Reviews (page 10 of 15)
I can finally admit to liking Velvet Underground now I guess. Really cool album. 4 stars
Jag gillar generellt sett Velvet Underground men det här albumet var rätt trist och långsamt för att vara helt ärlig. Favoriten på albumet är "after hours" som jag redan tidigare brukade lyssna på.
Still sounds good.
An okay album, but simply just that.
Only gave it one listen. A few alright songs in there but can't imagine it challenging my preferred Velvet Underground albums (the debut w/ Nico, and loaded).
Knew about half the album already, great listen. 4.25/5
Proud Dad Moment: After Hours comes on my kid’s Spotify. Me: You know this song? Her: Yeah! You played it for me. Me: I didn’t think you were paying attention! 🥰
Much better than other VU/Lou Reed albums. 5/5 except for "The Murder Mystery" which was very 60s, very psychedelic, but not for me.
Boring
Generic album. Can easily skip
Awful. An album made on drugs for people who are also very much on drugs.
First song was bloody awful. Second song - the bit that was enjoyable was when no one was singing. Third song sounded a bit country. Completely forgettable. Fourth song - can't hold a note Fifth song - a song about ruddy Jesus Sixth song - sounds like budget Bowie Seventh song - whiny Eighth song - two minutes repeating 'that's the story of my life' Ninth song - a load of talking over music, bloody awful, cacophony of shite Tenth song - new voice. Still not in key. This was painful.
Ne :( Das Lied in dem Jesus gepriesen wird und Murder Mystery stechen besonders hervor
Fun for everyone
Nein. Ist nichts für mich.
This album is okay. There were quite a few good songs, but nothing too special in my opinion. I might give it a rating of 3/5, but I think that’s just my personal preference, and the album is objectively better. 4/5 It's a good listen.
Lou Reed was always a great lyricist but I am a self-confessed fan of strong vocals and for me his vocals lack dynamics i.e. they are all on one level. I do feel this is a relaxing album with good vibes aplenty. The opening track, Candy Says is memorable and haunting. I found myself drawing comparisons to Mr. Sandman with its sleepy bass line. I liked the up-tempo jump to 'What Goes On' which took me by surprise. Spotify shows the highest play count attributed to 'Pale Blue Eyes'. I have just listened to it for the first time and while I would describe it as a 'nice' song, though, to my tastes I found it quite nondescript and unmemorable. 'Beginning to see the light' rocks pretty hard and Lou sings a bit more characterfully. It is musically quite Doors-esque. Another Doors-esque number (owing to the late sixties synth sound) 'Murder Mystery' was a super-intriguing track which features frantic stereo ranting from Lou and other members of the band. This was a surprising tonal shift and I expect I will return to this track and its' epic 8+ minutes much more in future. I'd rate this as my favourite overall. The closing track, 'After Hours' was a welcome break from Lou. It was great to hear another voice take lead vocals. I really enjoyed this one.
Cool 60s Rippin cigs with Andy Warhol Don’t get the end of this one
There are two sides slugging it out in my mind to proclaim judgement on The Velvet Underground. In time, discovering this album may be looked back on as a significant victory for the ‘Actually Quite Good’ camp and a bitter blow for team ‘Heinously Overrated’. This is infinitely better than White Light / White Heat, and while the banana album has a greater mix of styles and experimental flair in its favour, this one beats it where pure melody and songwriting is concerned. It’s a grower, too.
strong 3
I loved some parts of this album, but then there were also songs that really disappointed me. The slower tunes are their strongest point in my opinion. 3.5 stars
I've always heard how hugely influential this band is, but I'm not sure why. I think you had to be there. Because I don't hear a ton of sounds that I can identify from bands that came later. Actually, I just googled "what bands were influenced by The Velvet Underground" and most places reference older acts like Bowie, Eno, and Iggy Pop, and almost everyone says they are the godfathers of shoegaze. I don't really listen to much of any of that, so that's probably why it's hard for me to notice the influence. Overall, it's fine. The last couple of songs get weird, but I don't dislike it. I'm not sure I like it either, but 2 stars seems awfully harsh. 2.5 stars if I could.
cool but it wasn't super memorable to me. would check out the other albums
Kinda meh for me. Like a boring version of the Beatles.
Better the second time through.
Definitely better by the velvet, but it was pretty good
I can imagine putting this on the record player and chilling to it while I got a nice heroin high.
Not really my speed
Interesting, though a little boring
I've never heard The Velvet Underground's album before. I liked it a lot. It probably doesn't fit into my daily playlist, but it would be a candidate for it. 3/5
I'd only really listened to the debut before, and loved the softer tracks so this is pretty good. I quite enjoyed the experimental ending, so this scrapes into the fours.
I like the book-end tracks: Candy Says and After Hours. The latter is the only track I recognized. Everything in the middle is kind of "meh", including Pale Blue Eyes, which I guess was the big track from this album. Murder Mystery is an interesting track. It has parts that are great and parts that are annoying.
Like Zappa, I was expecting this to feel more experimental and out there than it was. Only "Murder Mystery" was outside the norm. Instead a lot of this sounded like they were writing the blueprint for how dozens of future Indie bands would construct songs.
I already had a few of these saved to playlists, but mostly enjoyed what I didn't know - from the sad, dreamy alienation of 'Candy Says' to the upbeat folk rock of 'Beginning to See the Light.' Only the experimental 'Murder Mystery' felt like a swing & a miss. & even then, I can see the through line from it's spoken word sound to bands like King Missile and Cake.
I mean come on
Not their best album. Some interesting songs in there, but didn’t really do enough to elevate itself from background noise to something I was actively listening to.
A bit boring. 3/5
cohesive, some gems, the murder mystery alone deserves a star more
Honestly, this may be my new favorite Velvet Underground album. The paired down lyrics and psychedelia make this highly listenable repeatedly. Maybe it’s just I’m getting older but this album vibes vibes. I liked the contrasts between uptempo beats like Beginning to See the Light and softer melodies of songs like Candy Says. Some Kinda love also throuws in a little bit of that Heroine vibe that made VU famous to begin with. I’m going to find this one on vinyl!
