Reviews (page 11 of 14)
I think The Velvet Underground and Nico is a better album.
A little too weird/experimental for me...
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.
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.
Reminds me of 2000's indie pop more than punk. Probably not a bad thing.
Some good tunes - very clearly late 60s/70s sound...
A mellow Underground album? I wasn't overly impressed by Pale Blue Eyes.
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
Very chill start, dig it. Jesus song was weird.
“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.
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.
6 / 10 Bastante sobrevalorado, canciones pop románticas y aburridas.
Mellow, serene, absolute disaster of a last song. 5/10
Didn't mind it. Never been a huge fan, but, would listen again.
cool as fuck
Great soft casual listening. Had this on while working on a big project and it was very calming.
"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.
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.
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
I’ve wanted to listen to them. I had high hopes. They fell a little short.
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
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.
bardzo spokojne, sympatyczne do puszczenia w tle
Inspiring album for all alternative Music.
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.
It was fine, I guess, but not especially memorable. I liked Murder Mystery the most
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.
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.
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
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
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).
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💔
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
I agree, The Murder Mystery is very cool, it reminds me of Chop Suey and maybe some other SOAD song (maybe even several)
Some good slower tracks but upbeat tracks have muddy and discordant solos
Suht kevyehköä rockia. Vähän tulee rollarit mieleen. Murder mystery sit lähtikin vähän lapasesta, siinä Doorsmaiset urut. Parhaat: Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes
What a contrast to "White Light/White Heat"! Far more accessible for me, this is the Lou Reed I remember.
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”.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pretty mellow album. Enjoyable music but nothing to get excited about. Scrapes a 3.
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
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.
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…
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.
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.
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)
I don't like albums that aren't balanced. It's mostly noise but there's a few good songs.
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
Pretty easy to forget tbh, but didn't hate listening to it.
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...
Strange album
3 decent album. Highlights were pale blue eyes and after hours. Most song however were just a little 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.
Pretty nice and chill little album
Experimental and weird for its time
6/10, first half good murder mystery wtf
Experiments everyewhere. A bit of blues. An early post-rock tunes. Interesting concept.
Not bad. Not amazing.
Some good moments
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
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.
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.
Started out fine and then got super annoying. Like listening to WGMO, or Eric's music...
Beaucoup plus soft que j'aurais cru
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ok for me
Solid. Classic 60s.
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.
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
Some good bits, the album with Nico was better though
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
Chill album, easy to listen.
Smooth like butter
Stor 3'er. "Loaded" er bedre, men det er vist ikke på listen :(
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 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.
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.
Was not expecting this from the underground but quite enjoyed it.
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".
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.
Decent album. I like it better than the banana one.
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.
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!
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.
I didn't listen super carefully, but it made for good cooking music in the kitchen.
Realize their talent but not for me
Not as much of a bop as I expected. Solid though.
Took me 50 years to finally listen to Velvet Underground thanks to this project and it’s kind of what I expected, loose and out of tune with some interesting moments, just ok for me. I know that they’re a big influence to many of my own influences but it’s really just not my cup of tea.
i overall "liked" all of the songs. some i liked more than others. i would listen again because i already forget what some of the songs sounded like (listened while working on essays) i don't want 90% of my albums to be 4-stars so i'll start with a 3-star for this one.
Good, but not their best. 3.5
Interesting album. Obviously there are some absolute classics on there like 'waiting for the man' and 'Heroin' but the rest are hit and miss for me. some of the tracks feel like hazy drug included a jam session see 'european son'. I reckon this album is one of those "you had to have lived at the time" albums to truly get it.
Just OK
I don't think I will listen to this album again, in it's entirety, and that's the biggest shortcoming, as an album. Liked Candy Says and Pale Blue Eyes the most. The Murder Mystery is unique, but only on the first ever listen. Don't think I will want to listen to it again. I generally like songs you could sing along to, even if it's just a few lines, the murder mystery is un-sing-along-able. Maybe that's the point, but could have been a shorter song with the same novelty. Overall , softer rock, and not a very memorable album.
I liked some of the songs, however there are some songs that were literally just noise. It was great to have the opportunity to listen. I don’t think I would have ever listened to this album otherwise!
Solid
Never really listened to the Velvet Underground. Like the album and how calm it is. A bit psychedelic at the end, alltogether a good start to explore more albums of them.
Teilweise ganz nett. Langsamer Rock.
Great Album, but not my taste.
It’s good. Won’t belabour it here, but I just don’t see this band the way people seem to see this band. I just think they’re pretty good.
