The Velvet Underground & Nico

Favorite Track: Venus in Furs 🪞💉🏃‍♂️💨

Mixed feelings about this one. I like the sound but it starts to wander into repetitive, in the middle of the record . Then in the end they find a way to make it a little more interesting bar for the last song which I couldn't care for . Overall a good record that sometimes has tracks that wander between too short or a bit longer than expected . Favourite track - "I'll be your mirror"

Bumping this in my Subaru Legacy before a night of debauchery.

A good album, I especially liked the classic Run, Run, Run and All tomorrow's parties. Will definitely listen to more of their songs.

Bestaat er een iconischere hoes dan deze? Als je denkt aan the Velvet Underground schiet eerst Lou Reed naar binnen, en daarna de banaan. Ik ben fan van Lou Reed - omdat ie nooit angstig geweest om te experimenteren, innoveren sex-drugs-rock'n'roll onderwerpen in zijn teksten te verwerken, muziekstijlen te mixen. The list goes on. Lou Reed klinkt zo tijdloos. 57 jaar geleden kwam dit album uit. Maar wat gaan veel nummers nog goed mee anno 2024. Ik had eens gelezen dat Victoria Legrand van Beach House haar stemgeluid heeft vergeleken met dat van Nico. En ik kan me daar heel goed in vinden. Uniek, en vult de vocalen op een nummer als Femme Fatale goed in. Ze klinkt ook echt als een Femme Fatale. De psychedelica van de plaat is goed te vinden in Venus in Furs. De elektrische viool doet het klinken alsof je compleet verdwaald door de straten van Kathmandu aan het strompelen bent na een stevige trek van de opiumpijp. Bij Run Run Run moet ik een beetje denken aan een mix van the Rolling Stones (Parachute Woman) en the Doors (Five to One). Een nummer dat wat kenmerkender klinkt voor die tijd. Het nummer Heroin komt denk ik aardig dichtbij het ervaren van een echte heroinehigh. Het versnellende tempo refereert natuurlijk naar een snel bonzend euforisch heroinehart. Toch is het natuurlijk een twijsnijdend zwaard. En dat laat de band horen in de laatste 2 minuten. Euforie maakt plaats voor chaos en gruwel. Don't do drugs kids. Onder andere European Son had ik nog nooit gehoord. Je hoort het ontstaan van de noiserock. Heel plezierig is het eerlijk gezegd niet om langdurig naar te luisteren. Toch heel invloedrijk, en dus boeiend. Het folk-achtige I'll Be Your Mirror is uniek met zijn valse gitaarstukjes, liefdevolle rustige melodie en de toch wat griezelige stem van Nico (vooral voor zo'n soort nummer). Leuke ontdekking! I'm Waiting For The Man, Heroin, I'll Be Your Mirror Rating: 8/10

Great

Sunday Morning Femme Fatale Heroin I'll Be Your Mirror

Started off strong with Sunday Morning. I was expecting it to be quite pretentious and it kinda was, but it was better then expected. At the end it got a little bit boring and annoying though, the last song was too much for me

Since I hadn't first listened to this album until fairly recently, it's hard to imagine how this was a bit of a flop, both critically and commercially, given how influential the band and this album became. (The Brian Eno quote in the Wikipedia entry is hilarious, and probably not as exaggerated as it seems.) (Brian Eno is everywhere!) I suspect we'll get other Velvet Underground albums eventually in the 1001-albums collection, since this one doesn't have too many radio-friendly tunes, but I'm glad to have this as the first Velvet Underground/Lou Reed selection. I'll admit, though, that I find this a weird album to listen to, as it's all over the place and seems uneven song- and music-wise, especially with Nico's singing/style often seeming to clash with the Velvet Undergound's sound and style. And that's probably one of the points, I'm sure. I can only imagine how weird and jarring Warhol's "Exploding Plastic Inevitable" tour must have been...

Nooit helemaal geluisterd, maar luistert heel prima toch.

what a masterpiece. To this day I still can not fathom that this record came out in 1967. Easily 10 years ahead of its time.

This is such an incredible album at times. Lou reed is a great singer, Andy Warhol's influence was so unique on this even if just as a framing producer, Nico is strangely captivating, and the whole album works so well. Sunday Morning is beautiful and the distant backing vocals really blends well. Not every song is a 5 but Heroin is a really powerful song.

Took me about the third listen for it to click. The vocal choices started to shine for me. The composition choices are pretty cool and feel ahead of their time. The production is a little sketchy at times. Run Run Run feels like more of a throw back, sounds like Chuck Berry meets Dylan but with a garage rock vibe Venus in Furs is my favorite track. Nico brings an interesting vibe to the tracks she appears on. I'm going with a four but I wouldn't be surprised if it keeps growing on me. I intend to give it some more listens.

chill vibes and funky instrumentals

Listened

Really struggled to completely love this album. Maybe I haven't listened to it enough or in the right way but I just couldn't get it. Loved the Nico sections to this album as well as overall solid tracks, just felt it was missing smth to make it perfect.

****

I can see why this is a classic. Very ahead of its time and lays a lot of groundwork for different genres that would come after it.

Steeped in psychedelia and proto-drone with 'classic' rock and roll guitar work. From chill and laidback to more pressing and driving, this album covers some wide ground and doesn't skimp. Great listen, not an album I've listened to a lot but definitely appreciate the tracks that I've heard multiple times

Just listened to this going to start a band! There's always money in the banana stand! I think I appreciate the songs with Nico more as I got older than when I first heard this. This is just a great album front to back and actually lives up to the hype

Good to very good

I'm not sure if this is ingrained in me as a good album or if it's just my imagination. Many individual songs grab me, but the album as a whole can drag. I've often heard it said that this album influenced many to start a band, but aside from The Feelies, I'm not knowledgeable enough to hear VU in other bands. But damn I enjoy some songs deeply.

