Reviews (page 2 of 13)
One time we saw a guy mansplaning the velvet underground and im only now realising that it really deeply shaped what i thought the band was honestly just based on what i thought a guy like that would listen to. We were both wrong!
The Velvet Underground made their name with loud, harsh rock that defied people’s expectations and went on to famously birth thousands of imitators. Years later, and with little to no commercial success to their name, this album is a reflection of the fact that not only was Lou Reed sonically innovative, but also a beautiful songwriter. There are some stunning tracks here
I think this is VU's best album, and it's simply great throughout. Somehow of it's time and yet also ahead of it's time both musically and thematically. If you like it, also check out the "Closet Mix" of the album. Also incredible and almost like a whole different album.
Of all the new-to-me Fives in this project (so far) this is *unquestionably* the FIVE-EST! It’s gee-dee brilliant. Unknown unknowns & all that, but I’m struggling to imagine anythg else could push it out of the top slot. I can’t stop listening! I kept telling myself “ok great now moving on” but then the next track would start & it’d go 3 more complete spins before the thought recurred. It’s another group that I knew to be brilliant but never got around to a full deep dive. Of course I knew that one album that everyone knows. And then there’s that other one which is a fukkn masterpiece. And now I’ve got this one—solid mufuhkn gold. That long awaited deep dive has been granted new priority status. Likely be running this one back another few dozen times first tho
It isn't even their best album and it is still one of the all time best albums. Some of their more poetic and beautiful songs on here, which i am all for TBF. Best Track: Pale Blue Eyes
Well done. The album keeps shifting tone—fragile → groove → philosophical → heartbreak → spiritual → jubilant → avant‑garde → lullaby—creating a listening arc that’s more surprising than its quiet sound suggests.
Immediately liked this. I think the storytelling is intriguing. The sound quality is modern which is refreshing. Might not have otherwise listened.
Pale Blue Eyes alone got it 4 stars, it's aspirational to me I suppose
Very good, classic, banger
Often cited as their best and perhaps most modern record (although the iconoclasm of their first two shouldn’t be discounted), its hushed mood ballads (Candy Says / Pale Blue Eyes / Jesus) and mid tempo percussive rockers (What Goes On / Beginning to See the Light / I’m Set Free) all sound very fresh today, and Reed’s lyrics are a bit less shocking and more mysterious and questioning. The band sounds completely different without John Cale, and would never again be as avant garde, but this new normal-ness suited these songs. Phenomenal and important record.
Pale blue eyes is enough for a 5
Though John Cale made some of the best contributions to the band's catalogue, and Nico was part of some of the best tracks of the debut, this record is the one I tend to enjoy the most from start to finish.
A true classic. Such good grooves
A classic
This was not what I was expecting. I loved it.
<3
Feels like a relaxing Saturday drive trough the backwoods.
not even the best VU album but oh my god i love it
Amazing. Hard to believe it’s from 57 years sgo
Solid 7
All the Velvet Underground albums are essential, and this is no exception. Superb.
nice nice nice nice
It's truly a mystery how this album is made up of repetitive songs performed roughly and produced poorly, and yet it's amazing — a vibe that can't be explained
super album durch und durch. 5/5 ohne frage. super. einfach sehr schön zu hören und fühlen und alles
Obviously, this is wonderful. The best gentle pop songs with added brilliance from the more experimental Murder Mystery. And yet, not even the best VU album.
Isn't it funny how Lou Reed of all people wrote the song "Jesus"?
The various sounds captured on this album are so beautiful, poignant and vital that I could put it on anytime and anywhere and get something out of it. The goods feel gooder, the blues feel bluer in the sweetest way.
classic
5/5
Genre defining!
my beatles
Excellent !
You always hear about Velvet Underground and Nico, but this was better in my opinion
This shit was low-key depressing.The opening track really sets this album my beautiful with haunting sad lyrics and beautiful instrumentation. The second song in the album is the only one I think I'm not huge on yet but I'm sure it will grow on me. Listening to this was my first time hearing the song pale Blue eyes which was great and I really liked how it showed guilt throughout the song before the reveal at the end. I thought murder mister was also really good it sounds like revolution 9 wanted to be. the closing track was also pretty and depressing just like the first one. The album flows pretty well then a couple places which might be intentional. One problem with this album Is the order sounding production with the hard panning but it works really well on murder mystery when they use it properly. I think I would give this a strong 9.
My fav album so far. It feels like listening to multiple artists at once with an variety of amazing songs. Some of them even made it to my regular Playlists
A perfect record. Strange, tender, scuzzy, beautiful, lowdown, sweet. Yes, even "Murder Mystery". Pop gems, inventive, insightful, real.
This was much softer than the other VU albums I'd heard. I found myself constantly blown away by this album, from the mellow yet insecure opener Candy Says to the strange fever dream that is The Murder Mystery. After Hours is such a sweet closing track that caught me off guard after the chaos of the previous track. What can I say about Pale Blue Eyes that hasn't already been said? It's incredible.
It’s the VU album I can listen to most easily. I like how calm, honest, and unpretentious it feels—almost like imagining what it would be like to rehabilitate a heroin addict, or realizing they have a life full of emotions, just like any of us. It’s gentle in its texture, yet firm in its truths.
Jesus by the Velvet Underground is way up there in the canon of songs written about Jesus by people of any faith background, and nice that this album was presented here over Easter weekend. The Velvet Underground may be for many people a pretentious affectation, but for me it's MY pretentious affectation from my youth and I'm glad it still holds up. All those ladies from the mid-1990s who didn't see things the way I did probably and/or surely missed out. Doug Yule forever.
Smooth calming good for cleaning and peaceful
Linger on your pale blue eyes
Those first three Velvets albums are so perfectly conceived in how each one presents its own particular mood or feeling, like different distinct shades of colour.
