The Velvet Underground & Nico

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.

It’s not bad but it doesn’t touch me. I would say 2.5 cause the jam was more interesting to me even if this one isn’t long it’s just a bit monotone

A classic album that encapsulates the emerging counterculture scene of New York in the mid 60's. Lou Reed's singing style might not be for everybody, but the weird off-kilter flavor of punk on this album holds up for me. That said, it's definitely not an album I'd recommend to everybody. If you enjoy smoking "on occasion", have ever participated in an orgy, or have 3 or more cats, this album is probably for you. On the other hand, if you decided to live in an HOA, drink light beer, or golf regularly, you may want to pass on this album and go fire up some Zac Brown Band or something.

All of the cool bands you like were inspired by this record.

Genius? Or noise? I vote for the latter…

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

🍌

Absolute top tier LES pre punk or whatever. In my top 5 most played albums probably.

Eww

Didn’t enjoy this one.

Decent album. Sometimes a little rough like European Son, but overall quite enjoyable.

Not a fan, but sometimes the vibe was good.

The rosetta stone of albums that have spawned and influnced hundereds of bands

Very just boring as all other 60s generic bands

Brian Eno wasn't wrong about this...

It was alright. Certainly a vibe, but not one I particularly cared for. Decent instrumentals with ok vocal work.

Liked the variety. Some was sweet. Probably wouldn’t listen but liked it was different and a bit experimental.

Oh

I can see how this influenced many albums later to come. Lots of distortion, just kinda blurs together.

10

I really want to like this. I think "Run" is a good song and I like the songs with violin le sitar. The rest of the album is ok. This is a 3 but I will listen again. 3/5

Hard to understand how influential to the development on alternative rock (and other genres) Velvet underground has been. Would there even have been Bowie as we know him without Lou Reed and Velvet's? I can hear so many of my favourite 70's, 80's and 90's favourite bands influenced by this. The song structures are quite basic, but the song topics and the band sound are quite rough for it's time, and maybe even for this time. Timeless stuff!

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 get that it was influential, but it’s still a little too artsy for me.

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.

M'eh, not really my cup of tea, not bad but just background

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.

This is as essential to my musical diet as the banana is to my daily diet lol.

1.5

What I forgot about this album is just how experimental it is. European Son is near 7 minutes of noise.Heroin starts structured and then falls apart. Even Run Run Run - a stable rock single - is punctured by the lyrics of drug related death “Seasick Sarah, had a golden nose … when she turned blue, all the angels screamed” Tracks - I’ll be your mirror , I’m Waiting For My Man and There She Goes Again all follow a more conventional pop rock style. The vocals of Nico also provide great contrast to Lou Reed. I can both see why this is a seminal release, and why it wasn’t huge in its own era. This is drug counter culture 101. Both a great album, and madly ahead of its time. Noise rock, pop rock and ambient experimentalism all on one record.

I was actually pretty disappointed by this record. I was expecting something incredible and I got something just ... good-ish. I like the lyrics I just think the music didn't really age well. 6,5/10 Fav songs : Venus in furs & Heroin

I was a bit disappointed: I like some other VU stuff, but this wasn't very enjoyable for me. Some good bits but several off the target misses for me.

It's hard to rate since I used to own this album and it reminds me of other times. Trying to listen objectively... Reed intones, the sounds are chunky and off kilter, the lyrics darkly realistic. Yep, still good. 4.5 rounded up.

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

Was expecting to like this more than I did.

great

The only reason this album is on any list is because Andy Warhol produced it and created cool cover art, there I said it. It sounds like noise. So much screeching. There's a reason it wasn't well received commercially at the time, and why pretentious nerds keep putting it on lists today.

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

Super classic. The band that proved that anyone could make an amazing band and not in demeaning way but just showing you didn't need to be a classically trained player or have the best equipment to make groundbreaking music.

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

sluchalem już kiedyś, topka

Delightful. For me, nothing beats the combination of raw sounding music that is also whimsical and airy and this album is maybe the epitome of that.