Plenty of room for the self-titled to be great; For now, I'm caught between the actually-good love songs and the nearly-full weirding present on the closing tracks.
Decent listen, preferred the ‘banana record’
First time listening to this band. This was really nice. After Hours was even giving me some Kimya Dawson vibes. Favourite tracks: Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, The Murder Mystery.
Not as big a fan of these more mellow tunes. What Goes On probably my favorite.
And a half. Didn’t care for The Murder Mystery at all, but enjoyed the rest.
Not as good as the banana album or Loaded but still nice
I worked hard to understand this album. And I’m not sure I get it. There’s definitely some good. After hours was great. Candy Says was good. But a lot of the album didn’t click with me. I didn’t care for the lyrics, but maybe I didn’t give them enough thought/attention. I know lots of people praised the lyrics. I think a lot of this album would be good if I was in the right mood. Some good melancholy vibes. Not all the through of course. Murder Mystery was unique. A bit much (and too long), but it was neat. What Goes On is probably closest to my normal listening stuff. Overall 3.5 stars
4.7/10
Heard this a few years ago and like it even more on the relisten. Closer is fire, also love heroin and Venus in furs
I might be getting grumpy as I age but I don't think music should refer to drug taking or violence as it makes it too acceptable to impressionable children. So whilst I enjoyed the music on this album it's lost a star for drug references
Found this one quite enjoyable except for The Murder Mystery track.
Sounds like people having sex on heroin
I do like their songwriting but it always feels like there’s a little something missing, a little squeeze of lime to cut through the fat
Solid album which I'd visit again in a better mindset
Ik vind dit een heel raar album.... Is het super experimenteel? Is het een beetje saaiige rock? Sommige nummers zijn interessant, maar het grootste deel liep voor mij maar gewoon een beetje in elkaar over en dan niet op de goede manier. After Hours is mijn persoonlijke favoriete nummer van dit album. Verder heb ik niet echt een mening over dit album, het bestaat gewoon en het zal wel, maar het is niet een vervelend album.
A very interesting album. I listen to it. But not as often as I listen to TVU&N or WLWH. I guess they'll come up, if they don't that's weird.
It’s fine. There are some pretty cool instrumentation from time to time and some biting lyrics, but the whole record is just soft and doesn’t really capture attention.
Mellow. Nice background music but no real standout songs
Classic album
Kinda boring but last song is good
1969 психоделик рок, но при этом очень нежно и гладко. Понравилась The Murder Mystery, довольно мощный трек для своего времени, я спустя 50 лет слушаю нечто подобное. А значит трек хороший. Но остальной альбом был ничем не примечателен. Вот лучше оцените Ame Bibabi - Chin up High, ну это просто пушка! три звезды
Lou Reed stands out here but he and the rest of the lads have put together a good melange of tracks the are a good listen. And bonus props for hanging out at The Factory!
It was ok. Was expecting it to be more like the first song, so thought I’d like it more.
I preferred this one to the banana one. There's less of a feeling of this being music for arts sake. It's a much more accessible and enjoyable listen.
For some reason I associated the band name with a more rock vibe. It is more mellow than I expected. Nice chill album.
I've never been in the VU cult but I do find their stuff interesting. Especially given the time they were making it
Favorite track : The Murder Mystery
Very chill. As much as I hate Lou Reed, this album was a fun listen on a quiet Autumn Saturday morning.
Overall a good listen. Some weird stuff, some good stuff. Nothing that stood out too much.
Pretty ok
I've tried to listen to several Velvet Underground albums and every time I'm somewhat bored. It's good, but I feel like it's not going anywhere A really soft 3/5
A bit too chill for me. Also, too much Jesus. The Murder Mystery is fun to listen to, but I feel a bit dizzy now. After Hours is cute. Oh and of course Candy Says and Pale Blue Eyes are good too.
I see now why people say that not everyone listened to The Velvet Underground but everyone who listened to the velvet Underground started a band. Listening to this it's easy to think "these guys are successful? If this counts as music, I can do that!" Murder mystery keeps this from 4 stars and almost knocked it all the way down to 2.
Obscure music, enjoyable, not quite for me but good nonetheless, 5/10.
interesting and unexpectedly calm. maybe i was in the wrong mood, but some of the soundscapes and drones didn’t hit well. that acoustic number at the end though… 🔥
Pretty good, might need to give it a second and third listen to really get into
Okay to listen to until the second-to-last track which is wild. Akin to psychedelic/experimental music of the 60s maybe? Not my vibe, but I see what they tried to do. Last song also has a kind of voluntary naiveté to it, sung as by a child. As an album, not likely to listen to it a second time, and wouldn't recognize it if I heard it anywhere. Wouldn't skip it either though.