I love listening to this from the beginning to end. One album that defined the 60s for sure.
the velvet underground were one of the first bands i got into as a teenager, it's incredible how modern some of their stuff still sounds, pale blue eyes is also one of my favourite songs of all time, such a good love song. "the first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band." - brian eno
Hard to say if this is still my favorite VU album but it's the one I have the most sentimental attachment to. I've been listening to it forever. John Cale's departure (WE LOVE YOU JOHN CALE) opened them up to chill out a little bit like Lou Reed wanted and this is the platonic ideal of that before Doug Yule gets a bit more input on Loaded. I like Loaded but it's by far the worst. ANYWAY, great album to listen to sitting in your room at night, this one. Great production. Twinkling guitar .
Super Dope
Dearest have a favor and listen to the murder with headphones on trippy, trippy, trippy trippy trippy
Muy bueno
The third in an incredible trilogy. Candy Says is one of the finest songs ever written I think, and Pale Blue Eyes not far behind
cozy evening listen
Perfect Best album EVAAAAA 10/5
Un album plus tôt tranquille et (majoritairement) plus abordable que leur premier. J'ai connu les VU avec Candy Says qui m'a immédiatement charmée. Je l'ai ajouté à une playlist que j'avais intitulée Lazy Afternoon. C'est en la composant que j'ai appris à connaître ce groupe. Encore aujourd'hui j'écoute beaucoup cette playlist. Pale Blue Eyes me touche toujours autant. A la fois tendre et mélancolique, je me fond dans le son et les paroles à chaque écoute. Je n'avais jamais entendu The Murder Mystery, c'est une surprise étrange, je crois que je ne l'aime pas. Et puis, impossible de ne pas mentionner After hours, que je trouve absolument visionnaire. Même si elle ne figure pas dans mes préférées du groupe, je suis sure que tous les indie pop ukulele de 2020 tureraient pour produire ce genre de sons. (sois dit en passant, Babyshambles en a fait une cover excellente) Bref, cette écoute confirme mon amour inconditionnel pour les Velvet Underground.
It grows over time becoming bigger, encompassing all.
- i love this album - so influential and ahead of its time - makin me tear up
so fucking amazing…
Quite brilliant in quite a different way to the other self-titled record. Loved this.
Its definitely not the best the velvet underground album but i still love it so 5 stars
A sense of dread washed over me, here comes some more "greatest of all time" avant garde dross from someone I've been told to love by indie darlings my whole life. Turns out to be an understated masterpiece, I was wrong. Subtle but far reaching in places. Delightful songs about love.
Good
The birth of Lo-Fi
An exceptional album, notoriously different from the last two records, yet still full of Velvet's soundscapes. It's charming, sometimes naive, but definitely a rock 'n' roller.
Good album. 10 out of 10 would listen again
Lou great poet. Band, brown.
w album my new fav i would throw it back to listen to it for the first time agian
discazo, recomiendo escucharlo triste
Otimo album de rock classico, mt bom de ouvir
Juicy
"Candy Says" me gustó mucho, muy emocionalmente vulnerable y "What Goes On" es severo contraste. Siento que "Pale Blue Eyes" ya la había escuchado, qué temón igualmente. AMO las armonías en "Jesús", las que suben bastante y hasta suenan forzadas; me fascinan, y toda la atmósfera chill de la canción, ugh, perfecto. Es un poco redundante esto, pero el sonido de este álbum encapsula muy bien el sonido de los 60s, de hecho, uno pensaría que es hasta más antiguo, pero salió en un año perfecto para capturar este sonido sesentero, en 1969, y "Beginning To See The Light" es el sonido perfecto. "The Murder Mystery" suena como un riff de SOAD, JAJJAJA. Me encanta lo raro que es. Este álbum es definitivamente varias pinturas, una tras otra, hechas canción. ¡AMO ESE FINAL DONDE ESTÁN CANTANDO DOS COSAS DISTINTAS BOFFFF MUY BUENO Y ATRÁS COSAS AL REVÉS!!!! Wow, "After Hours" suena a bedroom pop, como a una youtuber cantando ahí en su cuarto, no, maravilloso. Este es un 9.5/10
Skjønte det ikke helt
Very chill
hold my hand. let’s do downers together <3
Amei
hermoso
I love this album so so much. More focused than White Light / White Heat but warmer than Nico. Such an easy album to listen to with a beautiful array of moods and textures. To me, The Velvet Underground are singular in their approach to songwriting and recording, it's hard to be a rock band that is so cognizant of space and atmosphere, but this album captures a time in place so beautifully. No skips, damn near perfect album in my opinion. Favorite track: so hard to pick, but as of today it's probably Pale Blue Eyes. Some days it's Candy Says, others it's What Goes On, others it's After Hours.
Amazing — can’t believe I missed this when I was in my psychedelic music phase in college. Unbelievably influential on so much contemporary and subsequent rock.
This is my 4th album review on here, so ive never really listened to 60s rock before as a 2000/10s hiphop listener. That being said, this is an album that gets better after every listen. I can only imagine what the VU & Nico album sounds like. Easily 4 stars. Best song: The Murder Mystery Was this album better than yesterday’s album, Hot Fuss by The Killers? Yes.
Pretty good
Nico will never fail you.
Greatest running order of any album? What a flow. What a band. Adore it.
It helps that I'm in Paris, but this makes me want to pick up smoking and sit outside a Parisian Café, with shades on and a cravat. So cool, so ahead.
Общая оценка: 5.6/10 Атмосфера – 8 / 10 Эмоции – 4 /10 Переслушиваемость – 7 /10 Личное удовольствие – 8 /10 Запоминаемость – 3 /10 Визуальность – 4 / 10 Время суток: спокойный летний день
-1 for the nazi singer, but otherwise no notes.
Classic
94/100
der erste song ist so interessant, finde Candy says richtig richtig gut, hätte nicht gedacht, dass das aus 1969 ist. => generell so so cool, finde das immer noch crazy dass das so alt ist, finde fast jeden song richtig cool und das album hat mich sehr überrascht
Incredible vibes
After The Beatles maybe the band that has had the most influence on my life. From my first exposure to The VU via their debut album (I liked the pink banana on the cover LOL) back when I was a little brat too young to be thinking about pink bananas and spanking butts - I fell in love. No other band (not even The Beatles) reminds me more of myself. If I was music, I would be the first 4 VU albums. Squeeze is NOT me. It's an imposter! A creeper! A self-loathing lout! I can't imagine the world without me.
