 Favorite Song: Heroin

Sunday Morning good is good, next one is alright. Femme Fatale I love. Love how unsettling Venus in Furs is. Love the energy in Run Run Run, and the ethereal nature of All Tomorrow's Parties. The tempo changes in Heroin are great. Fun 50s sound on there There She Goes Again. I'll Be Your Mirror is very cute. Love how unsettling The Black Angel's Death Song is. Great lyrics too. European Son - "You spit on those under 21"; "You want to make love to the scene" - iconic. Love the drumming change near the start. Too much filler after that. Loved all but 2 of them! Surprised and delighted.

I tend to (accidentally) spin albums all day on certain days, and this album caught one of those days. Kinda just let it go and it really grew on me! There's a raw, unfiltered vibe here. The record carries an experimental spirit; it's light and unpretentious. Like early (The) Doors, rebellion with charm. A simple listen that feels both genuine and a bit edgy. Spins: ??? Playlist Additions: - Sunday Morning - Femme Fatale - There She Goes Again - I'll Be Your Mirror

Didn’t really care for the last song but the rest of the album was great

Allting är redan sagt om den här skivan. Blir bättre varje gång jag lyssnar. Idag blir det 4 stjärnor

Certainly innovative, by the end. I still wish it was produced better and that Nico had more opportunity to sing. The influence cannot be dismissed. But it will never be a favorite of mine. 4/5

Incredibly influential - every minimalist indie band has listened to this. Lo-fi with hardly any processing on instruments or vocals, lyrics often address, romanticise even, drugs culture. I’ve owned this for years but listen to it seldom. I respect it, understand its significance, I like it but find it hard to love.

I liked a lot of it, wasn't wild about some of it. I think reviews that love it and reviews that hate it are both right. It's legend might be more interesting than the music itself, but there is still a lot to like

I liked this better than the other Velvet Underground album that popped up; overall, it was pretty cool. Highlights: Venus in Furs, Femme Fatale, All Tomorrow’s Parties, The Black Angel’s Death Song

Loved it. I've always enjoyed this album when I listen to it, however it's not something I always think about, or would choose to listen to.

A Jaime le parece la ostia, Nuria no tuvo el día

I owned this CD. Love this album. A classic… a go to… on a Sunday mornin… or any other really.

do you think lou reed and John Cale ever….

I can't see how this influenced so many genres including punk, garage rock and indie. I think it sounds too pop overall to be considered that influential on these heavier genres. It wasn't very well received back in the 60's so I don't really know how it becomes more and more popular since then. 'Heroin' is probably my favourite here. A 7 minute dark, loud, attack on the ears. There are interesting ideas here and unconventional song structures particularly when you remember this was released in 1967. I prefer the haunting vocals of Nico than I do the vocals of Lou Reed (I don't think I actually knew he was in this band), even though objectively Nico isn't exactly a 'great' singer. That being said, just because I can't see how it's as important as it is, doesn't mean I didn't like it. I enjoyed this a lot. I normally want to be that arsehole that hates popular things to be different but I couldn't help but like this.

Yep, good, I liked it.

It would be impossible for this album to live up to the hype, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. Parts of it are WAY ahead of their time and I genuinely can’t believe it came out in 1967. Not something I’m gonna put on all the time, but it deserves the praise.

Seeing this album had me like 'woah. here we go then' because it's these guys! Everyone knows how InFlUeNtiaL they are. It was interesting for sure, but I only loved one of the songs. I don't doubt the influence, and they were bold for sure but as a listen, it wasn't that memorable for me. Probably swayed a lot by my preconceptions, that said

Very pretentious bullshit. Good thing I like pretentious bullshit. Shoutout to heroin. 4 out of 5

Cool album and sets up different sounds explored by future bands. Even nickos bad vocal are great and well used.

Cool

I own this. It's pretty unique and cool. I really like the vibe and atmosphere it invokes.

