Reviews (page 4 of 8)
The problem is, I have to actually listen to it.
I actually really like this one - more than the banana album at least, which I could never really wrap my head around. I even enjoyed the absolute sonic trainwreck of a closing track; I unironically love how absurdly kitchen-sink chaotic it is. There's this sense of beatnik poetry deliberate senselessness to the entire album, right down to the off-kilter panning. Fav tracks: The Gift, Lady Godiva's Operation, Sister Ray
Holy shit, this is not good. I want to like it. I really do.
Massive tunes
White Light/White Heat will be my third and final Velvet Underground album to review. I thought VU’s self-titled album was fine, but I really enjoyed The Velvet Underground and Nico. I don’t recognize any of the songs on this album, and I’ll admit that I’m a little skeptical when I see that this album has an eight-minute song and a 17-minute song on it. I’m not sure that I trust this bunch with songs that long, but I’m curious to see how this goes. This album was no Velvet Underground and Nico, but I thought it was pretty good. Once again, I thought VU did some really awesome and groundbreaking work with their distorted guitar playing, and the bass playing and Vox organ added some nice touches to these songs as well. I thought this album was really interesting, and it’s one of the more unique things that I’ve listened to in a bit. There wasn’t really a particular song that stood out to me as my favorite, but I did really enjoy the storytelling of “The Gift.” I was really hooked by the lyrics of “The Gift,” and I was pretty shocked, and honestly a little pissed when it got to the end. Granted, in my opinion, the fact that I was mad at its abrupt conclusion goes to show how effective it was. As much as I enjoyed that song, I wasn’t as into the narrative of “Sister Ray.” The vocals on “The Gift” were so clear and crisp, but “Sister Ray” was so distorted, that it was tough to follow the lyrics. It was suspiciously clear on all the ‘sucking on a ding-dong’ lines though, so the band clearly had their priorities. I don’t think that I would listen to this album again, but I did appreciate how influential its garage rock/proto punk sound was. This album was refreshingly different, and I understand why VU is such a big deal.
Pretty good sound, very VERY interesting lyrics. Lots of innuendos and drug references
The weakest of their albums (Squeeze doesn't count), but still good. The title track is an all-timer. 3.5/5
“It was absurdly simple He would ship himself parcel post, special delivery” An eccentric and chaotic record which laid the foundations for art rock as we know it today. This was a really tough listen as someone who has never really responded brilliantly to the more avant-garde side of rock music. I enjoyed the narrative of “The Gift” and felt a palpable sense of dread as the story reached its grisly conclusion. I struggled with much of the rest of the album and really don’t think that the guitar playing is as exciting or interesting as others seem to. I have seen some online compare it with Hendrix which I think is borderline insulting. Still, the album has clearly had a profound impact and influence on a number of artists who would follow and it has its merits in places. Just not quite for me.
Absolutely hilarious and and a bop too
The music is extremely simple and boring and the guitars are covered with feedback and distortion that makes them tough to listen to. The lyrics are repetitive on most of the songs, and there's even a meandering spoken word track. It's not the worst album on this list but it still gets a 1.
White Light/White Heat - A little more 60s than I expected. The contrast of the slightly cheesy vocals against the fuzzy guitar and explicit drug talk was fun. The Gift - I liked the backing track but I just didn't care about the short story and John Cale's not a terribly captivating speaker. Lady Godiva's Operation - John Cale's not a terribly captivating singer either, apparently. The alternating vocal thing is abrasive in a not-very-fun way. Here She Comes Now - It was fine. I Heard Her Call My Name - Lots of rough distortion, lots of feedback, but mixing technology hadn't progressed far enough to make noisy lead guitar sound good yet, or if it had, they chose to make it sound like shit. Aimless sloppy shredding for most of it. Sister Ray - Not as pointedly unpleasant to listen to as the previous track but they came close. A long song about a drugged-up orgy where they murder a dude. Transgressive, obnoxious, barely music at times. I understand that the Velvet Underground were pushing boundaries and experimenting. I understand that people were still figuring out what rock and roll was and this is a very important, influential album on the road from psychedelic rock to punk and basically any genre that starts with "alt". Alas, it sucks shit.
no thank you
I’ve only very vaguely dabbled with The Velvet Underground so don’t really know their albums. I must say I can hear how influential there were on the punk/post punk scene. Track 2 (The Gift) could be right out of a Bauhaus album for instance. I really like the spoken word/ poetry to music aspect of The Gift. I liked the whole album more on the second listen and it probably helped bump it up a point.
When it came up I was sure I loved this album - after a listen I'm not as sure. The title track and Sister Ray keeps it as a four though
This faded into the background..... until it started to annoy me. Sorry Phyl.
This is pretty weird. Really experimental. Some of it works, but also some of it doesn't. Like "I Heard Her Call My Name" is not good. Too much of it is a miss for me to really get into this album. Overall, it's not good. "Sister Ray" is musically interesting but just goes on for too long with bad repetitious lyrics that are cringy. It could be the best song on the album, even if the song was still about sex. It just crosses a boundary that takes it to uncomfortable listening and bad vibes. Favorite Song(s): White Light / White Heat
The opening track, White Light/White Heat, sounds like it’s had a few seconds trimmed off the start so you’re launched straight into a noise-rock hellscape. The level of distortion in the album reduces the quality enough that I initially thought this was a home recording made before their & Nico album. I love the rawness and weirdness and rebellion and defiance. And it’s awesome to end with Sister Ray, “the big bang of noise-rock”.
Listened Before? N What a pile of pretentious garbage. Apparently they fired Andy Warhol before they recorded this one.... I hate Andy Warhol - but he would have improved this record. What a noisy turd. My first TRUE one star rating. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Here She Comes Now (because it was short and the only song that had any coherence to it).