Found some new favorites in the album. 4/5

listened 2x. 4.2/5

Album #17 Groovy Dude! Really good album, musicality and lyrics are awesome definitely represents the time and place.

First experience with Velvet Underground. Really liked what I heard and can imagine how wild this must have been for the time. I get a lot of rockier Bob Dylan vibes from this, but without the unpleasant voice.

If we offer The Velvet Underground a mulligan for "The Black Angel's Death Song" and "European Son" based on whatever combination of heavy drugs they were consuming at the time, then this is a near perfect album. The raw sound of the guitars is magic. Lou Reed's vocals are effortlessly cool and his lyrics imaginative. Plus, Nico has one of the most uniquely beautiful singing voices ever. Legend. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Will definitely revisit this album in the future. 👍👍

I used to really enjoy this album. Now it seems bland and basic. Still like it. . .

I recognized a lot. I liked it.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GEl9ZlSb0AAP7Eh?format=jpg&name=large drink water bois!!! <3

This was a nice album to revisit. Nice collection of songs with a few fun psychedelic freak out moments.

An eclectic group of songs, some of which have very haunting melodies. These are supplemented by Reed's chanting vocals. The lyrics are the highlight of these songs which are very clever and gritty. Nico's vocals are best when complementary to Reed's instead of in the lead. Some of songs (i.e. European Son) have instrumental sections reminiscent of free form jazz.

Massively influential album, and a very entertaining one indeed. One can't help but thinking about the ramifications to alternative music from each individual track while listening. The first half is packed with all-time classics, though the second half does not feel as cohesive. Essential album indeed.

I know this record for more than 50 years, and I still remember it well

No doubt this is a significant, groundbreaking album. The lyrics are particularly strong with their portrayal of alternative lifestyles and the seediness of urban living. The music styles are diverse, and while the musicianship is less than virtuoso, the songs have a hypnotic charm. I particularly like the teutonic tones of Nico's singing. The album falls away a bit with the last couple of tunes but is otherwise a classic

Wouldn't eat that banana, but would eat the songs (and probably catch an std)

Idk how this works. It really shouldn’t. Star knocked off for a couple of dodgy tracks and Nico’s strange voice

This is fun, I like the vibes. Some good songs, some aren’t as good, I liked Venus in furs the most. I’d relisten, 7/10

8.5/10 Not listened to this album in ages, I perhaps enjoy it more now than I did 20 years ago. Excellent. First half is banger after banger, second half a bit more low-key. Last song outstays its welcome This could have veered into pretentiousness but didn’t, really evokes a sense of time and place Remembered not living the Nico vocals and have changed my mind, but still prefer the Reed ones Influence on later bands absolutely clear - Heroin could just straight-up be a Spiritualized song Best: Sunday Morning, Heroin

Nice listen, never actually listened through before

Sehr tolles Album. Trifft für mich in's Schwarze. Muss es aber ein wenig relativieren zu anderen super tollen Alben, daher nur 4 von 5 Sterne. 8.7/10

Good mix with both Nico and Lou Reed singing. A bit too much ambient heroin noise.

Scattered, but solid.

A bit overindulgent in 60s noise, but this one has some really well-done tracks that fit my ear including Sunday Morning, I'm Waiting for the Man, and Venus in Furs.

It’s like the classic arthouse 60s vibe. Was a good one!

Good album. I was aware of it but had never listened to it. Good early Lou Reed.

Synth-Pop at its best

Avant-garde, way ahead of its time for 1967. I listened a long time ago and wasn’t a fan of the spoken-word vocals, but now I appreciate how they fit into the atmosphere. Side A had some really good songs especially.

An iconic, artistic album. I was introduced to this album back in art school (2003) after listening to The Dandy Warhol's & finding out The Velvet Underground was a large influence. I'm sure I thought it was amazing back then, but now I can only appreciate about half this album. In fact, I skipped forward a lot when the distorted guitar rifts got too obnoxiously long & over done. Still some really good tunes on this album.

It’s been a while since I listened to this album in full. While not one of my all time favourites I still find it solid. There’s a few great songs. It definitely laid the groundwork for the alternative rock I still find pleasure in today. Totally agree that a couple of the songs can come across as noise. But overall this album keeps my interest while I groove out. 4/5

Take out your can and open it.

This may very well be the first “experimental” album of any kind that I ever listened to, at the tender age of 13. This has gotta be the absolute antithesis of what “rock and roll” was to the average person in the 60’s. 3 chord pop songs with light guitar distortion and mild sexual innuendo this was not. Here was a group of weirdo artists that didn’t care about appealing to the masses, so they wrote grimy, lo fi jams explicitly about drugs and drug dealers, extreme BSDM, and the seedy underbelly of 60’s new york. Heroin is the highlight for sure.

Yeah it's great. Not much more to be said 4 stars.

Um álbum envolvente e cativante do fim da década de 70. É visível o quão influencia outros artistas que viriam a seguir. 4/5

Classic status is deserved but the Nico songs are a rough hang.

Art rock, experimental rock, proto-punk, psychedelic rock, avant-pop

4.5 my kind of music

Keywords: Pre-pop, Ahead of Their Time, Underrated Notable Song: Run Run Run

Such a chill album. In the best way. It's really special.

God s. Funfact: eg trodde veldig lenge at detta albumet bare hadde dei første 6-7 sangane

4.2 I'm sure with more time on this album I would really come to enjoy it fully as it's up my musical alley.

Uno de los albumes más significativos de mi vida. Gracias Lou Reed por tanto.

ikke helt det mesterværk jeg husker den som men stadig et definitivt 60'er album. Nico er så god. I'll Be Your Mirror ++++++++++++++++

Great album. Especially love the weirdo sounds from Venus in furs

I think this album is great. It's very forward thinking and feels almost experimental for its time. Also contains one of the most beautiful love songs ever recorded.