The original hipster album? Sure felt that way. Everything surface-level about this feels like they were trying really hard to be cool. Associating themselves with a German singer that probably nobody in the States had heard of. The interactive Andy Warhol cover. The lack of a band name or album title on the cover. It just all feels packaged to make them seem like a bunch of hipsters producing music that was obtuse for the sake of being obtuse. But then you actually listen to the music. And you realize that they're another blues/pop/rock band from the late 60's and you know that there's a TON of those. You can see why they stuck out, and why this album has persisted. The cover draws you in, the music makes you stay. But for how long? Long enough to get a grasp on the album, anyway. It's a good album. Easily three stars upon first listen. The tracks with Nico are, in my opinion, weaker than the tracks without her. But that mean they're bad. "Femme Fatale" is a well-done song that got stuck in my head pretty easily. A second listen improved this to four stars for me. I was surprised because I didn't LOVE it the first time through. The Nico tracks made it worse for me, but I warmed up to them a little this time around. I don't think she's a particularly engaging singer but the songs have charm. Four stars. It has its flaws but it also has a little bit of the old x-factor that edges it to four stars. Glad to finally cross this one off my list. Don't know how I got through college without listening to it. Standout Tracks: Sunday Morning, I'm Waiting for the Man, Femme Fatale, Run Run Run, Heroin, There She Goes Again

I'm always conflicted with Lou Reed. He's got some good songwriting and a knack for great lyrics. But I mostly don't like listening to his singing. But DAMN does it work for Heroin. Great song and it keeps me from rating this album lower. I don't love the music on most of this album, either. Sorta cacophonous and the musicians don't seem all that talented. Nico might have benefited from a few singing lessons, too. She might have a good voice with a bit more coaching. But yeah, not particularly evident on this album. 3.5* rounded up based on the strength of Heroin and their clear influence on music down the line.

1967 btw.

Heroin, all tomorrow’s parties 👍👍

Lou Reed can’t sing and that alone can deter a person from giving these guys a chance. If you can get past the singing, you should find a relatable, foot tapping collection of songs at your service. It’s sloppy 70’s music, maybe it’s the 60’s…what do I know. Sloppy rock and roll that moves you along the rock and roll landscape with a gentle breeze. Once you accept that I know have to walk you off the ledge that is Nico and her voice. But if you get past that dying cat voice, her harmonies suit each song she is singing on. This album works. It’s not perfect but for the production, musicianship and singing, it’s a positively unforgettable album. Also, if you ever wanted to know what it felt like to be high without getting high, listen to Venus in furs with the lights off. Choice cut: Heroin

It’s a 4.

An album I've known and loved and agree that anyone who hasn't listened should give this a try before the dark veil descends. This would be a 5 except for consistency of rating with Ryan Adams, I have to doc it a star because Nico, whose voice I do love, apparently had some unsavory views around race and eugenics. It doesn't show up in the music, and her wikipedia page seems to down play it, so I'm a little conflicted, but eh, she still loses a star from me.

Weird and artsy, but worth a repeat viewing

loved this one. it had a warm quality about it, that was really welcoming. My standouts were heroin and sunday morning.

Surprisingly enjoyed this album, I didn't know they were from the 60-70's. Chill and pleasant and very very influential. Ranked #23 of rolling stones list.

A classic

If ever an album is overrated it’s this one. That said not many bands were doing this in 1967. Venus in Furs is a sprawling baroque psych fest, European Son is insane. Nico’s voice is still annoying tho. Maybe this album’s been ruined for me by every cool teenager but I can still enjoy it 4.25/5

Excellent album- heroine the highlight

loving it. its so druggy and weird the guitars are amazing and the vocals and ritual like instrumentals create such a weird but great atmosphere.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one despite not liking another album of theirs that appeared on this list. Pretty cool

Five star album velvet underground at their finest nico fits right in. One of the all time greats. Goof is cruel.

While not my favorite record, I happen to have listened to it four times before deciding on its rating. I quite like it.

