The Velvet Underground

4.5/5

These are the Velvets I ride for. My favorite Velvet Underground album is the one after this one, Loaded, named as such by Lou Reed because he thought it was loaded with hits, which, not quite. I guess they were hits on their scale. But this is their most complete album, the one that offers more rewards on repeat listens than their debut. This is where the Lou Reed Dylan comparisons truly begin. The old saying regarding their debut album is that everyone who bought it started a band. I bet anyone who bought this one upon release started a good band.

Very mellow and enjoyable

It was fine, I guess, but not especially memorable. I liked Murder Mystery the most

Great album, always like listening to this one

Was surprised not so much that I enjoyed it but more so how much I didn’t dislike it. There weee actual melodies and musicianship. I was expecting a lot more like the song The Murder Mystery. It’s fine, it’s New York artsy, it’s not my wheelhouse.

Very slow songs so far. The Murder Mystery is the first song I've actually quite liked so far.

Very 60s but I’m into it.

Just fine. 3

Another album (artist?) who made this list because of a group of people who decide what is good or not, based on what drugs they were on when they heard these albums. I don't take drugs. It's the music itself which turns me on, and so many of the albums on this list do nothing to my body. VA gets a 3 for playing real instruments on their album and sticking to a recognizable formula when song-writing.

Was never a big fan of them.

If Jane's Addiction had parents, The Velvet Underground would be them. Lou Reed is as talented as he is eclectic. Elements of blues, rock,, folk experimental ... They would have been my favourite band in the late 60s

Such a cool album

6/10 VU&N is a great album, near the top of the albums I’ve listened to so for. This was a pretty major disappointment and I’m not sure it is worthy of the list Love Lou Reed’s voice, vibe is good, this is a very nice sounding album But it is very basic in composition, feels mannered to the point of being boring at points, and lacks all the drive, energy, excitement of VU&N. Like it’s a different band or one who can’t be bothered Doesn’t stand out from its contemporary music to me Best: I’m Set Free

It’s not their best, but Velvet Underground is something

it was aight some tracks i really enjoyed some i didnt 3.6/5

Soft and slow very nice to relax to

I think I recognised a couple of the songs on this and was just generally a better experience than I expected

Actually not bad! Would listen again. 3***

B Candy Says 4 What Goes On 3 Some Kinda Love 3 Pale Blue Eyes 4 Jesus 3 Beginning To See The Light 4 I'm Set Free 3 That's The Story Of My Life 3 The Murder Mystery 3 After Hours 4 This was quite good, what a PERFECT DAY(S).

A fine post-Cale effort. Highlights are Pale Blue Eyes and What Goes On. Murder Mystery, however, makes the 2nd side drag a bit.

If I had just heard this whole album rather than the songs that got picked out as hits I'd probably have been a VU fan for a lot longer rather than just starting now.

I really like this one. Better than the last choice I got from them. Torn for a rating. 4.5

довольно приятное звучание. мне немного плохо понятен смысл альбом из-за моего плохого английского я не улавливаю слова. тяжело. поэтому я читаю описание. the murder mystery💔

Boring, I couldn't understand this album.

I had never heard this album before. I like some of their other stuff. This is pretty good, great chilled out but up a notch sort of vibe. I will definitely listen to this again, maybe buy it on vinyl.

Not really for me. Too mellow

A righteous rollicker of a record

Close and charming

Ganz nice für den Hintergrund, aber auch etwas boring..

- Das whatscheinlich legendärste Albumcover ever (gemalt von Andy Warhole, der auch die komplette Platte produziert hat, was mich komplett erstaunt hat) - Habe, obwohl ich Lou Reeds Solosachen mega finde, nie bewusst einen Velvet Underground Song angeschmissen - Mir gefällt das Expirimentelle, das Unangepasste, auch das Psychedelische an der Platte und ich kann mir vorstellen, was das zu der Zeit für einen Impact hatte. - Leider (und das ist immer das Problem, wenn man solche wegweisenden Alben so spät hört) hab ich viele Alben um die Zeit, die vielleicht auch von diesem beinflusst sind, aber ich doch deutlich lieber mag und somit der Innovationsfaktor bei mir ein bisschen versandet Rating: 3,25

- Velvet Underground nie viel gehört. - Album war stimmig und sehr chillig. Nicht zu langweilig durch abgefahrene Tonartwechsel und spannende Text-Interpretationen. - Einzelne Stücke oder Passagen sind jedoch jetzt nicht hängen geblieben. Wohl ein klassischer Fall von "Muss man im ganzen hören" - Schöne Mehrstimmigkeit - Kann mir vorstellen, mir dezidierter diverse Songs nochmal anzuhören 3,5/5

- Entspannt und zumeist moody - Murder Mystery ist mir als extrem nervig im Kopf geblieben

I absolutely loved this album… Dunno how I have never heard it before!

After Hours is the introvert’s anthem.

I agree, The Murder Mystery is very cool, it reminds me of Chop Suey and maybe some other SOAD song (maybe even several)

murder mystery is very cool

Some good slower tracks but upbeat tracks have muddy and discordant solos

Surprisingly have not listened to much of The Velvet Underground. I quite enjoyed this. My favorite songs are probably "Candy Says," "What Goes On," and "Jesus." "The Murder Mystery" was totally a mixed bag for me; I loved and hated it at the same time, but that was the only song I didn't really care for, even though I kind of did. Overall a really good album!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

bof

So much I like about this, and then some not so much. "Pale Blue Eyes" is really good. Love "I'm Set Free". Did not like "The Murder Mystery" at all.

It's a bit dull isn't it?

Meni je ovo najslabiji od četiri - banane, white light-white heat i loaded.ipak i dalje je jeben i možeš čut skoro cili indie rock ikad u ovom.

I love every song in this album, and together it really is something special. I like pretty well everything by the velvet underground, but this one might be my favourite.

Not a fan. There's a lot of other bands from the 60s I prefer more.