Nice and Relaxing listen. Would work great interspersed between little more upbeat songs in a playlist, got a little repetitive listening to the whole at once. 7/10
Too Jesussy
Listened a couple times, it's all right...
A couple of great songs, but everything else is forgettable.
Cool album. I was not in the mood for this vibe so I probably didn't enjoy it at it's fullest.
Some great songs on here (mainly Candy Says and Pale Blue Eyes), but they definitely weren't pushing the boundaries as much as their first two albums. Even with the weird Murder Mystery track, which is a bit difficult to listen to.
Glad to not see the radio pushed tracks from VU get some love. Solid, tight playing throughout. Would have liked a different track to open the album though....
Much more subtle and melodic than I had anticipated. I can dig it
I liked this, some beautiful melodic songs. Will listen again.
Good, not great
The first song, "Candy Says", is the best track on this album, it's absolutely beautiful with such a mesmerizing chord progression, and great vocals from Doug Yule. "After Hours" is probably my second favorite, a very twee song with a great vocal from Maureen Tucker. Normally this kind of sweetness might put me off, but it's just done so well that I have to commend it. The songs in between the first and last tracks on this album range from bad to just okay. "Pale Blue Eyes" is fine, if not a little repetitive, and "Jesus" would have made a great Simon & Garfunkel song. I also like the concept of "Murder Mystery", being that if you listen to one channel or the other you get two different songs/stories, essentially. That said, it doesn't excuse its 9 minute monotonous runtime. The rest of the songs are bland, boring, or just bad. And that's without stating that I can't stand Lou Reed's singing voice, which ruins even the best of the tracks on here. Hence why my two favorites are the songs he doesn't take lead vocals on. The Velvet Underground (1969) is okay, but nothing special overall.
was okay. a couple good songs but wasn't impressed overall.
This was a fun series though interestingly lost a little of it's luster after a second listen but I enjoyed most of the songs on here.
Blind album: know the artist, not the album. I don't think I like this album as much as I should. It's okay and I think it's cause I don't like Velvet Underground very much or listen to them often. I want to like this album but I think I'll need to listen to it a few more times for it to grow. OK Computer was the same for me so who knows. I absolutely love the closing track which is funny cause it's the drummer singing. Murder mystery is very cool and creative as well.
Haven’t actually listened to the Velvet Underground before. I think this is a better introduction to their sound as opposed to “The Velvet Underground and Nico”. It’s not really a standout for me but I can appreciate the sentiment behind it.
Dümpelt so vor sich hin, ohne Höhen und Tiefen
The album has a late night lounge feel. The Murder Mystery kinda ruins the vibe, but Pale Blue Eyes is devastating
Rock. Folk. Oscila entre lo aburrido y lo psicodélico
fine. very forgettable. double layering on murder mystery is all that gets it a 3 rather than 2
Somehow Velvet Underground just really not my vibe
Fine but would not seek this out to listen to again.
It was just ok. More songs that weren't as good as were. Nothing that really stood out to me or blew me away.
Good
Probably their most listenable release. Good, not great.
I didn’t enjoy it that much but I feel like it was better than it seemed to me. Possibly could grow on me but first listen it’s just kinda draggy and bland. A few of the songs were decent but overall not my favorite.
A mainstream rock album that was less experimental than I expected, only knowing their John Cale albums
Haven't really listened to VU much if at all. I really like the music. Polished.
This has northern the ART of 'w/Nico" nor the POWER of 'loaded'. It's not even as fuckedup as 'light/heat'
Being it was my first listen through, felt a little bit underwhelmed. However, I have a vague feeling that I would enjoy more in subsequent plays and through more intentionally listening to the lyrics. Otherwise feel pretty neutral
Not really my thing, a bit dull
5.5/10 - did not have to listen to. Was not expecting it to sound like this. The lyricism was not great and the instrumentals were inconsistent. I also dislike the vocals throughout, but especially the woman’s. 1. Pale Blue Eyes 2. What Goes On 3. That’s the Story of My Life 4. I’m Set Free 5. Jesus 6. The Murder Mystery 7. Some Kinda Love 8. Candy Says 9. Beginning to See the Light 10. After Hours
I think this album is nice. It was simple, pleasant, and sounded nice while listening to it. Then I got to “The Murder Mystery” and felt a total whiplash. Maybe I need to listen to it again, but it really ruined the vibe the album had previously set up. I think that if you are going to experiment, it’s better to do it across the whole project and not just throw it in at the end… dunno. Good album, though. Favorite tracks: I’m Set Free, Pale Blue Eyes 3
As good as this band is, and for as much as Lou commands the direction of the album, this one kind of missed the mark for me. I never cared for the decision to scale back on the “abrasiveness” of White Light, and I would’ve preferred a continuation on the weird train. That said, Pale Blue Eyes is a beautiful track, and this is still far from a bad album.