I've been dreading this album since I got Nico's Chelsea Girl a few weeks ago (and hated it). However, I didn't mind her inclusion in this album. I really liked this album and can understand why people are still talking about The Velvet Underground so many years later.

turns out this really hits on a grey rainy day

It’s a great album, no wonder why it’s so influential. Great songs and good sound

Enjoyable album!

soft, calm. just what i needed, i liked it

Cool album I liked the part on European Son where he had a heroin overdose while nailing that guitar solo, Andy Warhol really outdid himself on this album

Heroin despair next to beauty: It's the Velvet's alright, without some sandpaper grit glued on anyway. That's better for strings in the end, which end up sounding almost familiar on a record that almost goes pop. There are even flourishes which read Indian, albeit recognized crudely and in the background.

I enjoyed this. Kinda off the wall and fun. The playlist generated from the album was also amazing.

Vulnerable lyrics, cool alt sound. Very experimental, can see how it sets the stage for other genres/bands

big fan! big feelings, some vibes of songs could slot in nicely as like soundtrack songs to my life kinda

Superb album. A true classic 4 stars

Most of the songs are focused on very honest side of addiction of the author. You can hear very strong influence of the age and lifestyle. Knowing how essential and inspirational this album was for the history, you can hear many sounds and themes that were later rediscovered by whole generation of artists and music styles. Raw and Honest album in every sense ( music, lyrics, themes, solos)

I thought it was groovy. Much less intense than I assumed. Some great songs I will continue to listen to.

Good times in classic hits

Oddly, I have never listened purposefully to the velvet Underground. Here we go! Also, working through these 1001 albums in a single listening session when possible.

Loved Sunday Morning. I have listened to this album a few times and it grows on you. Great vocals by Lou Reed very psychodelic in parts a pop in part

Lot of noise so not gonna give a five star but obviously some iconic songs

What a great album to start with, an absolute classic. The inevitable result of a generation raised on Bob Dylan introduced to LSD and heroin. Basically invented the idea of alt rock. Reed and Nico demand to be listened to above a thick bed of droning looping guitar sounds. A minimal, trippy, heartbreaking, and overall mesmerizing album. You feel like you’re listening to an entirely new sound.

Texturally wonderful. And many of these songs meant a lot to me as a teenager. First time listening to the whole album, 3 or 4 new tracks to my ears. It paints a snapshot of down-and-out-bon-vivant whiteys who probably read euro literature and explored drugs in New York in the late 60s. Which is easy to roll your eyes at now, but it’s a rather special and important work. I always thought this was a late, late 70s album, so learning it’s from the 60’s changes my perspective on the cultural significant of the work quite a lot - makes it more honest; more Influential than Influenced. I don’t love Lou or Nico’s voices very much, and I hate Andy Warhol’s whole schtick. 7.5/10 for the texture, and it’s important historical place.

good stuff. The hits are certainly a cut above the rest, and the screechy violin gets old, but a unique and quality album Fav Track: I'll be your mirror Strong 3.5/5

Majorly dug this! Always knew it was around, but for some reason the Lou Reed and Warhol of it all put me off and I never gave it time. But this is a really well rounded, surprisingly intimate collection of tracks with a great flow and diversity to them. Keen to dive into it more as it feels like there's a lot to be uncovered. Four and a half. Fave track: Venus in Furs

Undeniable and original - unlike anything else from the 60s, they invented a sound that would reign over rock and roll for the next few decades. A great blending of genres and ambitious songwriting make this album a really great one to come back to. Four and a half. Fave track: Heroin

Great album.

I think this is lacking for a modern album. But there's a few songs on there that really push the envelope of music, namely "Heroin". It experiments heavily in certain areas that easily demonstrate why this is such an influential album. Id give it 3.5 closer to 4 stars

ВААААА НАКОНЕЦ-ТО ГОДНОТА ВУУУУУУУ СЕКС НАРКОТИКИ Я ГЕЙ 8/10

I love the energy and vibe of this. A lot of it is pretty iconic. I like the vocals. I like the artiness. I love the droning violins, the weird jangly guitars, the heart-attack inducing, thumping drums. They add to this kind of weird oppressive atmosphere on it. Heroin, jeez what a stressful time, but it's so good. It's not their best album in my opinion (I prefer the more accessible Loaded) but it's still great.

Lekkah, vibe killer op t einde though

Already familiar. Great stuff, spans multiple genres. Highly influential.

You know what? I bloody well liked this, which is a surprise given eras past we've been dished up prior. It has held up well minus the world's most heavy handed glockenspiel player in the opener. Venus in furs had that early naughties wrestlemania video package vibe to it, which is to me apparently what final fantasy is to Wiggins. But on the whole the tunes differ a fair bit and there's something for everyone. It doesn't get 5 stars as I would hope there is better to come, but if others like this I will depressed at a missed opportunity to knock Neil Diamond, who is inexplicable as SRL golden boy, off the top.

Great album!

Phenomenal

Some incredible songs on this album. Then a lot of good songs that aren’t quite on their level. Not perfect, but very very good

Nico can’t sing, and neither can Lou Reed. The subject matter is odd and foreign and the lyrics are sometimes frightening. Nobody on this record is an instrumental virtuoso, in fact some of the playing is barely adequate. None of that matters. It’s cold and bleak and at the same time sunshiny. Is it the songwriting? Is it the haunting way the songs follow you? Who cares? This record is mind blowing.

An album I've known about for a very long time, but have never listened to. Listening to it, you can hear why it was influential but nowadays, it's hard to judge. It's fine but nothing really blew my mind. I guess being so far removed it just isn't as great as it was.

pleasant.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Sunday morning, Femme fatale

I've always known this group existed but knew nothing about them. Had no idea they were connected to Andy Warhol and that Lou Reed was in this group. I really appreciate how unique the sound of this group is and how experimental they are. The song "Heroin" really hit me.