Suht kevyehköä rockia. Vähän tulee rollarit mieleen. Murder mystery sit lähtikin vähän lapasesta, siinä Doorsmaiset urut. Parhaat: Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes

This is an album of its time and if it’s scene. It’s an album of a particular present moment. And it’s a notable album in the VU catalog because it represents a break with their sound documented on the first two albums. But is this really an album I need to hear before I die? I appreciate that 1001 is a large number but I have other things to do before I die. If this was your scene and your time I bet this album is deeply memory inducing and meaningful. However I would much rather listen to Ethiopian jazz or Braziakkian pop music if the time made by much better musicians who were rooted in something other than a journey of self-discovery that has reached a dead end and from which one needs to turn around and reset.

I had never listened to this one from the Velvet Underground. This is a really good record, somewhere between the sneer and agression of their first one and the sunny disenchantment in Loaded. Though John Cale has left at this point and been replaced by Doug Yule, the tension and dissonance he was bringing to the whole is still haunting some of the songs, like with the organ in What goes on. Lou Reed is maturing as a writer really in his own league, but this feels like a transition: where the tension between Cale and Reed was driving the early Velvets' music, the center is visibly moving on this one. Love the doo-wop accents on Candy Says, a nice wink from Lou Reed to the music he grew up listening to in the 50s. And the nod to early R'n'roll on Beginning to see the light. And I love the closing song, with Moe Tucker singing, bringing to the foreground the child-like innocence and simplicity that drives most of their music, even at its most furious. Though it does not reach me as viscerally as their first record, this album is a great listen, with some amazing moments: Candy Says and Pale Blue Eyes are easily among the best songs Lou Reed has written. There is a kind of purity that he reaches at these peak moments. These songs feel like quiet creeks that invite reflection (the mirror is a theme in the Velvets music that reappears here and there here): moments of peace in the chaos. I don't know many bands who can capture this sense that beauty and chaos are merged at the hip, that there cannot be one without the other. The beautiful, the quiet, the still carries the memories of the grit and the filth it emerges from. And the oceans of noise carry the seeds of grace. It is playful and dark, graceful and filthy, honest and sarcastic, full of paradoxes. Just like life, and just like humans.

Like it Fav songs: What goes on Pale blue eyes After hours :^

What a contrast to "White Light/White Heat"! Far more accessible for me, this is the Lou Reed I remember.

Nice and chilled-out album, better than most of their prior stuff.

Overrated and overall felt like a letdown. Not unlistenable, but it didn’t live up to the world changing hype

A mellow psychedelic rock album that is unapologetically lofi. For the most part, the laid-back recording and songwriting on this album sound pretty bland and mediocre. There’s not much talent on display here, and it’s no surprise that the record failed to chart. However, there are a few notable tracks where the intimate, unproduced style is beautiful and hauntingly gentle, and saved the album for me. I’m not sure why folks really like the Velvet Underground; I don’t find Lou Reed to be a good singer or songwriter and the rest of the band just sounds like a garage jam session. They must have been novel at the time and influential to others, but this record is pretty middling in hindsight. Stand out tracks include “Candy Says”, “Pale Blue Eyes”, and “After Hours”.

Not the best album but still amazing. After Hours is always lovely and murder mystery is so crazy it did make me feel kooky

I think this album is pretty good, but not that a lot of the songs are kind of repetitive and boring to me. Lou reed needed John Cale what can I say

Awesome!!!

Great album. Feels contemporary in so many ways.

Far more accessible than the other albums of The Velvet Underground. I can see why it is derisively called Lou Reed's first solo album. I enjoyed all of the songs to one extent or another. My favorite track was "What Goes On". Least favorite "The Murder Mystery", which is an interesting thought experiment of song arrangement, but definitely not the sort of thing that I am going to want to listen to again.

Not bad.

Candy Says en Pale Blue Eyes wel lekkere tracks. Verder matig enthousiast moet ik zeggen. Wel drie sterren omdat het Lou Reed is en Lou Reed is een held <3

great album, ending was a highlight, really good, pale blue eyes is so good.

Ok. I mean...it's ok.

Would Sir care for a starter of some garlic bread perhaps? No, thank you. I will proceed directly to the intravenous injection of hard drugs, please.

The older I get the more I start appreciating this album

This was way more chill of an album than I was expecting. I enjoyed it.

I knew that one song pale blue eyes cuz I think it was in an episode of sex education. It has very indie movie/show vibes where you’re down on the world, you’re girl/guy has just left you, and your mad at the world for what it’s given you. Sometimes you need some vibes like that.

Boring. Fine to listen to and I feel like it’s somewhat timeless, but I’m not super interested in listening to any of it again.

I found this album to be a pretty pleasant listen. Nothing abrasive or too difficult to get through but also not much that stood out, except for maybe The Murder Mystery but that was only because I’m pretty sure that bass line has been covered a few times. There were some moments that felt like the band was ahead of their time as far as styles and genre went, but most of the time it sounded like 60s rock.

A lovely album to have a heroin overdose to.

Eh, nothing special

Soooo...this *isn't* "The Velvet Underground and Nico". Why didn't anyone tell me? I just kinda thought this was a different cover, or some arcane copyright issue had led to a re-release with Nico's contributions expunged, or something. yes yes commercial yada yada...it is consistently listenable, which is much more than one can say about their preceding album. Will I listen to it again? I don't know. maybe.

Decent folk album compared to what else was coming out that year of 1969. It then makes a hard right turn when Nico comes in and “murder mystery” happens. If I had to describe art rock in 1 song this would be it.

Whilst I didn't enjoy it as much as the Nico album, it was still a good listen. I think it might be an album which improves with multiple listens.

Un grand classique, ça me rappelle ma jeunesse (je suis pas vieille juste edgy insup)

Pretty mellow album. Enjoyable music but nothing to get excited about. Scrapes a 3.

Candy Says starts everything out so strong and sets the tone for the whole album. ending on After Hours is brilliant. You can hear the bands I love listening to this and getting inspired: Pavement, Parquet Courts, The Strokes. This must have been such a game changer

Achei parado demais, gravação ruim. Sei lá. Lembra Bob Dylan. Escutei o da banana tmbm...terei q ouvir mais vezes pra ver se consigo entender o contexto, mas por ora achei datado. Nada de mais

I like it, I just haven't done nearly enough opiates in my life to get quite to their level. It's not that I haven't ever... I mean I do 'get' enjoyable slinking behind the beat in a not-quite-on-pitch slurred singing style. But it's just not the trip I'm currently on.