A new iteration of the band and largely devoid of cales avant garde influence, lou might be at his melodic peak and I can’t get enough of sterlings guitar tone. Perfect in a new way.
Loved every second of it. Never wanted it to end. This one is going into the regular rotation. My favorite track was "The Murder Mystery" -- it was a tour de force. The end part where they sing different things at the same time was some of the most impressive song production I've ever heard.
It's not as good as the debut but it's still brilliant. Another album where I like every single track. Candy Says, After Hours and Pale Blue Eyes especially are some of their best
Great album. Really liked it. Can’t understand why I didn’t listen to it years ago.
Not as amazing as Nico, but still an amazing album. Candy Says. Pale Blue Eyes. Beginning to see the Light.
Wonderful! It seems like I have to keep re-learning this lesson, but I really need to stop assuming things about bands based on their publicly identifying fans.
After Hours ❤️
Incredible - 5 Stars.
This was great. Even the odd experimental craziness that was murder mystery worked for me. 5/5
It is still a great listen and got a positive vote from my nine year old granddaughter as well. A sound of it's own.
4.7
AWESOME
Not spectacular, but wonderful. Low key. Perfect in it's own imperfect way
++*: After Hours ++: Candy Says, What Goes On, Some Kinda Love, Pale Blue Eyes, Jesus, Beginning to See the Light, I'm Set Free, The Murder Mystery +: That's the Story of My Life 9,7/10
A simple masterpiece that will revolutionize music in the upcoming years and will influence many, many great artists.
I loved this
I just love this band so much man
Can't be certain I've listened to this before, but 4 songs in I am nothing short of in love. Candy Says is quite a low-tempo opener and an absolutely beautiful song. What Goes On has a wonderful warmth about it. Pale Blue Eyes is a familiar one, though I can't say where exactly I've heard it. Such a simple, yet effective piece on which Lou Reed's characteristic deadpan delivery sounds about as smooth as it ever has. Might be one of the best songs I've listened to in recent memory. The Murder Mystery is a kooky one -- instrumentals make me think a lot of Explosions in the Sky -- with the overlaid rampages spoken word. After Hours is a nice stripped down closer. Loved this album through and through. Sneaky 5.
Прекрасний альбом, якраз для мого сьогоднішнього настрою.
Actually never listened to full album by them. Realised they’re really good. On this one I can hear how they influenced the later work of my favourite band, Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, and it makes sense that John Cale (I know he’s not on this one) would call their debut his favourite album.
first VU LP without John Cale, so the melodic sensibilities come more to the forefront here. you also get vocal turns from Doug Yule on the opening track and from Mo Tucker on the closer track, and they both crush. "What Goes On" is one of the all time greatest rhythm jams, especially their live recordings from other releases (notably the version from The Matrix Tapes).
Can you imagine if Moe Tucker had ever hit a cymbal hard? The world might be a totally different place.
I love them all, and it feels heretical to say, but this is probably my favorite VU record. At least the one I listen to the most. They lose the camp without Nico, the abrasiveness without John Cale, the cachet without Warhol, but really tap into the sweetness about hard living when they focus on songs. They sound more like a band on this record than on any of the others. "What Goes On" and "Some Kinda Love" are the best grooves they ever came up with and "Candy Says" and "Pale Blue Eyes" are as pretty a songs as there are.
A lot less noisy than other VU albums, but just as good. And you know what, a good enough level of noise and craziness. Great shit.
I think this album has kind and friendly melodies, liked to listen it🥹 but to me it is very similar to many music in 60th years era)
Every twee indie record of the past 30 years needs to give this record its flowers. This is my go-to Velvets record when I'm not in the mood for the chaotic noise of the debut album. 'Candy Says' and 'Pale Blue Eyes' are two of the most beautiful songs ever. 'After Hours' is a delightfully innocent closer that features drummer Moe Tucker on lead. This is one of the best albums of the 60s for sure.
Essential
The bomb
Needs more than 5 stars. OG indie band
First VU album where they were trying to make a pop record. Without John Cale the experimental stuff (the murder mystery) does fall short. Doug Yule’s first record with them and as always his voice is beautiful and really adds some depth to Candy says that Reed could write but not sing. It’s definitely in my top 3 vu songs. My first VU album I ever heard- so always a 5, despite the fact that it definitely has a couple skips on it.
normal guy voice: I LOVE THE VELVET UNDERGROUND New fav: The Murder Mystery
loved down. already somewhat familiar with the album but great to sit and listen to. love when lou reed moans a little 👍
All-timer
I have deliberately laxed my standards on what a 5 star album is. I used to reserve that kind of score for transcendent, life-changing experiences...but that's limiting, isn't it? Why can't something just be a kickass collection of songs? If there are no bad songs, it might as well be 5 stars, right? This album is one of those. The experimental edge of their previous work is gone, but they still come in hot with an almost perfect set of tunes. The stretch from Candy Says through Beginning to See The Light alone is so flawless that it earns the album a high rating.
I've always enjoyed the Velvet Underground and I enjoyed this album, they achieved such a melancholy and gritty sound which I somehow also find relaxing and tender. I like the collaborative vocals, and the mix of songs like PBE to punchier ones Murder Mystery
I LOVED this album. Not sure why I initially thought I wouldn’t enjoy this album but I ended up thinking it was amazing. Firstly, the production across the album was SO good, I loved how raw/gritty the music felt, it had great cohesion, you could totally zone out while listening to this album and still think it was great. It does feel a bit less experimental than other VU songs so maybe that’s why I enjoyed it more. Vocals were spot on and at points reminded me of early Beatles, every song was so unique in its own way but never out of place. Can’t really think of a better album to be self titled, they really nailed the tone/mood/vibe which has rarely been replicated.