I think I always kind of romanticize this album in my head, but it's not nearly as good as I remember. The music and the band are great, even the sort of saccharine pop songs are pretty good, but Nico is just atrocious and drags the whole thing down with her. I'd generally rather listen to solo Lou Reed.

Re experimental pero creo que no es para mí. Me resulta medio aburrido y no muy impresionante pero me gustan algunas letras y cosas mas out there tipo venus something something. Femme fatale es muy buena también y la primera me gustó y algún temita más por ahí

no es mucho mi estilo, pero algunas canciones me gustaron pero hasta ahí jajaj. le daría tipo 4/10 capaz

What the heck was that? I've seen this record around the stores. That giant banana is hard to miss. I've been wanting to buy it just for the cover art alone. I no longer have that desire after listening to it. I do not know who the guitarist is on this album, but it's absolute trash. I could chicken scratch something that sounds way better than that. Maybe it's all by design to be "weird", but it was quite off-puting. It's a struggle to find a single song that doesn't annoy me to add to the 1001 playlist. "There she goes again" takes that honor. ~ No Stars

For the life of me I can't understand what the appeal of discordant noise is under the context of music. It's terrible to listen to.

10/10

It's a masterpiece

3/5. Didn’t really connect with me. Lots of drug songs, long psychedelic instrumentals. “Heroin” was good and I really liked “I’ll Be Your Mirror”.

Good album.

J - 3/5 Best Track - "Sunday Morning" F - DNL

“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.

I really want to like this band. Femme Fatale is a gem, for sure, but the rest of this really doesn't do anything for me. Iconic album cover, one that I'm sure everyone has seen...but that doesn't make me want to listen to this more than once.

Tracks like ‘Venus in Furs’, ‘The Black Angel’s Death Song’ and ‘European Son’ enable The Velvet Underground’s debut album to still sound surprising and edgy 51 years later. John Cale’s strings, tremolo on the guitar and weird percussion/ sample effects are just some of the elements that elevate this from being a standard fare 1960s rock album. Oh, and the fact that Lou Reed is an amazing front man with an unmistakable voice. ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’ introduces a lovely psychedelic flavour to this record. Nico’s addition to the line up really helps break up the feel of the tracklisting. She sings in a low, haunting but relaxed way which sounds at odds with the frantic piano behind her vocals. ‘Sunday Morning’ and ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’ are relaxed perfect pop songs that are real levellers. You’d be hard pushed to find someone who’d hate them. It’s strange that neat, cute little flavours like these could be sat on the same LP that delivers something as expansive, beefy and lyrically outrageous as ‘Heroin’. Invigorating straight up rock songs ‘I’m Waiting for my Man’, ‘There She Goes Again’ and ‘Run Run Run’ are completely different again but they sound cohesive with the rest of the album. They manage to keep on varyin the way they write and perform without it all sounding like a disjointed mess. The final track ‘European Son’ sounds like it is constantly on the edge of falling over, but they juggle that sound and just about keeping everything in place - its electrifying. It would be easy to underestimate this record and mistake it for a good but standard rock LP, but its not. It is certainly a 5* album.

Sunday Morning is a strong contender for best first track off a debut album. These guys love drugs. They could put this album on repeat on Little Steven's Underground Garage and it wouldn't be out of place. They are like the original breakout garage band. I don't love Nico's voice. I love Venus in Furs great song, one of my favorite Velvet Underground songs. One of the best album tracks ever...but from a time before that was such a big deal. I love blues rock, everyone in the 60s apparently did too. The Nico tracks are the worst on the album. I guess when Andy Warhol produces your album without interfering too much, you give him a win once in a while. On All Tomorrow's Parties, the music is still cool, her voice just gets me out of it. Heroin, another great song. I understand why people in the 50s and 60s thought rock n' roll was the real gateway drug. I feel like a lot of industrial "bands" got their idea from this album as well. The surf music of the early 60s and then psychedelic music is definitely an influence. The back 3/4 of European Son is a long, distorted guitar solo and the only real miss on the album.

