Reviews (page 4 of 8)
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
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
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.
Not our favourite of their discog.
Ding dong, missus.
Wouldn't hit that sideways
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.
Some tidy stuff in here and the wankyness is authentic
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
The best VU album. Although it feels like they are mocking the inspirational material (Hendrix, doo-wop, etc) sometimes. And yes, very disturbing.
I don’t really ‘get’ The Velvet Underground hype. This was ok
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.
Lots of great ideas here. Very influential. Borderline unlistenable in parts
★★★½ was entertained
New York Coffee House Art Rock. Good for a gander, but if you came for good music, you’re in the wrong genre.
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.
I feel cooler for listening.
i think i’m not cool enough to fully dive into this album fully.
me gusta
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
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.
There were some interesting songs, but then there was a lot of sucking on ding dongs.
Not as strong as the debut
на любителя...
Авангардик с нойзом, психоделией и нотками кабаре. Давно не слушал.
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 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.
Psicodélico y lo-fi a full. No es lo mejor de Velvet.
Interessante Gruppenmitglieder welche gut erkennbar sind. Und prägend vom Stil.
That was kinda underwhelming, suppose its a middle ground between the first and third albums, but dont have the strenght of either.
A vital band but this isn’t the best album of the velvet underground nor of its major constituent parts.
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 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??
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.
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
It was chaotic in a good way. “Sister Ray” went on for way too long. The whole album was just okay.
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.
Typisch velvet underground. Sehr experimenteller rock. Keine krassen banger. The gift und sister ray sind eine Tortur. Sicherlich sehr einflussreich aber das Bananen album ist besser. 3/5 trotzdem für die Zeit und die Versuche und den durchaus erkennbaren skill
I can appreciate these albums but for me an album is supposed to be something that is "nice to listen to" at least to the degree at which you want to keep listening comfortably.
Not the best velvet/ Lou reed project but certainly not the worst. A bit too wannabe artsy
This was just an average album for me. I enjoy older rock, but there was too little here that I really loved. White Light / White Heat was a decent starter. Cool little jam song. The Gift being spoken the entire time proved to be a waste of almost 10 minutes. Lady Godiva’s Operation was one of the highlights for me and was well worth the listen. Here She Comes Now had a chance to be good, but managed to be pretty repetitive despite being only 2 minutes long. I Heard Her Call My Name reminded me of a Beatles song. Good tune. Sister Ray started off strong but just went on for way too long. So for every hit, there was a miss. I did like that this had a punk feel to it though. That’s enough to make this a 3.
Some really good songs! Great cooking music. But hard to listen to as an album as a whole consistently. 3/5, maybe 4/5? Highlights: White Light/White Heat Sister Ray Here She Comes Now
White Light / White Heat is the second album from the Velvet Underground. After the first album, the band parted ways with Nico and producer Andy Warhol. For this album, the band tried to capture the raw energy of their live shows. At the time, the album was not well regarded, commercially or critically. Over time, regard for the album has improved, as it inspired a number of early punk artists. The guitar tracks all have saturated effects and are played to include hints of feedback, giving them a live, edgy sound. The lyrics match the experimental sense of the music; Lou Reed and John Cale seem to improvise much of the lyrics, The album also includes some spoken word, in "The Gift," adding to the "art rock" pretense of the band.
not my taste but also my taste ? good album ! some bits were nice but some were ehh but i think it CAN grow on me
Sounds dated and the followers have done it better, but still a classic.
I like the Velvet Underground. Like, not love and White Light exemplifies why. This is the ultimate art school circle jerk compilation. 2.5/5
Low 3
I really don't get the appeal of velvet undergorund
Probably needs more listens, but the gift was unlistenable with headphones. Sister Ray still excellent. Very solid 3
Shows flashes of what’s to come but some of this is a tough listen (the gift). Salvaged by sister ray
i heard her call my name - kakofonia 3
some good tracks , the gift and here she comes now, but don't love the album as a whole.
Very much a strong rock feel. Powerful electric guitar...some classic rock sounds...especially for 1968
They have better albums
I mean it’s deffo their worst album that includes Reed, but still
Forgettable
What a wild album. Lol. That Sister Ray song is insane. Haha based on real events Im sure. What a crazy bunch.
The Velvet Underground clearly was a band ahead of its time. Very experimental and polarizing, it would be raising some eyebrows even if released today. But the thing with polarizing music is that it's not for everyone. I appreciate the groundbreaking approach and composition, but I didn't enjoy it. It's just a bit too much of noise.
Ég skil mætavel af hverju einhver myndi elska þetta. Ég geri það ekki en þetta er samt ágætlega heppnuð tilraunastarfsemi. Ég hafði gaman að sögunni um gjöfina en þarf ekki að heyra hana aftur. Ég veit núna hvernig hún endar.
Nothing too special to me, but I could see why others would enjoy it.
The talking stuff was kind of.... interesting. But, the rest were good jams.