Pleasantly surprised by the use of the organ on What Goes On. Love me an organ. Sensationally groovy and smooth. A perfect Sunday album. Top 3 1. Pale Blue Eyes 2.I'm Set Free 3. Jesus
W album. 27/27
This is the album I would play at a nostalgic life reset trip. Which I recently just had lol. I’m in LOVE with it. The sound is BEAUTIFUL, and the lyrics give me so much joy and love and everything else in between. I love life and I love this album.
Favorite track: Pale Blue Eyes
Another major favorite. Dropping some of the experimental attunements of the previous two albums (Murder Mystery notwithstanding) to embrace some more traditional, sensitive songwriting - The Velvet Underground's self titled (no Nico) is a really rich and beautiful album that still channels lo-fi garage energy despite being well enmeshed with the Warhol Factory scene by this point. Great showcase of everyone's talents. Quietly really ambitious even as it trends away from what made WL/WH and TVU&Nico so seismic. Reed made the right call on making this one "poppier" so to speak but it's still got weirdo alternative bite. Favorite Tracks: What Goes On, Beginning to See the Light, Pale Blue Eyes, The Murder Mystery, After Hours
I love the velvet underground
Once again I don’t quite know where to begin—but this time it’s not for lack of ideas. There’s simply so much to say. Let’s start with The Velvet Underground themselves. I’ve always had a soft spot for them. Their debut with Nico—the banana album, for anyone who’s been living under a musical rock—is an absolute masterpiece, to the point where I once had it framed on my wall as a kind of homage. Not for the cover art, but for what it represents. I also own the two albums that followed, including this one, but until recently I knew them less well. In fact, I first encountered several of these songs through the live versions on Bettie Serveert’s tribute album. The podcast guys famously dislike The Velvet Underground—save for one of them—but that tends to happen with music that stubbornly refuses to stay within the lines. Despite the title, this is not the debut but the third album. In a way, the banana record was already eponymous too, just with Nico’s name added. What really sets this album apart from the first two is a major lineup change: John Cale was gone, replaced by Doug Yule. Lou Reed wrote all the songs. And while I’ve never truly connected with Lou Reed’s solo work—some albums, yes, but nothing that really grabs me—this record absolutely does. This is, quite simply, an outstanding album. Its opening alone is remarkable. Sequencing matters, and here it’s almost counterintuitive. “Candy Says” is a quiet, tender, fragile song—not at all what you’d expect as an opener. And yet it works perfectly. The album contains several songs in that restrained, intimate vein, and those are largely what it’s remembered for. “Pale Blue Eyes,” by far the most streamed track, sits back-to-back with “Jesus,” sung jointly by Reed and Yule, who also sings lead on “Candy Says.” Drummer Maureen “Moe” Tucker is also given the microphone, which is… debatable. She provides a second vocal line on “The Murder Mystery” and sings solo on the closing track, “After Hours.” Her lack of conventional vocal ability arguably exceeds her lack of conventional drumming ability—she’s famous for her minimalist style, after all. The singing is wobbly, especially on the last-call, lights-coming-on closer. And yet, in a strange, almost hypnotic way, it works. “After Hours” is a genuine earworm. Besides, anyone claiming Nico could sing might consider either starting or stopping medication. For me, however, the real highlights lie elsewhere: in the uptempo rockers and in the album’s one truly experimental piece. The first category includes the magnificent “What Goes On” and the even more magnificent “Beginning to See the Light.” On the former, Doug Yule plays an organ part so absurdly simple that it almost invites you to play along—and yet it’s devastatingly effective. Those basic chords lift the song like a rocket launch. “Beginning to See the Light” is an absolute beast of a track and, not coincidentally, the standout moment on the Bettie Serveert tribute. And then there’s “The Murder Mystery.” Where the band mostly colors within the lines on this album—certainly compared to the first two—this track veers off entirely. It grates, it’s uncomfortable, at times borderline painful, and it goes on far too long. In other words: it’s fantastic. This is music that challenges and provokes. Naturally, it has the fewest Spotify streams. Yes, it’s nearly nine minutes long and takes up over 20% of the album, but still—people could try a little harder. Is the album perfect? No. “Some Kinda Love” drifts into a Grateful Dead–style Americana haze that’s far less compelling. But before that becomes an issue, the aching beauty of “Pale Blue Eyes” arrives to put things right. Listen to this album. Give it more than one spin—it may take a moment to settle in. But once it does, you’re left with a quiet, strange, deeply rewarding masterpiece. And don’t skip “The Murder Mystery.”
Love The Velvet Underground. And I love this album.
I really like the Velvet Underground, and Pale Blue Eyes was already one of my favorite songs so I loved listening to the rest! I really like this era of music and I thought they have a really cool, diverse spread on this one album. I LOVED After Hours, and found it super nice at the end. It feels super cozy and comforting compared to some other music I’ve heard from them, and that’s why I like it so much.
A fantastic album - all the more remarkable because it's probably not their best.
After White Light White Heat letting me down I was worried about this one. Didn't need to be fantastic album.
(4.5) it's like if Bob Dylan was easier to listen to Favorite Tracks: Sunday Morning, Femme Fatale, I'll Be Your Mirror, There She Goes Again, Heroin
Love this album. Brilliant.
Would’ve been 5 stars but then that song jail bait came on. Pretty dusty lyrics from a 35 year old. Eww.
Quiet, tender, and somehow more subversive than the loud stuff. Rating: 4.9/5 Short Review: This album is restraint as rebellion. Soft songs about loneliness, intimacy, and small human moments that feel radical because they refuse spectacle. It sounds gentle, but it rewires you slowly. Favorite Track: Pale Blue Eyes. Simple, devastating, and impossible to shake.
I love everything about this album! My favorite songs are Candy says, Pale Blue Eyes and Murder Mystery.
so sad. :(
Took two listens to fully get it but great piece of work.
