Reviews (page 5 of 8)
What a strange little album this is. Lou Reed is such an odd choice for frontman, but I enjoy his deadpan. Things kick off with White Light/White Heat that deliberately kind of sounds like shit with the fuzzed out bass and distant almost non-existent drums. The song drives forward with stomping bass and plonking keys and just fades away in an extended jam. Not gonna lie, I was pretty hooked into The Gift. While the monitor separation is a little unbalancing through headphones, it is interesting how well it works... The instrumental just wanders in the right monitor while a short story rambles on in the left. Sister Ray, which makes up almost the entire second half, is a long-running, fuzzed out, freeform improvisation around some loosely formed lyrics about mainlining heroin, sucking on ding dong, and killing a sailor. This is a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This song is an absolute mess, but I'd be lying to say I didn't enjoy the whole ride. While I'm not 100% bought into The Velvet Underground hype train, I did enjoy this album. Certainly weird and experimental, even by modern standards this one kept me engaged. Not something I'd seek for pleasure, so to speak, but an enjoyable listen in its own right. Soft 4 for me.
Fuzzy and raw, like a kiwi. Not very good, unlike a kiwi.
What in the hell did I just listen too?? That felt like I was stuck in a nightmare. And that guy really liked talking about getting his ding dong sucked.
Definitely acid rocky after two songs. Tons of feedback on The Gift. That is some weird vocals in Lady Godiva. Lots of talk about sucking on ding dongs on this last song. I know the Velvet Underground are super influential and all but idk I just don't get it really. This had some moments of influence I heard but a lot just sounded like pretentious nonsense. Won't be back on this one probably.
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
1 extra star for white light / white heat. the rest is unlistenable.
Thank goodness it's over. Of the 40 minute runtime, 20 percent of it is one song that is just a story. 1 star.
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
Turns out I’m more of a Velvet Underground greatest hits fan. I guess my hipster interest in experimental rock has left me.
Not their greatest work
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.
Unlistenable.
The early use of distortion was interesting but this is a VU album I can live without. Lacks the songcraft that they did so well on the debut.
busy sucking on his ding-dong 4/5
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
joo mitä vittua? tämä ei voilla mikään . public zeitgeist moment. aivan paska bändi lopettakaa näitten suosittelu spotifyp spotfuy en kuuntele velevt undergoround sekä nico albumia olen jo kuullut en vittu halua uudestaan ja tämä vieläkin paskempaa hyi helvett TTTTI.. so low key tho... vähän chilli ja menee vaa .. menee vaan eteempäin kinda chill in that way... aina niin strukturoitu niin nää vaan tekee heh jotain tekee vaan. ja mitä sitten? jatsi ollut jo aika kauan olemassa tässä vaiheessa ei se tarkoita että paska musiikki on jotenkin uutta heh.. vuosi on jo 68 eiköhän ole jo selvät sävelet että tällästä romumusiikkia ei enää tarvita.. sister ay
I don't know who thought it was okay to give Lou Reed a microphone, but if he says "sucking on a ding-dong" one more time, I'm gonna blow my goddamn brains out. I can't imagine taking The Velvet Underground and Nico off this list, or Transformer, but this album absolutely doesn't need to be here.
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
Welp, between this, the other two Velvet Underground albums, the two Lou Reed solo albums, the John Cale solo album, and the Nico solo album if you want to count that, I have finally listened to every album on this list that is either from or closely associated with The Velvet Underground. Am I going to miss thinking about these guys? Well, not really, but only because I'm not going to stop thinking about these guys. It sounds like there are a lot of albums on here in the Velvet Underground family. That's because there are quite a few of them, but I think that's mostly warranted. I think all of the albums in question here are varying degrees of good. Admittedly, I do think that White Light / White Heat is my least favorite of the bunch, and it's certainly my least favorite of the actual Velvet Underground albums, but when this is the weakest album I've heard, that's how you know you've got a pretty good band on your hands. Even then, I don't think I could objectively call this the weakest of the three albums. It's just the one that appeals to me personally the least. Why is that? Well, this album's definitely the most experimental of the three they have on the list. It's also the noisiest. I'm not the hugest noise music fan, but I do think it works in moderation. Fortunately, I think this album's moderated pretty well. This still feels like music, and good music at that. Still, I have to admit that I prefer the style of the albums that proceeded and succeeded this one. There are experiments that I feel more positively about though. Take the album's closer, "Sister Ray," for example. There's two big things that make this song stick out to me. The first of these is the subject matter. That's really what has made the Velvet Underground and Lou Reed specifically stand out to me in the place they have in music history. These guys were willing to sing about drug abuse and sexual deviancy in a much more explicit way than their contemporaries. It kind of makes the writing of these songs feel ahead of their time in some ways. I mean, name any other song from around this time that was saying things like "She's been sucking on my ding-dong." That's not something people were casually saying in 1968! That sort of thing is where my respect for the Velvet Underground as musical pioneers really lies. "Lady Godiva's Operation" is a similarly unsettling song that exemplifies the unique traits of the Velvet Underground. Back to "Sister Ray," the second thing that makes that song stick out is that it's 17 and a half minutes long. You know me. I love long-ass-songs. This stuff appeals to me! There are, of course, other things I could say about White Light / White Heat. Take the influence this thing had on punk and noise rock as an example. I'm definitely noticing some of the roots being laid down for later bands like Sonic Youth in particular here. That's cool! This album's cool. It's not my favorite thing in the world, but it's more proof of the legacy of the Velvet Underground, who will undoubtedly go down in music history as legends. Low 4/5.