Pale Blue Eyes is the stand-out track here. I really liked "After Hours" too. I doubt I would have guessed it was a VU track if you had played it for me and made me tell you the artist. They were less noise-experiment here and seemed like they actually cared about melody and song structure on this album. Even "Murder Mystery" which gets a little noisy was still quite pleasant. Better than White Light / White Heat but not as good as The Velvet Underground and Nico.
I was entertained. Not life-changing. Some great songwriting, some weirdness in a good way.
Candy Says: absolutely stunning lyrics and so well produced, not overly musical but a full emotional experience What goes on: hated the guitar riff Some kinda love: meh Pale blue eyes: brilliant opening lyrics. “Thought of you as everything I had, but, couldn’t keep.” (J, E, M) Murder Mystery: purity cool, and new wave like System of a Down meets she wants revenge
Oooooh A good listen but hardly an album I needed to hear
Perfect
Start here. This album is amazing. I can't believe this was released in 1969. Critics have said that it isn't as good as their previous work, but to me, it is their definitive, most accessible, and timeless masterpiece. Bravo... relistening.
Overall a good album. Lacking on some stand out songs, but the album works. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again
Comfortably better than the iconic but underwhelming Velvet Underground & Nico, this one is rockier and has some actual tunes. What Goes On and Some Kinda Love are both great and even it’s token weird, avant-y epic, The Murder Mystery is superior to anything on their debut. It’s only getting one star more for me but if I could give half marks it would be 3.5 (vs 1.5).
The calm after the storm
Iconic and fantastic.
Genius. Pure, pure genius
I didn't hate it, but ultimately I just couldn't understand for the life of me what the album was all about. Even after having listened to it a few times it leaves me feeling confused more than anything. Best - Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, and After Hours Worst - no bad songs? 2.75-3.25/5
I had never even heard of this band, so I am going in completely blind. It is very chill, and reminds me of times of the Beatles. I find the lyrics hard to follow sometimes, since it is so relaxing. My mind drifts off and I'm not hearing the words anymore unless Im actually looking at the lyrics on Spotify. The Murder Mystery song is a rough listen, dont like that one at all. Except the line \"oboe-ing for me\" is rather funny. As for a song I like...Some Kinda Love had a stronger start. But honestly I didn´t really vibe with any of these songs.
Fine album. Needs another listen.
While not fully developed yet, Lou Reed's lasting, indelible mark on the punk and new wave scene can already be witnessed here.
Definitely a classic, I'm not sure it is quite as exciting as their debut and therefore I never really put this album into my rotation. But that isn't a knock on the quality....it is there. Murder Mystery is probably the only song on here that really perks up my ears and makes me want to immediately re-listen. So I can't give it a full 5 stars even though it arguable deserves it.
The most coherent thing I have heard out of Lou Reed, yet not enough.
3.5
Without John Cale, they took a new direction with Lou Reed in charge
I was ready to come in with the hot take that Velvet Underground is overrated and was only popular bc of Andy Warhol, but this album was actually really good. Good job folks
the banana album is way better 🍌
-Velvet Underground is decent for me, I’ve heard their album with Nico and I think I like it better than this one. This one took me a little while to warm up to I like the b-side a lot -Favorites are Beginning To See The Light, That’s The Story Of My Life, and The Murder Mystery
6/9/24 It was dated, but that is to be expected. It didn't really capture me or my attention.
I can almost forgive someone for not immediately vibing with this album if it was their first exposure to The Velvet Underground. It doesn't smack you in the face with an overt message as to why this band is held in such high regard. No. Their self titled third album is a far more subtle LP and I think it deserves more than one listen for it to click. It is the definition of a 'grower' if there ever was one. The first 6 tracks, lyrically, cover subjects such as transgenderism, love songs, existentialism, and seeking redemption through religion (even though Lou Reed claims ‘Jesus’ is not a religious song); all layered on top of subtle, restrained experimentation that at first listen might not sound like anything special. But after another, maybe 2 more listens it can really start to open your ears up. Most of it is mellow and some of it certainly demands an attentive listener. But it is rewarding nonetheless. The second half is where I feel ‘The Velvet Underground’ really opens up. The lyrically genius and upbeat ‘Beginning To See The Light’, the minimal and catchy ‘That’s The Story Of My Life’, the absolute attack (in the best way possible) on the ears and many other senses ‘The Murder Mystery’, and the addictive quick two minute outro ‘After Hours’. It makes the first half seem like the calm peace before a storm of elements; and it is a stronger half all the more for it. I give this album a 4. A high 4. Because it certainly is not the band’s best work, in my opinion. But it is still a great album. It is simultaneously all-over-the-place stylistically, yet somehow feels extremely coherent. It features well written - often genius lyrics, and experimentation that doesn’t take away from it being accessible. It may not be the best starting point for new potential fans, but it is certainly is worth visiting nonetheless.
The album showcases some excellent work. The slow songs stand out as the best, and overall, the album is one of my favorites. My favorite tracks are 'Pale Blue Eyes' and 'Candy Says.' The experimental aspect of 'Murder Mystery' was particularly special, leaving me in awe
Ok.
This was a more accessible album by The Velvet Underground. I enjoyed it! Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
I don’t get it. I couldn’t get into the music at all.
pale blue eyes goes off but otherwise zzzzzzz
this was a total snoozefest. just nothing going on to hold any interest. not sure how this band is held in such high regard... i've not been impressed by their music. the banana one was better, if only just. favorites: pale blue eyes, after hours
First listen Saved 5/10 Top track: Pale Blue Eyes
Purdy. Most of it is nice but standard pop rock songs. Kind of sounds like a less melodically captivating Big Star. I've found the Velvets at their best when they had relied on energy and or added elements like drone or improvisation- basically none of that here. But it does sound real purdy. Oh- "Murder Mystery", I actually really like the counterpoint between the two voices with separate rhythms and the ending part where they keep changing the piano arrangement to make different chord progressions, but the ABA structure gets old pretty fast.