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

I'm disappointed here; this is one of the greatest albums of all time? In what way? While it did have its folk-rock charm, and a unique variety, it became a bit boring, and it wasn't easy hearing Lou Reed. Favorite Track: "Heroin".

Favourite!

3 maybe 4

Drop de siste 2 låtene og det blir 5

It was fine! Not really for me, but sure!

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

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

Ah the famous banana album, never bothered listening to this, and I'm kinda glad I waited until 1001 assigned this one. This definitely didn't meet or exceed my expectations. When a monumental album is referenced just on its cover you expect something grandiose and with fanfare, but this was really underwhelming. Influence aside and also listening to this in the modern age, I'd give this a 2 at best, its not unlistenable, and I didn't hate it...that much. Enjoyed the first half, disliked the second half of just noise and experimental sounds.

Knall, knallere, knallers

Bananplata. Fantastisk.

Bra

Interesting, creative, weird, and touching on a number of genres. Being slightly lazy as I listened a week ago and can’t be bothered to listen again, so just dipped back into a few songs for a refresh.

A rare case of an album actually living up to the hype. 5/5 Highlights: I’m Waiting For The Man Venus In Furs Heroin

I can't get down with this. I get that they're trying to do something here. It's just not something I want.

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

Two Nico Albums in a row, lucky me!

overrated lul

One of the most important albums of all time

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

So that sucked! Just peel off the banana, keep the cool sticker, and never put this into your record player.

Lou Reed is one of a kind. Excellent album.

Solid album, somewhat boring but overall not bad

wish I appreciated them more, I know how influential etc but just don't (ever) listen to them.

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.

heroin almost had to skip. fucking grating noise. nothing remarkable.

Ikke min type musikk. Langt mellom gode melodilinjer. Monotont og dystert. Kan forstå at albumet har vært banebrytende og inspirerende, men ikke noe jeg kommer til å sette på igjen.

This one upsets me. I want to be different so bad. I want to be that guy who says “this is massively overrated”, but I just can’t. It’s really great. Even the songs featuring Nico on lead vocals don’t detract from my enjoyment. You win banana album, you win.

Some legendary songs are supported by some, honestly, droning filler. The last two songs are painful. VU are rightly legends for their music, but Jesus - some of their output was pure scag.

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!

Can’t listen to this anymore.

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.

own

A stone cold classic by the Underground. There isn't too much else to say about this historic and ground breaking album but it just hits perfectly to this day.

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

Not for me. I liked the song Heroin though.

anschinend mega wichtig fürd musiggschicht als pionierwerch, und es tönt au immer wieder vil neuer als es isch. mer ghört halt aber trotzdem no recht d 60er dure, was weniger mis ding isch.

teilwiis no kuul, teilwiis sehr lärmig

Yeah Cool listen. Liked this one

10/10 I read Legs McNeill's 'Please kill me' and this album made perfect, chaotic sense. It's raw, weird, and endlessly influential - it's punk before safety pins. Lou Reeds poetic nihilism <3 the lyrics were controversial at the time (still are, considering our political climate) dealing with everything from addiction to identity. Musically, it's a minimalist masterpiece, the guitars are primal and unpolished in the best way - if you think it sounds like it was recorded in a shitty basement, it's because it basically was. I just think this album encapsulates the late 60s NYC underground scene with such precision you can smell the stale cigs. Even if it's not what you usually listen to you've gotta respect it's place in history. It's a perfect album because it's not trying to be. love u lou xxx Songs added to playlist: - I'm waiting for the man - Femme Fatal - Heroin - There she goes again - I'll be your mirror

Flummig men ok

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.

It was ok

Perfect, very important and amazing album in many ways.