I realized I really only dig VU without some of the chore experimental stuff.
(97/100)
Was already a fav of mine - a go to album for when I'm trying to get to sleep or a rainy day. Every time I listen to this album I'm reminded of the first time I listened to it in full. I'd gotten the keys to my first ever flat in the city and spent so long getting my new room decorated that I had to get a late train back to my Parents' house so I listened to this on the walk through the rain to the train station. Pale blue eyes is one of my favourite songs of all time
Now I'm worried I'm getting too much in my comfort zone. Two albums composed by Lou Reed in the first ten selections. Not necessarily the best Velvets album, but they only made four and they're all great - and groundbreaking. This allegedly had some of those "pretty" songs that caused dissension with John Cale - but Cale himself wrote a bunch of pretty songs that sound a lot like these on Vintage Violence and Paris 1919, not so long after. Anyway, this is a wonderful record with very restrained performances of some of Lou's best songs, including "Pale Blue Eyes" and "Candy Says." I must admit I did not realize until recently that Leonard Cohen's first record must have made a huge impression, because you can hear his influence in "Jesus" and "Story of My Life." And of course, Mo gently singing "Afterhours" immediately after the fractious experimentation of Murder Mystery seals the deal.
Не мое но вайб классный
Genius
Nice
Big fan of the Velvet Underground - although my listening never really went beyond the first album and a greatest hits - so I had not listened to this album as a whole previously although I know half the tracks. Its surprisingly mellow and a little bit slight - although it does feature one of my favourite songs of all time - Pale Blue Eyes - and on the basis of this one song alone it scores a 5.
The velvets go soft.
Thought of this record as my mountaintop. Thought of it as my peak. Thought of it as everything I had and fortunately I could keep. 20/10
posiblemente mi menos favorito de los cuatro discos de los velvet, pero la vara está altísima. pensé en darle 4 pa diferenciar pero un disco que abre con candy says y cierra con after hours no puede ser menos que un 5. the murder mystery rifa y me encanta que esté aquí aunque evite que lo ponga en entornos sociales xd
Jeez, if I were trying to appeal to myself with a masterpiece record I’d definitely make the cover B&W at this point.
Velvety as hell. Always loved this one as a teen getting into the VU in high school. Candy Says as an opener is such a good lullaby into this new world of soft rock. The first alternative rock record? Pale Blue Eyes and Beginning to See the Light are my faves because I think they’re contenders for the best music ever put on wax.
Blir bare bedre og bedre
I've listened to this album many times before. Not much to say, simply great.
absolutely one of the best albums ever recorded.
gives me really nice nostalgia
Wauw had het nooit geluisterd, maar echt onwijs vet.
I really enjoyed Pale Blue Eyes- very catching and I found myself singing along with it even during the first listen. The Murder Mystery Song was excellent. I miss the days of artist being free to bring politics and societal issues into their music.
Lowkey revelatory.
9/10 I find it hard to believe this came out in 1969 - it's sound feels so much more modern than a lot of the other music from that time. One of the big influences on all things indie, so I got to love it
Hammer Album
This is #day442 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my second VU record on this journey. It's a different beast, though: less edgy, more warm, but that's probably what makes it special. "Candy Says," "Pale Blue Eyes," and "I'm Set Free" aren't just some of their best; they're among the most signature songs of the '60s. Intimate and beautiful, there's still a "leftover" from the band's earlier days in the form of "The Murder Mystery." Still, this is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day443.
Amazing. I’ve listed before, but was happy to listen again. Took me way to long to give this a shot.
Hard and quiet
Muy adelantado a su época
Strong start, was a nice album which I really enjoyed, track 2 was a bit noisy.
'Chill' is seldom haunting, and it's almost never visceral, but The VU typify both of those qualities on their third release, the 'chillest' of their five, the one that can be said to approximate easy listening, but which nonetheless cultivates a sense of the desperate and the tragic. Lou Reed's lyricism is as clear it's ever been, cutting to the bone, not only making something out very little but having the heart to respect the immensity of our living years: 'Candy says I hate the big decisions / That cause endless revisions / In my mind'; 'I wore my teeth in my hands / So I could mess the hair of the night'; 'I'm set free / I'm set free to find a new illusion.' And as always, tho unlike everything before or since, The VU don't just imply - they live - rock 'n' roll.
Lou Reed is so fucking cool. The Beatles are the most important band in history but I think Velvet Underground are the coolest band in history. I have no idea how they invented this sound, kinda glad it was such a pressure cooker/flash in the pan that just went on to live out forever in numerous influences, most nakedly and I think maybe my favorite in Jonathan Richman/the Modern Lovers, though I think it's fair to say literally thousands of bands built on this sound and aesthetic. But also thankful that we got all of Lou Reeds wild and wacky solo career. Pale Blue Eyes is a top 40 all time song for me and for some reason I was immediately compelled to put it on my funeral playlist. Not a band song on the album I don't think but beginning to see the light is also great. Huge pavement influence heard very clearly on The Murder Mystery.
masterpiece
Some days this is my favourite Velvets album, What Goes On the best song. What a band
Fun fact: Better than most Beatles albums
Such a beautiful album. Thank you Lou Reed for writing Candy Says. 🏳️⚧️
Had not heard this before today, loved it. Don’t know why I shied away from VU, but I suppose my taste has become more eclectic as I have got older.
I do love this one!
This is an outstanding album. I can't say I disliked any song on here, and that includes The Murder Mystery, which I really liked.
Of course
Sometimes feels so happy sometimes feels so sad...." c
Reviewing a second time?