Pale Blue Eyes has got to be one of the best songs of all time. This album is amazing from top to bottom. Even better on a lonely, dark night.
A bit slow. Popular for the time.
Oh so THIS is the guy Metallica made Lou Lou with :joy: This was an AMAZING album. I’m not familiar with Velvet Underground at all except that “Pale Blue Eyes” is considered a legendary love song. I can't say I loved how understated every song was. Nothing ever really came to life. But the songs are there and I feel like if another artist covered these songs they would start to soar. Folks have called this the father of bedroom pop, and that’s the truth. Wouldn’t be surprised if I learned Billie Eilish loves this record.
The Murder Mystery might be one of the most pretentious songs I've ever heard. It tries too hard to be interesting and experimental. The random talking over the music that reminds me of someone reciting a pledge of some sort is absolutely awful and annoying. It doesn't add to the song. And I honestly don't see how they thought this was cool or good at all. My thoughts are: Too many drugs have distorted their judgment. I fucking hate it. The music and vocals are absolutely trash. Akin to a toddler banging on instruments and talking over each other. Some songs on this record are great. Better than some on the 🍌 album. But this record is overshadowed by shit songs. It ruins the decent songs. What a shit choice in tracks. You go from Beatles esque songs, to Doors esque songs... To songs that that sounds like I'm fist fucking myself. I can't. Those shit songs have tarnished the good in this record. Maybe I'm in a shit mood while listening to this... But I don't care.
Fuck, this one was a slog. Not gonna knock the (seemingly vast majority of) people who really dig this album, but it's def not my cup of tea. Most of the tracks felt boring and meandering, some bordering on full-on obnoxious (looking at you "The Murder Mystery"). The instrumentation is simple, which is not a knock in and of itself - simple instrumentation can often times be a massive strength. But it didn't add anything for the vast majority of the album, only helped highlight the droning, crooning nature of the songwriting. The lyrics on the opening and closing tracks are undeniably great, though.
Solid Classic Rock
I remember liking The Murder Mystery. Will I listen to again: 50%
Huge VU fan, and particularly a fan of this record, and their official live output.
Pretty good but a little disappointed. I might be in the majority but I don't care for After Hours. No instrumentals which is kinda what I dig about VU and vocals from the drummer? I get that its different and outsider music and the lyrics are deep but it's just kinda mid to me. Other songs are great, like What Goes On, Murder Mystery, Candy Says, and Pale Blue Eyes. The rest is kinda falls short of hype this band has earned. Excited to hear VU with Nico and White Light, which I think are more experimental
Turns out I like Lou Reed more than the Velvet Underground. Really thought I was going to love this album (and thought I used to?). Was just meh. Lots of psychedelic 60s sound but nothing really stand out.
It's okay. Defintely stands the test of time. I would have never guessed that it was released in 1969.
It never felt like it got going, if you know what I mean. It wasn't bad. Bland is probably the best word to describe it.
I expected this to be interesting, and it certainly didn't disappoint. Only a 3 because I doubt I'll go back to it as an album.
Loved it, all of it. Even The Murder Mystery. Especially The Murder Mystery.
That was beautiful will probably be on of my repeat listen albums like nick one is. 9-10/10
Because this is mellow, I'm enjoying it way more than prior VU albums on here. 3* The murder mystery made me anxious
What more do you want? Probably the album where it's clear Lou Reed is a quite exceptional songwriter. Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes and Beginning To See The Light (a candidate for inventing the motorik beat) and evergreens you can imagine covered by anyone from Johnny Cash to The Clash. Every song is fully formed, and they benefit from more straightforward arrangements with more space to breather than on the first two albums. Yes The Murder Mystery is one of those long experimental tracks. But it all works, even and perhaps especially giving Mo Tucker the throwback closer After Hours.
I didn’t like it but Leo the cat thought it was ok
Not my style, some of the songs were very long and very busy.
are you a bad enough dude to self-title half of your discography? condemning generations to go "is that the one with the banana or the other one?" i think this album (and velvet underground in general) is so hard to talk about because they are so influential that they don't seem novel or groundbreaking any more. we miss why they mattered or what made them stand out. THAT BEING SAID THOUGH, i would only enter a room with lou reed in it en route to killing him with a hammer. lou reed is a corpse with a reputation hanging off of it. unfortunately his band is ok. but his band is also better when john cale is in it. i've got plenty more to say about that discount ben stiller-looking ass but I will save it for when this stupid fucking list probably forces us to listen to transformer
Soft, quite psychedelic
Very calm vibe w/ mellow production, good for a night listen. Was worried about this one cause of the John Cale earlier, turns out he wasn't involved in this one (maybe someday I'll find something of his I enjoy)
I really don't understand the Velvet Underground
Bastante trippy, creo que me gustó más que el disco de la banana con nico
Increíble álbum. No me imaginaba que el resto de su discografía sea así. Temáticamente me gustó mucho.
The album opens up with a hauntingly beautiful tune, with "Candy Says"( a song which is still very relevant). The album has some classic bangers, and some duds. "The Murder Mystery" sounds like a long lost System Of A Down song. They were ahead of their time, which makes me appreciate Lou Reed before his solo career(I do find it a bit questionable that their self-titled album is their third album, but I'll digress). Favorite Track: "Candy Says"
Aikamoista räminää
No John Cale, no problem. It's not quite as noisy as the previous VU albums (The Murder Mystery must be acknowledged of course) but this album still has one great song after another. The Velvet Underground surely had one of the best 4 album runs in history. I did say 4, once Lou left...well if you know, you know. If you don't know I wouldn't look into it.