I had never heard this before and I enjoyed most of it. Seems much different than other Velvet Underground albums. Simpler maybe? I kind of liked that. It isn't pretentious. I could do without the Jesus song. I'm not sure whether to like The Murder Mystery or not. I can't tell if I would ever want to listen to it again, but it was interesting once. I generally found this album... interesting.

J'ai vraiment mieux aimé que White Light / White Heat, mais pas autant que l'album avec Nico. Ça sonne vraiment de son époque sans avoir mal vieilli pour autant. Je comprends l'inclusion de ce band car on voit facilement l'impact que ça a pu avoir sur la scène de la musique expérimentale, art rock, progressive, etc. 7/10

It was good, I enjoyed Candy Says and Pale Blue Eyes.

not for me, mid

I liked this although some of it was a bit too slow and extra point for inspiring my favourite band

Wonderful - two 4* albums in a row. ‘What goes on’ has been channelled by countless 90’s shoe gaze bands while the ballads ooze charm, regret and poetry. Dare I say it but the story-telling in this record might even be the basis for gems such as Screamadelica? Gasp! Why can’t they all be this good.

They have influenced so many bands I love, but I never really love their albums. Second half of this album much stronger than the first, would give that another listen.

Quite interesting. Lou Reed not as annoying as I thought.

love this album. more straight forward rock than their other material. Can do without The Murder Mystery though. REM does a great cover of Pale Blue Eyes.

I know this is a classic and everything. But I've listened through a few times and haven't felt inspiration - I attribute that to listening in the wrong settings. A misalignment. Eating some drugs may have aligned things better, but I'm moving on to the next album.

Velvet Underground is an easy listen but never stirs me.

Lou Reed came from this band? Had no idea. I’d give this album another listen…

Other than "The Murder Mystery" this was great.

Lou Reed op z’n best. Dit album is een stuk minder experimenteel, en daardoor gewoon goed. Soms wringt het, wat een muzikaliteit. Bijna 5 sterren.

What goes on and some kinda love were my favs. Murder mystery was a bit too out there for me but I loved the rest of the album and it was weird in a good way?

Sunday Morning 3.8 I'm Waiting for the Man 4 Femme Fatale 3.9 Venus in Furs 4 Run Run Run 3.5 All Tomorrow's Parties 3.4 Heroin 4 There She Goes Again 3.7 I'll Be Your Mirror 3.3 The Black Angel's Death Song 2.7 European Son 2 Score: 3.481818182

Really good. But not as good as with Nico.

4.5

Sehr schöne Melodien, Texte und Sounds.

I hated the first VU album this experience sent my way and nearly didn't listen to this one because of it. But overall I found this to be much more tolerable.

Definitely some very interesting ideas and great songs

..

In places, this is absolutely superb; the first four tracks are clear five star material, but I think it drifts a little towards the back end. The Murder Mystery is hard work, and I'm afraid that After Hours just falls on the wrong side of tweeness for me (and I have an extremely high tweeness threshold). One absolutely cracking nugget I didn't know before though - the opening lines of Candy Says are borrowed by Sparklehorse on Maria's Little Elbows, which is probably in my top ten songs of all time. So that was a real treat.

Much calmer and restrained than the first two Velvet albums that I prefer, but their incredible songwriting is still plain to see. Would still consider them one of the most important rock bands of all time, their versatility was unbelieveable.

I’ve always loved pale blue eyes but after hearing all of the other Lou reed/velvet underground albums on here I really thought I’d have a pretty tepid response to this one as well, but I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked what goes on and overall it was good listen but as I’m trying to write this review I literally don’t remember how to describe the music which probably isn’t a great sign. Oh well.

Few solid tracks Moody to happy to avangarde artsy. 3

Just fine really. Worth reminding myself that it’s a 55 year old album and looking at it that way because I can get a bit bored of aabb rhyme schemes and pretty lyrics (even when they are laden with sarcasm)

Listening to The Murder Mystery while at Atlanta International Airport has to be one of the most surreal experiences with music I've ever had! Overall, the vocalist balances traits of both anxiety and tranquility efficiently.

75/100

I don't like albums that aren't balanced. It's mostly noise but there's a few good songs.

Solid classic I haven’t heard in years and it sounds/feels the same as it ever did. Kind of one of those perfect albums that you can put on at any time, in any place, with any crowd.

Really looking forward to listening to this album. Really have never heard them all the way. Just a couple songs here and there. I definitely get it but not my style. Try to listen to a couple more

The lesser album from The Velvet Underground, great individual melodic songs but it lacks the edge and rawness from their prior albums. Also, I despise "The Murder Mystery".

Al igual que el resto de la discografía de la banda liderada por Reed y Cale, este disco es una adición más que agradecida al panorama del rock y la música popular de los '60s. Con un espíritu innatamente disruptivo, The Velvet Underground construye panoramas desoladores y encantadores, en unos 40 minutos llenos de contrastes expresados a través de historias sumamente interesantes y paisajes sonoros que nos adelantan lo que pronto será el género del punk. Un mejora considerable desde su debut "The Velvet Underground & Nico".

Listened to this while playing Middara with my partner. We won! I have to say, we both enjoyed this a whole lot more than we were expecting to. I was very familiar with the name, but I honestly didn't recognize any of the music from the album. What a thoroughly enjoyable album. The sequencing of the album was pretty great...with a wonderful last two tracks. Super solid 4.

Pretty easy to forget tbh, but didn't hate listening to it.

great!

Jeg glemte at skrive mine noter ned i fredags. Husker at have tanken om at skulle lytte til det igen i weekenden, men endte med at høre alt andet. Tilgengæld har jeg glemt lyden af det her album nu, så det er nok et ret fint sted at rate ud fra alligevel...

Slet ikke det album jeg havde forventet. Velvet Underground er aldrig noget jeg har fået hørt. Det her var mere afdæmpet end jeg havde regnet med. Albummet er fyldt med små perler af sange. De lyder MEGET slut 60er agtige, men det gør slet ikke noget. Samlet bliver det en skøn oplevelse og albummet er gennemlyttet en 5-6 gange. PS: Murder Mystery er mere som jeg forventede. Det fungerer også mega godt.