God I love John Cale. Saw old mate play the most futuristic version of Sister Ray in the Barbican while drones were flying around the theatre. Incredible. Imagine not wanting to listen to all 17 mins of Sister Ray. Longer versions are available. Lou is also an OK guy I guess. 1968! It's easy to think that better/wilder experimental music was happening then... I'd love to hear some examples.
I absolutely LOVE this immediately. I have been instantly charmed. Losing my mind. This is fantastic. Funny, weird, lovely, distinct, jarring, stupid, clever, stopped me in my tracks. Freaks me out in a way I appreciate enormously. I have fallen instantly in love. Bits of the 60s bleed through whatever the hell else is going on. Long live the oddballs.
I think at this point its that I don't like Lou Reed and his lyrics. I love the instrumentation, the noise, the discordance. A lot of it is then made worse by Lou Reed and his dumb lyrics over top of it.
I don't think I'm ever going to get the appeal of the Velvet Underground. I must just not be cool enough. The visual aesthetic, the 'barely sold any records at the time', the endless avant jamming on tracks like Sister Ray, hell they even have arguably the coolest name in rock. I just don't enjoy listening to it. Lou Reed's lazy, drawling vocals do more to irritate me than anything else and I find it annoying that these musicians were talented but recorded themselves making a racket and managed to somehow be critically adored. Seemingly not at the time, but people seem to have heard cool people claim to have loved them and rushed to revise their opinions. I am convinced a lot of their fans are just trying to be part of something. I'm happy for you if this makes you happy. But I refuse to join in and pretend I like it.
vuče me prema četvorci, premda mi je zadnja pjesma bila dosta zamorna. jako dobro, neobično
Difficile d'embarquer au debut, mais developpement vraiment interessant.
No thanks
1.5 - not a whole lot to like
No sé si darle 1 o 2 estrellas. Bastante insufrible, no sé que tuvo de especial en su momento y tampoco me he parado a escuchar las letras, pero esto no es imprescindible. El tema final de ruido durante más de 17 minutos me supera, en vista de que 1 estrella es solo para lo realmente malo lo dejo en 2.
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
I really liked this, musically, it's got a 60s rock n roll sound with some discordant rumblings of the first waves of punk rock that were emerging at the time. Lyrically their story telling reminded me a little bit of Nick Cave. 4/5 for me.
Someday und Is This It sind durchaus ganz cool, der Rest ist mir zu hart
2 is generous I don’t get them
Awful
Low 3
Album 801 of 1089 The Velvet Underground - White Light / White Heat (1968) Rating : 2.5 / 5 Usually really enjoy Lou Reed and/or Velvet Underground but this just doesn't do the job fully. Too much noise trying to pass as something more.
Don't mind the album up to the last track, but didn't enjoy that last 17 minutes... Ooof
I really don't get the appeal of velvet undergorund
I know how influential these guys were but I just can’t bring myself to like The Velvet Underground. Everything sounds so fucked up but not in a fun or cool way but in a way that absolutely drives me insane.
Bastante arido. No es para mi el mejor disco de la velvet.
Pretty neat
2/10
I don't really like it.
TVU just simply is not for me.
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
Some of it ok, some of it too progressive/experimental for me
Such a great raw album
I mean I just can't even. That final track will haunt me forever.
Beat poetry set to peak sixties guitar riffs
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.
Pleased to report that I can enjoy this at lower volumes in my early dotage. Not as strong a suite as the debut, though that’s like saying it isn’t as bright as the sun. “The Gift” is a tidy instrumental behind a story that might not be worth the eight minutes. “Lady Godiva’s Operation” is exquisite as well as unsettling, “Here She Comes Now” has a tenderness that no spiteful murk could obscure, and “Sister Ray” is a thunderous brawl filmed by Robert Altman. Tucker is almost made a Bez during “Sister Ray”: you can barely hear her, but you know she’s there. You can just about find Sterling Morrison, and his spiky picking has become my favourite part, clawing away at his quarrelling companions.
Sets the stage for much that is exciting decades later still. "White Light/White Heat" is the OG punk tune (even I can play it on guitar and/or piano; Bowie has a good Ziggy-era live version). "The Gift" and "Sister Ray" are brilliant, love 'em or hate 'em. Lou was correct, they were untouchable here. So there - all you haters couldn't hit it sideways.
not for me
Very much a strong rock feel. Powerful electric guitar...some classic rock sounds...especially for 1968
Probably influential, but not very good.
Me gusta el disco de la banana, pero este disco realmente suena mal. No se cuál es el atractivo del mismo.
They have better albums
I mean it’s deffo their worst album that includes Reed, but still
Influential, but basically unbearable...
Forgettable
What a wild album. Lol. That Sister Ray song is insane. Haha based on real events Im sure. What a crazy bunch.
Not a fan of this one although I did like the title track
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.
yeah the list already had 2 VU albums, absolutely no need for this one.. way too experimental, and not of the good kind.
So I guess this is what heroin sounds like? First song is a classic (though ends with a bunch of noise). I don’t really care for spoken word story tracks more than once, so wouldn’t relisten to this weirdly accented and predictable stories. The next three songs are all right. Sister Ray is far too long and boring. It could be cut to 1/6th of the length and maybe it would be ok. Would not relisten-sad I didn’t enjoy this more.