I'm feeling like this is more of a John Cale record than a Lou Reed one, if that makes sense? Most of it is quite wilfully angular and challenging, albeit kinda cool. I like it, I just don't really wanna listen to it more than once in a blue moon.
Y'know, I think I respect this album for what it's doing more than I actually enjoy it. That's not saying I dislike it, of course, but as with a lot of artsier, more experimental music my group comes across, I usually don't have much of a use for it outside of listening to it for this Randomizer. And y'know, there's some part of me that thinks it should be irrelevant whether or not I would listen to an album again. After all, there's a lot of great movies I'm probably never gonna watch again, and that's besides having a line-up of favorites I know I'd return to first. Similar goes with music: just because I wouldn't listen to it again doesn't mean it's not good. However, at the same time, I can't act like that sort of thing **isn't** a factor, so... I mean, this is a loud-ass record. Every song on here has some kind of noise going on, and, y'know, I figure most all of it isn't just for the sake of it. There has to be a purpose to it, or at the very least it's something like the 17-minute odyssey "Sister Ray", which was recorded in one take with the mindset of leaving in all of the mistakes. I'm not the kind of person who'd dump on this thing just for being too dang loud. But it's just not interesting to me. After all, I'm someone who enjoys riffs and melodies, so burying it all under a pile of feedback, compression, distortion and an overblown Vox organ... I mean, jeez, I've read this album was a prototype for genres for shoegaze, and I'll tell you, at least something like LOVELESS went hard enough on it to the point of becoming ambient music. And I dig that! With the way it's done here, though... Mm, no. Not my dig. Still, though, again, I don't dislike it. I've heard far worse in terms of noise — PSYCHOCANDY still exists, after all. And again, I can appreciate what they were doing; trying to capture more of their live sound, and taking influence from jazz, particularly saxophonist Ornette Coleman. I mean, I've heard samples of THE SHAPE OF JAZZ TO COME; I can hear it. And besides, I can just respect them going as hard experimental as they did. Seriously, contrast this against their debut, let alone fellow '67 release SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB (as a group buddy of mine did), and I can't even imagine what people at the time must've thought of it. I know what I thought of this, though, and for those reasons I just mentioned, my unofficial score would probably be a 3.5. As for the official one, though, well... I just can't bring myself to bump it up and over. So, yeah, I'unno. Light's a bit too bright and the heat's a bit too hot, I guess. Not my dig.
I understand the significance of an album like this. I still think I won’t remember this as a must listen to album. Picked up at the end.
could i write poetry to this? n
Yeah I like the VU and this one is just almost too weird and noise filled. But it's interesting and ambitious especially 'The Gift' such a weird story. Sister Ray does go on a bit too long
I like the sound of The Velvet Underground a lot. I even here, where I don't really like these particular songs of theirs, I still like their sound.
Interesting, not sure what to think about this.
I hated The Gift but apart from that it was a decent enough album
This album was ahead of its time. Unfortunately, it also sounds compressed to shit. I can’t hear the vocals 90% of the time. I would like this so much more if I could hear it. Sister Ray is awesome though, and Lou Reed’s vocals on Lady Godiva’s Operation are so funny to me. Favorite songs were White Light/White Heat, Lady Godiva’s Operation, and Sister Ray.
I have a deep respect, and not-as-deep, love for this band, but this sophomore attempt felt too removed from what made its predecessor great; a focus on simple rock songs with an avant-garde approach. In other words, this leans too heavily into the avant-garde to be as listenable. That said, the tracks that work here, really work! Lady Godiva remains one of the band's best; I could gush about that guitar tone all day.
No Nico so that's a bonus. Liked it ok although could not finish The Gift, which was unbearable. Favorites: White Light/White Heat, I Heard Her Call My Name Would I listen to it again: Probably not
Lowkey expected more from the velvet underground's "boundary pushing" album. Pretty solid nonetheless. Loved especially the title track. 3 stars.
I was quite invested in the storytelling of The Gift. Other than that though I was too busy sucking on his ding-dong.
Don't think I've ever really understood the appeal to The Velvet Underground. Definitely cool and experimental for the time, but idk, just doesn't grab me
Are the Velvet Underground actually any good? I think they may be one of those bands that people pretend they like, without knowing more than one or two songs. White Light/White Heat - if this first song is any good, they ARE that good. The Gift- It's a cool blues-style riff, but what is the story being told? Lady Godiva's Operation Here She Comes Now I Heard Her Call My Name Sister Ray
Can confidently say that I've never listened to a full Velvet Underground album before... I've never been the worlds biggest Lou Reed guy. Respect beyond belief but It just never clicked other than a handful of tracks. This one is interesting - so curious to hear Sister Ray. 17 minute experience starts now. Total Shoegaze inspiration on this record. Truly tone setting How do you sing a 17 minute song about a BJ? that's actually wild
Of the three Velvet Underground albums, this is lowest on my list. I like the crunchy guitar the best. But the last track, Sister Ray, kind of goes off the rails a bit.