There is no such thing as a bad Velvet Underground album unless Lou Reed isn’t on it. A close friend of mine argues that Lou needed an “editor” in John Cale but I am on the fence on that assessment. Anyway, this album should have made the Velvets superstars in their own time with its more contemplative, semi-acoustic arrangements. But unfortunately, they were on a crap label (Verve/MGM) at the time that was just about to be taken over by the tineared Mike Curb. By the time the Velvets changed labels to Cotillion/Atlantic and were ready to release “Loaded”, Lou Reed had quit his own band, Doug Cale had taken it over (to the point where he credited all of Lou’s songs to the entire band on the album sleeve and label copy of Loaded) and MGM was about to piggyback the album with a “Golden Archive Series” best-of. But that doesn’t change the fact that, where the first two albums of the VU were proto-punk, this eponymous third album and Loaded were proto-indie rock. And the world has been better for it all.
This is my favorite Velvet Underground album. I bought this on vinyl so long ago and would listen to it over and over again. It is their most chill and relaxed album. We used to joke that this is Lou's first solo album. Wear good head phones as they play with sound a lot. It makes me miss my larger hi-fi speakers I used to have. I use to try and make out all the lyrics to Murder Mystery. I still never looked up the lyrics. Great album. Easily one of my favorites.
A friend introduced me to The Velvet Underground in college. I listened to this album a lot in 1993. I liked it then and I like it now. I do not know that I love-love it, but I'm definitely grading on a curve with these ratings.
still incredibly relevant. artistry, attitude. 'closet mix' is probably my favorite version of this. the stereo version of valentin is a little too stereo and doesnt hold up well in headphones. the closet also maintains the original vision of how these should sound according to lou. never knew the differences before looking into it now. each mix is probably good in its own way. I prefer the first two albums, but this has a bunch of great tunes and is experimental in its own right touching upon folk, blues, gospel, avant garde experiments, and a lullaby. there's too many lovely songs and flat out tunes and influence not to give it five stars.
sooo gooood
loved it, no notes. pale blue eyes and Jesus are some favs
I’m doing it, despite The Murder Mystery being weird. I haven’t been as captivated by a song as I am by Pale Blue Eyes in a loooong time.
10
Everything they did was original and beautiful.
This started slow, and I wasn't convinced at all. But then I hit "Pale Blue Eyes", and the stress of the day dwindled to a faint echo. From this point on, it's a cracker. "Jesus" is gorgeous as well. From that point on, it's just a wonderful album. This is a very different Velvet Underground from the one I thought I knew.
not my favourite vu album
One of my favs, start to finish
The VU mellow out musically and lyrically into a more melodic, straightforward, folkier, softer, poppier rock - but not in such a way it becomes bland or boring. Dropping their transgressive subversion in favor of some love songs, they show their prowess in writing a pretty standard song with pretty standard topics and not needing to rely on Avant-garde experimentalism(except the ever-peculiar The Murder Mystery). The songs and album are still high quality, melodies abound, proving that this is a band who can do both.
Loved it
A classic album: My favorites: What Goes On, Pale Blue Eyes, Jesus, Beginning To See the Light and After Hours.
Honestly one of my big errors has to be listening to the velvet underground and Nico years ago, loving it, and then never listening to another song by them. I loved this album. From the opening called “Candy Says” which is wonderful. To songs like “Pale Blue Eyes”, “Jesus”, and “I’m Set Free” it was fantastic. The only song I didn’t like was “The Murder Mystery” sorry this is not my sort of thing.
Hell yeah
4.6 - Lou Reed <3
This is the album where the chaos quiets down and the emotional weight comes into full focus. Gone are the screeching feedback storms of White Light/White Heat. In their place, you get a band stripped bare, writing songs that ache with vulnerability, clarity, and an eerie kind of grace. It is the most human of all the Velvets' records. Every song feels like it was written in the aftermath of something intense, maybe a breakup, maybe a bad trip, maybe just life itself catching up to you. Tracks like “Candy Says” and “Pale Blue Eyes” are heartbreakingly gentle, full of quiet pain and weary acceptance. “Jesus” sounds like someone praying for real, not for show. And yet the band does not lose their edge. It is just channeled inward, turned into something more bruised and beautiful. This is Lou Reed at his most poetic, John Cale gone but not forgotten, and the rest of the band locked into a subdued but deeply affecting groove. It is not as flashy or provocative as their debut, and that is what makes it so powerful. The Velvet Underground is not just a great album. It is one of the most intimate, emotionally resonant records ever made.
It’s their best album. Except for the other three (not counting Squeeze, though that’s great too…), which are also their best album.
Grandpapi 2000s indie rock.
I absolutely enjoyed listening to this record. It had a great progression and made sense as an album. There is this nice subversion and plenty of musical and lyrical surprises
Such a beautiful album - one of my favourites
Not the usual stuff I listen to. It's hard, sometimes even unwieldy, but still a ballad. I like the country and blues influences. Screeching and scratching is surprisingly good.
Something cool to listen to in every single song, weird journey that makes sense all together. The debut will always slap.
This works great as a whole album for me. Another nice discovery for me. Hadn’t heard this before.
My Favorite Velvets Album at this point. So good.
....
This is great. I continue to be impressed by VU when I get their albums. It’s been awhile since I revisited VU+Nico — and it never really clicked with me — so that one will be interesting to get back to now that I’ve experienced this self-titled and WL/WH, both of which I’ve adored. This album just has such an interesting downcast vibe. It’s not overly sad, it’s not overly sappy, and in fact there’s sort of a despondent blankness with which the vocals are delivered that REALLY adds to the experience. You can trace this album’s influence through the careers of people like Beck and Mac Demarco and Conor Oberst. ML 171.
Classic. Lou Reed and Nico ❤️
My favourite of all the Velvets’. It walks that difficult line between romanticism and jaded cynicism, perhaps After Hours the best example of this in a literal sense. Pale Blue Eyes and Candy Says are masterpieces and if they’d bunged Stephanie Says on there as well it would have been the Strawberry Fields cherry on the Lonely Hearts Club cake. As Matt Johnson said of Mind Bomb, this is one to play very late, very loud and very alone.