"White Light/White Heat" is the second studio album by American rock band the Velvet Underground. Noise rock, proto-punk, art rock and experimental rock are the Wiki-listed genres. You betcha. The album was recorded quickly and modeled after their live shows with techniques of improvisation. It was their last album with John Cale (vocals, electric viola, Vox Continental organ, bass) and the first after the firing of producer Andy Warhol. Other bandmembers included Lou Reed (vocals, lead guitar, piano), Sterling Morrison (guitar, bass, backing vocals) and Maureen Tucker (drums, percussion). Commercially, the album cracked the US Billboard Top LP's chart at #199. The album is cited as having a significant impact on punk and no wave. The self-titled "White Light/White Heat" opens the album with charging music. A bouncy piano with Reed on lead vocals. Backing vocals echoing the lead vocals. Sort of 50's doo-wop. And then the end foreshadowing the rest of the album with a distorted guitar and bass. Oh, a song about amphetamine usage. Cale is on lead vocals in "Lady Godiva's Operation." A melodic psychedelic guitar melody and thumping bass. A tale about a botched sex-change operation or lobotomy. Yep. Reed comes in at the end yelling various words seemingly to throw Cale off. Also, at the end are medical device and drilling noises. Frightening. The second side begins with "I Heard Her Call My Name." Distorted, banshee-like guitar strikes overlay the 60's-sounding pop song with female backing vocals. A love song about a dead girl. The album ends with the 17-minute "Sister Ray." The song starts with a fast, distorted guitar and pounding bass. Cale eventually comes in with an annoying distorted organ and I feel like I'm at some sort of weird, psychedelic circus not exactly sober. The song keeps tripping along. In comes a Bo Diddley riff, percussion beats that sound like garbage cans and ends with feedback and an even more annoyingly organ sound. A song about drag queens, heroin and sailors. You connect the dots. Experimental, avant-garde. The music seemingly is a battle between songs trying to carry a melody and songs with random noises and improvisation. Was this really a battle between Reed and Cale? The lyrics are purposely shocking with themes of drag queens, sex, transgender people and drugs. The lyrics and music match up perfectly. The vocals are sung, spoken, yelled and mimic medical devices. There's no doubt on the influence this album has on punk and no wave. And on artists like Jonathan Richman and Sonic Youth. And, of course, I liked this album. I found it fascinating. I liked it much more the second time through and thought it might go the opposite way. Who might also like this album? I don't know. Maybe, anyone who likes their music with distortion, feedback, annoying sounds or improvisation.
Needles in the red! Sister ray!!!!
2.9/5 wasn't crazy good. It was like okay
Overall Rating - 2.92/5 (5.83/10). You can tell that they were influenced by Andy Warhol and William S. Burroughs. A weird album, but neither great nor terrible.
"Noise Album" is an apt description of this album.
Best Song: White Light/White Heat. Short, sweet-ish. Worst Song: The Gift. Listlessly reading off a mundane story into one ear while unrelated music plays into the other. A jarring listening experience. Overall: Milquetoast sixties psychedelic rock made slightly worse by some truly terrible sound editing. The vocal insertions on "Lady Godiva's Operation" sit so far outside the music they're ostensibly supposed to be a part of that I initially thought I had another tab playing music.
Kind of falls into that late 60s, Tom Robbins style of psychedelia. Not bad.
Albums like this expand my musical world, and it's straight up just noisy hedonism. "The Gift" was super grisly.
Read up on it, makes sense why they think people should be listening to this but it just wasn't good LOL. I mean to be fair, I've never listened to anu of their other music but this just didn't do it for me. Like the last song thats like 17 minutes just had me feel like I was goin crazy when I realized how long the song lasted for. The first song was chill but nothing crazy about it. Second one called "the gift" was very interested, reminded me of a song from a musical the way the focus was on the story telling in a normal speaking sound instead of singing
Probably half of their album budget went to drugs
Underwhelming :/ and ew
Not my favourite of theirs
Very interesting. I love story songs, like the Gift. Some real weird guitar though.
I liked their music as a teen. This round listening to them was rough for me. It all seemed very yell-heavy and disjointed. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
Fuck it I loved this, why not it was brilliant
Never actually listened to these before but I was aware of their Andy Warhol album so I was quite excited going in. However I just couldn't get past what felt like messy instrumentals and slurred vocals. Maybe it was just the style of the time and I can see how in a time of very "clean" music it could be viewed as a bit rebellious but I really struggled to enjoy any of it.
Loved ‘The Gift’ Loud clashing guitars not for me, too chaotic and overstimulating, I lose concentration and it just sounds like noise to me.
5.5/10 At least it was interesting.
Well... there's that. Love you John Cale, but this ain't it.
I don't get it, this group continues to be overrated to me.
I didn't enjoy 1 second.
Garbage. Beat poets with amplifiers. I can't stand beat poets. I'd gladly listen to 100 hours of that Captain Beefheart Fish Head album before I'd listen to this again.
Not bad but I don't like it
Another influential album that's notable for its place in history and how it laid the groundwork for other genres. An interesting listen but I don't do enough drugs to consider going back for another go at any of it.
The distorted guitars and the experimentation and improvisation made this such a fun listen. I can see how this had a huge impact on the later punk and industrial movements, especially Sister Ray.
Who is this for?
Well, they found Waldo :) This is the kind of 60s music I love being exposed to; experimental to the level of providing interest and pushing the genre on, but not so out there to be unpleasant. That said, I doubt I'll make an effort to listen to it again down the road, but it was a pleasant use of 40 minutes
Feels like the entire album is made up of mixing two songs together and seeing what comes out. I can definitely tell how this would inspire future rock music and I think there's a lot of interesting melodies on the album. But a lot of it was just kinda cacophonous to me and I struggled to keep up. Cool concept album from a historical context, but hard for me to listen to.
This album probably hits pretty hard when you're high as shit and you're playing with a stereo mixer. Favorite track: I Heard Her Call My Name
It is honestly wild to me that something this atonal and experimental was from '68
Cool album, though not quite as listenable as Velvet Underground & Nico. These guys were real pioneers, and Sister Ray in particular feels like a song way ahead of its time. Favourite track: Sister Ray
Music for douchebags who wear hemp backpacks and berets. First song was good, but it devolved from there into literal talking about nonsense over a beat, droning vocals when stupid Lou Reed actually tries to sing, and loud noise rock with no rhythm. Fuck Lou Reed.
Piece of alternative history, not exactly very musical
Terrible
Grand fan de Velvet, grand fan de Lou Reed malgré son caractère de marde, grand fan de John Cale. Album à l'esprit grunge 25 ans avant son temps. Le docu The Velvet Underground (2021) de Todd Haynes n'est pas absolument remarquable mais vaut la peine malgré tout. On réalise l'importance de la présence de John Cale dans le groupe.
Je voudrais d'abord remercier Boston de m'avoir fourni le parfait compas du 3 étoiles dans le rock. Maintenant, je peux classer les albums à partir de ce point de référence. Ça a de la gueule, j'aime bien le côté Stones, le côté experimental, et je vais tenter de m'exprimer comme Guillaume, le côté low-fi? Mes excuses si c'est pas ça la game. Par contre, Sister Ray c'est trop.
J’aimerais donner 5 étoiles. J’adore Velvet Underground and Nico, ainsi que Lou Reed en général. Mais clairement c’est ici leur album le plus caustique et le moins accessible. Bien aimé The Gift ainsi que Sister Ray qui sonne comme un gros jam proto punk.