Ja, ik denk dat dit wel duidelijk nen 5 sterren is. Femme Fatale, Venus in Furs, Heroin, ... allemaal kleppers. En dan heb je nog eens die iconische hoes. 5.0

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.

A big gap in my musical knowledge, pleased to have filled it. Unsure what to make of it though, avant-garde, some of it comes across as a bit pretentious even, especially the second half, but clearly a ground-breaking work.

Uneven, but I think Venus in Furs is so good it drags everything else up. Also points for being the first ones to ever do it - sounds ahead of its time.

Groundbreaking? Yes. Opened on an all-timer and closed on the worst sound I have ever heard? Also yes.

not listened to it properly

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.

I have explored this 💿 multiple times. I think VU is a band I’ll make a playlist of. Greatest Hits… I can probably do that. There are some that are trippy and interesting here. Some just don’t land for me yet.

Influential <> Music I love Songs: Sunday Morning

Some great songs, some songs are very Lou Reed oddness -Sunday Morning -I'll Be Your Mirror

I think this album has been a tad overrated over the years. There are some undisputable great songs but the "edgy" stuff leaves me cold and, if I had to hear Nico sing the word "clown" one more time, I would have lowered it a star.

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

Perfect length. Started listening at 22.45 on headphones. It worked really well. I knew maybe 2/3rd of it and the songs I didn't know, I enjoyed. Great start to this project. 5/5.

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.

Howd we go from the evidently mainstream sound of big band Sam Cooke to this in just a few years? And then on the other side, its crazy that punk hadn't really gotten going at this point yet VU&Nico sounds like something that stuff would have refined into as opposed to taken inspiration from. This fucks. It fucks big time.

I absolutely adore this album. Is it overrated? Oh yes, most definitely. But you can’t deny its impact on the punk, indie, metal, and art-rock scenes that came after. Even putting to one side this record’s place in rock history, you’re still left with some phenomenal music. I truly love how the songs capture the imagery of the 60’s, from the naive adolescence of All Tomorrow’s Parties, to the mass proliferation of recreational drug use in tracks like Heroin and Waiting for my Man. At it’s best this record is straight up transporting to listen to. On the negative side, I never had much time for the album’s closing tracks, but I’ve actually found it hits differently years later. The VU were experimenters, and there’s something sweet about listening to a band just let loose and jam out for a bit like they do on European Son. Of course, it borders on being overindulgent (figures like Lou Reed are after all synonymous with pretension), but on this album you can’t deny the authenticity of the music. Perhaps that is what keeps records like this relevant today. 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Highlights: Sunday Morning, Run Run Run. In a nutshell: deliberately freaking out the squares. Overall: 6/10

I've listened to this before, didn't love it. We'll see if I change my mind. I'm still overall indifferent. "Sunday Morning" is good.

Its interesting enough, don't know if there's enough there to exit the meh but it's not a dislike

I know this is a cornerstone album of modern music, but it overall failed to impress me much. A lot has been made of Andy Warhol's involvement in the production of the album as well, but even that element doesn't seem very strong to me. It's mostly fine, but some high-pitched noise on a few tracks made for an unpleasant listening experience, I feel I have to deduct a star for that. Maybe I was overhyped on this one.

To me the velvet underground ground are cheap knockoff of Bob Dylan. 3/5

Yeah I like this one a lot

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.

the songs with nico do absolutely nothing for me but heroin & the last two tracks are so peak. 5/5 importance 3/5 music

Pretty generic hippie rock. I think there may have been some novelty in the mixing of the album, but I wasn't paying quite enough attention to truly say.

Нормик

Yeah. Ok.

Fav - all tomorrows parties

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

Ok

3.54

Notes: - Sounds like Bob Dylan lyrically and The Rolling Stones musically - Sloppy solos that could be more melodic and less “technical” Favorite Songs: - Heroin - There She Goes Again Least Favorite Songs: - The Black Angels Death Song Rating: 2/5

The album is pretty decent, but it's not varied enough for me. I can listen to it for a while, but a whole album in that style is too much for me.