Classic
I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this album before - I’ve been missing out. It sounds like nothing else from that time - it’s testament to their influence that it sounds more like a 90s low-fi indie record. The Murder Mystery was a real standout track for me. I’m going to be returning to this album again
Off the cuff remark: easy to see their influence across a wide range of bands new and old. With the exception of Murder Mystery I thoroughly enjoyed it. Very familiar with Velvet Underground & Nico and most of these songs individually so great to listen to the whole album. Standout track: "Pale Blue Eyes" though several others come close. Revisit?: Yes. Lovely stuff.
Timeless.
Not to be confused with The Velvet Underground & Nico, this one is a lot more straightforward than their prior work, in part due to the departure of John Cale. Like most of their albums, this one sold like shit, but was hugely influential on acts to come. I’ve been a fan since college and was more than happy to get this one after a pretty lackluster weekend pull.
Oh, geez. This often sits atop my list of favorite Velvets albums. The softer side of Lou Reed. Probably their best period.
TOP 10 ALBUNS DE TODOS OS TEMPOS
Murder mystery sucks though.
Klassiker.
Another one I've always meant to listen to but never did. A fuckin' masterpiece, 10/10
I was vaguely aware of Velvet Underground before. Nice surprise.
8/10 Have I even heard this before all the way through?
The best, love this album. Not much more to add
Loved this album even the tracks that Lou Reed didn’t sing. Guitar work, melodies, lyrics. Every song was good.
A true classic, the Velvet's at their best in terms of songwriting and sonic experimentation. Melodic, dark, and noisy in the best ways.
Am I a Velvet Underground fan without even realising it? Second 5/5 album by them. This is incredibly good. It starts with the lyrics "Candy says I've come to hate my body / And all that it requires in this world" - what an extraordinary, fierce opening - and it never lets up. Fragile, angry, beautiful, quiet, intelligent, determined, vulnerable, and singular.
The murder mystery is one of the best songs of all time
This album is perhaps underrated particularly when held up against the first two records and given the lineup change with Doug Yule replacing John Cale, but this album is every bit as good as the first two. Nearly perfect. An easy 5 stars.
Hell yeah
A classic, I hear the influence in so many bands that I love. The Velvet Underground is amazing.
Lou Reed really said ‘what if instead of heroin we tried therapy?
What's there to say? Velvet Underground. Top marks. Vignt sur vignt.
I LURVEDDD ITTTTT obviously, loved this album since like 2020. favourite has always been after hours but i also did quite like the murder mystery!! yeah absolute banger, very happy to have gotten this album, like a breath of fresh air x
A really beautiful collection of songs. Lou Reed,man.
What a chill album and a lot more accessible than the first two. Really want to know what the alternate version of this album would be if John Cale hadn’t been fired.
I listen to The Velvet Underground and I feel like I’m one of the retro guys in a recording studio smoking a cigarette, complexly writing my own sheet music and lyrics, recollecting the best and worst moments of my life, breaking down and reconstructing said moments, and finding some sort of closure through music. Listening to this album is like hearing a song and wanting to cry or maybe like Gravity Falls, if that makes sense. On the flip side, it’s like I can be wild and groovy and bare. The Murder Mystery is like perfect entropy; probably one of my favorite songs on the album.
Absolutely incredible.
Kings of cool.
I don’t know why I enjoyed this as much as I did. Every revisit has added more value than the last. I hated murder mystery at first. Still don’t get it after my third listen, but I am warming to it. Im going to be optimistic here and give this a very generous score in hopes I will one day appreciate that damn song.
Really enjoyed this. I don't really know why.
Classic...
The Velvet Underground is hard to pin down, despite its simplicity. It tends to be slow and lo fi, yet paradoxically rich and experimental. The songs unravel patiently, in no rush to impress. At times laughably simple, yet at the same time somehow weighty. They’ve lost a bit of their experimental edge now that Cale has left the picture, but what they lost in experimentation they’ve gained in cohesiveness. Lou Reed’s simple yet genius songwriting emerges as the guiding force behind the band’s vision. 4.5/5
Jesus
A rush of nostalgia listening to this album. I have so many Velvet Underground albums and not played them in ages. Lou Reeds vocals are timeless.
"Jesus, help me find my proper place" might be a bit baffling coming from the lips of Lou Reed, but it reflects his search for something new. With John Cale gone from the group, the Velvets feel free to pursue a new direction. And as much as I love John Cale (whose solo work is so inspiring), the first album made after his absence from The Velvet Underground makes for the band's best album. This record is rather unlike its two predecessors, but its calm and casual atmosphere kicks ass! Discounting the discombobulating 'Murder Mystery' (which still works in its own weird way), the album floats by as if it were scrapped together in a single afternoon, and that chill mood works so very well. Favorites: 'Candy Says', 'Pale Blue Eyes', 'Jesus'
VELEVTET UNDERGOFUNDDDDD
Top class music. Made the playlist multiple times.
One of the bests so far!
This is the third album by The Velvet Underground, a storied band with a delayed but significant influence. This is the beginning of the best the following decades had to offer in (what would later be called) the alternative stream. It’s a gentler album than their first two, and more minimalist than their fourth (Loaded). It’s wonderful. There is a bit of a religious arc with the three songs Jesus, Beginning to See the Light, and I’m Set Free, which I find interesting. In the late 60s you had a movement away from traditional American religion but still a searching spirit. The long song - The Murder Mystery - is an experimental piece that fits the times. But it’s listenable and has energy. You could choose to skip it on future listens if it’s not your style. For me, it just makes me envision this 60s New York art scene that was the birthplace of this band… and, through them, other great artists to follow. Think R.E..M. for example. As a teen in the 80s I was suffocating in synthesizers but also maturing past the hair metal bands that were effectively marketed to me up to about age 13. Thanks, VU, for carving out an alternative lane.
This is the first album I've listened to in a long time where the members of the band (whatever the manifestion) are completely comfortable with themselves and the music they are creating. There is no pretense. The composition, songwriting, performance all seem completely organic. Image the Beatles without the weight and pressure of expectation. And the music is fantastic. It is not filled with singles with hooks and riffs, it is just artistry on display. They're not playing for the record company, the charts, or even their fans. They are just in the artistic zone, playing music for the joy of it. I highly recommend this album. First five in too long.