A lot of talking with background music, which I hate
Definitely that 60’s-70’s sound of long guitar solos and off tone singing. Overall it wasn’t a terrible album, wasn’t a great one either. It wasn’t terrible on the ears, but I think they spent to much time with the solos instead of the songs.
"You must have been sucking on my ding dong". Pretty bold for 68. Early guitar riffs that would evolve into harder and faster beats. I wasn't a fan of that second song, too much talking. But I guess that was kinda the whole album. Decent. That was a pretty grand conclusion in the final song!
This is way more interesting than their debut in my opinion. I'm a sucker for a spoken word section, so The Gift was up my alley. I love how this album is kinda bad. I think that makes it really endearing.
Some fantastic storytelling. Some horrific guitar tone.
Sorry, I don’t do drugs
I was excited to revisit this album since I have underrated it in the past but unfortunately it did not win me over this time around. I fully acknowledge this album's influence on genre's like punk and noise rock, but I'm just not that into it. Definitely my least favorite Velvet Underground album (excluding you know what). Favorite track: Here She Comes Now 3.5/5
Let's, for once, start with the end- Sister Ray. Man, sister ray. One of the most mind blowing pieces of shit I've ever heard. It's equally painfully tough and beautiful. The guitars, the repetitive drumming and above all the unbelievable organ tone. Wow. Incredible. This entire record leads to this highlight and the first 23 minutes feel more like an introduction. But a pretty great introduction, to be honest. My experience listening to this album was great. I don't have the emotional attachment to it like I have for the debut, but it's definitely a step forward. Less in regards to songwriting and more the soundscape and atmosphere. A 4.
What an insanely unpleasant album. Not one redeeming quality.
Quite unusual - liked it.
Pure noise. Not good.
Hated it, and I like the velvet underground other stuff
This album is a vibe. It’s not the most easy to listen to but the raw attitude and unique nature make it an incredible listen.
This used to be my least favorite of the original 4 VU albums, but I think it has actually become my favorite with time. Lou Reed is at the height of his powers without much of the ego that would later consume his work, John Cale is still in the band, and adding so much odd brilliance. The guitar work from Lou and Sterling are excellent, and Mo's drumming is minimalist and perfect for the songs. Oh, and Sister Ray might be a perfect song.
This sounds maybe even more groundbreaking than the first album but it’s not really something I would listen to again. It’s raucous and messy in a way that predates much that carries that aesthetic decades later.
Only got into VE recently outside the known hits. To think White Light/White Heat (along with Sweet Jane) would one day be the spark that ignited Lulu. Also Nirvana would to a take on Here She Comes Now. The album is very loosely produced. It feels like me and my friends jamming when we were young, but we never got into this zone. And a near 20 minute jam to close. And all just 4 years after Hard Days Night, it feels a generation apart, and a real reflection of the times. Not an anytime listen, but at the right time its really right.
It's fine
Thank god I didn’t listen to the deluxe version. Absolutely horrible. You must have to be high AF to think this is decent.
Considero este o mais fraco na discografia do Velvet Underground. Além de uma péssima qualidade técnica, esteticamente me incomoda a opção por sons carregados e distorcidos.
Borderline unlistenable. Seemingly intentionally. The Gift is just…awful.
Nice
completamente a frente do tempo pqp
noise rock as vezes spokenword lo-fizera em 68. não tem jeito, eh mta doideira como essa banda tava uns 25 anos adiantados. todas pedradas MÁXIMAS, até as menos barulhentas. só não dou 5 estrelas porque acho 17 minutos de música demais quando vc está sóbrio (infelizmente eh o caso no momento)
This is the Velvet Underground at their noisiest, fuzziest and most experimental, so I'm not surprised it isn't too well rated, especially for those for whom this is their introduction to the band. For me this feels like post-punk before punk had even happened, which makes it pretty remarkable. I also feel like it captures the band jamming and improvising, which shows the talent in their ranks. That said, it's the VU album I listen to the least, and I'm knocking it down to 4/5 because they have 2 better albums, plus another album with more standout tracks.
surprisingly enjoyable. i can see why they are so influential
Motherfucker I love the Velvet Underground are you kidding me? Easy 5
Interesting
very weird but i kinda liked it this time
It might be influential but this album isn’t very good.
Knowing what I do about these guys, it’s amazing that at times they can mimic the Beatles . Maybe a little less polished but nonetheless, they do a great job at that mimicking. What YOU should know is there is nothing quite like “The Gift”. That alone makes it impossible for this album to fail. A genius song. Then there is the noise aspect of the album. It just doesn’t make sense nor does it make the album better. Like 3 stars will be just holding on by a thread. These guys are so much better and have proved it with other albums. I feel like this one was a throw in to this list honestly. Choice cut: The Gift
Felt unclean after this perfect VU album
Aika kauhee.. Välillä vaan niin tylsä ja sitten ihan sika outoja sanoja ja vaan puhutaan ja random muutenkin.
We all need to travel in a mind-wipe time machine to hear how revelatory a lot of these early records were. Our ears are, at best, poor approximations of archaeologists or historians, even when we do our utmost to establish this mindset. It's a fact we may know intellectually, and yet it's too easy not to hear the music that way. For example, I listen to The Velvet Underground and, try as I might, during The Gift I'm relating what I hear to later echoes of it in songs by Bauhaus (a single small example when other bands might owe a larger debt for their sound). That's the tension and the problem with records and bands like this — critically important at the time and enduring, but also plagued by their own successes. As the saying (sort of) goes: The Velvet Underground didn't sell a lot of records, but everyone who bought one started a band — and many of those bands would, in turn, go on to do some facet of VU's sound and approach better than they did. The music and quality of this recording have nearly as many flaws as distorted charms to recommend it. And yet, and yet... take that mind-wipe time travel trip, and you might hear how their debut and this album cracked open the ground of popular music in new, shadowy and important ways.
Quite messy. A little too much distortion and squeeking; way too much talking.
It's velvet underground, funky
meh, 3 stars
The Gift is one hectic song
Enjoyed! Would I search for it to listen again? Probs not
Bit too much random noise
Muy bueno
I’m really happy this album popped up today. I don’t know why I’ve taken so long to return to this but today I did and I can confirm that’s it’s still fucking fantastic. It almost sounds as though they had a loose plan and just went for it, at least from a musical standpoint. It’s garage rock, it’s art and it’s absolutely experimental and the experiment is a huge success. It’s a beautiful mess that reminds of The Stooges masterpiece, Fun House. It’s the perfect amount of unhinged, it’s a trip, it’s a beautiful mess. Sister Ray, a sprawling 17 minute punk rock freakout that, is so distorted and so noisy, it will drown out whatever worries are bouncing around your skull. It will sweep you away in its rollicking complexity and take you to a better place. Settle in for this unsettling ride that is White Light/White Heat. 5 stars
Ugly, monotone and uncontrollable, pure anti-music. It's a deliberate middle finger to the listener. I kinda respect them for it, but I will never ever listen to this again. I listened to this after first hearing their self titled album (third album), I did not expect this! Best song: Here She Comes Now Worst song: The Gift Cover check: ???