Strange album

The VU's twee indiepop album, they depart from the hard-edge dissonance and dark psychadelic explorations of noise of white light/white heat and instead deliver a of couple brooding and bittersweet love songs, a couple of classic singalongs, some proto-punk spirituals, and an experimental sound-collage story. It's not as a great in total as their other albums I don't think, but the highs are so high. Pale Blue Eyes & Candy Says are as simple and poignant as it gets, while What Goes On and Begining to See the Light are surprisingly upbeat rockers. A great less is more album - there's nothing flashy or complex here in terms of musicianship, performance, or even songwriting, just a stripped back simplicity of vision and commitment to melody and a mood.

My teenage son can’t understand how I don’t know their music. Three songs in, I’m loving this. Musically my jam, Lou Reed’s singing has not always been something I can bear, but perfect here. First album in this project where I’m reading the lyrics.

The Velvet Underground a band I knew the existance of but had never payed much attention to. Probably my mistake. This was pretty good deserving a closer look. Added to favorites.

This was such a great album for me. Friendly, heartfelt, funny. You can really see how their sound impacted others.

A very pleasant surprise. This was not as Avant Garde as I expected. Maybe it was for the time, but it stands up to today's standards of a good solid sound and lyrics.

Wasn't really doing anything for me, might be because I just had it on mostly in the background but it didn't feel like anything other than average indie rock. Maybe their later stuff is more evolved.

A bit more laidback than what I expected from VU, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. A lot of the tracks sound like something you'd put on on a relaxing Sunday afternoon. 3.5

Artsy pop rock. This album was incredibly tight. Like the composition of the entire thing was nearly flawless. Very introspective and mellow, immaculate vibes. I'm not very familiar with Velvet Underground so I'm not sure how this stacks up against some of the rest of their discography, but this album definitely makes me want to hear it all. Masterclass in music making. My only gripe is that The Murder Mystery felt a little out of place in this record. Otherwise fantastic album. No doubt a classic. Can't wait to revisit. 4.5/5

I.... I just don't get it. I'm glad you all seem to love this, but I really don't know why.

I liked it

3 decent album. Highlights were pale blue eyes and after hours. Most song however were just a little too long

Began very well, ending was worse

One good song on here and it’s the first one. The rest is drivel and every one is too long.

I enjoyed this album, I just wasn't blown away or in love with it. For when this came out, it is quite a revolution for music at the time and makes sense that their popularity cane later. I just don't see myself going out of my way to listen to it again.

1) pale blue eyes is an wonderfully beautiful song. I keep replaying the chorus in my head. The guitar is so gentle and clean. 2) the murder mystery is one of the more memorable songs from a creative standpoint in a long time, and I learned started liking it once it clicked for me. I really liked this album.

Incredible.

Pretty good. Gave some Beatles vibes. Really dug “pale blue eyes”

Pretty nice and chill little album

Experimental and weird for its time

6/10, first half good murder mystery wtf

Perfect mellow album

Experiments everyewhere. A bit of blues. An early post-rock tunes. Interesting concept.

Not bad. Not amazing.

Very nice

I usually feel that I'm not cool enough for the Velvet Underground. I grew up in Pittsburgh, not NYC, I've never done heroin. But I do own 3 of their first 4 albums... 'cause we can always try. This is the one I've missed. Anyway, It's a very good album, in a Velvet Underground kind of way. It's very relaxed, casual. What I'd expect from a bunch of people jamming around after a long week of hedonistic excess (perhaps White Light / White Heat). Not exactly "laid back", but more "come down calling". But it all works, really well. The album is absolutely worth hearing, just for "Pale Blue Eyes", but everything else works, too. I've heard it said that Velvet Underground didn't sell a lot of records, but everybody who bought one went out and formed a band. I get where that comes from. But they're certainly a niche sound; not something I'd listen to every day. I'm not sure how I missed this one previously, I think it is destined to be my favorite Velvet Underground album. But I can't QUITE give it a 5, just a bit too niche. 4/5

Some good moments

I thought this was fine. Didn't really jive with it.

A little uneven, yet surprisingly mellow

First album listened to

If the Beatles were lazy

Low key Velvets. This one doesn't grab me like their previous records, but I like that Lou Reed wanted to change gears and not get pigeon-holed. The ballads drag, but the up-temp songs are good and save this record for me.

Nice simple songs about relationships and religion. I thought Lou’s voice sounded decent on this album compared to his solo work.

Very calm and it’s 80’s background music for a club or a bar

I really liked this album. Not quite enough to give it a fiver but it was very pleasant to listen to (I could very well have such a high opinion of it bc we had to endure Korn a couple days ago so anything sounds really good compared to that). The only real critiques I have of this album is the fact that most of it is so quiet and slow. That’s not a bad thing but it might be nice to have just one or two songs that were a bit more upbeat but that’s a minor critique. Also I didn’t really love the Murder Mystery song, it was just weird and very hard to understand. I do really like the album other than that it has a very cozy feel, something I would very much choose to listen to on a dreary day while I sit inside and stare out at the rain.

overall it was an "ok to have on in the background while you're doing other stuff" kind of album. but then I got to Murder Mystery and they lost a star for that-just didn't understand at all. so much discordant sound, mumbling, & plain noise

I like some of Velvet Underground. But honestly, this album felt very whiney to me.

Really great. All 4 discs of the same album. 4.4. Marginal regrets is it a 5? Closest album on the 4/5 star mark so far. Hmmm

"The Velvet Underground" by The Velvet Underground is a landmark album that has had a lasting impact on the music industry. Released in 1969, this self-titled album is often referred to as the band's third album, following "The Velvet Underground & Nico" and "White Light/White Heat." This album marked a departure from the experimental sound of their earlier works, focusing more on songwriting and a more accessible sound. Tracks like "Candy Says," "Pale Blue Eyes," and "What Goes On" showcase the band's musical maturity and Lou Reed's poignant songwriting. While the album wasn't a commercial success at the time of its release, it has since gained critical acclaim and is now considered one of the greatest albums of all time. Its influence can be heard in countless bands and genres, solidifying its place in music history. Overall, "The Velvet Underground" is a masterful album that showcases the band's evolution and musical prowess. It earns a solid 4/5 rating for its innovative sound and lasting impact on the music industry.