Less is more - distorted og psykedelisk uden at det bliver for meget

A melancholic ride that rides the border of experimental while also showing how influential this sound was. I can hear a lot of different genres and inspirations in this album. Pretty astounding that this was their debut album. 8/10

After two spins I find it intriguing, but not quite legendary. Great side 1, need a little more time with side 2

It is some groovy 70's music. It can get a bit jangly for my tastes later in the album, but for the most part I thoroughly enjoy it.

Très belle découverte. Pas grand chose de plus à ajouter.

lowkey kinda good like the repetitive thingy in all the songs was annoying at first but like im kinda good now im gonna need to listen again i cant process it all also like heroin is so good like i might add it to a playlist 8/10??? like its pretty good idk don't have time today but gonna listen again tomorrow (me when I lie im just lazy)

I’m interested in the history of this band just based on the short description on Spotify. There She Goes Again feels like you’ve been time traveling google mapped into 60s London. The Black Angel’s Death Song sounds like you. Like a song you’d play a lot. Fucking love the bass at the beginning of European Son. There’s a lot going on in this track, I’m going to say too much for me at times, but it blends into this head clearing cacophony eventually because you cannot do or think anything if this is playing at any audible volume. 😄

4/5 Effortlessly cool. Timeless album. Certain peculiarities about the album can either rub people the wrong way or be charming and hypnotic. Simple, yet piercing. However there are times where it gets a bit much

An important album for its influences, it's just never really hit me as much as I have tried, the bits I like make me feel it's great, the rest not so much.

always cool, pioneering

Ok so I genuinely like this album. Yes, it is probably overrated. I think it's either a love it or hate it record, probably like most anything that Lou Reed has his hands in. I mean if it was largely paid for by Andy Warhol, you must know that it's going to be pretty weird. And I like that. Especially for the time, this was way out of left field. It maybe doesn't hold up as well today, but it still is miles ahead of a lot of records that came from the late 60s. I think this is certainly one of the albums that 'you are just supposed to like' and I don't really see it that way. I can see why it has its detractors. But for me, it's great and I listen to it fairly often. 4/5

Interesting album, I can see why it’s so influential. Almost like early alternative rock. A good mix of songs and feels. One thing I didn’t like the the gratuitous use of feedback in the latter half of the album. I hate when songs have noises that make my ears hurt. Still pretty good though.

3.8 stars

This album has always had me scratching my head over the years, I could never really understand it until now. The diversion of the status quo, the lyrical content (that was taboo during its time), and the overall themes it covered that was just wasn't seen in any other album making it so unique and influential as a result. With all that being said this is the most overrated album of all time and it just so happens to be a pretty good listen. Top 3 Favorites: Sunday Morning, Femme Fatale, and I'll Be Your Mirror Top 2 Worst: Heroin, and European Son 3.50-4.00/5

Some interesting guitar work on here, great vocals, variety - some crap. A good listen.

I see why this is influential…and it is a good album. I had seen the album art forever and heard of it. It was a good listen and I’ll listen to it again.

Love the vibe

Listened Before? N Good album. I see why it was not well accepted in the beginning. It was new and different. This record is a clear influence on thousands that came after it. Loved it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Sunday Morning

Ich wache i minere staubige 12qm Wohnig in New York uuf, immerno chli benäblet vom letzte Abig - wider scharf anere überdosis verbiigschrammt - zerst mal e Zigi, spöter es zmittag und koks date mit em Andy Warhol, denn direkt in Studio 54 go The Velvet Underground lose, dezue biz LSD. Life is good.