Past and present baristas have no choice but to give this a high rating
I hated every second of this. The subversive subject matter of the lyrics was newish at the time, but other than that I simply don't like/get Lou Reed's oeuvre. This sounds like the output of heroin-addled narcissists, which it is.
Ok
I am not cool enough to enjoy 90% of this. 0.4
Weird and annoying. Title track is good though
Eh, another one where the undeniable historical importance doesnt stop an album from.actually being quite dull. At least with Cale involved they're a bit more interesting. The Gift is enjoyably weird, WLWH has a great proto-punk vibe, and there's a few nice melodies in places, but to modern ears it just sounds like a tossed off demo. I know, at the time, hearing Sister Ray stretched out for 20 mins must have been mindblowing. Now, I just want them to get on with it. A very, very low 3. I'll say it again - for all their importance, I feel like the Velvet Underground inspired all the bands I hate the most.
This is mind numbing stuff. As much depth as a puddle. Does not belong in any best of lists and instead belongs in the dustbin of history.
Sister Ray is like Roadrunner, if it were about transvestite junkies instead of about driving around the Boston suburbs.
What a shambles this is. Going by the Wiki entry the recording was rushed and chaotic and even the band thought the production was terrible. Why anyone would want to sit down and listen to this on the regular I have no idea
Ehhhh
Too long
3eme album avec Lou Reed =>1/5 Je n'aime toujours pas son chant, et l'accompagnement est particulièrement désagréable dans cet album.
influential? yes. my cup of tea? not so much.
Not their best...
Having seen Jonathan Richman just last night, I have to give VU credit for everyone they inspired, but I found this one pretty unlistenable.
Inspired pretty much all the music that I like so I have to give it 4 stars for that alone
A bit more interesting than their last offering but still 3
Not bad, but weaker than The Velvet Underground's other albums.
Cool enough
Weirdly modern for being from the 60s
real trap bangers
Er det noen som setter på dette frivillig?
Songs are too long and I didn’t enjoy the talking.
Weird
Bring the noise
Секс, драгз і нойз рок. Дуже впливово, досі з цікавістю можна послухати історію про Валдо та коробку. Не можу сказати, що дійсно моя музика, але є в ній свій магнетизм
Гурт і саунд які вплинули просто на безліч інших виконавців. Дуже стильно все. Класика.
maybe 6.3/10 Very distorted, but easy to listen to. Enjoyed "The Gift" the most. Didn't dislike any songs per se, but overall, not my favorite. Organized weirdly, 17 minute song lol.
This hits all the notes one would expect of a Velvet Underground album, but other than the title track (which has many better versions recorded later, in my opinion), nothing here feels really timeless. A lot of it sounds like the kinds of sound experiments bands were trying in the late sixties in order to expand our concepts of what music is, but that we now just listen to with kind of puzzled expressions on our faces.
Too much guitar screeching
it’s clumsy and scattered and seething, a magnificent failure. it’s impossible to imagine what this could have sounded like with the “proper” audio technology that the band felt it required, and it’s probably not even worth trying to imagine it. like with everything related to the velvet underground, there is the gap between the myth and the music, but on the other side of that is the gap between the music the band could record and the music they could play and the music they could imagine. *WL/WH* falls somewhere in amongst all of that. it feels like peering into a deep hole in the ground and feeling all that cool, damp and filthy subterranean air against your face. of the myriad technical issues remaining on the final product, the only one i really regret is how low maureen’s drums are mixed. turn that shit up!!!!!!!!!!!!! fav tracks: here she comes now; sister ray; lady godiva’s operation
I'm just going to steal what I said in my own texts to Emilia when I finished. I purposely waited to start listening until I knew I'd have enough time to do it uninterrupted and I'm glad I did. It's meditative in a sense; it's very repetitive and feels like you have to let it put you in a trance. It's interspersed with cool guitar solos and unconventional avant-garde noises that keeps it interesting.
Pretentious as can be. Indulgent. Hard to listen to.
Noisy and feral. Experimental and transgressive. Very strange and almost anti-commercial; doesn’t care.
Not our favourite of their discog.
A fully realized piece of art that's not all that fun to listen to. Can't imagine anyone being like, "hey, I'm in the mood to listen to The Gift." As a total package, obvious how this is Your Favorite Band's Favorite Band's Favorite Band because it really does do what it wants to do and, well, it does it well. But again, it's not super fun to listen to. No wonder everyone describes the velvet underground as being the inspiration for so many other bands, the other bands made music. Lou Reed's ear for a hook doesn't really show up here too much, so much plodding through these songs, which I guess makes the noisy sections a welcome respite. I like da noise.
A discordant album. The birth of so much to come in the future from this album. Its so distorted and the music over powering the lyrics at most times. Favourite track is the spoken word track, The Gift.
This kaleidoscope is getting hazy
3.5/5
i dont know a lot about drugs but i feel like you would have to be on some pretty heavy ones to enjoy this album
Ah not my favorite band and least favorite album from them so far.
What the heck even is this?
Ding dong, missus.
Wouldn't hit that sideways
I wanted to like this but it was just... noisy. I can see how there is some musical merit here, and I'm sure it was revolutionary for its time, but yeah, I just really didn't enjoy listening to it. Some of the songs were alright, but most of it was just me wondering how much longer I was going to have to listen to some guy droning on about something I couldn't really hear or understand while listening to a band jamming on some really boring chords in a really low-fi sounding way. Two stars.
This is experimental noise rock and the thing about experiments is they’re often a failure. 6 tracks and 40 minutes, meaning you get a 17 minute track that’s just slamming on instruments. If that were the only offense I could get over it, but it’s not. The opening track ends with cringe inducing noise; “The Gift” is story time with minor background music; “Lady Godiva” starts ok until you get bad talk singing out of nowhere followed by an annoying heartbeat sound; and “I Heard Her Call My Name” has some really obnoxious guitar. Not since Pink Floyd’s debut album have I been so disappointed in an artist I otherwise like. This is bad and it should feel bad. 1/5
It's very lo-fi, experimental, underproduced. Not their best work for me. Maybe a little too abrasive, but still interesting.