Very influential for good reason.

Really varied, not one specific theme, didn't like anything in particular

Not for me

People say this album is super influential, and I don't doubt it - and maybe it's because I wasn't around when this came out - but it just doesn't hit too hard for me. I think Heroin is very cool, and I'm not too fond of the experimental bits, but I think it's supremely overrated if anything.

I was excited to listen to this, it was a new one for me. Right off the bat I recognized “Sunday Morning,” great song. I expected this to be more hard rock, but they were actually kinda pleasant easy listening pop rock songs. They still got weird there at the end with the more experimental instrumentation cacophony sounds. And hey, cool album cover.

Got 2 of the list's 3 Velvet Underground albums in the same week... I quite enjoyed The Velvet Underground (their 1969 album) so I was optimistic going into this one. I enjoyed parts of it, but I wasn't as enamored as I was with the 1969 album. Top track is probably "Heroin," which has the interesting approach of sort of musically emulating heroin usage.

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

Revolutionary

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.

10/10. This is a revolutionary and experimental album. It's one of the finest albums of the 1960's.

kenn i

Would like to listen to more often!

Low 3

I got a bit behind on albums so only had time to give this one listen. It was okay, I didn't like it a lot but didn't dislike it either.

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

I'll never forget the moment the 'sunday morning' came on. The first song made me focus on the album. 'I'll be your mirror' is the second favorite song in this album

Groundbreaking for the time. I love the entire album the way it flows. Standout tracks will always be Venus in Furs and Heroin.

Did not love it. Experimental sounds and stripped down 60s hippie stuff and weird vocalists.

Not a bad album. just not to my tastes

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

Decent album that is nice, but I don't have a lot of reason to revisit. Maybe though. 3/5

Good in parts

The whole album sounds like the intro to something I have no desire to continue listening to. I try to pick at least one song from each album to add to a playlist, but I can't find any redeeming tracks on this.

I really didn't much care for this album to be honest. It's not bad, just not for me.

great songs, not just my cup of tea

funny banana anyways this album is fuckin great

Fine, not my thing, wouldn't listen to it again. The more songs that were more bluegrassy with the fiddle were better than the others.

Sounds partly a bit like the Doors.

I'm a fan of Nico. I appreciate the avant-garde style of some of these songs, but some are so jarring that it isn't the kind of thing I want to listen to more than once.

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 experimental, sometimes like an early Joy Division album.

It remains as audacious a statement today as it was in 1967—a heady blend of art, subversion, and raw emotion wrapped in a banana sticker of irreverence.

cada vez que lo escucho me parece mejor.

Easy classic, but doesn't grab me

Not what I'd pick, but not bad.

Maybe in an alternate universe there is a version of me that likes The Velvet Underground & Nico. In this current timeline, I find this album quite annoying. So freaking annoying. The music is uneven and tiresome. It sounds like a bunch of middle school kids in their first jam session as a band. Lou Reed’s voice is quite grating. He sounds like a bad Dylan impersonator. And the other vocals aren’t really any better. I mean, sorry, but The Velvet Underground & Nico is absolute shite. Okay, so it’s “groundbreaking” due to some of the lyrical content. But I can’t enjoy the content because it’s unlistenable, experimental garbage. I guess you have to do lots of drugs to enjoy this nonsense. I’ll stop because I have nothing good to say here. It’s a 1 rating officially but really a big fat zero. 1/5.

I've never listened to this album before, somehow! Though I feel I know it by osmosis from the songs appearing throughout culture. It gets five stars for "Venus in Furs" alone which I remember hearing on a TV commercial when I was a kid and it blew my mind. It sits alongside "Tomorrow Never Knows" for far-out-ness. But also, "Sunday Morning," "I'm Waiting For The Man," "All Tomorrow's Parties," "Heroin," even the album cover with the big banana: VERY CLASSIC. I do think there's a bit of filler, but still... five stars!