Song 1 is dull. Then What Goes on kicks in. What a song. Pale Blue Eyes is slow, but engaging. Some Jesus song bored me. Then I started to see the light. Then ... This is an up and down album. Great in parts, less so in others.
August 13, 2024 HL: “Murder Mystery”, “Jesus”, “Pale Blue Eyes” Held off rating for a day to collect my thoughts, & I still don’t know wot I think of this Not as strong as the Banana one, but definitely a gentler listen. “Murder Mystery” is straight up a Sonic Youth song
I love 'Pale Blue Eyes', but the self-titled third album from The Velvet Underground is just missing that special Cale magic to make it a classic in my book.
While I think Doug Yule is great, you can still sense that John Cale is missing from this line-up. “Pale Blue Eyes” is an obvious highlight, but the record truly peaks with the chaotic “The Murder Mystery” that is just pure imagination run amok.
Honestly one of the greatest albums I've ever heard, might be my favorite. 10/10
I was going to give it a 3, as most of it is just meh, but then I heard “Murder Mystery” and physically laughed at the absurdity of the song. On Bright side it got me to listen to The Velvet Underground and Nico, and hear what a good album sounded like
I love Lou Reed so goddamn much. He is one of my personal favorite artists. I'm such a huge fan, to the point that I don't only tolerate Lulu, I actively enjoy it, solid 8/10 album. So you'd think that I'd just be absolutely in love with the Velvet Underground....right? And yeah of course that is the case. All of their albums* are masterclasses in proto-punk and experimental rock. Super great listens and genuinely the most influential band of all time besides like the Beatles. On this album they strip back their sound and go for a more folk rock approach, and I fell in love with it upon first listen. The songwriting is fantastic, Lou's vocals are the very strongest here than on any of his past and future work, and the band feels incredibly cohesive here. Everything stitches together in just the right way. This is my personal pick for the best album by the Velvet Underground, and is easily one of the best albums of all time.
I will never understand the hype around The Velvet Underground. It's not bad, but it's not very interesting either.
4.5 rounded down i’d prob place it among the lower ranks of the vu discography, but its still pretty got dam good ! highlights: candy says, what goes on, after hours (aug 11 2024)
Didn't get through it all but very good
Understand Reed's influence, still a little slow even for my sad heart. Murder mystery a favorite
I like a few songs from TVU but this album is bit too plucky/wiry sounding for me. (Obvious beautiful exception being Pale Blue Eyes)
I'd only heard Stephanie Says until I listened to this album. What a breath of fresh air after Tago Mago by Can.
Overrated band in my opinion. The music wasn't that interesting, but I guess for the end of the 60s they had a good mix of sounds that fit the time. I can see how this could be innovative for the time, but I find it pretty underwhelming when comparing it to other bands of the time such as Pink Floyd.
For some reason I was expecting some rock n roll songs with heavy guitar. That didn't happen. Instead, this album was a collection of the most calm, clean songs i have ever heard.
60’s
I hadn't heard this one all the way through, and only knew Pale Blue Eyes, which is a beautiful song. It's got quite a different vibe from the previous 2. I didn't get quite as on board with this one. Maybe it'll grow on me with more listens, the other VU / Lou Read I'm more familiar with certainly did. I'd say I found this more interesting than enjoyable though so 3*
Pleasant mood, nothing too memorable, but it's nice to listen to
Start the the 70s, enjoyable variety of songs on this light and airy album
kinda interesting, v chill but a lot going on in the songs, i enjoyed it.
Good listen
I was surprised how normal sounding this album was, last track was a bit strange, but this was standard music for the year, I expected something different and I can’t tell if what I got was better or worse than expected, I’m going to say this is average.
Much better than their last album, but still not much that grabbed me. Felt a bit tame even.
Stunningly simple, gentle and at time chaotic, discordant. One of my favorite albums of all time.
fantastic
The Velvet Underground did such an about face for their self-titled album! I knew Lou Reed was capable of way more than the discordant nonsense of an album that is White Light/White Heat. While still early in his career, his lyrics are powerful here. His soulful voice, paired with his lyrics, in "Pale Blue Eyes"? Wonderful. I acknowledge I'm biased in favor of Reed, so I am aware I would prefer the songs with his lead vocals. For the most part, I didn't care for the songs that didn't have his vocals--or even lead vocals at all (except for "Candy Says"). This album by itself isn't super special but its release in 1969 was a stepping stone for folk, rock, and VU's later work. It was an interesting listen in the history of music and Velvet Underground and offered a very easy, relaxed listen in comparison to their prior album (for which I am eternally grateful).
You know, The Velvet Underground gets hyped a LOT by today's standards, but in listening to them, I feel like they're just your average rock band of the time. I can appreciate, though, how they're kind of folk adjacent without being too folky; it makes for a chill listen but keeps things interesting. In any case, nothing bad here, but also nothing too great. It was interesting enough, but not too exciting.
These guys are good at the sleepy vibes. Sleepy music that actually tends to be pretty dank.
A very different atmosphere provided here by The Velvet Underground. It's one of those albums that you have to listen in the right circumstances - slightly focused on the musoc, but relaxed, certainly not when you're not in the good mood. I had to listen to it twice, and only on the second try I started to appreciate the easy and peaceful melodies. Pretty good album to have on a vinyl, for those calmer evenings.
Gear: Letshuoer S12 PRO Artwork: 📸🔳🛋️ Mix: 🎧😘🤌 Musik: 😭😔💔 Wertung: 🧿🧿🧿🧿/5
I’ve never really gotten into their stuff before but I honestly really enjoyed this album.
Didn't really like this one.
Didn’t like it, not for me. One song was pretty good but the entire album itself was pretty bad.
This album was going pretty decently until the penultimate track 'The Murder Mystery' which I would struggle to even call a song. It's reminiscient of their first album, self-indulgent and more noise than tuneful. This, sadly, brings the score down because such a slight upon the ears cannot go unpunished.