Well, this was an experience. Experimental, psychedelic, wild, noisy, and just plain strange. Not sure I'd look to revisit this one, personally.
You can see where the White Stripes took their influences from
It's not that I dislike the album, it's not that I don't get that it's an icon of late sixties, west coast cool, it's just that I don't particularly enjoy it. Far too indulgent and meandering.
I liked the title track and Walk on the Wild Side am iconic classic. I also get the historical significance of the Underground's association with Andy Warhol's Factory. Other than that, this album could not keep me interested.
The gift... Can I send it back? Awful album, not surprised I've never heard of them before.
Yikes
Some tidy stuff in here and the wankyness is authentic
It’s always good listening to The Velvet Underground you can hear where a lot of the late 80s alternative rock bands got their sound from. Like the use of feedback, fuzzy guitars and rough production syles. There's also a 17 minute song about taking drugs and getting a blowjob, whats not to like?
Goodness me! That was shit!
4,5
Just because every band I love loves this album doesn't mean I have to. 1/5
There was this kid at school. She spent her time making life-size models of the Velvet Underground. In clay. Slightly odd kid, but in a good way. Last I heard she spent her time turning tables round in Marks and Spencer’s. Apparently they were OK with it. This was an interesting listen. I’m not sure I’ll come back to it all that regularly, but it was enjoyable enough. And I do like that fuzzy guitar sound. I’ve certainly heard a lot worse and it went straight on for a second listen, which is always a good thing.
This is a very garagey sounding rock album with lots of distortion and strange song structures. The poor production does a number on the album's enjoyability, which would be aided significantly by a louder mix. That said, it's still a good and interesting album.
Had to listen to this AND Bjork yesterday. Not my finest musical day.
I suppose I'm just not sophisticated enough...
White Light / White Heat - 4/5 The Gift - 2/5 Lady Godiva's Operation - 4/5 Here She Comes Now - 3/5 I Heard Her Call My Name - 2/5 Sister Ray - 1/5 Average score: 2.8/5 (rounding up) i just don't get it. first half had me like zzzzzzz. last half also had me falling asleep. gave this album another listen just to be sure i wasn't missing something good and i just couldn't stand all that noise on top of Lou Reed's awful singing voice it blows my mind how this album gets so much praise, i just can't seem to understand why. I always thought TVU was kinda whatever but this is the worst i've heard from them so far normally this would maybe get 2.5 stars elsewhere, but i will (begrudgingly) give this a 3-star rating here
This was an alright experience.
Als je één album moet aanwijzen dat de moeder van lo-fi tot aan noise rock is, en alles daar tussen in, dan is het het tweede album van VU. Maar net als dat ik wisselende gevoelens heb bij lo-fi en noise rock, heb ik dat ook wel bij deze plaat. Het album klinkt en voelt als geen ander, maar ik weet niet of mijn oren daar nou heel blij mee zijn. Waar het debuut echt de perfecte balans wist te vinden tussen baanbrekend zijn, catchy zijn, en een unieke sound neerzetten, mis je hier toch wel een beetje de songstructuur van een 'I'm Waiting For The Man' of 'There She Goes Again'. De opener heeft dat nog wel een beetje, maar daarna voert vrije poëzie iets te veel de boventoon. Het speelt ook wel echt in op een sterke, primitieve menselijke emotie: ongemak. Geen nummer is makkelijke kost, of het nou de instrumenten zijn, de poëzie of de sfeer. Dit komt natuurlijk tot explosie in het legendarische 'Sister Ray'. Ondanks dat ik het nog steeds een monstrosity vind, ben ik hem door de jaren heen steeds meer gaan waarderen. Wat een insane nummer, waar de alternative rock wereld niet met en niet zonder kan. Maar die onplezierige eargasm zorgt er niet voor dat dit album onder aan de streep net zo veel punten haalt als ander werk van ze. 6,5/10 Highlights: White Light/White Heat Lady Godiva's Operation Sister Ray
Dit zijn de lastige muziekstukken. Experimenteel en de VU is als band grensverleggend, daar moet je ze op beoordelen. Tegelijk is het stuk zelf onprettig voor het oor. Bewust niet catchy, al hoor je de potentie van catchiness in de nummers. Bewust uit de maat en vals, dat is op geen enkele manier fijn. De opener geeft het meeste plezier als nummer an sich. The Gift vind ik een fascinerend stukje spoken word van John Cale waar ik oprecht van genoten heb. Bracht een kleine glimlach op mijn gezicht. Sister Ray ben ik nog goed voor gaan zitten maar is een taaie kluif. Een erg heftige track. 6,5/10 Highlights White Light/White Heat The Gift
I think this album could have been great... with a couple more songs, less of the spoken word, a little less drugs. It has some great stuff and continues their exploratory approach, but it falls short, and I could see people giving it a 3 for some of it's missteps.
Oh, this is a great album, recorded before Cale left. Another very influential album from the Velvet Underground. A particular high point is the mammoth needle-in-the-red Sister Ray, my favoured pre-club soundtrack in my youth!
Mucho ruido, algunas nueces (no suficientes para mí). Eso sí, aprecio su inclusión en el listado porque configura un sonido que volveríamos a escuchar más adelante con el noise rock y el punk.
Meh. Some cool riffs and bass lines but overall meh.
Enjoyable, some good stuff. Not sure I’ll listen again. Lou Reed is awesome though
Loved some of the tones on this, but not enough musically for me
The best VU album. Although it feels like they are mocking the inspirational material (Hendrix, doo-wop, etc) sometimes. And yes, very disturbing.
Not for me
White light / white shit!
What a gem.
Interesting. Not fascinating, but interesting.
a failed experiment? Tracks to Track: White Light/White Heat
I did not care for this.
I am not, and have never been, a fan of the Velvet Underground, or Lou Reed for that matter!
I don’t really ‘get’ The Velvet Underground hype. This was ok
Well, that was pure self indulgence...
Ooh, a returning band from way back at the start of this project. An interesting listen, there were a couple of bits I quite liked, but then other bits were a bit too distorted (noise rock?) for me.
Proof that Americans can make noise.
Erratic and seems highly experimental for the sake of experimentation. I still find it enjoyable though
It felt like this was trying to be interesting just for the reason of being interesting. Pushing boundaries is not always pretty but it seemed like this was unnecessarily so.
4/5 interesting but not as good as the debut
Lots of great ideas here. Very influential. Borderline unlistenable in parts
I had to turn the volume way down on my headphones to survive that seventeen minute shitfest at the end
Interesting
★★★½ was entertained
Unlistenable. Terribly recorded to boot
New York Coffee House Art Rock. Good for a gander, but if you came for good music, you’re in the wrong genre.