Lounge music for tomorrow’s parties. I understand why it’s influential, but I think it’s kind of boring. Good music to vibe to, tho.

Not bad, but sometimes feels like little more than Lou Reed wailing over an obscure art project. Very influential, though.

ein klassiker

God s. Funfact: eg trodde veldig lenge at detta albumet bare hadde dei første 6-7 sangane

It's the album with the banana on the cover. It's got Andy Warhol's signature. It's been praised to the moon and back by guys who are "into music" the same way that guys who are "into craft beer" talk about session-brew IPAs. Because deep down, you kind of know that they're right. They've had way more craft beers than you have and have been drinking them for way longer. Obviously, they must know what they're talking about. But on the surface, you only know that it tastes horrible. Just an overly bitter, hoppy mess. You might think that they've bought into their own bullshit as a way to save face, avoiding a certain amount of cognitive dissonance. What the fuck is at the bottom of the glass? "Oh, that's just sediment", he explains, "that means it's fresh." Yeah, sure man. You'll just order something that you know you'll like. Here's the thing about the craft beer guy: maybe he doesn't like it either. However, he's probably also ordered the same safe drinks for years and got tired of them. He had the same reaction as you when he started drinking IPAs too, but at least it wasn't another Coors Light. And the more he drank IPAs over time, the more he could start to appreciate them. Flavor profiles and hints of this or that. He likes how bold the flavor can be. He can talk about it with other craft beer guys and gain new insights, learn a few things about the brewing process. He becomes invested in trying all sorts of different craft beers, seeing what's out there and figuring out what he likes best. Perhaps he's happy with his bitter, hoppy mess of a hobby. People often drink just for the sake of drinking, and that's perfectly fine. There's also people who want to enjoy certain complexities to their drink. It can be fun to be challenged and try new things. Consider this your challenge for today.

Nico is a distraction but the Velvet Underground are *chef kiss*

Classic Velvet Underground. Standouts: Femme Fatale, Sunday Morning, Others: I'll Be Your Mirror, I'm Waiting for the Man, All Tomorrow's Parties, Heroin, There She Goes Again,

New appreciation for The V U! Really enjoyed it.

пи пи пи

Я послушал вельвет андеграунд на общем хайпе после просмотра фильма Лето. Я тогда много чего послушал: T-Rex, Bowie, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed... ну собственно, и вельветов тоже. И ничего не понял. А потом, когда пересматривал - понял. И всё встало на свои места. Однажды, правда, я поставил маме - она не поняла. И я тоже засомневался, что понял. Или всё-таки понял...

4 I’m starting to see why my Dad likes these guys and gals so much - there’s a lot of really great stuff here, and I can’t help but respect Lou’s style of songwriting, which is seemingly a rejection of pop standards. I mean, an album glamorizing heroin, drug dealers, sadomasochism, and prostitution? Yeah, I can see why this was a bit of a controversial release in 1967. But I think that’s a part of the charm of the album, and paired with a competent songwriter like Lou and a talented vocalist like Nico, I found this to be a really good listen through and through. Right out of the gate, Sunday Morning had my full attention - it’s one of the most enchanting openers I’ve heard to an album, the kind that you can’t help but sit back in your chair to fully acknowledge and that imparts you with the feeling that everything might just be okay, ya know? An LSD trip meets catharsis in song form. I’m Waiting for the Man is a solid follow-up track from there, transitioning into what’s probably Nico’s finest moment on the album, Femme Fatale, but really, I thoroughly enjoyed her full trifecta of songs here - kind of shame Lou fired her after his album. Unfortunately, I don’t feel like this album finishes quite as strong as it starts, with Venus in Furs being the first miss for me of a few - whatever the hell is going on with the strings in the background is incredibly grating and made this song feel so much longer than five minutes (Dammit Cale). Things pick up again with the stretch of All Tomorrow’s Parties to I’ll Be Your Mirror, with the track Heroin in particular probably being the album’s second-best. The slow/fast dynamic of the song is really cool, the lyrics are incredibly strong, and… look, idk man, he just makes heroin sound really cool - I want to feel like Jesus’ son. Unfortunately, the comedown gives way to musical lows, and this album ends with two tracks basically comprised of a bunch of noise. Wish it could have ended as strongly as it started, but I’m sure there’s some kind of genius buried in there somewhere - let me know what I’m missing, Dad. As a whole though, I think this is a very well composed album with quite a lot of good tunes on it. I can definitely see why it’s regarded as a classic, and I can definitely see myself coming back to it. Hell, like my Dad, it sent me down a little bit of a Lou Reed rabbit hole over the weekend, and I found myself listening to his solo stuff during the commercial breaks of college football (Lol @ Bama). No idea if this is common knowledge, but I didn’t realize Can I Kick It? by A Tribe Called Quest is a sample of the guy. Learn something new every day, huh?

3.5

Definitely a trend setting album. They slowly started to turn the old blusey, big bopper swing, 60s rock n roll into their own sound. You can hear many different bands sounds from this one album.

Nico draagt weinig bij, maar grotendeels goed

Classique des classiques, mais j’arrive toujours pas à digérer les distorsions stridentes de guitare et de violons, ça me tape sur le gros nerf à chaque fois

4- Femme Fatale

Respect 4... Uskomatonta ajallensa.. Harmi ettei ole vitosen albumi...

Highlight: Sunday Morning, Heroin

Good stuff

Zou een 7 geven, het is goed dat hoor je. Wel een beetje gedateerd

Legacy and influence on modern music is clear from the first song. Less punk and more folky than I was expecting, but definitely picks up as you go through the album. Solidly put together and coherent. Running rating: 6/10

Og

Rating: 4.4

better than the eponymous record

Such a modern sounding album. Different, groundbreaking while still being accessible. I hadn't listened to the album as a whole before but had heard most of the songs before. The song "Heroin" was a discovery for me. There is such a good mix of simple production tracks that still manage to be different and interesting. Well worth a listen although I think the last few songs are the weakest of the album.