Much more main stream sound from the Velvet Underground for this album. Lyrics aren't as dark and songs have almost a pop feel. Lou Reed is clearly the star.
Gammalt men mysigt
Mieux que l’autre mais lui est trop slowbine genre ok mais encore une fois pas top
Like it alright. Repetitive lyrically but the music is very layered and fun. Highlights: Pale Blue Eyes. Not sure where i've heard this one previously but this gave a hit of nostalgia I wasn't prepared for. After Hours. This was a nice change of pace from the nightmare that was Murder Mystery. Lowlights: The Murder Mystery was a real freakin' weird one.
Rating: +++ It was good, not amazing. I particularly appreciate Pale Blue Eyes (my favourite of the album). Also, the last song was quite interesting in its composition. It makes me want to discover more of the band, which, to be honest, I've heard of but not properly listened to.
i do like some of the velvet underground’s other songs, but the only songs that really stood out to me on this album were “pale blue eyes” and “after hours” (which i had heard before). “candy says”, “jesus”, and “that’s the story of my life” weren’t bad either. i liked the calming, simple vibes of those songs. overall, i only really liked half of the songs in the album.
not bad
Way too slow and dreamy for my tastes.
less personality than the solo lou reed stuff, and the lou reed i expected only came out on the 3rd track. love how they let the instrumental shine. fav songs: candy says, some kinda love
I thought this was softer sounding than I would associate with the Velvet Underground. Quite straightforward folky songs for the most part, with a couple of noteable exceptions. With it being self titled I assumed it was their first album so I was quite surprised this was their 3rd album and was an attempt at back to basics. I liked it fine but it feels like a step back from The Velvet Underground and Nico
Very relaxed album. Never hit the charts either cause it wasnt getting much marketing. Andy warhol managed this group. This is my first impression of them. Its a pleasant listen, albeit murder mystery was a cool concept track, it didnt need to be 8 minutes. Some of it felt beatlesesque, while some of it would make for good driving music.
A far cry from previous Velvet Underground albums I have listened to thus far on my 1001 Albums journey. A marked change in styling and sound make it feel like a different band. Not sure if I quite enjoyed their third outing as much as the previous two, much of the album feels very preachy and, an allegory for finding and becoming a part of the Christian denomination church. Best: What Goes On Worst: Jesus
The indie influence is strong. Mostly soft and melodical. I can always hear the likes of The Vines, The Strokes, etc… To me it just lacks anything that I would be keen on rehearing.
Naaaa
So so album of some of their lesser known songs
classic but not for me
Prima rustig album
Not quite what I was expecting
6.5/10
probably not a great introduction to the underground. i see the vision and was partial to passages textually but wasn’t caught melodically anywhere.
Got better 2nd time
Already heard
Tame compared to earlier works, didn't really grab my attention. Still not bad though
Would have loved to have been around when Velvet Underground were releasing music, must have sounded groundbreaking and unreal at the time. The last 55 years has been relatively kind to it, with it not sounding overly dated, but I still can't deny if it was released today I wouldn't be particularly bothered by it. 3.5*, let down by one or two tracks (Jesus was crap)
Cat: This is really beautiful and fun! Love the vocal harmonies and the stripped down folk rock sound. AJ: ripper of an opener. Christ. What Goes On… instant love. Some of it is very cool. Hip if you will. Hoping you won’t. Some of it stupid art poop. What Goes on, great tune, though. Cool It Down.
BL: after being incredibly Dissapointed by the velvet underground & nico, I’ll have to see how this one makes me feel. I’ll approach it as if I’ve never heard VU before AL: I liked this a lot more than VU&N but this still wasn’t massively my thing. I can tell they refined their sound and developed their ideas. Shedding Nico was smart too, I think she’s an awful singer. I loved the opener and closer. And the rest of it was pretty good. Can’t say I’d go back to it anytime soon though. FT: “candy says” “after hours” 3/5
Kinda boring
Interesting. Pretty cool sound but I have to say that Lou Reed has a voice like Bob Dylan without the depth of language.