Unremarkable.
They got better, Lou Reed got better. Some of this is very good, some is still...self-service noise.
Can only imagine how much better this album would be with plenty of drugs and liberal nubile hippy chicks available. Sadly I am too much of a square to ever truly appreciate this album
It was alright. The Gift really stood out to me with the story it told and the shocking conclusion.
Honestly unlistenable in parts. The distorted guitar that got them all the acclaim wasn't intended and the band didn't like it? Give me a break.
Dirty and fuzzy and whilst not as accessible (or good) as their first album its pretty awesome - other than The Gift as spoken word songs are annoying. Love the drumming on Sister Ray. A high 4.
I feel cooler for listening.
Velvet underground is an interesting and influential band. But this is still weird by today's standards
painful
i think i’m not cool enough to fully dive into this album fully.
About 100x better than that banana album everybody drools over. Sister Ray is a showstopper!
Just wasn't pleasant or even interesting
I Heard Her Call My Name Sister Ray
me gusta
Loved it. The guitar playing on this album is just visceral.. abrasive, loud and aggressive, especially Sister Ray. What a sound Clear to see why this was so influential on the punk and noise rock genres
Plenty of eyebrow raising moments. This album being released 5 years after Sam Cooke was at the Harlem square blows my mind. I enjoyed this album as a whole for it's raw sound and obvious impact on rock and roll. 3.4 outta 5
Quite enjoyed Zombie, but not the other songs so much.
This is the good version of psychedelic rock from this era, not the Kinks
This wasn’t an easy album or something I enjoyed. Most of the guitars are too distorted sounding just as noise. One song was too long without really catching my attention.
Crazy distortion for its time, and Dylanesque lyrics and vocal delivery right from the get-go. And distinctly different from their debut, though it's hard to describe exactly how. The same one- or two-chord drones are used extensively throughout both albums, so it can't be that. The two short, "single-prone" tracks – White Light/White Heat and Here She Comes Now – are a notch above the other tracks in virtue of simply being more accessible. I'm a huge fan of TVU's debut record, and these two tracks in particular carry on the energy of the very best of TVU+N. Here She Comes Now is very clearly the sequel to There She Goes Again, though I enjoy this album's version slightly more. Hearing The Gift is one of the strangest experiences I've ever had listening to a song – certainly one from the 60s. It features eight minutes of a deadpan spoken vocal overly an intensely energetic slew of distorted guitar riffs. Pretty cool, eh? Well, the story is even cooler. Gruesome ending Almost reminds me of a Stephen King short story, though of course this predates the Stephster by almost two decades. I Heard Her Call My Name is also pretty dang out there for its time. You can't tell me with a straight face that Helter Skelter is the heaviest rock song of 1968 when the this song's relentless onslaught of screeching guitars and hammering drums are sitting right there. The seventeen-and-a-half-minute Sister Ray is similarly mind-bending. Reminds me of (perhaps) an extended cut of the Doors' The End, and every bit as dark yet exciting. I'm struggling to find the right words for this album, but one thing's for sure: it's very good. All those 1- and 2-star reviewers have no idea what they're on about. 4/5 Key tracks: White Light/White Heat, Here She Comes Now
Previously rated: The Velvet Underground & Nico (3/5) The Velvet Underground (3/5) ******************************************* Utter nonsense. Terrible and amateurish production all around. The Gift was a long talky story over instrumental noodling. I couldn't decipher most of the words, so it a waste of time. And of course the final track, Sister Ray. 17 and a half minutes of stupid crap and boredom. Lou Reed can go suck on a Ding-Dong.
Not anywhere close to the heights of the other two Velvets albums of the period, although by no means bad. It's extremely out there, and you feel the drug influences way more on this than, say, on Nico. Does something I normally hate, with a 17 minute long freakout at the end, but fair play, Sister Ray is very good indeed and rewards more than one listen.
it's boring for me
Didn't get this at all. Half listened earlier in the week and came back to listen properly today. Too avant-garde, not a fan of the vocals, lyrics not great. The final song sister ray, at 17 minutes final nail in the coffin.
I really enjoyed The Gift, utterly pompous but fun with it. I Heard Her Call My Name too. I wasn’t sure I was gonna like this as his solo and other VU hasnt left much of an impression but this was a pleasant surprise
There were some interesting songs, but then there was a lot of sucking on ding dongs.
this sucks
Gear: Focalman Cleardara Artwork: ⬛◼️◾ Production: 🧏♂️📏💩 Music: 🖤🔦🤍 Rating: ⬛⬛/5
I was expecting a little more tbh
What in the Christ on a bike was that! Just cause you can be experimental doesn’t mean you should or are good at it! I will say one thing though I think they may have invented the Audiobook with the track The Gift…. Poor Waldo!
Good
Noise. No Songs.
BIG YIKES I loved their self titled album and gave it a 5. That was my first time listening to the band. So imagine my excitement when I saw another album of theirs! First song was so good, loved it. Then the rest of the songs had horrible screeching guitar noises?! Ruined! "She's busy sucking on my ding dong" was my final straw lmao. What the fuck was this 2 ⭐️
I love the sound but the distortion hurts my ears basically making it unlistenable :(
Sheesh. You can hear that these are some great musicians. But for the love of Pete, who gave them so many drugs? Hate to high hell. Perhaps with exception of the few classical rock and roll tracks.
Not as strong as the debut
I had to power through this one. I already dislike this brand of rock, its so lackadaisical to the point of annoyance. Either talk or sing, its like a bunch of Bob Dylans with varying degrees of music behind it. 6 tracks never felt so long. Shoulda kept this one to small art house shows or something.
Yeah I think I’m good on the Velvet Underground. I’ve had my fill forever.
Velvet Underground ran, so you're favorite bands could walk.
Favorite Track: White Light/White Heat
I just don't like this band.
на любителя...
White Light/White Heat is the sound of chaos pressed to vinyl. If the debut had moments of beauty beneath the noise, this one dives headfirst into the noise and never looks back. The title track opens with a jolt of distorted rock and roll, and from there the album grows darker and more abrasive. “The Gift” is essentially a short story read in a deadpan voice over a pounding jam, while “Lady Godiva’s Operation” drifts between uneasy calm and bursts of distortion. The centerpiece is “Sister Ray,” a 17-minute maelstrom of organ stabs, feedback, and half-shouted vocals that feels like the walls closing in. It is messy, raw, and hypnotic, testing the limits of what a rock song can even be. This album is not about polish or hooks, it is about capturing energy, danger, and the thrill of something falling apart in real time. White Light/White Heat may not be easy listening, but it is thrilling, confrontational, and one of the boldest statements of the era.