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.
Not a fan of the scratchy guitar sound
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.
Not good. Of the 6 songs, you have a spoken 8 mins and another is 17 mins. 1 is too harsh, but most songs sound the same, which isn’t good.
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.
Bit of a varied record, but it's still damn good, nonetheless. 4.5 bumped down to 4.
I’m at a 5. Words escape me here – that was a 40 minute ride through some noisy, controlled chaos, and I loved basically everything about it. There’s a chance I’m gaslighting myself into liking another “artsy” album just for being different, but in this case, I think there’s a genuine case to be made in calling this a progenitor of heavy metal, shoegaze, industrial, & punk rock. For 1968, going all in on using feedback and overblown stuff as a storytelling device & an intentional instrumentation choice feels kind of revolutionary, especially so on the 17-minute adventure that is “Sister Ray”. By modern standards (& arguably, even by the early-mid 70s), this general style has been played to death, and gotten louder & screechier. As such, this album doesn’t sound as crazy to the ears as it probably did back then. We’re literally just a year after Sgt. Pepper’s, so something like this popping up from that band with the banana on the cover must’ve been jarring as hell. I’ve heard noisier & stranger stuff on the list though, so something like this where the musicality is still pretty intact throughout the whole thing makes it all feel normal by comparison. There’s good storytelling throughout this thing, some great guitar riffs, some maddening percussion, and enough of a vocal presence to keep the 40 minute runtime flowing really well. It’s abrasive as hell, but that’s why I like it. It’s definitely not an album for everyone, and I think that even for me, it would’ve been too much a while ago. I really don’t know what else to say – I think this is an album best experienced by just listening to it and letting the brain go nuts. I’m at a 5, but I totally understand why it might be a 3 or even a 2 for someone else. P.S.: Shoutout to “The Gift” for being the very first “Subway Surfers-core” track ever put to tape.
Gives pretentious shithousery a bad name.
I don't get why there's such a buzz for this group.
i used to love this album so much, what the hell was wrong with me? just a sordid celebration of the degraded and grotesque, everything ugly and filthy all the time
own
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.
I understand they are "experimental"and"influential", but there was very little I liked about that listening experience.
could i write poetry to this? n
As a concept, The Velvet Underground seems like a great idea. In practice, it is unlistenable garbage. I'll never get the appeal. Sure, Lou Reed did make some fantastic songs later in his career. I certainly hope that his masterpiece, "New York", is on this list. If VU sounds like what heroin feels like, this album serves as a very effective deterrent against the drug.
Some times I love Velvet Underground. Yesterday was not that day
I love Lou Reed. He went all in on everything he did. He took big swings, but unfortunately had some big misses. This album is mostly a miss. Title track is great though.
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
Easily my least favourite Velvet Underground
Such a foundational album for avant-garde, noise rock, experimental music of all flavors. I’d call this a 4 in its listening experience (as someone who likes this kind of stuff) but a 5 for impact. And also just to raise the score from all the normies who can’t handle it lol. ML #130.
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.
I've thus far not enjoyed my time spent listening to The Velvet Underground, but this was almost the least egregious. In fact, it's probably the one I liked the most, but I still don't get it.
Interesting, not sure what to think about this.
Me encanta
Ich liebe Lou Reed und Velvet Underground. Das hier nicht.
Kind of shitty not gonna lie.
sure why not!
I hated The Gift but apart from that it was a decent enough album
Yikes! That’s some early NY punk. Nothing like it at the time, plenty like it in subsequent decades. Lots of feedback, distortion, and repeat lyrics. Never a fan of punk or the NY music scene (until Talking Heads.) Just a bit too druggy and before my time to be able to really connect. (2.1*s)
Nope...fucking terrible. Nothing velvety about this album. More like The Piss Soaked, Sand Covered, Shredded Leather Underground. File this one with the other obnoxious noise albums from The Jesus and Mary Chain and Suicide. Somehow White Light/White Heat was actually harder to get through then those for me though. Band was too busy getting their ding-dongs sucked to write good tunes. Even the softer track "The Gift" is a pretentious load of shite. The only solace is that the band was not happy with the final release and it was not well received by the public or critics. On the list because it influenced punk and was about trannies? Fuck off...0.58 stars.
Admittedly this is probably The Velvet Underground album that I enjoyed the most. That isn't a low bar to cross as the prior entries have been mediocre at best. White Light / White Heat has a couple entries that I enjoyed in the first half, most notably The Gift due to its fun spoken word story. The rest of the album is mostly random nonsense. The "noisy improvisation" doesn't work for me outside of acting as a novelty act for a minute or two. Any good grace built up from the first couple songs on White Light / White Heat is gone long before you hit Sister Ray which is a drag regardless of the subject matter or backstory. Not sure The Velvet Underground deserves 3 albums on the list let alone 2. I understand that they are a notable slice of music history but I find this mostly to be outside of musical reasons. Without the Warhol connection or banana peel album cover I think this band would be entirely skippable. I'm sure they made their splash in their era, but almost none of it holds up over time. Give them a spot on the list for whatever reason you want to justify then spare us the remainder of their collection otherwise. 2.32 stars
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.
Did not think my first 1-star (after~338 albums) would be a Velvet Underground album. A bit anticlimactic as it's not exactly something I loathe with all my being but it also just contains nothing reedemable outside of the first track.