I mean It's definitely good but my god was it sometimes hard to listen to. 6/10
The Good: Smooth public transportation! The Bad: Finding out that, on this underground, there isn’t anything velvet, just a bunch of annoying travels living in their own sphere… The Ugly: The white light intensifying photophobia for those who suffer from that… I am about 1/3rd into this list, and I believe this is my first Velvet Underground, or, as the hip cats call them VU. Couple of things which have become clear to me: I am not a hip cat I don’t understand hip cat music It is becoming increasingly clearer to me that the author of this list is a hip cat with so-so taste in music—that is a personal opinion, however, based on the amount of people who start this journey to only bail-out before having rated 100 albums is astonishing Anyway, I am in it for the long run… Regarding the album; first time I listened I was paying closer attention to work related things and had this on the background, and the experience was not a bad one, while the second time I paid closer attention to the album and the last song just about killed my nerves… What was interesting, at least, was how the album just starts—I believe this to be the first time and the experience is very interesting. Overall, I will give the album a 3* because the noise at the end, the song which all the hip cats swoon over, is the one that makes me want to punch a pencil into my ear after 1 minute, knowing there are 16 minutes of that annoying noise left to listen to.
Interesting, but not what I'm going to reach for.
Oh well done Robert! What fantastic taste you have. You’re so clever for putting this on the list! Well done.
Velvet Underground cuts are 50% "this sounds really cool" and 50% "wtf"
Pretty good album. I kind of dig the lo-fi sound and strange vocal punch ins; they give a very authentic and "not by-the-book" sound to the recording. 3.25/5
Decent album. I'd listened to it before. I think it's hit or miss, but more hit than miss. 3/5
Poor Waldo.
The version that came up on Apple Music was the 45th Anniversary Edition. I figured if something warranted not just an anniversary edition, but one that isn't even on a decade, it must be good. While I didn't mind this, I don't think I understood what's so special about it.
Remains my least favorite of the four VU albums. There
Interesting for sure. I dont know why but it made me want to try heroin
A couple of jams, but also a lot of unnecessary noise in the last song
Wacky album. I enjoyed the gift, was a fun story
I'm glad that many artists I enjoy enjoy the Velvets, but like 60% of the time, it's not for me
Mid
One of the songs “The gift” has a part that’s sounds like audio feedback and made me glad I wasn’t listing to the song with headphones. The last two songs of the album were the only songs I enjoyed, but I enjoyed them a lot especially Sister Ray. The 17 minute song does most of the heavy lifting for the rating I gave this album.
78% Best: White Light/White Heat; Here She Comes Now; Sister Ray Must-Hear? Almost
Lots of noise. The Gift is dark as hell. Won't listen to this on a regular basis but glad I was exposed to it.
I get that's it's music history but I'm not that kind of music nerd.
As much as I love The Velvet Underground, I've never got the hype around this album. It's perfectly good, but has moments of being very repetitive and far too long, and doesn't really do anything better than the album before or after it. It's solid enough if you want an idea what this band is all about, but there really never is any reason to listen to this over their other 2 albums in this era.
My least favorite VU album... Sister Ray is really good though.
A bit too experimental, but it certainly has its moments.
I get why VU made more bands than the sold albums.
a lot going on here.
Helt jännä Avant garde album me nice instrumentala delar. Track 2 är super läppä :D
Listen, I like VU, but this is a slog for even VU fans, right?
Damn fine. Can see how much shit cam from theses guys. No wave shoe gaze noise rock etc.
Always get excited for bands I am familiar with and legitimately like, but this is not the album I would choose for Velvet Underground. Which I thought might be a good thing! And the start was strong with the title track, but the 8 plus minute spoken word annoyance that followed put a real damper on the enjoyment. "Lady Godiva's Operation" was a little too out there for my liking as well, but the rest of the tracks (all 3 of them) were more enjoyable in that garage band Velvet Underground style. Well... the last track was 17 minutes long with basically 10 minutes of noise to end it and the line "She's busy sucking on his ding dong."
Good
The gift is absolutely bonkers
Cieszę się, że to nie była pierwsza płyta Velvetów, której słuchałem. Mam wrażenie, że odbiłbym się od niej, gdyby tak było. Albo inaczej - nie doceniłbym jej. Wciąż - nie jest to mój ulubiony krążek zespołu. Nie jest zbyt "słuchalny", jawnie idzie w stronę eksperymentów, chyba trochę zachęcony sukcesem debiutu. Wydaje mi się, że bardzo wiele konceptów przetestowanych na tej płycie dopracowali i wypuścili z lepszym efektem na następnym krążku ("The Gift" -> "The Murder Mystery" najlepszym tego przykładem). Wydaje mi się, że to na tym albumie musieli wzorować się Jesus and the Mary Chain, pracując nad "Psychocandy" (zupełnym przypadkiem przesłuchałem sobie tego ponownie chwilę przed Velvetami). Bardzo noise'owe brzmienie, bardzo trudne do śledzenia. Ale jednocześnie ciekawe i jak dla mnie bardzo świadome. Niespójność i chaotyczność są chyba największą wadą całości, dowcipne teksty, odwaga i eksperymentalność z kolei największymi zaletami. (Na marginesie, żałuję, że temu albumowi z "Candy Says", "Pale Blue Eyes" i "The Murder Mystery" nie dałem czwórki. Lepiej to oddaje mój stosunek do albumu i lepiej by pokazywało moją prywatną hierarchię płyt grupy).