Es lied isch guet wenn s am monday morning glosst wird, as wucheend erinneret aber glich nöd de tristi wochestart representiert. Wenn ich gott wär und i de fluffy wolke chille wür, wür sicher s eint oder andere mal e track laufe. Transportiert e schwerelosi atmosphäre Quattro fromaggi vom neduzen

d‘vorfreud am morge woni‘s gseh han isch gross gsi, willi mer eigentli scho lang mal vorgnoh han s‘album in ganzer längi z‘lose grundsätzlich sicher en ganz wichtige und hochstehende biitrag… aber wenn mer ehrlich sind halt scho recht trümmlig… müesst sicher im ne konzeptuellere mood si alsi hüt gsi bin zum's fescht chönne gnüsse wür sich aber irgendwie trotzdem falsch ahfühle weniger als 4 stern z'geh? okay… warhol, s‘ganze drum und dra, "sunday morning" und "femme fatale" haueds use grad nomal d'kurve kriegt… schwein gha lou reed

Some transcendent moments, particularly with Nico.

I get that this album was extremely influential, but listening to it much later outside of the context of the time it was released doesn't really show that. I did enjoy it, but its not something I would seek out to listen to again.

It's about time I listened to this album. I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this, especially because I haven't enjoyed rock very much when I'd listened to it previously. I really like the tracks with Nico, I don't even know how to describe why. The instrumentation with her deep voice is just awesome. I thought the last two tracks as well as Venus in furs were a little slower than I like, especially for a rocky album. I liked this album a lot. Fav Songs: Sunday Morning, Femme Fatale, Run Run Run, I'll Be Your Mirror

Bringing VU's quaintness to a chic fancy level

Brian Eno said that even though The Velvet Underground and Nico only sold 30,000 copies in its first five years, everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band. The issue is, I heard those bands first and I like them more than this.

Solid all the way through. I’ve come to appreciate Lou Reed more through this list and I found myself wanting more of him and less Nico on the album though the change of pace every few songs is nice. Late 60s NY isn’t quite as appealing to me as 70s NYC but still pretty cool.

4.0

No matter how many times I hear this album, it still stops me in my tracks

заслушано до дыр но всё ещё круто. хорошее софтовое звучание.

After a misleading intro, a great album full of surprise and ideas. Not really easy listening, but so much to unpack. Hard not to see how influencial it has been.

sunday morning tönt au wie es sunntigmorge lied, super waiting for the man isch sehr 60er jahr hani s gfühl femme fatale gsehni jz mal chli meh, wiso dass s album so speziell isch hahaha, recht cool und weirds lied VENUS IN FURS isch jz nöd mis lieblingslied aber ich lieb kiss the boots of shiny shiny leather hahahaah SEVERIN' SEVERIN' JA WAS ISCH MIT MIER s solo bi rum run rin findi fantastisch ja le länger s album gaht, desto meh verstahni s spezielle adem album ja european son isch uf de sack gange wnl endlich hanis mal glost und verstahn au de appeal vom ganze.. einigi lieder hendmer mega gfalle, qu will sie chli speziell sind, einigi hani de typisch ihdruck vo "weird spiele for weirdness sake" gha...via

Alright alright I guess I kinda get it now

I like it, there are some good songs there and Lou Reed's voice is sublime. The whole album has a great laid back feel and you can tell why it is has been so influential as it just oozes cool. Co-incidentally saw The Dandy Warhols and the Black Angels last night who are obviously influenced by this album in music, name and coolness! The former even had an album cover paying homage to their great heroes. The cover is cool but it does frustrate me that the banana is probably just past its best. It lacks enough killer songs, but it is definitely in my top 5 of all-time fruit based LP covers.

Started well, and tailed off. Sunday Morning is such a lovely tune, im giving it a 4. But I wouldn’t listen gain beyond track 4.

Yeah

good background music

it is so interesting to listen to the Velvet Underground. They are provocative and engaging, and their music is groovy. I am not sure about Nico. She certainly adds to this album in a wonderful way, but it isn't the most natural fit. Despite it all, this album shines!

Creative but some of it is experimental in a bad way 3.7

So unique. Hear Dylan in this. Each tracks seems to be its own universe that are all part of a bigger one. Had heard before many times. First time was college circa 2001. Can hear the echoes of these tracks in many later bands. Reminds me of Wes Anderson. Fave tracks Sunday Morning & I’ll Be Your Mirror.