Na man
Авангардик с нойзом, психоделией и нотками кабаре. Давно не слушал.
Title track is good. The Gift - Love the talking storytelling aspect - EXCELLENT and hilarious lyrics too. The sympathetic "aww" after "She needed him, and he wasn't there" was amazing. Love the music behind panning throughout too. The rest are not great, tune-wise. Though I did quite enjoy the instrumental bit 5 mins in to Sister Ray, especially when it harmonises at around 6.20.
The track I liked the best was The Gift, because it reminded me of Bongwater songs with the combination of spoken word over the top of meandering, experimental guitar. I appreciate discovering all these influential albums that shaped the sound of music for decades to come.
Too soon for another one.
5/10 This is one of those albums that is pretty hard to judge 60 years after its release. It’s kind of hard to believe that it was recorded in 1967 really. That’s the same year that Sgt Pepper’s was released, for goodness sake! That being said, there are elements of it that betray the era a little more than others. In particular, some of the distorted tones and overdrive they use sounds less intentional and more like the result of poor recording techniques, especially when it’s layered across the whole mix, rather than being added piecemeal in different tones to the different aspects of the tracks. I can appreciate what they were going for, and it’s a stepping stone to more established sound processing that would follow, but there are places where it just doesn’t gel with my ear, which has the output of 60 years of audio processing developments fed through it. Underneath all of that, though, I found the album to be just a little too patchy and, in places, self-indulgent. On Sister Ray, for example, there were a lot of good ideas, but as an unedited 17 and a half minute jam session, it just spends too long farting around and gets lost in itself far too often. The Gift, on the other hand, engaged me far more than I expected, despite its element of self indulgence. Unfortunately, the moments of quality were outnumbered by the ones that didn’t really connect with me. It feels a bit like they spent more time focusing on the weirdness and the sound while forgetting to throw enough thought at the actual songs, which is a real shame. Big points for influence (although is this album specifically as influential as their others? Probably not). Small points for enduring quality, at least for my personal tastes. White Light/White Heat - This just seems like a reasonably decent 60’s track recorded incredibly badly. It’s a fairly standard rock ’n roll number, with a bit of a freak-out section at the end, but the sound quality is awful. Not in a heavy, distorted guitars, driven tube amps kind of way, more in a malfunctioning microphones kind of way. Meh. The Gift - A one bar bass riff and drum beat repeated for 8 minutes? Ok. But I actually found myself getting quite into it despite myself. It was quite hypnotic and the guitar was doing enough to maintain variety. I also enjoyed the slightly absurdist narrative, which has a weird enough edge to be right up my street. But there didn’t seem to be a vast amount of relation between the narrative and what was going on in the guitar. It was all a bit disconnected. But it also worked in. A funny way. I may well come back to this one. Lady Godiva’s Operation - This is a nice slice of 60’s psychedelia. It’s ok, but it drags on a bit much with not too much variance throughout. It’s all just a bit repetitive and too long. When Lou Reed’s vocals come in, they’re just a bit crap and are too loud in the mix. But when it all starts falling apart in the last minute, it starts feeling a bit more interesting again. Here She Comes Now - I know this from Nirvana covering it. It’s a nice, subtle little song. It’s a pretty basic verse, chorus, verse format, but it’s a solid little composition and it doesn’t outstay its welcome. I Heard Her Call My Name - This calls to mind one of those live TV recordings you’d hear of 60’s bands in terms of the production. Not very good and very throwaway to be shown on TV once and then never seen again. And then the lead guitar kicks in and it’s just way too loud and feels only loosely related to the actual song. It’s like when Marty McFly starts going crazy in 1955 and the rest of the band just stops playing and stares at him. A bit like the opener in some respects. It’s another ‘meh’ from me. Sister Ray - There’s a decent driving groove to this one to begin with, and some of the swells of feedback and grit are pretty cool, especially for 1967. But good lord, does it drag on. There are some really interesting and innovative bits in there, but there are also bits where they go from ‘free-jazz’ to ‘free-fingers-from-connection-with-brain-and-flail-about’. It’s all just a bit too much for me, and I feel like they’ve spent a bit too long sniffing their own farts while Andy Warhol tells them they’re geniuses.
I love The Velvet Underground, and yet... why is this album on this list?? Not Loaded, or their self-titled album? I *want* to like this album, but the first song is the only one worth listening to. The rest is so experimental and gets in its own way. Why is the last song 20 minutes long?
I don't like it, but I respect its influence. It just sounds old, and kind of outdated, you know? You can definitely see the bones of what punk tock became. Sister Ray starts out pretty decent, but 17 minutes is too damned long.
Love velvet underground. Great album
I thought I was going to like the velvet underground, and I do. However, again this isn't the album you should be listening to.
Psicodélico y lo-fi a full. No es lo mejor de Velvet.
experimentell, und vielfach als inspiration genannt. ob es dann auch (allen) gefällt ist eine andere frage.
Interessante Gruppenmitglieder welche gut erkennbar sind. Und prägend vom Stil.
There are some interesting experimental elements here. The guitar drones and propulsive bass lines are creative & engaging. But it’s not *that* interesting. Between the casual description of date rape, the repeated use of feedback as an instrument, the really bad lyrics & singing, & the rampant indulgence of every musical whim, I’m glad to put this album in the rear view mirror. it’s a 1.
I love Lou Reed!
Raw, jangling, repetitive. Unfortunately too much of this white heat lack musicality.
Ok
Not my vibe
Bastante psicodelico, había conocido un poco de The Velvet Underground pero esta es la primera vez que los escucho completo.
Rock perfection. From focused ditties like Here She Comes to the full-on improvised noise of Sister Ray, this album has so many twists and turns. I love all of their albums, and they are all different, but this one sounds not quite like anything else, the influences less obvious than on the two albuns either side of this. Favourite is Heard Her Call My Name, but there is not a duff track on here.
Fingernails on blackboards. Poor old Walter.
That was kinda underwhelming, suppose its a middle ground between the first and third albums, but dont have the strenght of either.
Goddamnit I must actually like TVU.
10/10 AGHHRHHHHHHHHH
No. It's more than just sounds because I can say that it's rock, but it's just barely more than sounds.
Lou Reed is way more up my alley. This was noisy. Props for trying to break the mold. 4.0
This album was incredible! I can't believe I've never heard of this one over Velvet underground and nico!
Like nothing else out there
Dug it. Weird, wonky, & a bit psychedelic. Has a few annoyances that pop up, but I kinda started to dig on re-listens.
The sound of the world crashing down around you whilst Lou Reed sings "too busy sucking on the ding dong" is peak
Meh.