Certainly not the best VU album. Was slightly disappointed. 2.5/5
Норм
As good as the first one imo
Enjoyed this, lots of cool experimental moment. However I could have done with some more consistency. 6.5/10
Composed, mellow, experimental
definitely has a wide range of weird, but ultimately it's relatively chill and easy listening.
Highly overrated. Not a fan. Self indulgent and whiny
I don't care for this album at all, but I just want to shout out the final song - After Hours - which is amazing and was doing the modern indie bedroom pop thing 4 decades before that became common. I'm glad I had the opportunity to listen to this album for that song alone.
Not unpleasant, but nothing stood out other than Pale Blue Eyes, which was pretty good.
I like a bit of this, although not as good as the banana boi with Nico. Pale Blue Eyes is a banger. Simpsons: Yes
I found this boring and just not very good.
This just didn't leave much of an impression on me. That being said I really liked Pale Blue Eyes, pure banger.
i really love this, it's polished and relaxing. Candy Says is an amazing intro. The only aspect that prevents it from achieving a 5 is that it can get repetitive at times. 4.5
I really had to force myself to keep paying attention except one track which slapped. Favourite track: The Murder Mystery.
When the party is almost completely wound down and you're knitted to the sofa, all the wine is gone and the last joint is going around and it's what? two in the morning? and you're all just enjoying the end of the night spent with friends very quietly, this is the album to put on to close out the night. Absolutely perfect.
didn't like it all that much, was much more of a VU fan a few years ago, but I would feel bad if I gave it a bad grad.e
For the most part it's a chill velvety vibe. For the most part for me it fades into the background - until The Murder Mystery plays. It's unusual, and I could see it being really powerful if there wasn't so much lyrical nonsense. That said, Moe's voice is... innocently bad. I don't see myself revisiting this.
Although I enjoyed the more noise rock and abrasive side of The Velvet Underground the most, this was a pretty cool, chill album. The primary focus is definitely on the lyrics and vocals, which are mostly about love, longing, and everyday life – basically the same themes as many other albums. The music is stripped down to simplicity, giving the album a warm, cozy feel.
100% hot take men det her er vist mit yndlings VU album. Ikke så eksperimenterende som deres andre, med undtagelse af det enkelte nummer, men lyden er bare sygt gennemført og Pale Blue Eyes er meget muligt deres bedste nummer
Meget dreamy! Gode numre! Undervurderer måske det her fordi det er første gang jeg hører det?
Pale blue eyes var mega fed! Resten var ok.
The fact that this came out in 1969 blows my mind. I love John Cale and think this album suffers some from his absence but it’s still great. Lou Reed was undeniably a flawed person but also, the world is more interesting for what he brought to it. This is - without a doubt - an album everyone should hear.
I enjoyed this much more than the banana album.
Decent stuff, particularly given how old it is. I liked it more than most 60's/70's stuff. 3.3
Not the pinnacle, but we are getting there.
First song is pretty damn good Good laid back beat so far, little trippy Lou Reed actually sounds pretty good The Murder Mystery sounds like a Doors song in the beginning with the organ--also it's very meandering--nevermind I like it
Flatzby underground
Beautiful! This led the way for so many other musicians.
Too depressing & boring for me.
IDK
This is one where I can see why some people love it, I just don't care for it much. Favorite track on this listen: "Beginning to See the Light."
Pretty smooth rock, worth a relisten
Þetta var skrítin plata. Bæði ljúf en líka furðuleg. Til dæmis var skrítið og erfitt að reyna að hlusta á morðgátulagið þar sem var verið að syngja (eða tala) tvo mismunandi texta á sama tíma. Þetta hefur verið framúrstefnulegt og tilraunakennt á sínum tíma en ég ætla bara að smella henni í miðjuna fyrir ljúfmetið á plötunni.
I just flat out dislike this band but this album was less annoying than the others.
i like this one a LOT better than the other velvet underground album i got from the generator (white light/white heat)
Simple, happy, velvety
Feels like a bridge between the more experimental early VU and the later Loaded era. After hours feels like it was written yesterday.
Not one of these tracks goes anywhere. I expected a lot more from one of the most renowned bands of all time.
I am not quite the pedantic analyst of details that can pinpoint the minutemost microscopic aspect of this album that makes it good. All I can really do is say it do be good.
These are like candies to my ears and I loved it. It'll probably grow on me after a while but rn it's a 4
9/10
Great!
Basic, essential, but also, overplayed to death... 3 stars
soft and sleepy rock music, something about this era of rock has just a specific sound that a lot of bands share and this one is no different. compared to the other bands i have listened to, these guys are very... like i said, soft. quiet. it's very much rock but it's low-key, instead of shouting in the mic and playing passionately they play gracefully, conservatively... even the louder tracks almost feel like the band members are holding back. not that it's a bad thing, it's just these guys like things mild and mellow. it feels like... prototype indie. and it's really cool.
ottimo album, nessuna canzone eccelsa ma tutte carine
Some tracks reminded me of the Beatles, some of the Kinks, some of Lou Reed (oh, I just looked -- Lou Reed was in the band, haha). Really cool, mellow stuff -- I like it a lot. Four stars.
Great stuff.
3.4 I can understand why people enjoy this. It’s just not my thing.
I actually enjoyed this quite a bit. I sometimes feel like I “don’t really love Lou Reed/TVU overall but I know they have some tracks I really like”…. This strikes a good balance of what I like with the weird mopey-gothic-opiate-art that I don’t love. It’s the same tricks we’ve heard in other LR/TVU albums but just nicely executed Perhaps this one has a better producer? Anyway I’m feeling it today. Good 1st day of vacation vibes maybe haha
This album is very cozy and enjoyable. Liked songs: Candy Says, What Goes On, I'm Set Free, The Murder Mystery Favourite songs: Pale Blue Eyes & After Hours
It's okey. Pale blue eyes is a classic but the rest is mostly record filling. Some avantgarde wierd and some just forgetable
# Playlist track - After Hours # Notes - Not particularly interesting. - Found "Murder Mystery" to be way too gimmicky and the rest of the album to meander between "oh, that's really nice" and "can't this track just end already?"