You take it for granted that music is art as you’re raised knowing so. But this? This is /art/.
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.
I believe White Light/White Heat to be the purest distillation of VU’s artistic ethos: beautiful chaos gloriously unrestrained, dangerously honest, and defiantly unbound by time.
1/5
The song White Light/White Heat gets stuck in my head all the time even though I don't hear it much. I avoid listening to The Gift and thought I didn't like it, but you know what, it's fine. Most nihilistic album from the Velvet Underground but they do rock real hard. appreciated. (⌐■_■)
I like Velvet Underground now
Probably shocking in its day, but less so now. Loved "Sister Ray" which musically is so typical of the long improvisations that were being done around that time. Let down slighly by the sound quality.
I'm allowed to not like things and I don't like this. The production is self-satisfied, the lyrics are a navel-gazing glorification of unexamined masculinity, and the sound mixing is terrible. Life is short! I don't have to listen to a song about sucking on anyone's ding-dong! I don't need to endure uninterrupted monologuing or long, masturbatory outros! I'm not saying this album needs to be expunged from the world, or even that it doesn't deserve its place on this list, but once mostly-through was enough of this album for me personally.
Like the Ramones a decade later, The Velvet Underground had an uncanny understanding of rock-n-roll, so that while they are experimental, at times utterly off-kilter, they are never inaccessible, not even on 'The Gift,' which features John Cale's recitation of an eight minute short story written by Lou Reed. That story happens to be deliciously suspenseful and surprising effective as literature, w/ an ending worthy of an American master such as Flannery O'Connor: 'which split slightly and caused little rhythmic arcs of red to pulsate in the gentle morning sun.' W/ that said, I find it hard to love this record as much as I love their first, which as an artistic statement rivals almost anything. It gives me a great deal of pleasure, but not all-out affection.
Pretty mad for 1968, very ahead of its time, makes a lot of the other 60s bands look pretty tame. Really sets the stage for 70s psychedelia. Definitely the best velvet underground album we've had so far but still more influential than something I actually want to listen to regularly. Good list inclusion mind, happy it came up.
Oh it has been a while since The Velvet Underground. Sounds incredibly ahead of time, and quite joyous and jangly. But overall a little forgettable - not psychedelic enough for me.
This sounds pretty rough hey. I quite enjoyed it though. Not on the level of the more classic albums but I like their sound. 3.5
>:(
hey, this fucking sucks. aimless, masturbatory experimental noise that includes the line "you busy sucking on my ding dong". hard pass.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a rather divisive inclusion on the list, but I absolutely loved it. Favourite tracks: the Gift, Sister Ray
Not the VU’s finest outing, but some terrific tracks here. The lo-fi production/recording is a little irritating at times. HOWEVER the title track, Sister Ray, and Here She Comes Now all rule. And then there’s The Gift, one of the funniest songs in rock history with Cale’s deadpan delivery of the story of a man who ships himself in a box to his faraway girlfriend.
Hahaha va fan. Det här sög ju stenhårt. Älskar också kritiken. När det inte går att säga nåt bra så säger man istället att "musiken" varit viktigt för utvecklingen av andra genrer. Men det gör dessvärre inte denna upplevelse bättre. Ett jävla megatrots. "Suck my ding-dong".
Milda makter vilket skräp.
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
Album art:2
Redom ide dosadna pjesma, pa priča s malo pozadinske muzike, pa još jedna trun muzikalnija priča ali ovaj put o lobotomiji, pa dosadna pjesma, pa dosadna pjesma s najgore odsviranom gitarom koju sam ikad čula, pa dosadna pjesma od 17 MINUTA! Ovo je stvarno jedna od većih katastrofa dosad.
I get that it’s an influential release, but all I heard was noise rock with minimal hooks or melody. Not my jam.
Not my favourite Velvet Underground album but tremendous from start to finish. Has always made me wanted to start a band, until I remember I have no musical talent or hand-eye co-ordination.
Lowkey expected more from the velvet underground's "boundary pushing" album. Pretty solid nonetheless. Loved especially the title track. 3 stars.
So when I agree to listen to an album that doesn’t actually mean that I also agree to read a “creepy short story for around the campfire” that someone probably found in a weird book at goodwill. I will say I was grooving to the music by Sister Ray (which I’m realizing is literally the last track) but I couldn’t deal with all the lyrics about ding dong sucking.
I was quite invested in the storytelling of The Gift. Other than that though I was too busy sucking on his ding-dong.
Transgressive. Uncomfortable. Brilliant.
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
It's a group of white people making lots of noise, which engulfs the alleged vocals in the background. Particularly, the final track was a chore to get through. Favorite Track: "White Light/White Heat".
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
mé
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
One of my favourite bands, but not my favourite album of theirs - though i have always loved The Gift so it gets 5 stars due to that. John Cale's voice is so wonderful. I wonder if many of Lou Reeds stories were published?
Not as good as VU and Nico but still pretty solid
This was pretty far out there for the time that it was released and a record that must've been hard for a label to get behind and promote. Tho not the easiest of listens, this is the underbelly of Velvet Underground. The stuff that isn't mainstream cool featuring model singers and promoted by famous pop artists. This is heavy psychedelia, disjointed and incongruous, like an acid trip that's not always a good. Still looking back on this (but more a trip to Wikipedia) shows that this 'noise rock / art rock / proto-punk' album was ahead of its time before heavy metal.