I'm still amazed how well The Velvet Underground is holding in this day. Their other album that I've heard is much better though.
I like Velvet Underground, but this album seems like it was slapped together. Some decent moments in there though.
Mixed emotions on this one. So very heroin driven, sort of sad. But at the same time, such great musical depth and honesty.
Some of this was pretty good, interesting. Some of it droned on too much.
2.67
Long but fine work.
Weird shit
Not bad study music (aka easy to drone out, but not bad enough to the point you're begging for it to be over).
I personally just can't get into the Velvet Underground. It's a little too artsy for me to just put on whenever. A lot of how I personally rank on this list is if it's something I could turn on and have playing any time. White Light/White Heat isn't one of those. It should be something music lovers should appreciate though.
I didn't necessarily enjoy it but it wasn't boring in the way I expected
2.6
quite strange but in a mostly enjoyable way. more experimental than its predecessor
The light at the BEGINNING of the tunnel. From the first hit of this album, the drugs are flowing. Then we get a chugging, pulsating instrumental over a deadpan story of a sad man sending himself by mail and getting stabbed in the head. Then, the entrancing lobotomy song. Insane that this was recorded in 1967, at the tail end of the Summer of Love. Abrasive, visceral, noisy. Honestly, these first few songs are excellent. But for me it completely loses steam on the second side. Sister Ray is just too damn long, an absolute slog. Fav tracks: White Light/White Heat, The Gift, Lady Godiva's Operation
Did not know John Cale was Welsh. Now I do.
Love the underground but this album is a nit of a mess
Wel sneu voor Waldo…
A bit odd. The Gift was oddly satisfying to listen to. Prefer their other stuff.
It just... is.
01) White Light/White Heat - 7,0 02) The Gift - 7,0 03) Lady Godiva's Operation - 6,5 04) Here She Comes Now - 6,5 05) I Heard Her Call My Name - 5,5 06) Sister Ray - 5,0 TOTAL: 6,25 (63/100) Current ranking: 271/345
My third Velvet Underground adjacent album in like a week 😭Way different from self titled, more abstract and noisy. Layering of vocals and instrumentation still there tho. Lowkey too noisy at times but I respect the vision. Fav songs: The Gift, Sister Ray
Not enjoyable necessarily but I'm here for this level of distortion.
Ikke værst, men som min gamle mor ville sige "Er det ikke lidt noget støj"... Når de ikke legede smadre dine øregange, var det fast et rigtig godt lyt...
Far too much discussion about "suckin on ding songs" for my liking. Bring on the Nico years.
The PT Cruiser of the music world; like it or hate it, it’s worth discussion.
So so weird and kind of tedious. I can appreciate the experimentation but it also took me three sittings to go through it! 3 for personal taste but deserves props for innovation
For sure an album of its time. Very experimental and chaotic. It makes sense to include this on the list to see where music goes and and a lot of other things were influenced from, but I prefer their first album and where Lou went with the rest of his career.
Sounds kind of like a band just messing around, trying some stuff out. Add a dash of "not trying is cool". These guys are cool It is interesting, and probably inspired future artists, maybe not a regular listen but a calibration point to visit sometimes.
3.5 batshit
Ok
Тяжело было слушать, оригинально, но видимо не мое
The third by the Velvet Underground to come up in fairly quick succession. Love the grungy backing (especially on Lady Godiva) but not really into the vocal styles (or lyrics) on display here. Whilst not disputing the cool vibe and their influence, it'll have to be a 3, I guess.
Interesting for sure, but much preferred the albums that came before and after. I can finally say I’ve listened to Sister Ray from start to finish, at least.
I like The Velvets, but this album has never made an impact for me--it sounds like failing up.
To me Velvet is pne pf the most overated bands in music history. Absolutely nothing I can feel is special or sets them apart from the bunch. They are good but not what old people say about them just like greatful dead.
Noe bra resten var shoegaze
Possibly the Velvet Underground album that I have got the most out of from this list. Having said that, I am glad it finished at 28 minutes.
Eh. Some was great, some was earsplitting. 2.5, really.
It's fine. Not an overly memorable album
Tremendously noisy album! Really enjoyed this! Squealing and squalling, rocking and rolling!