It's almost perfect. I WANT it to be perfect. But it's Lou Reed. There has to be a performance art element and something to justify less than perfect so he could have his masochistic cycle with critics and fans alike. The foil he hated us perfectly balanced on this one in Nicco's voice and songs. Love everything here. And sometimes I love the full throttle nature of European Son. But mostly it's "why?"

Yeah I mean it was good I never get these hugely influential cult-classics: if they are so good, why do they never have any commercial success?

Favorite Tracks: Sunday Morning Femme Fatale Venus In Furs

A classic album I have listened to before. Soft classic rock with good melodies and vocals. 7/10

Altså pladen er jo legendarisk, måske den mest ikoniske på listen indtil nu. Og det ER fedt, selvfølgelig Sunday Morning ikonisk og Nicos sangstemme passer også super. Men der er noget lo-fi over lyden jeg synes gør den værre og ikke bedre, måske er det bedre i en remaster? Og så er anden halvdel af pladen en noget eksperimenterende lyd som jeg har svært ved at komme ind i.

I went into today's album expecting to dread the album based on my past listening experiences with Lou Reed ("Lulu" with Metallica was straight trash). But I was actually very pleasantly surprised with this record. The Velvet Underground pretty seamlessly blends a lot of elements of different rock styles here, from groovy jams of the 60s, early punk influences, and even some 50s doo-wop vibes. Reed's voice still isn't the greatest for my taste, but it coincides very well with the music on the album. I hadn't given this band a fair shake before, but based on this record, I may be inclined to delve deeper into their discography soon! Notable Tracks: - Sunday Morning - Femme Fatale - Venus in Furs - Run Run Run - European Son 7.5/10

Quite good. Not great, but quite good.

Wow - never owned this or listened to it fresh, and sorry I did not. A great album. I always thought it would be "Punky" or radical for radical-sake. bit it is a well done album. Easy to see how it influenced so may other artists. well done!

Decent

Solid and on my vinyl wanted list.

Nicee ja iconisch Had m al wel eerder geluisterd maar wist niet meer echt wat ik ervan vond Wel erg goed, maar ook wel weer erg random Ook wel gewoon erg experimenteel voor die tijd, dus dat vind ik er wel cool aan

Yoooooooo zeer goeie Andy Warhol album cover Femme Fatale en Ill be your Mirror, prachtige nummers, there she goes again en Sunday Morning ook Heroin blijft wel vaag

01) Sunday Morning - 9,0 02) I'm Waiting for the Man - 9,0 03) Femme Fatale - 7,5 04) Venus in Furs - 8,0 05) Run Run Run - 8,0 06) All Tomorrow's Parties - 8,5 07) Heroin - 7,5 08) There She Goes Again - 8,0 09) I'll Be Your Mirror - 8,0 10) The Black Angel's Death Song - 7,5 11) European Son - 6,0 TOTAL: 7,91 (79/100) Current ranking: 113/301

This is very much not what I expected - it's so dissonant and noisy. Clearly hugely influential on lots of stuff I enjoy. The vocals held it back from being a 5 to me.

Me and the Velvet Underground never vibed. I like John Cale and Lou Reed by themselves (or together on that Andy Warhol album, that should be on here it’s cute) but something about this album feels hollow. It’s good, I like it, but a lot of the songs kinda drag. I like Sunday Morning! I like Heroin! That’s kinda all that stuck with me though. The rest is almost like…there. It faded in the background very quick.

I think this could easily get to five stars for me eventually. It has the potential.

i love music that challenges everyone around you

MASTERPIECE

Fav: Sunday Morning Least Fav: European Son This album was worth the hype, and only faltered at the last 2 songs. I saw some people say they didn’t like Nico’s vocals but I enjoyed her singing.

I like this album but on this re-listen I was getting frustrated with it for some reason. I can't put my finger on it but I think I was expecting more of a flow, more of an *album*, that wasn't quite there. 3.5

As usual, we have those guitars that tickles, those feathery vocals, and the damp production. It's pretty good but it's quite overhyped.