48/100 Candy Says 3/10 What Goes On 3/10 Some Kinda Love 5/10 Pale Blue Eyes 7/10 Jesus 3/10 Beginning To See The Light 6/10 I'm Set Free 4/10 That's The Story Of My Life 4/10 The Murder Mystery 6/10 After Hours 7/10

It's a very soft and quiet album. Musically not the best outing from the group, but lyrically maybe their strongest album. To me the sound is just terrible and makes this album really hard to listen to.

Velvet Underground are protopunk legends . I respect them, I can hear and see their influence on punk and other modern music. I have personally always had a problem listening to a whole VU album all the way through, I like everything on the albums, but they feel like a slog everytime and I'm not sure why.

Cool!

Stupid posing

#throwiton Apple Music Notes: Listening to The Velvet Underground can feel like walking into a small, late-night gathering with close friends: It’s warm, it’s fuzzy, it’s a little imprecise. But in that imprecision is a sense of quiet epiphany, the feeling of revelation that forms around moments you might otherwise miss. There’s laughter in it (“Beginning to See the Light”), and there’s tenderness, too (“Pale Blue Eyes”). But there’s also a reckoning with big questions about doubt (“I’m Set Free”), purpose (“Jesus”), and how we share our inner selves with the outside world (“Candy Says”) that runs deeper than the album’s sweetness lets on.   Lou Reed said that White Light/White Heat was, in part, a reaction to the delusions of hippie culture—the way free love led to broken hearts and supposedly innocent drug use devolved into people too disconnected from reality to function. But if the band has a psychedelic album—not in the carnivalesque sense, but in the sense of pointing one on a strange personal journey—this is it. The shift is radical: After two albums of noise and rebellion, they sit down on the carpet and open themselves to quieter thoughts. Sterling Morrison said part of the change had to do with the departure of John Cale, which left Reed free to explore his sensitive side: If Morrison had written something as romantic as “Pale Blue Eyes,” he teased Reed, he wouldn’t have forced Reed to play it, but he also wouldn’t fight with him about it. He later described Reed’s original mix of the album (included on the deluxe 45th anniversary edition) as the “Closet Mix,” because it made the music sound like it was recorded in a closet: safe, private, secret. And Reed described “Some Kinda Love” as a conversation between two very drunk people who talk their way through the fog to some obvious conclusions. The Velvet Underground is music made at a close distance, but just out of focus enough to keep mystery intact. “I don’t know just what it’s all about,” he sings. “But put on your red pajamas and find out.” 

Great sound, simple and lots of character. Cohesive and genuine, my type of album.

"Candy Says" leads off the record with an empathetic character sketch on that certain type of New York personality that Lou Reed specialized in. "What Goes On" is my kind of track. Tightly written, tightly played and some of the best multi tracked guitar playing of the 60s. Did not know that the solo was Sterling Morrison, always thought that was Lou Reed. A reminder that Velvet Underground weren't just a conceptual project, but a rock band and a damned good one. "Some Kind of Love" is fine "Pale Blue Eyes" is another reminder that Lou Reed could work just as well in quiet, intimate spaces as he could in noisy chaotic sounds paces. This is right up there with Buddy Holly's "Everyday" or Roy Orbison's "Crying" for achingly tender songs. And then they follow that up with "Jesus," which......I was not expecting that. It's gorgeous. "Beginning to See the Night" is a silly Dylan-esque rocker. I like it. It's great. It's closer to "Obla Dee, Oh Bladah" than it is "Taxman" if that makes sense. I dunno, it's got some more great rhythm guitar and Lou Reed doing his Lou Reed thing but the best part is the "How does it feel to be loved" outdoors. "I'm Set Free" builds nicely two that two part harmony. I also like the switch to the silkier guitar, as well as the subtle looping arpeggios under the vocal performance. This is a nicely layered track. Curious if the "Closet" mix reflected that. Very nice solo, like something off a Roy Orbison song. Very David Lynch. "The Story of My Life" is strangely underwritten for someone who wrote so pointedly about other people. It's no bad but it's not particularly good either. I'm pro "Murder Mystery." It doesn't fit as well on this album as "Lady Godiva's Operation" fits on "White Light, White Heat" but this is one of the VU songs that made me curious about the band when I was younger. This and "Venus in Furs" were kind of confusing siren songs coming from my sister's tape collection that marked Velvet Underground as a cycpher to be unlocked later in life. It's a reminder that this band, from its founding, wanted to break pop music in the same way Warhol wanted to break art. And I appreciated them for that. It does go on a bit. "After Hours" is a perfect ending. A sort of "If we shadows have offended...." coda that wraps up the album almost as well as the last chord strike of "A Day in the Life." We've come to the end of our Magical Mystery Tour, and this closing little Diddy is the lights coming on. Love it. This is a five star album. In terms of writing rock songs that balance tunefullness with experimentation and studio creativity, it's right up there with "Revolver." It's conceptual and tests the boundaries of a late 60s rock experience, but never sacrifices listenability.

Lou Reed doing a gay voice out of ten

I don't know what you think of this one. Seems almost too tender after the rawness of Loaded. Some lovely moments but I feel a bit empty after a listen. Prob needs another listen.

pretty good!

Started out fine and then got super annoying. Like listening to WGMO, or Eric's music...

Beaucoup plus soft que j'aurais cru

If I could give it less than 1 star I would.

Smooth & folk-like

Own

The only thing I liked here was the timbre of the guitar, so that’s better than nothing.

Prefer where it picks up, starting with beginning to see the light. Love the playful guitar in story of my life, around 1 min mark, sounds kinda like George’s style. Murder mystery reminds me of the band CAKE, that spoken singing style. Wonder if they were influenced. After Hours a clever ending to the album, perfectly creepy, and could’ve played at credits in Moneyball.

For no reason I had not listened to this old favorite for a few years. This adventure lured me into listening more carefully. I love this album. I love the raw urban tempos and tones. But what I did not recall is how well recorded and produced it is. Bueno!

Early on what was to become one of the most influential bands ever. Lou at the center

This album is the beginning of Lou Reed the solo artist. A departure from the NY Velvet sound of the first 2 albums, it’s a completely different direction. Lou Fucking Reed.