This is definitely one of those iconic albums I very much appreciate but don’t fully enjoy from start to end. The opening track is still iconic but some of the more psychedelic guitar heavy songs start to weigh on me and I begin to get tired of the whole album. Despite those moments, however, I understand why this is such an important album and can still enjoy tracks like Sunday morning and heroin.

As per the velvet underground, it had undoubtable style. Last song did my head in a bit though

Ok. Seeing the hype. So many styles, all somehow blending really well across the album. Also, they are clearly doing music the way they want. Solid album.

Banana album

One of the nastiest albums ever made. I love it.

Brilliant album but a little too experimental towards the end for me.

Listened to this while stress writing an article late at night and it definitely accentuated the vibes in a good way

This album exists largely On its reputation. Although it is markedly better than white light white heat it is still not easily digestible to the common music fan.

Classic, has a good mix of bangers and skips. 8/10.

Oh, yes, I do like this band and this album. In many ways, the culture of the band and in which the band lived and worked happens to be interesting to me. Maybe because it's quite different from my own path, and I see quite a few of the people involved with it to have been brave. I'm sure I'm romanticizing that whole world, as I think one always does when imagining what it would have been like to participate in it, but it's a lot fun to do so. Musically, I like the songs on this album and on their other albums. I like the style and sound of their compositions and performances, and both Lou Reed's and Nico's vocals draw me in. It's pretty wild how listening to it now, well into the 21st century and over five decades after the album's recording and release, I can hear elements of so many musical acts and genres that spread out in the years since. The little write-up mentions them and it's fascinating to my ear.

It’s hauntingly good. A mad musical experiment but with really good songs peeping through.

Amazing that this is 55 years old, I know we've got the White Album coming up and from memory I think it'll struggle to compete with this, but both deserve their places in the 'crazy experimental stuff that inspired so much more' pantheon. Is there a single song on there that is brilliant? Other than Heroin, probably not, but there's so much variety in the sound across the 11 tracks, it's probably the best prog rock record that was out there by 1967 without even being prog rock. That said, it's not a good enough listen in its own right to get a 5, so 4 it is.

Fundamentales Album für so viele Genres und das schon 1967. Auch heut noch immer gut hörbar und kaum gealtert. Zwischen 4-5.

A hedonistic masterpiece! I can imagine a bunch of comatose hippies in the 60s/70s with this album on repeat 😂

HLs: "I'll Be Your Mirror", "Femme Fatale", "Venus in Furs", "All Tomorrow's Parties" (again with this song), "The Black Angel's Death Song" Finally sitting down with this oft-talked about album. Earns its reputation as prescient of many later genres of music- CureSonicYouthR.E.M.Morrissey and so on wasn't feeling all of the extended jams & drone elements, just *most* of them May 21 2023

I love how they embraced the tinny sound. An experimental wonderland that works around 90% of the time. European Son could have been cut or made better. Lyrics were beautiful and the sound was all original. 4/5

From Wiki: “ In 1982, the English musician Brian Eno said that while the album only sold approximately 30,000 copies in its first five years, "everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band". In 2003, it ranked 13th on Rolling Stone’s "500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” I recognize many of these songs as cover and I can understand why this album was so influential. Would I listen to it over and over? To be determined. I might give it a second spin today. I enjoyed the song Heroin.

i like the parts without nico

I love VU and Lou Reed and have listened to this album many times over the years. That said, I don’t think it’s their strongest work and I’m not as big of a fan of Nico. Need more Lou!

Feel like I’m in a Wes Anderson movie and getting bullied by bohemians.

I find it very interesting how ubiquitous droning instruments became in the mid-60s. Sitar, hurdy gurdy, even some organs. What was it about that period that made stasis such a fundamental part of the sound? This album is pretty great. I really dig the writing. Some of the guitar playing sounds a lot like when I was learning and just messing around. Maybe it's genius and I'm just missing the boat.

This is obviously a landmark album, they are undoubtedly pioneers in many ways, and there are some amazing tracks on it, but as an album there are two things that bug me about it: 1) It feels sort of inconsistent - especially going back and forth with Nico as vocalist, but also simply going from songs that sound so poppy (even if the lyrics tell a different story), to such abrasive and experimental material. 2) It was recorded horribly. Some might say that adds to its charm, but it was not a joy to listen to for me. It could use a good remix/remaster in my opinion. I much preferred listening to the Mono version on the super deluxe edition. All that is to guiltily explain why I gave it a 4 from an expected 5. I still like it, it's absolutely a landmark album, but by no means their best work.

An incredibly influential album that I enjoy but has never entirely clicked with me

It feels a bit blasphemous only giving this a 4, but it is what it is. Obviously very influential in many ways, but a several of these songs just aren't great. Nico's singing is way off, and Lou Reed's isn't much better. although this is probably his best.

Enjoyed

I listened many times. I like it when it's Lou Reed best

Love this album. Sunday morning is great. Love Femme fatale, very Marlene Dietrich. Not sure about the lyrics to There she goes 🤔

Classic album that I think lives up to the hype. Funny in my “VU phase” I only ever really got into their post-John Cale albums. Definitely much more experimental.

C'est les émotions

Maybe I’m lackin importance in context oh this album. But , it felt like any pop album for. The 60s. Great production l.

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

Very poetic lyrics. Lots of Indian/eastern and medieval influences.

Bastante bueno la verdad

Aina hyvä, monipuolinen

A solid record...Loaded is better though

Liked some songs but not all. It was good to study too, but sometimes the screeching got to me. I would only listen to this if I was doing something that required me to focus because I would zone it out.