I want to give this album a chance to prove to me why it is so well-loved, seminal, and influential. But it makes it so hard. From the boring spoken word story of “The Gift” to seventeen minutes of “She's busy sucking on my ding-dong” and improvisational noise on “Sister Ray,” it’s all just too much. This album is so different from “Velvet Underground and Nico” that preceded it, and from the follow-up self-titled album. At least in the latter, the difference is John Cale, who was kicked out of the band after “White Light/White Heat” as Lou Reed wanted to take their sound in a more conventional direction. And while Cale was too much for me, Reed swings things too far in the other direction on “Velvet Underground.” I understand how much “White Light/White Heat” was 20-30 years ahead of its time, and it's clear the influence it had on many. I want to give it a ⭐️⭐️, but the ding-dongs kill me.
Extra star for making me laugh out loud at the randomly yelled words towards the end of Lady Godiva.
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.
Eclectic, random. A bunch of noise. A couple cool instrumentals, but some really annoying, piercing sounds that were distracting. Grating vocals.
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.
Very good band, hard to imagine listening to something like this when good music had only just been invented
Interesting, but not what I'm going to reach for.
Stay underground
Oh well done Robert! What fantastic taste you have. You’re so clever for putting this on the list! Well done.
Do you remember that scene from kids film ‘Madagascar’ (2005) where Alex the Lion falls down the hill and lands on grass, rocks, flowers and cactus? This album is a suitable comparison. Some tracks sooth and take you down the stream and other tracks are sonic onslaughts of the sense (I’m looking at you Sister Ray). You’ve always got to take the rough with the smooth, especially if it makes for an all round fantastic album.
Wow. Prototype punk/grunge, absolutely incredible. (had to get Sister Ray from a "best of" album, as it wasn't available on WLWH on Apple Music)
I really wonder how some of these albums get onto this list. I get it, this is a prime example of psychedelic rock from the late '60's, but it's nearly unlistenable. Plus a 17 minute track about drugs, sex, and murder...I'm sure it was quite shocking in the day, but it just comes off as annoying now. Albums and music like this make me happy we have moved onto better things. Also, there was way better examples of music like this from the time, why aren't they on this list?!
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
Langweilig! Langweilig! Monoton! Monoton! …
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.
Slightly thought provoking but didn't age well. I like the heavy doses of distortion. I could do without the vocals.
Hard to listen to sober.
7/10 Groovy Hipster goodness 3-27-2025
Alright, not something I would listen to more
I do like other albums from velvet underground l, but this one not so much. From the album’s description on apple music - “Lou Reed says the album’s engineer was so put off by the 18-minute “Sister Ray” that he left to get coffee, complaining that no amount of money was worth listening to that crap.” i can empathize with that engineer. 😀
Remains my least favorite of the four VU albums. There
# Album Name: White light white heat # Artist: The Velvet Underground # Rating: 1/5 # Comments: Absolute shite. I think the opening song was the only audilble track. The rest is garbage. Fucking hot garbage. Just noise. Sister ray - 17 mins? give me a fucking break sunshine. # Top Tunes: Absolutely none of them. # Would I listen to it again? No
They make a lot of noise and it just simply works.
Interesting for sure. I dont know why but it made me want to try heroin
Not as good or legendary as the debut but grezt nonetheles
A horrible follow-up to a band's magnus opus. As someone who, doesn't entirely love, but enjoys The Velvet Underground & Nico's Self-Titled, imagine my disappointment when I actually got to playing the album. On their debut, the distortion was an interesting aspect of the album, maybe not entirely for me, but I liked it at least a bit. This album is trying too hard to be noisy, and doesn't have any variation whatsoever, besides maybe a few seconds in one or two of the songs. 1/5, was too busy sucking on a ding-dong to make it sound good :(
The sound is very bad. The theme is interesting but... . IMHO, "The Velvet Underground and Nico" is much better.
Alternative band from the early 20 teens. No real hits.
Really don’t care for this sound.
A couple of jams, but also a lot of unnecessary noise in the last song
Not great. Lots of noise and words, but almost no melody or musical lyrics.
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
noisy and abrasive, droney and maxed out on distortion. it's not pretty, but it's beautiful.
Weird and cool. Standout songs: The Gift Here She Comes Now Sister Ray
Mid
I didn’t realise it was possible for Lou Reed or the Velvet Underground to make an album this bad.
If you want to divide Velvet Underground fans, play them "White Light/White Heat". Casual fans of the band often mistake them for a charming pop band that hung out with Andy Warhol's crowd. Songs like "Sunday Morning", "Pale Blue Eyes", and "Sweet Jane" all feed into this illusion. In truth, they were always an experimental noise rock band in disguise. The odd avant garde songs comes in like a Trojan horse on other albums. But their second release was where they fully embrace this in all areas. The music is loud and noisy, the production is rough and abrasive, the lyrics seem designed to make the listener uncomfortable by exposing worlds unseen by polite society. The band had at this point abandoned Warhol and Nico, setting them free to push everything to the limits. This is also the final album with John Cale as a member (Cale and Lou Reed would eventually work together again two decades later on "Songs for Drella", their tribute to Warhol) and the experimental elements seem to have been heavily influenced by him. The final (legimate) Velvet Underground album, "Loaded", now stands in sharp contrast to "White Light/White Heat". Fans will tell you that you have to love both ends of that spectrum from avant garde to pop to really appreciate them. But Reed and Cale certainly didn't make it easy for people.