Such a vibe. Pretty much perfect. Vocals are spot on and all the instruments blend so well. Very playful but very tight compositions

Meh this is not for me. Definitely a distinct vibe and I respect the specific niche this lives in, but I'm just admitting this is not something I'd go for.

Probably a bit less interesting that I was expecting - third album in and sounds like they had traded experimentation for polish. Still some great songs, sounded good in the cans.

Listenable. The first three songs are decent. I don't like Lou Reed's voice in the love song, Pale Blue Eyes. (So many artists should get over themselves and get someone else to sing their stuff.) Overall, this album is a bit low-key for me, but it's interesting-ish, and a pleasant sound. Just a bit underwhelming.

Not as rocking as other Velvet Underground. But definitely a foundation in a part of rock and roll history.

There were some good tracks on this album but overall I got a pretty "meh" vibe from it. Not my favorite but I can see how others might like it.

I love Lou Reed's voice Standouts: Candy Says Jesus After Hours The Murder Mystery could've been the best song on the album but they over did it. It feels like the tried to cram all the good song writing into one song and let other songs suffer.

Meh this just isn't really my vibe. Just kind of slow and dreary. I think a live show would have been pretty cool. The live b disk of the deluxe album isn't bad but not something I would typically go for. Pale Blue Eyes their number one isn't really a thing for me either.

5 stars just for “What Goes On” & “Pale Blue Eyes” ……….

Great

I'd like to know completely what others so discreetly talk about. . . check out the song "Distortions" by Clinic

Uninteresting

one of those albums you can listen to

I know I’m *supposed* to love The Velvet Underground because of their influence on future genres (despite lack of commercial success). But the truth of the matter is… the music is just ok for me.

Disclaimer: I’m not a fan of the Velvet Underground (only heard Nico) and I really dislike Lou Reeds music and how he behaved. It always seemed they went out of their way to be counter culture cool, but that’s just me. I understand music lovers will talk about the influence this band and albums had on music which I very much appreciate. But listing to this was no joy for me and it was boring and dated.

Not bad, not great, not very interesting. I respect the songwriting but it didn’t appeal to me very much. The only song I really liked was After Hours.

VU really should have had Maureen/Moe Tucker sing on more tracks, she sounds good on “After Hours” despite that song being a little less interesting. This album is probably VU’s poppiest and folkiest, and in a way their least experimental. But it’s by no means worse for it. “Candy Says”, “What Goes On”, and “Pale Blue Eyes” are all fantastic songs. VU seem to be channeling The Beatles on this album: it can seem tonally all over the place, but it's still congruent and overall it works very well.

I just cannot with this album. Off-key, drowsy, pathos-inducing music. Yes, I know it’s considered classic. Emphasis for me on “ic”.

it's good, just bland to listen to

I can see why these guys were so influential. They’re like the indie Beatles; more creative but less pleasing to the ear. Very good album overall.

Ok for me

I've heard it before, at some point (college) I thought it was cool, but I was never in love. Probably a 3.5

Not something I'd try to listen to on my own but I'm glad I did. A couple goodies, plus "murder mystery" was so weird I just loved it. I'm noticing a pattern, where I don't really enjoy slow songs or songs with muddled vocals. I feel like my ratings of all these albums can be approximated with just bpm.

Far more interested in what this album represents than how it actually sounds. About as sheer of a 180 degree turn as a band can do, leaving behind (for the most part) the abrasive, avant-garde noisiness of their first two records to do summer of love folk rock, albeit in their own signature fashion. Really fascinated by the way a couple of these songs “Some Kinda Love” & “Beginning to see the Light” in particular prefigure Pavement’s whole brand of talky sardonic slacker rock. Though I’m far more interested in Lou Reed’s suite of religious, but not religious songs. “I’m Set Free” was the first song here that really hooked me, with its soft slow build, and themes of ambiguous, existential rebirth. “After Hours” is so twee and adorable, the pure innocence makes for a nice ending after the weirdo experimentalism of “The Murder Mystery.” Feel a little out of touch, for just not caring for “Pale Blue Eyes” though, which seems to be the song for a lot of y’all, but it does nothing for me. I enjoyed spending a good deal of time with this, but for as comforting an album as this is I'm just not sure if I see myself returning to it all that often.

Another stone cold classic to play at my funeral. I love this album with all my heart.

Mäßiger Folck Rock.

mid

Indie de antigamente, com certeza eu curtiria mais se eu tivesse conhecido antes

Eh mid

4.6

Really enjoyed this - need some more VU in my life. How to do a soft male voice without whinging!!!

Solid. Classic 60s.

I don't understand the hype

I can tell this album pioneered a lot of things that were emulated after the fact. Reminds me of bands like The Vaccines, The Drums, maybe a little Temper Trap. Very chill album with a very nice outro song, gives Adventure Time

Listen to some - wasn't really familiar with a lot of their music.

The beautiful songs are beautiful. I’ve never liked the murder mystery.

I absolutely love the Velvet Underground and there are some perfect songs on this album.

I really want to this this type of music. But it was kind of weird during some songs. Not my favorite. But it was good.

Good stuff. Added

Bit to slow at times

While not my favourite Velvet record, this is a good addition to their discography. Lacks the highs of Nico though which leaves me giving it a 3 instead of a 4. Fav songs: - Pale Blue Eyes

I love that each VU album was very different from the previous one. This is the quiet one, it's chilled but also a bit spooky, and sounds great on the early hours of the morning. Absolutely love it

Not as onsanley brilliant as the banana one. But still a high quality album from the gang.

Some good bits, the album with Nico was better though

Yes, this is the Velvet Underground album I always reach for. Fantastic stuff! Chilled, weird, good.

I like Lou Reed, and I liked most of The Velvet Underground & Nico album, but I didn't get into this album at all. All felt a bit too slow and meandering, which is fine, but I got bored.

Nothing particularly of note. Not an album I'd put on when given the opportunity to select one myself but it was alright. Nothing terrible; nothing especially interesting

I kinda like it.

Am enjoying. Second album on this list I want to listen to more.