An album that's brilliantly dark and harrowing. Nico's vocals were great in this, amplifying the haunting lyrics. Reed's non-existent vocal range was also perfect for the songs on this album. Heroin is a perfect example of this, as he sings this 7-minute masterpiece in the most monotone yet dark way possible. Great album.

I wonder if they know what they have done, its too eraly in the 60s to make such a thing. When i discovered this album (just for the popular cover) i searched for more and more, i think this was the beggining of a lot of music and bands that we still listen today. Sunday morning, Femme Fatale, nice

I think you need to be in the right mood to enjoy this album, but when that's the case, it's perfect.

1st February 2023 Listened while driving to the dentist and in the morning. Supper at mum and dad’s in the evening after dad worked on the house. I love the softer songs rather than the heroin induced escapism of the last few but they are a totally unique band and the androgyny of nico is really interesting.

Traditionally I've always put this down as an album that I don't really "get", especially not to the extent that I feel like I should. I've engaged with it several times over the years and always come away a bit perplexed that it didn't blow me away as much as it seems to almost everyone else. This time was a little different, I've got much more into experimental music since I last listened to this album and I think that was the context I was missing. Tuning all your guitar strings to the same note and pushing all the faders up till everything is clipping and calling it a day is a very bold production decision and I totally respect it on so many levels. But because at the core these are good pop songs it leads to this weird fusion of "Is it experimental? is it not? what's going on?" that you tend to get from much of John Cale's output. Its on the edge constantly of turning into a mess, occasionally crossing that line but not quite enough to totally descent into farce. Definitely the star of this record is how its made not in the songs themselves, that's what I was missing before.

Anthony Bourdain music

A classic, i guess you could claim it to be the most influential rock album? possibly? alongside with their other ones ofc

listened to again still feels like 80s spirit and creativity for a 60s album

How have gone 40 years in my life without ever hearing this? I’ve of course heard of Velvet Underground but I guess I’ve never sat down and listened. It’s brilliant. Lou’s drawl and apathetic approach sets the tone.

Feeling this. Makes me wanna drop acid and hang out at The Factory. The 60's were something else.

I was sceptical at the beginning, mostly because the band is very popular, and I have never heard a song from them, which probably means bad news. But after listening I can safely say, this is a really nice album! Don't have much time for more, the big question is 4 or 5 stars. It's 4,5 in my current opinion, after brief first listening. So maybe 4 stars right now, and then we will think again.

So close to a 5⭐️ if it wasn’t for the mental last 10 minutes

Really good stuff. A but too experimental/dissonant on the last track but everything up until then is a really interesting listen. 8/10

Great album, very influential, a little difficult to listen to (at least at first). Very much something I had to warm up to just as most everybody back when it came out.

Been a while since I listened to this. Different sound but very unique. Love it.

i like the album overall, some songs are a bit too experimental tho. 3.5 probably, feeling generous tho

I’ve always liked this record. One of the most influential albums ever. The Nico songs are definitely my favorite of the bunch. I think the only thing I don’t like about it is how sloppy the guitar solos often are. But I know that’s part of its uniqueness, so I can get past it

Some revolutionary stuff here.

Nico is so good. They both compliment each others voices so good. Heroin is the best song tho

This is one of my favorite Velvet albums. It's stacked with fun tracks and formed one of the pillars of the pre-punk movement. It's anti-establishment and counter-culture and lovely most of the time. This album has some of the biggest Velvet hits on it: "I'm Waiting For The Man", "Run Run Run", "All Tomorrow's Parties", "There She Goes Again"... it's just stacked with great Velvet jams. One of the most shocking things about this album is the fact that it came out in '67. That's the same year that Hendrix dropped "Are You Experienced" and Beatles dropped "Sgt. Pepper's" and The Doors and The Grateful Dead dropped their self-titled albums. This album stands in stark contrast to all of those. It doesn't feel like it shares any DNA with any of its contemporaries. In fact, it feels like it belongs a decade or more in the future in the punk movement. It's remarkable in how much it stands out. I don't know. A lot of folks hate on the Velvets for a lot of reasons. Many of which are not wrong. But they're also not right. Velvets did their own thing and they did it well and with passion and I love 'em for it. It's not supposed to feel good. It's supposed to feel strong. Mission accomplished.

Interesting album. I really liked the orchestra parts. Oh also I want to do heroin now.

Great album. Just an interesting vibe the whole way through. 4.5/5

What a great trip, with the start buying the drugs and the end with a crash.

I've listened to this album before and had it saved in my library but it's been a while since I put it on. I enjoyed listening to it at work. Has a great opening trio of songs. Love Nico.

favourite song: heroin least favourite song: femme fatale had heard this before and didn't really like it at all, has really really grown on me since.

enough's been said

Nice, varied album and also nice to finally be able to put a sound to the album cover I've seen on sporcle many times

What a fucking mess. Sounds like they’re smacked out on heroin or something? A very catchy and icon mess though (first side is anyway). Despite the underdeveloped backing tracks and “Whose line is it Anyway”-esque rhythm schemes i was grudgingly going to give this a 5. The last 10mins became a real chore though.

Ingenious composition and carzy emotive delivery. Lou Reed is fantastic. I'm not sold on Nico's singing, but the rest is top drawer

Dope as hell

El primer gran àlbum de rock alternatiu, molt abans que ni tan sols existís aquesta definició o etiqueta. Tan referencial i important com apunten les cròniques i pura història del rock i dels '60. Art rock en la seva essència

Lovely

Nice... dark psychedelia

Nice variety of songs and didn't want to skip anything.

One of those albums I knew to be iconic but never got to. Nice to finally give it a listen and I really liked it. The melancholic voice of Nico really adds to the whole thing with Lou Reed just completing the 'coolness' of the whole affair

Honnêtement à la hauteur de tout le bruit autour de cet album. Pas l'album le plus impressionnant que j'ai entendu, mais définitivement unique avec un son typique des années 60

Yeah, you can tell Andy Warhol had something to do with this album. The Velvet Underground & Nico is so far ahead of its time. An album in 1967 that was a successful avant-garde / punk / psychedelic / artsy / post-punk album that paved the way for so many bands. 4/5.