Perfection!

This would be better without Nico. Songs are great, can hear the influences everywhere. Don't love the delivery, Lou Reed strays too much into the Dylanesque vocals. Was surprised how many songs I did recognise (even if that was via covers).

Very good

Psych en abrasive. Sound of the drug infused late 60s

Nie umiem tego wytłumaczyć, ale jest w tej płycie coś takiego... urzekającego? Prawdziwego? Rozpaczliwego? Nie wiem, naprawdę. Ale wypuszcza ona macki, które włażą pod skórę i ruszają coś w środku. Za każdym razem, gdy jej słucham. Thursday Child, huh?

When I first heard this album, a long time ago, but when it was already something from the distant past, it was the most amazing thing ever. Like they said on another record, my life was saved by rock and roll. 40 or so years later, it's kind of hard to listen to, probably because it's so intertwined with memories of 19 year old me. I don't regret that version of me (mostly), but I wouldn't want to do it again.

First half is okay VU, back half is unlistenable. 1/5

i have tried so many times with this album and I just can't

Awful, easily the worst thing on here since Throbbing Gristle. What a mess, every song sounds like a demo and they should have stayed that way.

I could not care less about this album. I think giving it a two is about all I can muster

mid and boring

Very interesting and enjoyable album. Cool sounds

Some highlights but not really my thing overall

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.

Keith - 4/10 Ross - 7.5/10 Caylum - 7.5/10

Absolute classic. Remember being repulsed and kind of scared by Venus in Furs as a 14-15 year old, the dissonance was really offputting. But now it's my fave on here, but I love all of it. Lots is said about this record but the variety isn't commended enough.

Groundbreaking in its day, of course, but still surprisingly listenable today in a way that most of the "experimental" efforts of the late 60s are not. Lou Reed anchors it with a keen awareness of how to prioritize the music and assure the shock of the experimental parts are not overshadowing.

Very repetitive, same looping instrumentals. Some very tinny sounding instruments as well that hurt my ears at points. Last song was horrible

Great record. Velvet Underground is ground-breaking, counter-cultural, underground ear candy to all that listen to them. They are odd as hell. However, John Cale was the real driver behind the madness. This album and White Heat/White Light are the best of the band and both are top 100 all-time albums in my book. Not sure which I like better. This one is unique as Nico adds more texture to the album flow - Femme Fatale is Fantastic- although, I understand why her vocals get such negative comments. Probably your favorite band’s favorite band. Easy 5 ⭐️.

Hell yeah already loved this from before

Overrated but not like "bad". Just keep doing the freak outs, not trying to force those parts and actual songs together?

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

👻

Pretty alright album, not really what I was expecting from "Undead Underwood" but it was alright as background music. There were a few songs that were pretty different from each other, so the album was a bit all over the place but overall not too bad.

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.

Ótrúleg plata. Listaverk held ég að lýsi henni best, bæði að innan og utan.

I’ve always heard this record described as revolutionary and groundbreaking, but I don’t really see where people are coming from there. I enjoyed it, but I guess I just don’t “get” it

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.

What a moment of sublime serendipity to receive this album, this monument of influence, taste, and iridescence, on a rainy Sunday morning.

great song solection and vbabana

Okay but songs blend together almost immediately

Alright interesting rock, similar tones to the Beatles, 3/5

I wasn't looking forward to this one, even though I knew it would be on the list. I have already had to listen to a Nico album that was insufferable. I'm going to quote myself from my review of a Lou Reed album though, because it rings true here as well. "Proof that you don't need a great voice or a heap of talent to make it. You just need to be one of the first on the bandwagon so everyone thinks that you're a visionary"

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.

Didn’t mind it.

No denying its influence and there are good moments on here. But this is also overrated and not one of the greatest albums ever made. It does belong in the book and on this list but I can't call it best ever like so many critics do.