Good
Good shit!!!! Kinda gets redundant sadly within 9 songs, but can definitely see how this album is influential to many
Only liked pale blue eyes and after hours. Murder mystery is cool at the end and the rest of the album I found bland. Rating: 3.1
Very beatles-y. First song was pretty good, got a bit weird with the Jesus song lol. The last few tracks were interesting as well, got funky.
Not something I'd seek out but ok.
Listened Before? N An album truly ahead of its time. 60s music that sounds like 90s indie rock... amazing. Good stuff. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Pale Blue Eyes
Sounds like shit and needs a remaster lol Love the folk almost swamp rock sound. But run run run was grating on the right side, and I don’t like nicos voice. But it’s easy listening and they do neat things with the left right balance. I do understand why it’s a cult classic tho. Really surprised non of it charted.
Decent. Wished it rocked out a little more. Take away the lead and closing tracks and it's pretty much a Lou Reed solo album. I prefer Transformer but again, this was OK.
Not their best work, in my opinion, but a pretty good album nonetheless. The lo-fi touch is also pretty interesting for the era.
There are wonderful tracks in this album, like Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes or The Murder Mystery. It's an obviously influencial band that went lofi when everything was going more and more refined. However, most of the album is boring and uninteresting. I know it's cool to make lofi stuff, but strumming a badly toned guitar without any sense of melody might be not enough.
They have better albums
No! Did not age well.
I like it.
It was ok. No hits that I had known, but great voices.
Very easy listening but nothing that truly stands out. I prefer their debut album.
Very chilled and relaxing - which is really nice if you’re in need of this vibe. I thought I couldn’t stand Lou Reed - but it turns out that’s just certain songs I’ve heard too many times over. Overall I enjoyed this one.
Cool psych work
Pale Blue Eyes <33333
Didn't expect to enjoy this as much based on the book. Some very nice songs here.
I don’t know how to feel about this. I don’t think it deserves all the praise buts it’s def a different sound from other music at the time
It was really good. Just wish I hadn’t chosen to listen to it while working. A little to distracting for that but a very fun experimental album especially for the time
Klassisk, win hvis man kan lide det, men igen det lidt kedeligt, stoner druggie agtigt.
Loved it
Ist ok aber overrated
Very much enjoyed this. Good vibes, man.
Decent. Looking forward to the follow-up albums.
I think the funnest thing about listening to albums from the 60s is trying to figure out how baked they were when they made it. I liked this one, instrumentals are easy listening and the singers got a good voice. Some songs were a Lil boring with meh lyrics. Fav song was Murder Mystery. I can definitely hear some Hendrick influence in Some Kinda Love.
This feels a lot more accessible than the one with the banana. It was ok, chilled out and decent. Still probably would listen again though…
A decent album. But still, just say ‘no’, kids...
Meh
Hehe, banana. I like the album cover, and now I finally know where this iconic banana comes from! Sunday morning: It is a sunday morning! Femme fatale: Is this woman a part of the band? I have heard her voice before. Venus In Furs: This start of the song is a bit weird. Heroin: This is a good build up! OK it is a long build up. Still a good song though! At the end it gets a bit weird with that guitar. European Son: There is a balance between music and noise. This is noise. Overall ok album, but too much noise. This is not an album I want on a vinyl. The rating is between 2.5-3.
Chill, einige Dud Tracks. Anfang des Albums besser
3.5
A good album. I like The Velvet Underground. The Murder Mystery is a bit too experimental to be listenable but the rest of the album is easy listening!
Not bad but not for me
This album threw me for a trip. I had the expected The Velvet Underground was in the realms of Bowie and The Rolling Stones but then 2/3 of this album was "I wanna be the Beatles" type stuff. BUT, get to the last three songs and it's like a completely different group. Wow. The Murder Mystery totally saved this album from the grand level Meh experience it had been providing.
I'm probably being too harsh but I'll never revisit this
Chill rock. Except for The Murder Mystery, that one felt like all the voices in my head came together to sing a very confusing song.