Very good

Great album. Don’t think I can truly appreciate how much influence it actually had having listened to it decades after its release. So ahead of its time in lots of ways and love the punk feel on some of the tracks. When I first heard this in university wasn’t a fan of nicos voice but that has grown on me over the years. Really got into Venus in Furs this time. So many bands and whole genres are indebted to this for breaking new ground in a very fertile time for music.

The best ones are when Nico takes a break.

Really enjoyed this album. Pschycedelic Rock

Almost perfect

It feels like The Doors stole the riff on Run, Run, Run from the Velvet Underground to use in Roadhouse Blues. Certainly not the first or last time a band would steal some sound from this album. I can't really argue this book should have left this album out, as it was incredibly influential, even if this isn't my favorite album of all-time. I enjoy this album but I would never intentionally put it on to listen. There are really good songs here, followed by the album ending with two songs (The Black Death Angel's Song and European Son) that I just don't care for that much. European Son is absolutely just noise. Lou Reed had solo material that I cared for more.

Iconico. C'è qualcosa di adorabilmente sgangherato in ogni canzone, poi a me Nico fa impazzire. È bello ma non troppo e talvolta troppo graffiante, ma ci sono delle gemme

Really hard to fault this given the number of classics on there, but fault it I will because Nicos voice gives me the heebie jeebies.

I can definitely see how influential this album is, especially given the time it came out. It has a surprisingly unique sound, and was generally quite comforting to listen to, bar a couple of tracks such as “Heroin”, which proves that the album is definitely of its time, despite its influence.

The guitar kinda goes off at a lot points in a good way. Not sure this one fully resonates with me, but I'll probably try again due to the notoriety of this one. Will I listen to again: 99%

Art rock, experimental rock. Listen I get it. Everyone and everything rock related or punk related or industrial related etc. came from this album/band. But that doesn't automatically make this album perfect. It's good, great even, but not perfect. I understand peoples infatuation, and I do love this album, but it does test me at times. Which I guess is also good? Light 4.5/5

The album that made them legends, but even after a couple of listens, I can't find myself loving it to no end.

Refreshing style

Very good

3.5

Oh Nico. Why do you sound like you've smoked a thousand cigarettes and like you're faking your German accent? I like that your Wikipedia page mentions a quote from a music reviewer saying your voice "sounds like a cello getting up in the morning." Highly accurate description. What did Andy Warhol hear in your voice? How the fuck were you friends with Jim Morrison? I guess you get a lot of opportunities when you're a beautiful woman and nobody really cares that you sound like a cheese grater attempting to shred melted Muenster (get it? Cause she's German...and because I wasn't sure if Muenster cheese was actually from Germany and looked it up, now I know it is an American cheese made by German immigrants to be similar to Munster cheese which originated in France). Anyway enough about Nico because she actually isn't featured heavily on this album. She doesn't even ruin the songs she sings. She lends a strangeness to the album and after having heard her songs a few times, one might even start to enjoy them and find comfort in them. Here I go again writing about Nico. Ok, the rest of the album isn't bad. I enjoyed Sunday Morning, I'm Waiting for the Man, the titular Venus in Furs, Heroin, and even the Nico lead I'll be Your Mirror. It's a strange album with strange singers and strange musicians and strange banana pop art that sounds kind of basic but in a good way.

Visionary

The screeching in the song Heroin is awful, but I'm sure intentional. Same with the high pitch shrieks in European Son. The rest of the songs are great!