Literally a unique 60's vibe. Innovative for the time, version I listened to would have benefited from a remaster
Don't listen to the linked one as it is special edition with demos that make your ears bleed, look for the full thing. Still not one of my faves but okay.
had it’s ups and downs
I think I like the idea of The Velvet Underground more than I really like The Velvet Underground. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the Band and their music, but in small doses.
Parts of this are soooo good. Parts of it sound like a 15 year old with his first electric guitar.
Despite the title, it's dark, damp, and murky like a basement corner. And I kinda like it.
3.5 - it started to drag a bit at the end, but I liked its drive and eclecticism.
Pretty good.
It's no wonder at all why it failed to do much commercially, but it has a ragged sort of DIY-post-abstract expressionism majesty that was (as we all know by now) huge influence on so many future rockers (some of whom were surely better suited to other lines of work). “The Gift” and “Lady Godiva’s Operation” are best cuts. “Sister Ray” fine too but pales in the shadow of an inflated reputation. Reed's vocals grate, especially his surely-meant-to-b-arty shouty ejaculations on "Lady Godiva" and the muddy, indifferent production was perhaps intentional but it adds nothing. As the few decades between VU and Sonic Youth are compressed by posterity, future critics will no doubt several of the latter’s albums to far excel this).
It's clear, and understood that a lot of drugs were used by musicians at the time. This album is a clear indication of that.
iconic
I was interested to listen to another The Velvet Underground album, but this one was a bit rough for me. Bummer.
Velvet Underground has long been the band I feel like I should love, but can never fully get into. There are moments that I enjoyed this album, but on the whole, it just doesn’t click for me.
I don’t know. I’m torn. On the one hand, I find it rather grating, on the other hand, I like it. 2.5
Very good
It's fascinating that these guys make such strange experiences seem fun and captivating. It completely smells like the 60s!
Even if unintentional, this is a seminal in the creation of punk. I enjoyed the long form weirdness and the estranged, out there moments of improv or just sound. Not an easy listen, but not too hard
It's great but not for me I guess
They were going for something here... but I am not sure I got it. Was worth a listen but is not likely to hit the rotation.
Had it on as background, I always love that 60’s sound, but this sounded drunk. Nothing I’d probably repeat (or recommend)
I appreciate the experimental nature of this but it’s a tough listen. Tracks 3 and 4 are good tunes, though. I always liked the Nirvana cover of the latter.
This was pretty out there but decent.
What a noisy piece of art. Need to check out the mono version
I love some of the other Velvet Underground albums I've heard...this one is the weakest. Maybe I need to hear of it.... Sister Ray is the highlight. 3.5/5
Skelsættende rock, begyndelsen på punk, lidt psyk, meget distortion
Interesting at times, but I don't think that it built on the Nico album enough and just collapsed in on itself, instead.
3rd album of The Velvet Underground on the list and it's a 3rd 3/5. They are so mid it's insane. Even the psychodelic parts aren't making it for me. There were just a lot of bands that did it better.
Listening to so many albums from the late 60’s really underscores what a creatively progressive and experimental time it was. There’s too much chaos, distortion, and spoken word for my taste- and it’s entirely too long. But I can see how this album sparked the punk movement and influenced a lot of well-formed artistry to come. 3.0
Not so much my thing, but I can appreciate it. Ah, to be young and stoned and mildly talented in in the late 60s. 3.4
Short album - just 6 songs. (deluxe edition quite a lot longer at 30) Already like it better than the last Velvet Underground album on here.
c'est tellement compliqué de faire la noise intéressante
frankly bad aged
Too squeaky guitar
It was pretty good
Ruidoso y distorsionado. No es lo mío.
Sorry. Pretentious and annoying.
3.5 Idk I thought this was fun! The Gift is a hoot and I didn’t mind the 20-minute song about a blowjob
I prefer the banana album. Probably needed to be in the right time and right place to fully appreciate this one. Andy Warhol was a loss to this group, even though he is unlikely to have actually done anything for the sound of the band.
Okay
Ni fu ni fa.
I get why people don't like it. But in general I think it's pretty good. Sister Ray is good. The gift is awful though.
The studio version of The Gift was brilliant. Naturally I thought the live version would be even better, but instead it was 9 minutes I'll never get back. Just too much distortion and noise for me throughout the whole album. But it gets 3 stars only because of The Gift (studio version) and because Velvet Underground.
Ni fu ni fa.
What a... Weird album. It's an album that gave me an experience I've never heard before, for better or for worse. The album opening based on the title's name, I found quite decent. The Gift is also one I also like, gave me Gorillaz "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head" vibes. Lady Godiva's Operation... I'm not sure about, I think the first part is decent. But the second half when they transition to other singers sounds falls very flat, it doesn't blend well and is quite jarring. Here She Comes Now is kinda forgettable, I Hear Her Call My Name is when they kick the noise to the next level. They're fully committed to this bizzare direction, and... It kinda, sorta works? It's not accessible, that's for sure, but I kinda like the experimentation and just going all out with no shame. What doesn't work for me is the added lyrics, as I feel just retract from the song. And the final song... 17 minutes, 30 seconds. I will admit, I like the beat at the start. The more the song goes on, it goes even more insane, the lyrics making me laugh at points. But it isn't... Bad. It's an interesting experience, but it isn't music I'd listen to on my Playlist. It's an ambitious, bizzare, experimental album that won't appeal to a lot of folk. But I really respect what they tried to go for here, even if I don't think it's an album I'll listen to again.