This album is mostly okay, "The Gift" is a big highlight but the rest is fine. Then we get the giant "Sister Ray". Wow. What a fucking song. So goddamn cool. Bumps it up an extra star for that
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
I just couldn't get in to this album at all. I can't really put my finger on why but something about the style of music, the mixing, and the singing just didn't vibe with me at all. I might have to come back to this another day to see if I feel differently then.
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.
Even all these years later there is still something exciting about listening to these rough, dissonant sounds. The Velvet Underground tapped into something, and it definitely isn't for everyone, but it sure does it for me. 4
LOL I love this stuff
I get that's it's music history but I'm not that kind of music nerd.
I payed for an album not an audiobook. Okay, but seriously, the muddy production kind of stinks (even for 1968), and it's dreadfully boring. I get it's Velvet Underground, but what even is this. I really don't get how this is considered an essential. "You busy sucking on my ding-dong." -Lou Reed
God, I love it. One of four perfect records by the perfect band. Chaos and beauty. Have a solid rhythm section with a hypnotic, regular beat and you can be as pretentious and experimental as you want.
Very grainy and distorted which did bring on and influence a whole new wave and genre for the kids in the 70’s -can’t say I got that excited about it listening to it today - very rough, & dull- Lou went on and did some much better stuff in my opinion
Riding on my bike drunk on air Music that I like Life is fair
Few albums in rock history hit as raw and uncompromising as White Light/White Heat. Released in 1968, this was the Velvet Underground at their most chaotic, abrasive, and experimental. Far removed from the more melodic, artful sound of their debut. The guitar mix is incredible, drenched in distortion and feedback, pushing the boundaries of rock music at the time. The spoken word elements, particularly in The Gift, add a twisted humor that feels both intellectual and absurd. While the album has an elitist, avant-garde edge, it remains surprisingly accessible, at least for those open to noisy, dissonant textures. Hearing this in the late ‘60s must have been wild. Imagine stumbling into a NYC loft session and experiencing these sounds live. The sheer proto-punk energy was unlike anything happening in mainstream rock then. While not for everyone, White Light/White Heat stands as a groundbreaking, aggressive, and essential listen for those curious about the roots of punk, noise rock, and experimental music.
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.
Tries to be art, but is pretentious and boring. 1.5/5
Lou Reed is such a unique song writer. Often imitated, never duplicated. I can't say I enjoyed this album, but I am certain it is the work of a genius.
Sorry, the best words I can find are Fucking Wank.
Meh
8/10
My least favorite VU album... Sister Ray is really good though.
Too much "Underground" 😉
Chaotic fuzzy drones, wild guitar parts that dissolve into squals of feedback, dark intense bass riffs, frenzied drumming, lo-fi production and wild expressive performances all combine create a hypnotic hallucinogenic atmosphere. Extremely cathartic noise. Sister Ray is the star of the album, but the title track is a great garage rock track that basically invents pop punk. Lady Godiva and Here She Comes now features more of their gentle darkly pretty songwriting. The Gift is kind of annoying though.
första låten är skitbra men sen händer nåt som jag inte fattar. andra låten med historien är också cool.
A bit too experimental, but it certainly has its moments.
I get why VU made more bands than the sold albums.
If you have synesthesia that causes you to feel sound AVOID THIS ALBUM. The purposful feedback screeching, the having every song recorded to sound like your speakers were damaged by dry rot and the parts that sound like someone is using a car horn as an instrument, make this album painful to listen to. Their reputation far exceeds their talent!
I'm now convinced I dislike most things that came out of Lou Reed's head. The album actually started strong with the chanting "White light/White heat" elements on the first song. The vignette described in The Gift was also very good. After that things got either forgettable or annoying. Sister Ray is a tedious trash song which the experimental aspects were improved upon by kraut rock bands of the 70s. All around a few moments of interest in another meh Reed album. 2/5
Pretentious garbage for idiots with their heads up their asses. The only thing keeping this from the bottom of the barrel is some of the themes sung about, which would have been shocking at the time.
Not a fan 2.5/5
Between 1 and 2 stars so I round up to 2
The sounds of the VU were surprising and not what I was expecting at all. The only song I knew by them was Oh Sweet Nothin which gave Grateful Dead vibes so I was expecting more 60s calm hippie-ish vibes from them, but instead I was caught off guard by suspenseful instrumentals, literally crazy ass lyrics and a long story(?) The Gift was insane to listen to haha. Definitely feels way more modern than 60s music so I can appreciate what they made.
a lot going on here.
Ya des trucs intéressants mais sinon ça demande un peu trop d'héroïne dans le sang pour être apprécié à jeun.
Album shouldn't be on the list! Really love the debut album of Velvet Undergound, but this is total crap to me. Normally I don't give 1 stars (especially for genres that I don't "like"), but since I really like rock etc. I have to give this a 1...not 1 goood song on the record, really enoying stuff...
4.0
я просто не люблю рок-н-ролл. вывод нарисовался
More self aggrandizing bullshit from the Underground. Bletch
I have enjoyed stuff from Velvet Underground, Lou Reed and Cowboy Junkies, but this, with few tracks excepted, is one of the most annoying collections of crappola I have ever slogged through - in particular The Gift and I Heard Her Call My Name. There could be worse stuff on disk 2 - I didn't get that far. What's being passed off as "experimental" guitar "work" should have been left in the studio trash bin.
proto-noise, thank you for your contribution, I will never listen to this again. 1.5/5
Helt jännä Avant garde album me nice instrumentala delar. Track 2 är super läppä :D
I enjoyed this much more than the debut album
You're all artists. I get it.