Love them. This is middle of the road. I need more teeth. Trying to be objective.

nice and chill, but im just not a huge fan of the vocals

I had a really really good time with this one

So many cool songs

Pretty good album! I liked the words.

I tried it out, but honestly it was boring. I didn’t end up finishing this one.

This is supposed to be good, right? Then who wants to explain to me why the last two minutes of What Goes On is essentially the same strumming, drumming, and organ chords. It felt like two months. Brutal. At what point do we just put Lou Reed’s lyrics into books to enjoy his genius instead of insisting that they be wrapped in middling musical performances. I said the same about Bob Dylan. This record was genuinely a struggle to listen to.

Very enjoyable. I could have done without the last song on the album.

I could do with a break from the BritRock, but at least this album is mostly chill. "After Hours" was my favorite, which is funny because it's not the normal vocalist.

Nope, not for me.

Chill album, easy to listen.

Smooth like butter

Stor 3'er. "Loaded" er bedre, men det er vist ikke på listen :(

Pas si underground que ça finalement

nico concentre toi

Now i want vinyl. it’s cool. Different sound make me feel so good. This album has touched my heart.

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Maybe easier/less trite to put on in the background?

solid

É bom nas músicas mais intimistas e calmas, mas nas mais animadas é meio repetitivo e entediante, além de meio caótico Fav tracks: Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, I'm Set Free, After Hours Least fav track: The Murder Mistery

I thought I would like this but I didn’t. A lot of noisy guitar strumming and repetitive sounds. It was annoying.

I really liked this a lot. I was already familiar with the Velvet Underground & Nico album, but this one is very good too. It is definitely worth listening to again.

Another self titled album? how many self titled albums can one band release? Slow & Dull, I don't particularly like TVU.

I didn't know anything about this band before I started, I thought because of the name they were so e sort of 80s punk band. But Dave pointed out I might have been confused with velvet revolver. Which is probably true but I did find out that the velvet underground did spark that movement so who knows. Either way pretty good album, like a slightly rockier beetles or beach boys.

This is an album I spent a lot of my life not understanding, and today it smacked me right in the face. It’s quiet and it’s reflective and it’s got a point and I suddenly understand so much how it was so influential. Some albums are made for that quiet train ride when it’s raining outside and you’ve got your headphones in.

..

Five big stars! Good for relaxing, good for happy, good for sad, good for cool.

Lou reed is here. I listened to his album here, but it didn't hook me, also smn said there isn't the weird experimental vibe (because one member left), so I probably will like this album less. Let's see: 1st song, it's melancholic. It's quite nice to hear. Has a Lana vibe low key. I like his voice here. It's depressing, and I'm not feeling sad so I want it to end as quick as possible, but I do get the vibe. "Do-do-wa"? Umm unique I'd say that it. 2nd song, wow it's upbeat now. Beatles vibe. It's a simple rock song, it's different from the last song but not in the best way. I wanted sad songs to be honest. Solo is flawed. It's permanent wave and I don't like that. Half of the song is just instrumentals as I see(boring, unless it's something unexpected). Wow worst solo I've ever heard. 3rd song, it's not upbeat nor as melancholic as the first song. First song was too good. This one's is not bad, but that guitar isn't doing the job. Makes me want to background the song. 4th song, has a first song vibe, but there's that beat in the right ear. Ohh his voice is much better with the headphones. Well this and the first one slayed. Guitar is indeed crying, much better than in the last song. The instrumental break was good, but that thing that makes the beat is soo annoying. This is the most streamed song, and I get it. 5th song, it's nice like the first song, I prefer this melancholy. That annoying beat is gone. Ooh I loved the chorus vibey part, and the way he said "jesus" after it. Loving it. And it was one of the great I listened from them. 6th is an upbeat one, but surprisingly good. There is weird volume decreases sometimes (hope I'm not causing it). What was that squeakk. The songs are tooo long, 3 minutes would be enough, Beatles knew that. No, this one ain't as good as the slow songs. He makes unique sounds here though, and the end is kinda slay. 7th song, it's slow, good. As always different sound for each ear. The choir is nice to hear. The solo is quite fun to listen to. It was vibey, but not so impressive. Oh 8th song had a whole different sound, it's very good. It's like clean and makes my ear be full of music. And now this being 2 minute song makes sense, cause I don't need two extra minutes for the exactly same vibe. Solo is basic. I'm liking 9th song, WHAT 8 minutes? Wow I like the talking, it's different in each ear. Very unique, loving this. Man in right and woman in left ear. Wow this is perfect (for now). Idk what the left talked is saying. Publicly this was a flop, because it's hard to hear what they are saying, while the idea was that the lyrics are rhymey and fun. This is still the best song on the album, if we don't count the slow songs, which devoured. There was a broken piano sound, and not the piano is playing, their voices is different now. Piano is getting angry. Piano is as ruined as possible, wow. 10th song is sang by woman, and it's upbeat way of singing, the overall it's melancholic(the melody). I like her voice more than his. The echoed "hello" was unique. This is second best song for me, not even the first song was this good. She should have led the whole album. Well, it wasn't as bad as I expected. The last two songs were masterpieces. Other ones, only the slow ones were good, and that one upbeat good song(Forgot the name). I want to rate this 4 stars, for how unique some of the songs were, but the overall vibe was permanent wave, which was mostly boring so for that 3 stars. I repeat 9th song was godlike to me at least because it was so different and nothing I've ever heard before.

Classic. Pale Blue Eyes, What Gones On, I'm Beginning to See the Light, and The Murder Mystery among my favorite songs of theirs. No way this is not getting 5 Stars!!!

The only thing I really liked on this was After Hours.

Was not expecting this from the underground but quite enjoyed it.

And here it is, my first 5 star rated album I got from this list. Had to listen to this album several times, absolutely right up my alley, I cannot believe I haven't listened to this before.

I've heard about The Velvet Underground for a long time, but never really got around to listening to them. I fell in love with this album immediately, I don't know what took me so long.

Really enjoyable. Good songs. Good writing. Murder mystery was a little weird but a super good album. Might have to listen to more of their stuff.