Not their greatest album.
Jack is a fan of this one but it’s so so
Experimental late 90's rock.
Feels ahead of its time in a lot of ways.
There's a time and a place
some brilliance, some cacophony
White Light/ White Heat - 7.5/10 The Gift - 7/10 Lady Godiva’s Operation - 7/10 Here She Comes Now - 8/10 I Heard Her Call My Name - 6.5/10 Sister Ray - 6/10 TOTAL - 42/60
So before I listened to this album, I went back and listened to The Velvet Underground's debut album with Nico, so I'd get a sense of the band's progression with this one... My favorite quote regarding the debut album, was from Brian Eno, who said about the record only selling 30,000 copies in its first five years, "...Everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band...". As for White Light/White Heat, it was good to see them ditch Nico - which I don't think they wanted her around for the 1st album either, but Andy Warhol probably insisted... Anyways, rather than exceptionally polished, and well-done songs, this album is all about the artistic creativity and experimentation... I liked the diversity of the songs - especially the fact that there really was no format/song structure, compared to what a lot of the music sounded like back in the early-to-mid 60's... Probably prefer some of the songs on the debut album better than these, but you can hear the original strains of musical styles/approaches - that would go on to inspire other artists to continue the evolution of those sounds and approaches... Not gonna lie, in some weird way I really enjoyed "The Gift", as well as "Lady Godvia's Operation", and "Here She Comes Now" - as the lyrical content (i.e. basically the under/dark side of street life - sex, drugs, survival, etc.) was incredibly original, and a real departure from what everyone else was writing about at the time... I'm NOT saying that these are some of the most profound lyrics ever written, but the fact that Lou was writing about authentic real-life experiences/stories, in which he painted such a vivid picture - was absolutely innovative... Best song - especially instrumentally was the album's final track, the 17-minute "Sister Ray"...
Not particularly exciting
Some songs very good. Others just okay.
Interesting to hear the velvet underground before loaded. The spoken word track was not interesting, but overall a good album. 3/5 Might listen again
Listened a little not enough to have an opinion
I get it but i like loaded
Was going through this album thinking of how badly it needed a remaster. I couldn’t hear shit and it was just meh. At least in the context of Lou Reed’s full career. Then “Sister Ray” came on at the end. She was too busy doing HUH to WHAT????
Interesting…
My first time listening to this album, maybe even all of the songs. Very different from what I thought the music would be. Spoken word was very unexpected. Reminds me of Bob Dylan, but maybe that was the time and place of the album. I imagine the band being high, and intense like all the songs. This seems very punk in the sound, and intensity. Not sure about his one. I think I should listen to it again, and determine if I am drawn at all to the sound. It might be that this will create a soundworm in the future. I also think this was influential in music, and I should be able to hear these sounds,. voices and concepts in other later bands.
Ni fu ni fa.
a cool band and a cool record.
Ok
Jään kuuntelemaan tarinoita mutta vihaan kitaramelua ja aivan turhan pitkään jatkuvia outroja. Kiehtovaa mutta ärsyttävää (puoliksi hyvällä tavalla).
So good. So much fun. But not as special as Nico.
A punk album ahead of its time... rough and raw.
Dull
1. 3 2. 2 3. 3 4. 3 5. 3.5 6. 3 = 2.91
As ever, I appreciate how unhinged they are willing to be. I much preferred side two for exactly that. The album as a whole is likely not one I'll come back to often.
El disc més experimental, obscur i complicat de la Velvet. L'adéu de John Cale a la formació, que marxa havent fet seu abans el disc. Rock experimental, ple de feedback, distorsió i aventures sonores que han estat molt reverenciades. A mí, respectant un gran tema com el que dona títol i acceptant la solvència de la llarga 'Sister Ray', em sembla el pitjor dels 4 treballs en estudi que la banda va gravar
Difficult listen but still p good
The Velvet Underground are legendary. This album, while hailed by many as one of their best, isn't a favorite of mine. I love the title track, and I think "The Gift" (which seems to be a divisive one) is incredible. But the rest of the affair just gets a little too noisy for my tastes. Did "Sister Ray" really have to be over 17 mins? Many would say yes. I do not.
One of those bands I'd heard a lot about but hadn't spent time listening to. Enjoyable and clearly inspired so many bands that followed, but occasionally hard to get through.