Been a while since I couldn't finish an album, but boy oh boy, I couldn't take another minute of this one.
I like the vibe and the lyrics more than the actual music. A bit too improvisational for me, but I like noise and distortion as much as the next guy. I'm sure it's influential and "important" but I'm not going to be putting it on for basic enjoyment.
Moments I liked, surrounded by lots of noise I didn't.
It's like they crafted every song to annoy the listener. Couldn't finish a single song.
Sucks for the most part
TRASH
Decadecnia y distorsión. Vival el mal, viva el capital!
It's insane that an album this bad has a song as good as "Stephanie Says" on it, that song is the only reason I give this a 2 star rating. I had to skip some of the noisy, unpleasant songs because I just couldn't stand it, there is just no way I'm sitting through the 17.31 minutes long track called "Sister Ray". For the most part this is unenjoyable and noisy, however "Stephanie Says" is a fantastic song and some of the other songs were tolerable.
I generally love The Velvet Underground but eh, this album.
So when the first song started, my initial impression was that this could be a cool album. Sometimes first impressions are right, other times they are wrong. In this instance I was wrong. They tried so hard to be cool, they were not.
Sister Ray turns out to be pretty cool, but this album is just pretentious af. I like the self titled and +Nico enough, but I just do not get this one. 2.5/5
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
Not for me
Love the Velvet Underground, but I did not like this one at all outside the title track.
Not their best album, but still fantastic
Just garbage, barely can be considered music.
ass!
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 this. The Gift is an early audio book. The ending was predictable, but in 1968, that had to have freaked some people out. And Sister Ray sounds like the drug-fueled parties I attended in my youth, it feels wanton and depraved, in all the best ways.
bad to listen to
I like Velvet Underground, but this album seems like it was slapped together. Some decent moments in there though.
After some Wikipedia research, I can understand why this album sounds like an important driver of what is known as punk rock today. But, that doesn't make it good.
I wasn’t a big fan unfortunately. Thought I would like it more because I like TVU
Mixed emotions on this one. So very heroin driven, sort of sad. But at the same time, such great musical depth and honesty.
Listen to any other Velvet Underground album instead of this one. Loaded is great. Their self titled is awesome. The album with Nico is classic. But, this is them at their most annoying and pretentious. It doesn't belong anywhere near the list. I would give it a 1 if I didn't respect the band's other work
One of the best followups to something so great out there.
Was not in the mood for this.
Some of this was pretty good, interesting. Some of it droned on too much.
Lou Reed's singing over badly recorded noise, fire alarms, engine sounds, etc. How wonderful. Stand-out: Lady Godiva's Operation
Strange decision to record an audiobook while they're playing rock music next to you, but go off.
Spotify linked to the Deluxe Edition of this album, so that is the one I listened to and reviewed here. The original album is ok, nothing to jump up and down about. There is a 17 minute song about blowjobs on it (Sister Ray), so ya know, top marks for that, lol. There is also a comical 8 minute spoken word song that tells the story of a lad named Waldo who mailed himself to his girlfriends place because he was afraid that she was getting railed by different dudes. The additional content on the deluxe edition (some extra songs, and some live content) is really solid. Truthfully, I feel that the deluxe edition of the album brings this album from like a 3.5 to a 4 star. Some really solid tunes, and a bit less experimental. Favourite songs: Stephanie Says, Beginning to See the Light, Guess I'm Falling In Love, Run Run Run, Sister Ray, The Gift Least favourite songs: I Heard Her Call My Name 4/5
2.67
For some reason, I just got on this album’s wave length. It’s noise at times, but also strangely good
I loathe this band. What a bunch of losers.
Good materials for true Velvet lovers
I don't think I'd listen to it again. 1/5
did not like. too jam bandy
I know this is a semi album for a lot of the musicians and music i love, and i can see why, but i just dont think its held up very well. Its pretty boring in a lot of ways and what is provides in barrier breaking it lacks in actual fun to listen to
Long but fine work.
I've never listened to this album before, I'm sure. But if this had been the first thing I'd ever heard from VU, I'd never have listened to anything else from them. This is absolute trash.
I don't like this very much, and that sort of feels like the point?
Weird shit
i don’t think i’m the target audience for this album.
I don't know. I didn't hate it but it certainly wasn't fantastic. 2/5.
Not bad study music (aka easy to drone out, but not bad enough to the point you're begging for it to be over).
Annoying af
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
This album was just outrageously dull. Looking back, I actually scored The Velvet Underground’s self-titled album highly, but holy guacamole this album is awful. It’s shoddily played instruments very bizarrely mixed vocals, and occasional loud feedback sounds. I’m genuinely amazed that this is considered a good album. I’d rather listen to 40 minutes of dog farts.