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

Sameen would love this Nico lady

its really good and i dont mind saying it... just beautiful

First listen to VU & Nico. The only song I was familiar with is "Femme Fatale" because of the REM cover. Think I prefer the Lou Reed-sung songs to Nico's.

Funky and experimental. Did not quite land for me

an interesting listen. no real sense of cohesion imo… not necessarily bad! i will say that i REALLY like the track “Venus In Furs” bc it’s super groovy!! the tracks that were most popular according to apple music were lowkey highkey mid. heroin was an AWFUL RIDE (i was uncomfortable asf because WHAT WERE THOSE INSTRUMENTALS). props to the velvet underground though because they did a really great job of conveying their message with that one. overall, a bit too old sounding for my tastes and a lowkey unpleasant listen.

Very good.

A classic but not a 5 star for me personally.

A very influential album that hasn’t aged the worst, either. Ok you get it this is a very popular album

I can see how this is as influential as it is, very unconventional for the time for sure. It's mostly the overall sound and experimental instrumentation that drew me in, Nico's vocals on Femme Fatal (probably my favorite song) stood out as well. Lyrics describing Heroin trips aren't my cup of tea at all, but I guess it was 'edgy' at the time... I don't think the album is nearly as good as it's generally rated, but it definitely was an interesting listen. It's one of those culturally significant records I've never checked out before, so I'm glad I finally did, although I'm not sure I'll feel the need to revisit it again.

what a dope!! love it since i first heard it.

I don't like Nico, but thankfully the VU tracks make up for it.

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"

База

I really like this album. I love the weird variety of sounds, Nico's morose bellowing, and the strange punkish drama of it. It sounds like the music the theatre teens that I know would make if they stayed up all night. It glamorizes misery, but if you're miserable I guess being glamorous helps.

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.

🍌

Velvet and nicos album does a great job of carving out a unique space midst the era of classic rock. It’s soothing and consistent and still experimental. I don’t think the experimental parts and some of the routines click for me but I’m glad to have revisited this as part of this journey

Great album minus the last 2 songs

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

I know art is subjective and all, but if you don’t like this you’re wrong and stupid.

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

Epochal !

Love it.

Absolutely love this album. Such creativity, so interesting, so many great songs. A joy to listen to.

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.

It’s ok, need a relisten. Probably suffering from Seinfeld syndrome.

Good stuff

Thankfully stuck with it as next tracks were more expansive and had a better blues like vibe for me. Some songs even had a (little less rocky) led zeppelin feel. Amazing this came out of 60s. It's a grower so maybe I could come around to this eventually.

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.

Boring

quite good, bit sleepy

Brilliant album - stands the test of time.

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

I like some of the melodies, nothing stands out as amazing. It was overall enjoyable and I would probably listen to this again. Not a fan any of the Nico led songs though. Favorite songs were: Pale Blue Eyes After Hours 6/10

It's taken a long time to crystalize, but the Velvet Underground has a strong case for my favorite band. It took me a long time to fully appreciate this album. I liked an increasing number of individual songs over the years, but never the full album. I liked Sunday Morning as a kid. Venus in Furs was a big song for me as a teenager (and is my favorite on the album). It took my until a couple years ago to come round to the Nico songs. It took over 15 years, but I finally got there. Its a strange album, and one that takes time. But it's as important as it is for a reason. Every era of Kit has liked pieces of this album, and now 30 year old Kit finally loves it in its entirety. No more do I offer my love in bits and pieces like a bitter parent. I accept you for who you are. Also going back to my Hail to the Thief review, Venus in Furs is one of the other songs to always feature in my 10/10 playlists. Album cover: (A+++) Come on. Its the banana. This is probably the only other album cover that sits in the same level of importance as Dark Side of the Moon.

My older brother's friend made a mixtape that started off with Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" and transitioned in "Heroin" of this album. I wish I had a copy of that tape, changed my musical world.