Very strange album. There are some highs, but more lows overall. You can see the beginnings of concepts, but it felt like then were never full actualized. I'd almost give it a 2, but Sister Ray saved it and I'll settle with a 3
Far from the worst on this list, also a country mile from the best. What sets The Velvet Underground apart from other similar bands is their seeming lack of fucks to give. I'd be willing to wager that more than a few people told Lou Reed he is definitely not a guitarist, but he had so few fucks to give that he did it anyway. They get a 10 for the punk ethos and a 2 for talent, but this was a fun album all the same.
This one was okay
I like some of the weirdness of this album and I like some of the songs (White Light/White Heat and Here She Comes Now) but overall I don't see it as revolutionary. Yes, it was everything what the hippy movement wasn't, so it made it underground/different/cool but feedbacks, guitar distortions weren't new at that time. I get that it had influence on the next genres (proto punk/noise etc) but overall I find it a weaker effort than their other albums.
‘The Gift’ was insidious and perfect. Reminded me of Tom Waits’ ‘What’s He Building?’
I don't know how to rate this one. I love the Velvets but this has always been my least favorite. First of all, it sounds like ass. Then again, I think making it sound "better" would actually make it sound worse. I was surprised at how much I was digging Sister Ray today, as it's never one I want to listen to, but it kind of swept me away. Anyway, I wish Loaded was on this list instead of this one.
Do Ilove Lou Reid,? Yes. Do i hate his whiny bitch ass voice at 9 am? Why yes. That too
Like a good workout, it takes a while to really take off. In spite of the opening track. Still, most influential. If not the most listenable.
I expected to like the album more than I did. It was okay but in no rush to listen to it again.
3.5
It was enjoyable, but I think they have many much better albums and songs
I only listened through Sister Ray, I didn't do all the alt takes and lives as that felt like asking too much of anyone but die hard fans, but I did enjoy the first six tracks! A little overindulgent even for my taste to have a song about a handjob that is 17 minutes long but there were some enjoyable parts otherwise. The spoken word piece was interesting
I may rethink this but right now can’t go above a 3. I love the title track but the gift is just not musically interesting and sister ray is fine to listen to in the background but so so long. May have been a 4 if I wasn’t listening on an airplane.
Ok but I like Lou Reed much better on his own.
This was better than I thought it would be but still not for me. "Sister Ray" felt shorter at 18 minutes than "The Gift" did at 8. That one was unbearable for me.
Fairly good, but the 17 min song was not.
Certainly not as accessible, and for me not as enjoyable, as their other work. The Waldo story went on far too long, as did the final song. The Waldo story I would not have missed if it wasn't there, and the final song would have been better for being a lot shorter, it didn't go to enough places to warrant its length.
Favourite tracks: sister ray
I respect this band a lot more than I like them. Especially this album, I have a hard time getting into it. If I’m honest, I have to go with a 3. Just like that Nick Cave album, Hüsker Dü, MC5, and other ones I’ll come back to. Not for me today.
Drew me in with its odd atonal random passages. Kinda became too random as the album went on and was hard to listen to
One of velvets more experimental less approachable records. Can see a lot of sucide on here.
As with so much of VU/Lou Reed’s output it’s probably more influential than it is interesting or good. Not really something you want to settle down and just listen to.
stars calm but after a spoken word bizarre story turns into a highly experimental album with noises that arent always nice to hear but interesting for sure
Felt very experimental, chaotic song to end the album, and I have a feeling “the gift” is hilarious second listen needed for that song. 7/10
Je suis encore à pondérer si j'ai aimé ça. Je peux comprendre comment cet album est autant polarisant. Autant je suis fasciné, autant je ne suis pas sûr d'aimer. J'ai l'impression qu'il ne faut pas être à jeun pour apprécier au maximum cette musique. Clairement l'impact que ça a du avoir doit être immense. Je pense tout de même que certains passages ont plus mal vieilli que d'autres. Malgré mon indécision sur l'appréciation de cette oeuvre, c'est clairement le genre de truc weird que j'esperais découvrir sur ce site. Un autre album qui mérite amplement d'être réessayé. 6/10
Didn’t like it as much as I remember. Definitely too random noisy and experimental for me but I enjoyed parts of this.
It's hard to stomach a dumb spoken word track on a six-track album, but when they just play (and there's no electric viola), it's magic. Unfortunately, that's only half of this album. Best track: Sister Ray
It’s Velvet Underground!
I am often somewhat dismissive of Velvet Underground but I was really feeling the groove today. I dug it! 17 minutes is still too long for a track though.
Side 2 was far too thirsty for me, it was actually distracting. I'd probably revisit the first four songs, though.
Joku tarina pääpiirteittäin luontuu ulkoa toisto.. jos ylläpito kysyy... Objektiivista siis....
This is like shoegaze but in the 60s. The production on this is very noisy and compressed. I guess VU was playing very loud at the time and it couldn’t be picked up on the recording equipment? Not entirely sure. Pretty decent record nonetheless. Probably influenced a ton of records to come after it.