OK so this is a "more straightforward" album after their first 2? Then don't include it in this list, since the other 2 are also in here. Sure, "The Murder Mystery" is 9m of experimental nonsense w/ overlapping spoken word & literal banging on a piano, and the last track is a quirky introvert's ditty (complete w/ a silly Wes Anderson-esque video), but other than that this album doesn't particularly stand out in any way.
Wow is this contemporary or what, everything here sounds timeless, and pungent. 4.0
this is only my third favorite velvet underground album but since theyre my favorite band of all time that doesnt mean much. candy says is the best song here but everything is pretty amazing. 9/10
Eh, this was ok
Я слышал про Лу Рида претенциозные речи, но здесь ничем таким и не пахнет. А пахнет скукой какой то
- pale blue eyes
Probably my favorite Velvet Underground album. Classic.
M'n eerste kennismaking met De Fluwelen Ondergrond was een zware en ik keek dan ook niet echt uit naar dit album, maar het blijkt mee te vallen. Dit is redelijk makkelijk luisterbare eind '60's rock. Het geluid is warm, het is sfeervol, er zitten lekkere bluesy rifjes in en een fraai orgeltje waar ik toch wel een zwak voor heb. Lou Reed klinkt als Lou Reed, maar van alle zangers met een herkenbaar stemgeluid vind ik hem lang niet het meest vervelend. Er staan weinig tracks op die me echt bij zullen blijven, maar in z'n geheel kan ik dit album goed hebben. Ik heb het idee dat dit een wat overrated band is, maar ik vind dit best een lekkere plaat van ze. En daar beoordeel ik het op. Ik ga voor een 4, ondanks dat The Murder Mystery een dikke kuttrack is.
This is amazing bro. The other 2 I listened to were fine but nothing too grand, but this one I think is my favourite one so far. GG VU! Really enjoyed. This is album #98 I think
decent enough but i prefer reed's solo stuff
I don't think '60s rock is for me.
Nice alternative to the Beatles and the Stones subverting my expectations a little.
It´s OK. Prefer the Super Deluxe album
I think The Velvet Underground and Nico is a better album.
I love their instrumental arrangements and soothing vocals.
A little too weird/experimental for me...
This is music.
I enjoyed this more than the last VU album I listened to!
This was a nice album. Nothing mind blowing, but nice to listen to at least. The end started to spiral into madness, which made me like it even more! I wish the rating system was more detailed, because I would give this like a 3.8.
Most of my Velvets listening comes from the 2 that came before this but I have given this one a few spins before. It's more accessible than its predecessors & as close to a straight up rock record as you will get from them, John Cale had already left the band and been replaced by Doug Yule. The first side is by far the superior side with gems like Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes & What Goes On. Well worth a listen but if you want the weird stuff go for the previous 2 which are also in the book.
Para mí de los mejores discos del siglo XX
Wow really enjoyed this one!! What a nice surprise 5 ⭐️
It's fine. A nice vibe but they haven't quite refines their song writing yet.
I'm not very knowledgable about VU, but from what I remeber it's very different to Nico. Most of the songs are formed around simple loops, and I find it a little tiresome after a while with some of them. The track 'The Murder Mystery' is interesting, sounds well ahead of it's time and like something a post punk band would put out in the early 80's. Not to say I love it, but interesting.
I had an idea in my head of what this album was going to be and this... wasn't hair metal. In a good way.
Best MOR album ever
Some great, some good, some variable - the usual Velvet's stuff. I like it a lot.
Reminds me of 2000's indie pop more than punk. Probably not a bad thing.
01) Candy Says - 7,5 02) What Goes On - 8,0 03) Some Kinda Love - 7,5 04) Pale Blue Eyes - 8,0 05) Jesus - 7,5 06) Beginning to See the Light - 7,0 07) I'm Set Free - 7,5 08) That's the Story of My Life - 7,5 09) The Murder Mystery - 8,0 10) After Hours - 8,0 TOTAL: 7,65 (77/100) Current ranking: 106/218 Honestly, I was expecting a more boring album. Each song is interesting in its own way, and the most interesting is definitely "The Murder Mystery". Left and right ear each play their own song for almost nine minutes, and somehow it all sounds just right. The best song for me is "Pale Blue Eyes", but as I said, each one is interesting in its own way.
I mean, it's the end of the beginning of what would become punk, new wave, and alt rock. I could go on about how great Pale Blue Eyes is or how Candy Says could be a Beatles song if the Beatles sang about aging drug addicts and such. None of that would matter. It's not the best Velvet Underground album but the one that best presages the 70s in its entirety - the doom and gloom, angst, and sorrow.
Some good tunes - very clearly late 60s/70s sound...
Always pushing forward.
A mellow Underground album? I wasn't overly impressed by Pale Blue Eyes.
I don’t need to justify this rating
This was pretty average. Easy listening but the songs all seemed to lack much structure at all - it was the "Oops: All Verses" flavor. Seemed like someone described the concept of music to them and then they recorded an album, and you just know that New Yorkers will wax poetic on this and about how artsy and underground it is. This does not feel like the gritty underground that people know to be NYC, this feels like Mormon music. I guess it's influential or whatever, and wasn't terrible, so giving it a 3, but idk why for some reason this pissed me off
4/5
its a good quality recording album.
Yes
Very chill start, dig it. Jesus song was weird.
Cmon
To begin with, I think the Velvet underground might be one of the greatest band names of all time. I think it paints such a vivid picture and captures the music very well. This album is very good front to back and displays a sweet style of music that there wasn't a ton of in this era. Compared to their contemporaries this is more subdued and vulnerable. This is a great listen with a diverse sound across it.