Me gusta, pero no me impacta - 8

It just sounds like a guy jamming on his guitar with a couple of friends. The drums are very subtle and back in the mix; sometimes it’s just a shaker. It’s more of a percussionist than a drummer as far as the space that the musician is filling. Even on Beginning to See the Light, the pulse is really driven by the guitar. It’s a lot more about the rhythm guitar strumming, with some nice highlights from the lead. Im Set Free fills up the most space with drums, but still very little is carried by a ride or hi-hat. Lou Reed’s voice has an earnestness to it - unornamented and not distracting, it makes me think of the beat poets. All of that until you get to The Murder Mystery which moves in and out of structure, cacophony, monophony, and limited melody. After that detour, you get closed out with the bubbly sweet pop of After Hours - the only track to feature female vox front and center, highlighted more so without the presence of drums, bass, or backing vocals.

The album that launched a thousand bands/albums

No song that interested me, some ideas were fun but ultimately dissapointing

Beautiful album, nothing else to say, just feels cozy

Man, I wish the rest of the album were like “The Murder Mystery.” I don’t think I’ve ever actually listened to The Velvet Underground before this, but that sort of weird, dark, experimental style was more what I expected. The rest of the album was pretty boring, unfortunately. Feeling charitable - 3.5 rounded up.

liked it more than their banana album but still not my thing. the only thing making it enjoyable to me is the fact that it released in 1969

Velvet Underground mastered the perfect amount of weirdness on their debut album and then proceeded to make an album that's way too weird for its own good (White Light/White Heat) and not weird enough to stand out from the billion other psychedelic rock albums of the late 60s (this one). It's still good, but kind of repetitive. "The Murder Mystery" was the only song on here that tried doing something really interesting, but it's no "Venus in Furs" or "Heroin".

4.5 Candy Stay is phenomenal

Lacks the punch and violence, the grittiness of their first two efforts. Reads more as a vehicle for Reed's pop songwriting efforts, but picks up somewhat at the end. Not bad, but the VU can do better.

Probably good if you're on quaaludes but a little too slow and melacholic for me

This is a great album, their first since the departure of founder member John Cale. It has an altogether calmer atmosphere than its predecessor 'White Light/White Heat', with one of the bands greatest songs, 'Pale Blue Eyes' and the similarly langurous 'Candy says' sung by New member, Doug Yule. However, it's not the completely laid back album that some critics lazily describe. It contains some rocky numbers which hark back to the first two VU LPs, such as 'Beginning to see the light' and 'What goes on' though neither of these are as sonically extreme as the previous album's 'Sister Ray' or 'I heard her call my name'. The band's daring experimentalism remains on the, unfairly, critically mauled 'The Murder Mystery' which contains an angelic and beautifully sung duet between Yule and Mo Tucker. The song IS ultimately flawed because of the (deliberately) clashing poetry recitals by Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison which each come at the listener from different stereo speakers. However, it's still pretty astounding attempt and always a joy to listen to, in my opinion. Throughout the album, the instrumentation is of a consistently excellent quality, with particular shout outs to Morrison's lead guitar and Yule's keyboards, especially on 'The Murder Mystery'. Top marks here, without a doubt!

Really liked it a lot! Mellow and cool, definitely my style

Great album!

Wow, this album was definitely not my type. The folk rock was really strong and, honestly, a bit boring. I only enjoyed 1 song and the rest was a drag. I would only recommend this album to fans of the genre and band. Favoritee Song(s): "What Goes On"

No interest

Great! Soft, soothing music with a bit of bite every now and then. Way better than i thought it would be

4/5. Super chill and definitely drugged out but there is a sweetness among the lyrics that feels innocent. There is a dark undertone among it all which keeps me on edge but that is a good thing. I enjoyed most of these acoustic songs but some misses (looking at you murder mystery and that's the story) but overall these are very accessible and simple songs that stand the test of time.

I’ve listened to the album with Nico a countless amount of times, I’ve seen the documentary, and I know all my favorite bands cite the Velvet Underground as their favorite band… but I’ve never ventured further into their discography until now. What a shame because this album is outstanding. My first 5/5.

What can I say? I mostly live The Velvet Underground. Until they get too bizarre and screechy. That only really happens once on this album. Otherwise this is mostly filled with bangers. 4.5/5

Boring. 2/5

My second favorite Velvet Underground album after Loaded which didn’t make the list. Great variance of tracks. Love the start and finish with Candy Says and After Hours

Really diving deep into The Velvet Underground's discography has been one of my favorite aspects of this project. Each one of them has been an all timer. 5/5

Decent album. I like it better than the banana one.

Hated it.

More accessible, I miss the drones of John Cale.

I can appreciate the art behind it and I really like some of the guitar pieces, but lyrically and melodically it just wasn't my thing.

Favorite Songs: What Goes On Some Kinda Love The Murder Mystery After Hours Pretty cool and solid rock album. Catchy but not hard and overall a fun listen.

Some good songs are on this album. My wife compared a few songs to the Everly Brothers which I see as fair when listening to the harmonies. The second to last song is experimental and I can do without. Sound like they had been up for 3 days on speed - which they probably were!

An album far ahead of it's time. Obviously massively influential.

Intense, powerful stuff. It still sounds fresh and current.

A really relaxed album, i think velvet underground + nico is More experimental but i prefer this album

Enjoyed the album, very laid back and would definitely want to be listening to this chilling in the sun with a beer. The Murder Mystery just completely derailed the album for me, what on earth was going on there? Doesn't fit with the rest of the album at all, goes on far too long and just sounds really uneasy. Vibe killed, which is a shame because the rest of the album is great.

Nice introduction.

Changed rock forever.

I didn't listen super carefully, but it made for good cooking music in the kitchen.

Kinda ethereal.

Ein wunderbares Album mit einem ganz tollen Klangerlebnis. Die Songs sind zwar etwas ruhiger, aber meisterhaft produziert. Candy Says, What Goes on, Some kinda love, Beginning to see the Light und I'm Set Free gefallen mir besonders gut. The Murder Mystery ist ein besonderes (Kunst)stück. Mit 9:00 Minuten ist es besonders lang und schon etwas crazy. Die Spannung des Songs bleibt erhalten. Ein Highlight.

7 - Cool but not my favorite style

my least favorite album by the velvets, if their other albums didnt exist no one would care about this one