Enjoyed

Not my favorite velvet’s album but still pretty good with a couple of their classic songs and one of the all time great album covers. 3.5

Great album. Not really my type of music, admittedly, but Venus in Furs I really did enjoy - a 9/10, definitely. Rocky start (not that the first two songs are bad, per se, but not to my liking.) but gets the ball rolling quickly afterwards. Musicality: 7.5/10 Musicality: Excellent execution with noticeable skill and talent. Lyricism: 8/10 Strong, thoughtful, and engaging lyrics Production Quality: 9/10 Near-perfect; flawlessly mixed and produced. Artistic Expression: 8/10 Highly innovative and groundbreaking, with a powerful artistic voice. Cohesiveness and Flow: 5/10 Fairly cohesive, but not particularly memorable. Replay Value: 7/10 High; many tracks are enjoyable to revisit. Overall: 7/10

Great stuff. Last track goes on a bit!

They made my tattoo into not only an album, but also a fruit. Believe it or not I’m more of a ‘Loaded’ guy

Excellent. Another one I own.

Great VU album.

For me, listening to this album was about two songs: "Heroin" and "European Son". "Heroin" is pretty much exactly what I hear in my head when I hafta imagine The Velvet Underground. Stark lyrics getting at real experiences of doing drugs and living life on streets. The kind of lyrics you'd call "poetry." The arrangement is minimal, based around on chord and drums that're more being thumped than played. There's an atypical structure where there's no real chorus but it variously speeds up and grows in intensity to emphasize its words. And it's got those avant-garde-y noise elements in there as well. It's the kind of thing you listen to and give a small nod: "real music." In 2024, I don't really personally understand how groundbreaking all of this (aside from the lyrical content), but I still like it a lot. It's a bleak, harrowing listen, and the previously described way it goes up and down just appeals to me, I'unno. Then there's "European Son", which, as a closer, I think represents a lot of other things about this album. Not all of themm—Nico isn't on it, for instance—but for one, the first couple of minutes are way... Hookier than I expected it to be? Which I don't think is a bad thing. I like hooks, and I don't expect VU to be all all-caps "ART" like "Heroin" all the time. It's just a matter of expectation, y'know? Even if I do like them quite a bit. But then when it does get art-y, jamming out for the last three or so minutes, I kinda get this "noise for the sake it" feeling. Like, just play whatever you want as loudly as you want and call it "art." It's not as bad here as that description would imply, but it still leans in a little—so that's what I think about the art-y parts that I don't believe work too well. And the lyrics... I'unno, they're about somebody in Andy Warhol's circle. Or who was. As someone who has to take a second to start getting the lyrics, they're fine. As is the whole track—to paraphrase somebody else in my group, it's "a perfectly unconvential closer for an unconvential album." Speaking of closing, I suppose I should say something about Nico before I go. She's fine. I get this kind of New Wave-y vibe from her voice, and I'm kind of into that. I'unno why Andy decided she **needed** to be on here, but she's not a detracting factor. She does "I'll Be Your Mirror" very well—as I hope she would, after she broke down crying after how many times she had to record it. Overall, I can't give it less than a 4. I can't hear that special "makes you want to start a band" factor I've heard about that would make me give it a 5, but darn if it ain't good music all the same. Different from the norm, sure, though that's still what makes it so special to a lot of people. Y'wouldn't want it sounding any other way. Such as, for instance, what Billy Idol did to "Heroin". Serioiusly, if you haven't heard it before—goodness me, you're in for a trip. Recoil slowly and laugh.

I liked it a lot, but I’m just at a 4. Ultimately, I do think that lived up to the hype – it really picked up after the first 2 tracks, and I thought most of the album afterward was pretty damn good. It’s not like, world-changing to me or anything; I’m sure it hit a lot harder in 1968, since these tricks have since been done to death by a number of bands, but this is pretty fucking innovative for its time. Heroin, is of course, the standout track; that thumping drum that acts as a heartbeat, the swirling instrumentation growing into a full blown cacophonic panic, while the vocals go on without a care – it’s crazy to make that in 1968. I do think the last track kinda falls flat, but in a way, I like that it does; a very untraditional closing track for a very untraditional album for its time. I don’t have extremely glowing praise, mainly because I still think I need to dive deeper into the lyrics, but I did really end up liking this. It’s a very strong 4, and it could be a 5 with time for me.