“Candy Says” as an opener got me hyped up for something a bit more interesting and it only really paid off at the end with “Murder Mystery”. And that wasn’t particularly good, it was just interesting. The stuff in between is nice enough. Sad boi songs for thinking about girls you have a crush on. I think this would’ve appealed to me more when I was younger. It’s a pleasant listen, but not the stunning art piece that people make it out to be. VU is said to be a band that only really became appreciated after they put out a ton of work. I’m wondering if it’s because the market was kinda saturated with bands like this during the 60s and 70s and they ultimately had more staying power than the other bands due to persistence, money, or both. That isn’t to say they aren’t good, I like the style, it’s just not really a standout for me. Maybe I need to listen to more of the heroin albums.
The velvet underground feels like something I should like more than I do, but I always feel just kind of meh when listening to it.
Locker flockiges Velvet Underground Album. Gibt bestimmt Bessere, is aber trotzdem ziemlich geil.
More like 3.5 but on the high end of that.
I hadn’t heard this album or any of its songs before. It’s pleasant and peaceful up until the penultimate song. I like his other work more tho
I liked this more than I was expecting. I have always liked pale blue eyes, but I didn’t know the rest of the album is just as pleasant. I think I just assumed it would be less than good because they seem like pretentious jerks. I’d listen all the way through again.
A tad slow, a bit boring, but overall it was fine. Didn’t love it by any means, but it was aight.
VU’s first post Cale release. Reed leans heavily on Brill style compositions and early rock n roll influences. VU lite
6 / 10 Bastante sobrevalorado, canciones pop románticas y aburridas.
Solid jams! 4/5 just reminds me of oldies
Not sure who likes this music but I’m not included in that group. 3/10
Mellow, serene, absolute disaster of a last song. 5/10
Overall, I did like this album. No songs really stood out to me, but it was a good vibe all the way through. Some of the lyrics were really nice and I liked the sound.
Didn't mind it. Never been a huge fan, but, would listen again.
I dont think it’s their best I just love Sister Ray too much and the nico album is just superior as well. Still some beautiful guitar play and just an easy to listen to record altogether.
Being the second VU album I've heard, I expected the dark, experimental style of Velvet Underground & Nico. There is a bit of that in spots here, but this record seems to be much more straightforward psychedelic rock and I still welcome that. Really nice mix of a bunch of different sounds that make just a beautiful album. Extremely listenable! 9/10
Overall, I enjoyed it but some songs were still a bit trippy for me.
More mellow than I was expecting which was a good thing. Interesting, I'll have to revisit sometime.
Almost fell asleep while listening to this one.
3/5 but extra points for the sound which is sooo much better than jimi hendrix sounds which i listened to before
cool as fuck
Thought I would like this album a lot. It was just kind of meh.
Great soft casual listening. Had this on while working on a big project and it was very calming.
Yeah I’m good to never hear this band again in my life.
Too much talk about Jesus and god n shit.
Correcto.
meh.
Liked this one.
Really good. One's always thought VU to have got overrated after years of being underrated. Their massive influence is legit of course, as is quite hearable here, easily their best record because the least pretentious and most earnest. Understatement worked well for them, particularly LR. "Pale Blue Eyes," "Some Kinda Love" and "After Hours" are all great, and other cuts are interesting, and the whole thing feels like a nicely integrated whole, and a product of them not trying too hard. Aside: It's weird to do an eponymous title on a third record, especially given the "w/ Nico"the debut.
"Sunday Morning" hace total honor a su nombre, es una canción que instrumentalmente evoca el momento exacto en que uno está desyunando un domingo en la mañana. "Femme Fatale" me pareció una joya, sobretodo la relación entre la voz y la música. "Venus In Furs" musicalmente es toda una experiencia, siento que podría ambientar una película distópica. "Heroin" logra generar una emoción muy particular, como una especie de tensión triste. Es inquietante en cierta dimensión y hermosa a la vez. Pero al mismo tiempo, logra sentirse como heroica. En líneas generales, mi percepción del disco es que tiene un sonido super inmersivo, que evoca situaciones, imágenes y emociones, pero, he de admitir que (excluyendo un par de canciones), no es un sonido al que sea muy afín.
An ok album
не смог слушать. звук свернут гулом слушал на кобуз - нужно послушать еще на других источниках В наушниках на небольшой громкости альбом совсем по другому раскрывается. Музыка тебе как бы нашептывается бархатным голосом и мягкими гитарами. Не слушать после Лед Зеппелин!
Good music but not my style, didn't really enjoy it
manche Lieder sehr mellow (Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes), manche hören sich wie Vietnamkriegrock an (What Goes On), After Hours hört sich sehr modern an, könnte zb. von Soko (I'll kill her) sein
⭐️ What goes on, pale blue eyes, beginning to see the light, the murder mystery, after hours Liked this before, listened many times, still lovely.
Classic/10
I wasn't a fan
This album is one of the few I'll argue literally every person truly does need to hear before they die. This is a transformative experience. My review can't really do it justice. Go and listen.
The Velvet Underground has always been a musical blind spot for me. I have also never really understood the celebration of Lou Reed (unpopular opinion!!). However, I did enjoy this album much more than I expected to. I'd definitely pop this on again. As much as I enjoyed this, I do think that the late '60s are tragically overrepresented in this challenge. Perhaps it's just the order in which the albums are being served to me.
Maybe this wasn't a total snoozefest 50 years ago - but it is now. As someone who has no nostalgia for the band I fail to see The Velvet Underground hype - or maybe I'm just sick of this genre and the love affair the list creators have with it. There is nothing wrong with the music, it just elicited no excitement or joy from me. (The Murder Mystery got a skip about half way through for being too long, and tedious)
I was really digging this album and was thinking it might get a five — right up until the last couple of tracks dragged it down. This album feels timeless in a way I'm not sure I can really explain. It feels very much like late 60s/early 70s rock but also very different at the same time. It's an interesting mix of the type of psychedelic stuff The Doors and The Byrds would do and something more original and experimental. I can see why so many artists were influenced by them. It takes a weird turn with "The Murder Mystery" — the idea of the song is cool, and it's not totally unlistenable, but it's just so dense (not to mention long). Even trying to read along with the lyrics, I couldn't keep up because there are two different things going on at the same time. And nothing against Nico, but the last song "After Hours" was meh. Her voice isn't the worst, but it's definitely amateurish. I get what they were going for, but it's not the most pleasant thing to listen to. From an artistic/experimental perspective, this probably gets a 5. From a listenability perspective, I'll give it a 4.