Already heard this in 2024. Not impressed. Two

Lätt femma, den skivan som gjorde amerikansk musk utomordentligt, utan att ens nämna hur bra den är egenstående.

i really love this album. it's really rough around the edges and i'm sure not everyone likes it. nico's voice is not for everyone, the musicianship is kinda sloppy. it kinda sounds like shit. there's droning stuff. it's not for everyone. but it's for me. i don't think it's a perfect album, some of these songs aren't my absolute favorite in the world, but some of them are. either way, the album is a vibe, and it's my vibe. just a really cool album.

We are so used to albums being the same picture in 10-12 slightly different posses, true greatness is to produce an album where none of the posses are related. From Beach Boys sitting on a beach with a cool beer to the Doors stoned in a dead end drug den via Kurt sat in his bedroom writing about the pain of teenage life Polymath Polymath

First half is really good, second half is very strange

Great album.

7/10

This one didn't grab me—I wasn't a fan

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).

Still not a lou reed enjoyer

It’s definitely good but feels pretty overrated

I liked the first song and could’ve sworn that I knew it from somewhere. I still might but I don’t know where

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.

Well written songs held back by confusing changes in tone and randomly inserted annoying guitar sounds

Love it!

Legendary trippy album

There's a bit of an unhinged feeling to it at times, frenetic. Overall a perfectly fine listen, but the voice gets to feel a bit grating to me too.

Sunday Morning, All tomorrow’s parties, Heroin, I’ll be your mirror and Europe son are a must listen. Sadly, the remaining songs are repetitive and they do not contribute to the album. Europe son sounds like some experimental song from a Sonic Youth album, the whole sound of the album could be better with that specific sound.

It's like some dudes heard The Beatles & Bob Dylan and thought "we could do that", but then realized they weren't that talented. Some of the stuff works, other times it feels like the guitar player just goes off on his own. It's really weird to go from a song that is kind of punk, weird, experimental, to some 60s pop rock with shitty harmonies/background vocals. I really don't understand the addition of Nico. She's got like 3 songs, that don't really fit into the other stuff. It wasn't like she had a particularly good voice or anything either.

I don’t get it. I’ve tried even before now to get into The Velvet Underground and I’m never able to. I’m not sure if there’s something I’m missing or they are just not that good?

I’m with Daria and her opinion of this record, “Should I file this under Self-Indulgent Posers or Underrated Geniuses?” I like weird, artsy, and innovative music, but something feels off about this record. Almost like it’s being weird, and artsy just for the sake of being weird and artsy, and the music is just the medium for a bunch of avant guard weirdos to do their thing. Maybe you just had to be there and catch this shit when it was fresh, but count me out. 2.5 ⭐️ rounding up. I get this album is generally considered influential, and I am probably a bit too dumb to properly appreciate it.

'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.

Really boring songs. Every one of them feels like it goes on too long. I hate the Bob Dylan singing style choices. Awful. I have never understood why this band is popular and after hearing their lauded debut in full, it remains a mystery. I think it's made even worse by comparing to the other music of the day. Break on Through, Light My Fire, and People Are Strange by The Doors. Purple Haze, Fire, and Foxey Lady by Jimi Hendrix. Reach Out (I'll Be There) by The Four Tops. The Fool on the Hill, Strawberry Fields Forever, and Penny Lane by the Beatles. How did people hear this with all that other stuff going on and think it was great?

A classic quality recording. Not totally my taste though

Very much of its time. Evocative and interesting lyrics. Some of the sounds a bit experimental - some too discordant and not enjoyable. I prefer the tracks with Lou Reed on lead vocal.

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

10/10 Maybe a 10 maybe not idk how much of this is my nostalgia for listening to this album in my freshman dorm room or that it is really that good. Aside from anything there this album has echoed through music and is such a unique piece of music, art, and history. “I’ll be your mirror Reflect what you are, in case you don’t know I’ll be the wind, the rain and the sunset The light on your door to show that you’re home” Favorite Song: Sunday Morning

> The Beatles

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.

One of the best albums ever of course.