First a kinda boring album musically speaking, but the lyrics has some meaning, however at the end it's just chaos. It's hard to tell if is a good or bad album but is so interesting to know that a band could have a very experimental album.

i like drugs

"The Velvet Underground & Nico" is an album I was afraid to listen to because of its reputation. However, it's such a classic album that I could not understand how much geniality it compresses. Finish my listening session; I can say that it is pretty nice but also pretty typical. But, listening to it in 2022 is much different from listening to it in 1967. The album was released one year after "Pet Sounds," which means the revolution was everywhere around Velvet Underground guys. So it was "easy" to capture the moment and put it all together. The last songs of the album, mixing some noise and raw distortion into pieces, are engaging experimentally, but even these songs do not sound so revolutionary to me. It's still a gratifying experience, and now that I'm not afraid anymore, I can search for more Velvet Underground. Some months ago, I received "White Light / White Heat" on this list, and I could not understand it. After Listening to this one, I can conclude two things: - they weren't as revolutionary as I thought - Not understanding it made it even better for some reason.

just love it so far although already was a velvet underground fan. Such a good mix of songs & styles, their experimentation all sounds brilliant, lyrics and themes are so cool

Nice

A classic. Good to revisit overall, but an overrated VU album. I was able to rediscover There She Goes Again by relistening.

4.75

Vraiment plus intéressant que l’album The Velvet Underground. Plus de recherche, d’exploration. Je n’y reviendrai possiblement jamais, mais je suis bien content de l’avoir écouté.

Groovy

Interesting, saw a comment that it got more experimental as it progressed and I definitely agree. The last song was too long imo and I preferred songs with lou singing to the ones with nico

Only partially listened. Liked what I heard, would try again.

Not a fan of Nico, but damn. The influence of this record is huge, and still sounds so ahead of its time were it not for the out of tune vocals of the singer.

Yup...this is my thing, always loved this album. Nico and Velvet Underground... Sunday Morning, I'm Waiting For The Man, Venus in Furs and Heroin...and There She Goes Again, maybe's its the hippy trippy side of me but I love this album, from cover design, history, Nico being like a female Leonard Cohen, not sounding right but somehow is for these songs. (Sidenote: Massive Leonard Cohen fan so that's not a dig).

Random thoughts Immediately love the sound here: drums are minimal and there seems to be a droning element in each song, guitar organ, piano etc that makes the whole album feel psychedelic. I can see how this went to inspire music going forward even the likes of Brian Wilson on pet sounds and even more recently Coldplays song Yes is clearly inspired from Venus in Furs. The songs themselves are fairly conventional in blues, pop, and folk styles but the arrangements make them unique. With strings, glockenspiel, lots of distorted guitars they provide a surreal backdrop to otherwise conventional songs. A good example of this is All Tomorrow's Parties which sounds like a 16th century folk song but has a droning paradiddle-like rhythm through the whole song. My favorite songs were those fronted by Nico. This album would be worlds better if Lou Reeds was not trying to sound exactly like Dylan. It's so distracting and grating it detracts from an otherwise unique and creative work. Also, European Son is goofy nonsense. 3.75/5

Ethereal, shades of Dylan, psychedelic, and a strong sense of adventure, abandon and inventiveness. Lou Reed and Nico's voice are quirky and perfectly paired with the minimal and rich aural landscapes provided in this now iconic album.

LOVED LOVED LOVED!! there are a few songs that aren’t my favorites but they aren no where NEAR as bad as these reviews make them seem. this album is overall very enjoyable. highlights: sunday morning, all tomorrow’s parties, heroin, there she goes again

One prefers the lyrical sweetness ("Sunday Morning," "Femme Fatale," "I'll Be Your Mirror") to the harsher tracks, but the power surely originates in the contrast. Bonus points to this record for the classic tracks of "There She Goes" and "All Tomorrow's Parties" – it's the melancholia, innit?

The sweet slow numbers are better than the debauched rockers. Bonus points for the iconic (for once that overused word is accurate) cover imagery.

Classic tho

4.5

Not my style but very well made

Great album.

This is an album that I always wanted to like more. The cover is so iconic and the influence is there, I just think individual songs drag on and Nico’s contributions are pretty lackluster. Heroin is still an amazing song. 8/10