December 5, 2024 HL: title track, “The Gift”, “Here She Comes Now” VU #3; Lou Reed #5. That’s plenty for now maybe I’m just burnt out of long, jammy songs
yooo this new death grips sounds FIRE
I really tried liking I swear to cow but it was dull and boring as fuck
Velvets hit their stride with this fine collection
I like how White Light/White Heat is a pretty good song for the most part. And then they follow it up with the worst use of stereo I’ve ever heard in my life as John Cale tells me a story I don’t fucking care about that sucks. And then it’s followed by a song that’s pretty good for the most part. Then there’s a song I like right after that. Then there’s a song that’s only okay. And then there’s Sister Ray, the only part I knew was “she’s sucking on my ding dong” I didn’t like this very much
2.6
1. light - 0 2. gift - 0 3. lady - 1 4. nouu - 1 5. name - 1 6. zizter - 1 7. name 2 - 1 8. love - 1 9. heart - 1 10. ztephanie - 1 11. rain - 1 12. rain 2 - 1 13. light - 1 14. booker - 1.5 15. anymore - 1 16. love - 1.5 17. man - 1 18. run run - 1 19. ray - 1 20. gift - 1
It has been a long time since I heard The Velvet Underground & Nico for the first time. And I’ll admit that, unlike many who have heard it, the album had no real personal impact on me. I have not listened to it voluntarily since, and I really don’t think I ever will. I view it as the young and naive teenager’s first experience with experimental rock. Not saying it’s a bad album, or one that doesn’t deserve the praise it’s received. Or even one that works as a good gateway into the more unusual side of rock music. I just question how we can still regard it so highly, at the same level as other landmark art rock releases, like Marquee Moon for example. My experience with that debut was not that bad in retrospect though. So I wasn’t opposed to hearing what else they had to offer. Plus, the absence of Nico would definitely make other albums more tolerable. Safe to say I’ve never been a fan of her. While the debut was thematically hedonistic and dark, this follow-up fits the experimental label much better. It’s more noisy and unkempt. All around it’s pretty fucking weird. As strong as Lou Reed, and I guess Nico’s, writing was, the music on that debut was not doing enough to keep me engaged. This is far more interesting. The titular opening track is short and simple, but still solid. Here She Comes Now and I Heard Her Call My Name are a combo of very noisy and wild recordings, the latter of which I like better. The Gift is potentially one of the most perplexing songs I’ve ever heard in my life. Everything about it is designed to be a confusing listen. The completely monotone delivery from Lou Reed being used to tell such a strange story, one that I found myself really entranced by in fact, and the hard panning of vocals to the left and instrumental to the right, make this an undeniably difficult song to get through, but such a cool one. Many would argue that the real star of the show here is Sister Ray. And while I agree, is there a debate to had about it being too long? Potentially. Especially when it devolves into mostly structureless noise towards the end. But it’s a good song no doubt. I’m still not entirely sold on this band. But in my eyes, this is a steady improvement from what I heard on their first. I hope to hear something even better on the second of two self-titled albums they released. Rating: 7/10
good vibes, but long as shit
quite strange but in a mostly enjoyable way. more experimental than its predecessor
inaudível mixagem horrível até pra 1968 sua influência se compara a como se uma das primeiras pinturas na história usando a cor azul fosse um pênis mal feito não é pq é influente e histórico q eu tenho q gostar dum quadro dum pênis
Achava que eles so tinham feito bittersweet symphony. Honestamente o album não é um dos mais impactantes. A segunda musica é basciamente um monologo hippie com uma linha de baixo fazendo dum dum dum dum dum, detalhe que essa musica é basicamente uma romantizacao de suicidio de corno. francamente bem boiola. Meio meh.
tadinho do waldo genteeee 😭 eu gostei muito mais do que eu achei que eu gostaria desse álbum até mesmo os 17 minutos de sister ray foram bem tragáveis e até agradáveis é bem experimental, mas consegue ter uma sonoridade bem interessante sem ficar pesado/cansativo em nenhum momento uma ótima experiência, muito provavelmente a frente de seu tempo
What the actual fuck have I just listened to. Sounds like a poor quality recording made by a bunch of people who were too high/drunk to form coherent thoughts. Way too screechy but possibly could be made good if it was re-recorded well.
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.
You don't get to read a urban legend copypasta at me without my consent and then end the album on a 17 minute meander meme fest.
This just ain’t for me, dawg.
Feedback: The Album. I hated this more than I expected. I can't believe a full 8 minutes of the 40 are devoted to a spoken word story. Nothing else in here really contains any music I want to hear again. The vocals and lyrics are unpleasant too.
Love the underground but this album is a nit of a mess
What a downright dirty album. I remember here this about 20 years ago and wondering what the hell was going on kind of expecting VU&Nico part 2 but with every listen it gives more and more and more. I think it took the rest of the music world to catch up too. The alt-rock scene owes so much to this record. As much jazz using feedback as a sax, to punk, to alt-rock to psycadelia to brain melting noise this is a pure 5*
The Velvet Underground/Lou Reed has been one of my favourite bands through the years. They've been an influential force for many aspiring bands through the years and you can't deny they were something special and different when they first appeared in the late 60's. For me, their second album, White Light/White Heat was a record I didn't "get" or enjoy, with the long, drawn-out, weirded-out songs and noisy instrumentation from John Cale. It's the only album from VU I didn't purchase (aside from the Reed-less, Squeeze) and avoided listening to it for years. Now, I've come to accept it as part of the group's sound and a part of what made them unique and though I can and do take pleasure in exploring the album, I still find it a difficult listen, but rewarding at the same time. I still prefer the shorter, proper length "rock" songs of their next two studio albums, but White Light/White Heat is an essential listen to fully understand and appreciate the Velvet Underground.
Obnoxious garbage. Apart from The Who, I absolutely DESPISE The Velvet Underground.