Was it groundbreaking/influential? = yes. Is it any good? = No. Is it enjoyable? = questionable.
Couldn't rate it higher. The audio quality held it back. It couldve just been the version I listened to
Mikið sem mig langaði að hlusta á þessa plötu í 10. bekk, svo heyrði ég hana og skildi hvers vegna hún fékkst ekki víða. Live Bowie coverið er mun betri en originalinn (honum hefði líklega ekki fundist það), en það er samt ágætt. Lady Godiva er líka hresst, en hitt eru aðeins of mikil læti fyrir mig.
Soft, and i love the old scratching effect that comes with old albums. 3/5
generally like lou reed and VU but this just feels really hard to get into with the poor production. Kinda sounds like the worse songs from VU and nico are expanded to make an album
I really like some of these songs. I really despise the others. The Velvet Underground definitely have a distinct sound, not that I enjoy it, but it’s certainly original. I admire the risk of experimenting they took, but, personally, it was just all over the place. 3/5
Not a fan of Lou Reed, but something about the raw nature of this really resonated with me.
3.5..................................way to experimental for my taste
En ocasiones rock más pesado, guitarreo intenso, voz característica, inicios del rock tal como se conoce hoy. Le falta algo más de armonía y disparidad de ritmo
3/5. I can see the appeal for sure but it’s not amazing. There is a swagger to the music and the instrumentation is the best velvet underground stuff. The issue is the songs are not repeated listens. You get what they’re going for after the first time. Best song: White Light, The Gift
I think their previous is head and shoulders above this. More interesting songs (although The Gift is pretty hilarious) and a bit more for the ear to latch onto instead of just noise/fuzz and dissonance. 6/10
Для меня не более чем просто еще один альбом в каталоге культовой группы... Даже как экспериментальное не воспринимается, для меня сильно сырое и гаражное - не значит экспериментальное.
I said, "I wanna be a singer like Lou Reed" "I like Lou Reed," she said, sticking her tongue in my ear This Pixies lyric is mostly to blame for why I like Lou Reed and, by extension, The Velvet Underground. This album, I barely like this. Just barely. But ya know, it's Lou Reed, so it's fine with me. Was it just me or was the whole last song about somebody sucking on his ding dong? That was pretty cool. Would put on in the background again.
Very interesting music, but blends into the background at moments
massa uns mas meio experimental (discurso em meio à musica), não tão agradável
Much prefer Loaded and Nico. This is jammier and get who they inspired as a result of it.
It was a good listen, I liked their sound. Felt kind of like live music, but in studio form.
On first listen I thought it was alright, not great but listenable. Second listen some tracks were just a din ! 3*
Listened to this during quite a stressful morning and found that with all the spoken word it was too much... only an after work re listen I thought it was fine.
Great tunes and noise.
It's interesting until it's annoying. I think more than anything, the Velvet Underground offer a glimpse into a sub-culture
The rock is good. But a seventeen minute song is fourteen minutes too long. I got ADHD, ain't nobody got time for that.
Well, this was an interesting listen for sure. I'm usually not a fan of the random garage rock esque playing of the more Avant Garde style of music, but there was certainly stuff here that I enjoyed. The story of "The Gift" kept me legitimately enthralled for the whole eight minutes, and stuff like John Cale's voice was very enjoyable, which was surprising after really only knowing Lou Reed from this band. I mean, this has a lot of issues, definitely, so don't mistake my praise for enjoyment, a seventeen minute song is almost always unnecessary, and this was no different, and not much was actually notable, like a case of trying to be too artsy with no real direction, but I could definitely see the enjoyment here. Gotta give it right down the middle, but I will admit this is perhaps my closest to the four stars of all my three stars? I'll have to fact check that for myself, but it seems right to say.
what the... c'était quoi cette album de velvet underground !? Pas du tout comme les autres. Est-ce que c'est moins bon, non. C'est vraiment différent mais il y a un certain charme dans ce bordel. 3.75
Pretty out there. Not as good as their debut by I like the rawness of it all
Interesting
I don't think I'm cool enough to be blown away by them. I really want to be, I'm just not.
A classic, but doesn't reach the highs of the 1st or 3rd records.
This sure was something. Very experimental. I've had an interest in The Velvet Underground, so it was nice listening to this. Not what I expected, but decent. I still enjoy John Cale's voice quite a bit. The Gift was a nice little story. I could definitely understand why people wouldn't like this, as sometimes it became a bit much for me. But, I liked enough about it to give it a 3. My favourite song was Lady Godiva's Operation.
Its fine 3/5
Love the way The Velvet Underground experimented with styles and technics. The lyrics were very controversial and absurd, especially for that time. They just went a bit over the top with the distortions.
This somehow goes from possibly their most accessible song to their most unlistenable with a lot of chaos in the middle. There's a lot to love here, but also a lot of pretty horrible unnecessary feedback, and some dire mixing (Reed's vocals in Lady Godiva's Operation in particular are so jarring)