A vital band but this isn’t the best album of the velvet underground nor of its major constituent parts.
I enjoyed the unconventional and bizarre second song on this album (The Gift). A lot of this album is just noise with much of the album being experimental just for the sake of being experimental. The final song 's themes are a bit.... interesting to say the least.
Profoundly annoying and aimless. Oh look, Lou Reed is involved. Hard no.
This is kinda insane, but also kinda great.
yessssss sexy
On y raconte des histoires comme on dérange par le tapage, dans l’ivresse
Good
i hate the velvet underground
I love this weird shit. Talk slash sing poetry over rough guitars? Sign me the fuck up! The distortion did start to get to me after awhile, but that's probably because I was developing a headache for unrelated reasons. Otherwise I really enjoyed how weird this was, and Lou Reed is a great story teller, even if the songs are not told the traditional way. I know this album is really hit or miss with critics and listeners, but I think it's great and very representative of the time.
With a distinct absence of decent songs, the VU goes off into the ozone on the their second album. The throw-it-against-the-wall-and-see-if-it-sticks approach flops in nearly every case and results in some singularly unpleasant stuff, including the quease-inducing tracks "The Gift" and "Lady Godiva's Operation", and four pointless minutes of guitar feedback on "I Heard Her Call My Name". The trash production values on this record only seal the deal, with just "Here She Comes Now" and "Sister Ray" (barely) managing to rise above the muck.
I personally consider this album to be the first true noise rock record ever made. Of course, that’s debatable depending on how strictly you define “noise rock.” Artists like The Fugs, Red Krayola, and The Monks had already flirted with noisy, abrasive sounds, but none of them matched the sheer feedback driven aggression you get here. The Velvet Underground throws all caution to the wind, embracing raw distortion, amp noise, and complete chaos. The production is deliberately murky and abrasive. It was recorded quickly and mixed roughly, with the intention of sounding as raw and loud as possible. This album paved the way for countless artists like Sonic Youth, Suicide, Swans, Big Black, The Jesus Lizard, and MBV. This one was clearly meant to be anti commercial, something designed to repel mainstream taste, and it’s probably their least popular album. But for me, it’s my personal favorite. A lot of the music that came out of The Velvet Underground’s universe never really appealed to me the same way it does to others, but this is the one I fully connect with.
Bros name is john kale the ceo of kale haha mines john bwarf ceo of bwarf Oh wait its with a c whoops Would be four but hurt my ears a bit so three
I’m an occasional sad boy Velvet Underground enjoyer, like Pale Blue Eyes and Candy Says, but this one wasn’t it for me
I can tell that I should find this cool. I didn’t exactly enjoy or hate it.
sister ray played while I was overwhelmed and commuting in 90+degree heat. for 17 minutes and 30 seconds this song was the worst trip of my life with a sitter who won’t stop talking about his ding dong??
i prefer banana album but still fire Fav song: Sister Ray
Best Song: Here She Comes Now The Velvet Underground remind me of the art students you'd meet in high school and college. Their brain(s) just work different. I didn't think this was as good as their debut album but it accomplishes what it sets out to do. This is supposed to be their anti-beauty album and it accomplishes that. 4/5.
I didn't get it
It’s okay. Not as good or nearly as consistent as their self titled with Nico. Could barely listen to half of it. If you enjoy then I’m glad! Just not a fan.
I can't do this one. Couldn't finish it. 1 star.
Okay, so I bet this album is going to be one of those where people either get it and love it, or don't get it an absolutely hate it. I might already be biased because I like The Velvet Underground's other, more popular work, so it was easier to overlook what I would probably normally think of as annoying guitar noise, but I liked this album. It transported me to the late 60's. I thought to myself at one point "I bet this album slaps if you're on heroin" lol. It's weird, but in a raw, real way where I can tell they don't give a fuck what anyone thinks and are just getting lost in the sound.
Finally, an album to listen to before I die! Not the best VU, but such a fun an grungy hypnotic dirty spaff of songs
considering the fact that this came out in 1968 i would say they were ahead of the curve in terms of weird noise music. didn’t know what to expect really going into this but i wasn’t disappointed tbh. maybe a hot take but i actually liked this, not exactly the type of music you’d put on for a chill vibe while studying but i take loud and weird over boring and forgettable any day
Interesting and influential for good reason. Would give it 4 stars if the horniness was less over the top and the band chose something other than “ding dong” to repeatedly refer to male reproductive organs
Quoting exactly how I feel: "considering the fact that this came out in 1968 i would say they were ahead of the curve in terms of weird noise music. didn’t know what to expect really going into this but i wasn’t disappointed tbh. maybe a hot take but i actually liked this, not exactly the type of music you’d put on for a chill vibe while studying but i take loud and weird over boring and forgettable any day"
It was chaotic in a good way. “Sister Ray” went on for way too long. The whole album was just okay.
John Cale’s contributions are great, the rest is not
Perfect Ten / Perfect Goat
Psychedelic headbanging with Lou Reed droning tunelessly over it. Not a patch on the banana album but better than a lot of other albums on the project.
I don’t get it
Certainly a little too abrasive and challenging to be my favourite Velvet Underground, but still an interesting and worthy listen.
3 - too much noise in a few songs
Not really for me, but it was an interesting experience.
No one can deny the influence. The Velvet Underground's first album received 4 stars from me, as I never really connected with their music as much as I really wanted to. White Light/White Heat feels like the kind of album where the band was like, "We sound great live and we have to put out an album, so this is what we came up with." I generally dislike spoken word songs and The Gift isn't terribly different for me. The song is actually much better for me if I leave the left headphone out and the instrumentation is all that I hear. I did this one time and found it to be a pleasant instrumental track. The "guitar solo" on I Heard Her Call My Name doesn't seem like it is anything but a bit of random noise with no real plan. I would say that I'm surprised anyone liked the song but it doesn't seem like too many people bought this album. The Velvet Underground seem to have a lot of falling out with key individuals over the few months since their debut album came out. I'm starting to think this group was made up of strong-willed individuals. As improvisations and jams, White Light/White Heat works really well. The music is good. Sister Ray and White Light/White Heat are my two favorite songs on the album. Would I recommend this album to someone who wants to get into the Velvet Underground? Probably not, as I think the first album works really well as an introduction. The music is good and I think I understand what makes the music so influential, yet I still don't know if I would go back and listen to this album specifically.
Not bad, but trying way too hard
This sounds like it was recorded underground. I don't know what I got out of this album other than jumbled music noises and 17 minutes about getting blowjobs. Here's to getting your ding dong sucked! 2 stars