Fra første sekund mangler Velvet Underground sitt tredje album den soniske eksperimenteringen til John Cale. Dette blir omtrent gjort opp for med Doug Yule sine nydelige harmonier, som står i perfekt kontrast med Lou Reeds råe stemme. Han er også en sympatisk hovedvokalist i det nydelige åpningsnummeret Candy Says. Sterling Morrison og Moe Tucker er essensielle, dog diskré. De gjør enormt mye med veldig lite, som er hele gruppens etos. Morrisons varme soloer får frem det beste i sangene. Tuckers primitive tromming gir enorm energi til råkkerne What Goes On og Beginning To See The Light. Også hennes synging på After Hours har en genuin skjørhet og uskyld. Reeds lyrikk utforsker universelle emner som kjærlighet og ensomhet. Hele hans personlighet skinner gjennom sangene, også når han gir vekk mikrofonen til andre medlemmer. Fra første til siste sang skapes skjønnhet og dybde gjennom enkle ord. Hele veien gjennom er albumet upretensiøst og engasjerende. Ikke nødvendigvis det mest sonisk banebrytende VU albumet, men alltid en fryd å høre på. Gjennom hele gruppens uendelige sjarm er dette albumet tidløst. Pluss langt kulere enn de fleste klassikere.
Pretty much unlistenable
I liked it!
Love the VU. The mellow sound is really fresh from their other records, but it's a little caught in the transition between pop, rock, and mellow. The sound is nice but (similar to WLWH) doesn't excel as much as their bookend albums, in their sound variety or quality of songs themselves. 3/5
Kinda torn between 4 and 5 for this one
Least favourite Velvet Underground album by far, feels like listening to a caged bird.
I have always known of the velvet underground but not really tied them to the era they’re actually from (seems like they were played a lot on rock stations that played newer rock so associated them with being from a more recent decade). I enjoyed this album, it reminded me of the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Bob Dylan all wrapped into one. Will definitely listen again!
Though influential to many bands in the later years, this one doesn’t hold up well. Sounds like something you hear on extended anniversary albums popular today where studio demos are included.
I loved the ballads on here. This was the first full listen I’ve given to the Velvet Underground and I think they’re a band I’ll appreciate more on subsequent listens. This had some great writing and vocals, but remained minimalistic. Instrumentally, there wasn’t much on here that jumped out at me. However, the atmosphere is immaculate.
I’ve wanted to listen to them. I had high hopes. They fell a little short.
I have this album in both the Valentin and closet mixes. In many ways, The Velvet Underground lost the more experimental influence from John Cale when he left the band after the second album (White Light/White Heat), and Lou Reed's songwriting came through more clearly. While I do prefer the first two LPs, this remains a stone cold classic with a clearly influential legacy. Most of the songs here are terrific, particularly Pale Blue Eyes and Candy Says.
Pretty chill. Favourites: candy says, what goes on, I'm set free, after hours. I did not enjoy the murder mystery, it was very bad and way too long. Not bad but I don't think it's that special. 3/5
Soothing calm music that's sometimes a little weird but that's okay. I really like their banana album so was interesting to get to listen to more of their music. Made for a pleasant evening listen while I tried to learn how to code for my quiz on Friday. Favourites are Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, Jesus, and That's The Story Of My Life. 4, lovely songs
I really dig this album. Not only are the songs good, but the pacing of the album was also great. Lots of diversity among the songs too, which helps keep things from getting stale. The penultimate track, “The Murder Mystery,” is a cool concept, but way too long.
I know this is the proto punk minimalist precursor to later groups and its supposed to be revered because of that but it is not engrossing to mealthough the last 2 tracks are very interesting, what preceeds that feels a bit bland and intellectual.
So much better than your first album, probably because they learn to play their instruments. Eight minute murder mystery song was absolutely to listen to. There is zero songs on this album. I would never want to hear.
slow
The murderer mystery was so uniquely grating that I can't honestly rate this above a 2
bardzo spokojne, sympatyczne do puszczenia w tle
Not for me. 1/5
Inspiring album for all alternative Music.
Lou Reed is just bland, and the rest of the band doesnt do enough to make up for this.
The Velvet Underground is the only album of this band that could have had any appeal to a larger audience. The rock songs and ballads are not as strange in instrumentation, arrangement and lyrics as on the other three albums. Songs like Candy Says, What Goes On, Pale Blue Eyes or Afterhours are all time classics.
delicinha, nunca tinha ouvido nada do the velvet underground mas já tinha ouvido que eles eram populares e tals, gostei.
rather boring
Boring
Im not sure why they have such a cult following
Dreary
Great album. I had heard "Pale Blue Eyes" from this album before, but I had not listened to a full album from The Velvet Underground outside their first album and Loaded. I really, really enjoyed this one. It's got great sentimentality and is just really well-done folk-rock. "The Murder Mystery" is weird 60s shit, but the rest of the album is phenomenal. ****
I'm truly blown away by how timeless this record is. You could have told me an indie folk band released this in 2022 and I would believe you. How they never found contemporary mainstream success is a mystery to me, and a damn shame. One of the most enjoyable albums in this project. Top tracks: Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, I'm Set Free, After Hours
Overrated
Previously rated: The Velvet Underground & Nico (3/5) ******************************************* Not quite as good as the previous one, but it's OK. Some pretty songs, some boring ones.