3 One of the few albums that’s gotten on my nerves so much that I couldn’t finish it was Velvet Underground + Nico. It was noisy and generally annoying. It can be iconic, idgaf. So I went into this a little cynical but I think that may have helped in the long run. I didn’t care fire most if this album but there are definitely moments that I liked. I think the album gets more compelling near the end where the tempo picks up a bit. I found the 9 minute track really interesting which surprised me. The Velvet Underground are for sure not for me but I can honestly see why people like them so much. Favorites: What Goes On, Beginning to See The Light, I’m Set Free, The Murder Mystery, After Hours, Jesus
3.5 Soooo confession time, I’ve never listened to a Velvet Underground album. I know how acclaimed both the band and Lou Reed is, but it’s just never been something I’ve gotten around to checking out. Now, I’m not really sure if this album in particular is the best jumping in point for the band, but it was a lot softer than I expected? I know they’re famous for influencing alternative rock, and I can definitely hear that, but I can also very much hear how they fit in with the era. Like, if I didn’t know any better, I could believe Candy Says is a Beatles song. From there, things kicked in with What Goes On, and I was starting to see what all the fuss was about, but then it mellowed right back out again. Not much of the middle was particularly interesting for me on my first play, but I found the song Pale Blue Eyes sticking with me afterwards. After giving a re-listen (or two), I gotta admit it’s an absolutely beautiful tune that has really grown on me, and I can definitely see why it’s their most played song on Spotify. The album ends strongly with The Murder Mystery and After Hours, both of which I thought were two of the more unique tracks and did a good job of creating a sense of finale. While it didn’t blow my mind, there’s nothing bad on the album, and when it has its highs they’re pretty high. If the few songs I really liked weren’t enough to make me want to check out more of their work, my dad calling me after a day of binging their discography to express his regret over not rating this higher definitely did. And yes Dad, Heroin is a great tune :)
it’s just ok. The bigger songs from this album are famous for a reason but also the murder mystery fucking sucks and the track list as a whole is not the most consistent. best tracks: candy says, pale blue eyes, Jesus
I like the bass and guitar tones and interplay. The first half of the record is very sleepy and I thought I was listening to a collection of lullabies. Lou Reed's voice is very identifiable but not my favorite. I prefer their drummer Maureen's voice as heard on the last two tracks. Nothing stuck out as a must hear and share with the world but I could see this being played as background music. I'm between 3 and 4. I'll probably revisit this album since I've only ever listened to it this one time in my life but I should give it another chance on another day.
I have no strong feelings about this album except the long weird Murder Mystery. I am not a fan of that song.
Some songs were actually good but some were boring. i guess thats life innit
I grew up in Lou Reed's twilight years so I primarily think of him as the misogynist and anti-Semite who feuded with Susan Boyle. All that aside, he's not a strong vocalist, and yet his even weaker bandmates also sing on this album. I don't have time to get into the lower standards we set for male vocalists, but I'm just not sure the writing is compelling enough to make this album worth a lot. It started to grow on me by the end, but I don't know that I would revisit more than a handful of tracks in the future. Standout tracks: What Goes On, Beginning To See The Light
Traverses the thin line between boring and pleasant
A little mixed on this one, Side one first few tracks start down a good road but there are a couple I can avoid. Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes are both excellent but The Murder Mystery is that type of 60s track you hear and think it's almost a parody. Right down the middle, 3 stars for me.
It was a bit slow. Interesting though, sort of psychedelic rock from the 60s. Not very memorable.
Not 4* because his singing can piss me off every now and then
Think I expected more rock from this album and instead got a mix with quieter ballad type songs. Highlights were "Beginning to see the Light" and "I'm Set Free"
Fuzzy and warm.
Much more accessible than “…and Nico” LP. Having said that I found The Murder Mystery experimental track pretty interesting and arresting! Altogether an OK listenable 1960s LP, nothing special, but I’m no big fan. Gets a three because it’s not awful!
Chill, mellow and a bit bland
cooooool
kinda lame, last track is the only one worth listening to
Not bad
Kinda distracted while listening, nothing stuck out too much
Je ne commenterai plus les albums des Velvet tant que Nico ne se sera pas excusé pour m'avoir rendu sourd pendant plus de deux semaines. Je vais donc en profiter pour vous donner des nouvelles de la critique au sujet du mariage de Charles, ne vous inquiétez pas, l'écriture a commencé. Elle devrait arriver très prochainement.
Wir sind jetzt in ein sehr schlecht Serie dass Robert konkoktiert gehabt hat. Dieses Serie wird nur stoppen mit ein Kondition: mein Hörenkamarad robcolonaire musst sein Hochzeit Review publizieren.
It’s fine. Probably prefer Velvet Underground and Nico, but not by a lot. Favorite song: “After Hours”. “Murder Mystery” was pretty strange in comparison to the rest. Don’t like how mellow their music sounds most of the time.