solid

I don't like Nico's voice! At all! Right, with that gangly truth evacuated, I feel better, more capable of discussing this album cogently. The Velvet Underground and Nico has long held the critics' choice of coolest album ever, but to we professional contrarians that's a provocation; hasn't its coolness been diluted by the elevation of the Velvet Underground to the pantheon? And isn't Eno's declaration that the few who bought this album each formed their own band obsolete nowadays, considering this is now an entry-level music snob text? Funny thing: plenty of bands I adore cite the Velvet Underground as a major influence (Bowie, Roxy Music, Sex Pistols, Joy Division), but that's also true of plenty I find inadequate (U2, The Strokes, a thousand abject landfill indie bands each with the lame ambition of their debut album fusing this with Sgt. Pepper). Influence is not a virtue in itself, and humanity has quite the history of venerating the feeble. So, shearing away the tangles of its legacy, I can say that much of the album does hold up. Lou Reed's drug odes still sound exhilarating, and I'm a sucker for sleaze. The production is a tad muggy, but that's to the album's benefit: how would their songs of pushers and transvestites work if they sounded like Steely Dan? But whilst listening I found myself thinking of The Doors' debut, which was released two months before this. The Doors (the album) shares much with The Velvet Underground and Nico: the subject matter (drugs, fucking, mooning authority, nightmarescapes), freaky beatnik ropy poetry, the desire to experiment, to stretch rock beyond its still-inchoate borders. But The Doors (still the album) coheres much more satisfyingly than The Velvet Underground and Nico. The tracklist to The Doors (again the album) feels impeccably structured and it flows effortlessly. The Velvet Underground and Nico, by contrast, seems just an aggregation of songs. Fine songs, yes, but songs that don't cleave together that well. Also, The Doors (yet again the album, but also the band as well in this case) got to number 2 on the Billboard chart. The weird, disreputable and exploratory were already becoming mainstream by the time this was released. Surely The Velvet Underground and Nico's legacy involves some revisionism? But that's not the real problem. The impediment, as I said right at the start, is that the Nico-led songs sound crap because Nico can't sing. Andy Warhol insisted that the band feature his acolyte Nico, ignoring that she sang as well as an anus, and the band accepted her to keep the peace and perhaps get fellated. Nico was partially deaf and didn't know what key she was singing in. The result was, to be technical, pisspoor. Try listening to Femme Fatale, counting the words as she sings. With the twelfth word "break", the whole song aptly breaks as Nico strains for a key she has no hope of finding. Her songs aren't bad enough to ruin the album, but they feel more like chores than treats. One lazy contention about albums like this is that time has blunted their impact, that in 1967 this would have been as gobsmacking as a brachiosaurus. However, I don't think that's the case here: I believe I view The Doors (once more the album, and I think the band as well) as remarkable as 60s teens would have, whereas I view this is as more interesting on paper than in actuality. The Velvet Underground and Nico is a valiant and oft-successful first attempt, but it's hard to herald it as the grand paradigm-shifter of 60s rock.

Upee! Klassikkobiisejä täynnä oleva eheä kokonaisuus! 4/5

Klassikko eikä syyttä. Viiltävän ivallinen sävy ja hieno tasapainottelua rajujen tekstien ja kevyemmän musiikillisen otteen välillä. 4/5.

Really interesting stuff, shocking that this is 55 years old and still sounds so fresh.

This album would have been too weird to most listeners in 1967, with it’s shifts between mellow psychedelic and bluesy garage rock, edgy lyrics and of course, Nico's voice. It’s not hard to see why it was ignored by everybody. It went through a rebirth in the 80s when I bought it. I have a better appreciation for it now. There are a handful of timeless tracks, especially on S1, while some of the others grate the nerves. Nico is a bit of a downer.

04/25/22

Overall a tight album, and probably my first time listening to all of the tracks together. Sometimes I think some of these albums from this era are often looked at with rose tinted glasses but this was a great listen for me.

Better than expected. 3.5 for me musically, but begrudgingly rounding up for the influence.

Gríðarlega hát fjarki, algjört fimmunart.

Undeniable confidence and charisma. I have no idea why it's so good, when other similarly unpolished things strike me as pretentious and annoying. Denied a perfect rating by that *actually* pretentious and annoying closer...

Classic album, classic cover.

Nostalgiafest from repeated play on low capacity mp3 player.

A Classic that offers weird, but fun offerings. A lot of the songs here are great, but I'm hesitant to call it a 5 star favourite. Favourites: "Sunday Morning", "Venus In Furs", "Heroin", "European Son"

Not mindblowing, but certainly has character

Bro that opening track is insane

So good.

Undeniable confidence and charisma. I have no idea why it's so good, when other similarly unpolished things strike me as pretentious and annoying. Denied a perfect rating by that *actually* pretentious and annoying closer...

Love.

02/21/22 I was always under the assumption that it was grungy punk-rock, so I never gave them a shot or even an attempt at listening, despite the constant praise. Wow, how wrong I was! Heroin's a great one, but got in trouble at work for the wild guitar strings at the end, lol. :-/

Claaaaassic

I am having a tough time with this one. There were moments of listening to this that were not entirely pleasant. But somehow they were unpleasant in an interesting way that made me want to listen to more. I can't figure out why that is, but due to the fact that I want to hear more, I am giving this 4 stars.

Classic

Love it

Годнота.

A great album with a chaotic energy, but that sometimes drifts to being a little too chaotic.

Pretty much the genesis of a lot of the music i listen to but it is by no means a stellar album. for starters you can write off the last ten minutes of it, i'm all for a jam out but its not very listenable. and then we get to nico and her fucking irritating voice. i can tolerate her singing on femme fatale, probably because its a huge tune and weirdly her retarded singing actually adds to it. I can only just manage to listen to ATP all the way through, which is a shame because its a great song beneath the caterwauling, thankfully there are decent cover versions out there. anything else where she does that weird anglo german accent just gets skipped. but the bottom line is the other tunes are such bangers that it would be madness to give it a mid score.

A classic. There were a couple of songs I recognized, but for the most part this album was new to me. This is right up my alley, and while some songs didn't quite "click" upon first listen, I enjoyed it overall.

Fabulous i guess

Jag tyckte det här var en av de bästa classy rock-albumen vi haft hittills! Kanske inte bara bangers, men Femme Fatale Heroin och All tomorrows parties går alla tre in på mina spellistor

Det var mycket bättre andra gången jag lyssnade på det än första. Förutom sista låten som är tråkig. zzz

Junkies band to together and make an album that no one buys. Cut to a few years later and it's now one of the most important albums ever. Nowhere near as out there as people claim. Solid tunes. They almost make heroin sound worth it. Best Tracks: I'm Waiting For My Man; Venus In Furs; Heroin

Great album to get into experimental rock. Love Lou Reed’s delivery and lyrics. I hear so many bands that have been influenced when I listen to this.

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

Nice late-60s rock

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

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

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

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

Good album

Muy buen disco. Cultura general

I liked it, bit different but cool

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

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

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

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

3.5

Heel vet album voor die tijd, super progressief

good

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leuk album en lekker experimenteel!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Great album, awful recording quality

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fav : venus in furs Beh c'est bien

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

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

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