The "soft" Velvet Underground album might be least favorite of the first four, but it is still absolutely indispensable. Some of Lou Reed's most vulnerable songwriting and prettiest melodies, but still with an edge and darkness that makes it all sound a little sinister. Great stuff.
душевно пиздец, нечего сказать даже, мне понравилось, аж плакать хочется, 5/5
Legendary
wonderful 4.5
I've seen the rotting banana album around, but I had never taken the chance to listen to their music. I quite enjoyed listening to this album. 03.24.2025 (Mon), MGL
Haha znam chociaż wolę ta wersję z Nico Bardzo lubię ten album i ogonie Lou Reeda sama nie wiem za co
Com t'enganxin tovet et destrossen la setmana.
You’re a bore but in that you’re not charmless
Despite loving the heavy experimentation of the "& Nico" album, this is my favorite Velvet Underground record.
One of my favourites
Loved it
Have been listening to this album for ages. Love it!
The Murder Mystery is a bad song. It’s among the worst songs by The Velvet Underground. Still, the rest of this record is so great that I have no choice but to look past that one lousy track and award this 5 stars. John Cale was out, Doug Yule was in. Lou Reed was free to focus on the tuneful pop side of VU and boy did he crank out some gems. There’s a world of melancholy and heartache in Pale Blue Eyes but it’s such a beaut. Love this album.
Thrashing
Loved Loaded and the banana album in high school. Always overlooked this one in comparison. I think because it's a lot more mellow and not as aggressive. But it's also really good.
The Velvet Underground's second best album. '"Candy Says" is arguably the most transgressive song they released at the time, as it’s about Candy Darling — a transgender actress and Andy Warhol’s muse. Massive respect to the band. "After Hours" is a beautiful little melody, and "Pale Blue Eyes" is simply very good. I love how melodic the album is. The Velvet Underground lowkey pioneered the development of alternative rock.
It is a brilliant album. Anything I try and say about this will not do it justice. Naturally, I've heard this many times and am aware of it's genius. For a first time listener however, this may not be a 5 star experience. But it sure is for me.
Yeah pretty dang good. Good album to melt away to
Smooth and velvety, Lou Reed gives a nice serenity to this album, very pleasant to listen to on a chilly morning.
their best album probably
Overall: 9/10 The best showcase of Lou Reed's non singing that I've heard so far! The other vocalists fit in pretty good as well. The best thing about this one is the slow songs. I found myself mesmerized by the guitar work at times. I also really enjoyed The Murder Mystery, which was a wild 8 minute ride. It's like the musical equivalent of a french new wave film. I finally understand why they're considered so influential and I might just go straight into their debut. Fav Song: Pale Blue Eyes Least Fav Song: Jesus
The Velvet Underground's melodic self-titled third album, without Andy Warhol's "production," Nico's flat Germanic monotone or John Cale's classical dissonance, is my favorite. I guess today will be an opportunity to compare and contrast the "Valentin" mix and Lou Reed's "Closet Mix" Doug Yule sings "Candy Says," a delicate rock ballad about transgender Factory scenester and actress Candy Darling. "What Goes On" has that steadily propulsive Moe Tucker beat, guitar distortion (evidently the result of Lou Reed using multiple guitar solo tracks and mixing them all together to produce an overwhelming wall of noise), and organ. "Some Kinda Love" a cowbell and bass drum, with perversely literate Lou Reed lyrics, and mellow melodic guitars. "Pale Blue Eyes" tambourine and tenderness. "Jesus" has Doug Yule's bass playing something that sounds like an attempt to play Jackson Browne's These Days. "Beginning to See the Light" is incredible chiming guitars and bouncing bass, with a yelped exuberance from Lou Reed. The guitar solo from "I'm Set Free" inspired Galaxie 500, Luna and every other Dean Wareham album and most of Yo La Tengo's vast discography. "The Murder Mystery" is nine experimental minutes of simultaneous vocal contributions from every member, spoken word from Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison, and lilting tones from Moe Tucker and Doug Yule, unhinged piano solo and chanting, but it all sounds better than most of White Light/White Heat. "After Hours" is an acoustic song with vocals from Moe Tucker, I had no idea why it sounds distorted and scratchy with surface noise. The Closet Mix obscures a lot of the instruments, especially Moe Tucker's percussion, while the vocals tend to dominate the mix. "What Goes On" erases the background vocals and the multi-tracked guitar solo sounds flatter and less intense. While the vocal harmonies on "Candy Says" sounds more pronounced than on the Valentin mix. "Some Kinda Love" (Closet Mix) is a dramatically different vocal take, intimate and breathy purring. "Jesus" the vocals do blend better on the Closet Mix with some subtle reverb at the end. "Beginning to See the Light" (Closet Mix version 1), has a dreamier sound and the vocals seemed to be more embedded in the mix, some of Lou Reed's falsetto seems to jarringly leap out of the Valentin mix and the blend at the end is much better ("how does it feel to be loved"). I do miss the proximity of the drums in the Valentin mix of I'm Set Free, the focus on the vocals just makes the strangeness of the off harmonies more prominent, although the guitar solo sounds incredible. The Murder Mystery Closet Mix makes the voices sound clearer and is actually an improvement! Bass is almost inaudible on After Hours (Closet Mix), vocal echo is interesting.
Classic so good.
Not loving this just to be cool. I genuinely think the VU were on fire. I like most of these tracks, but my favorites are Some Kinda Love, What Goes On and After Hours. Call it melodramatic rock, I think it was wayyyy avant guard and aged incredibly well
Didn’t enjoy this as much on first listen, but started to hear a lot of similarities to Wilco, a favorite that took me some time to come around on. Like Wilco, VU can cover the range of slow contemplative to driving rockers. Stand outs: What Goes On, Some Kind of Love, Pale Blue Eyes, and Beginning to See the Light. Murder Mystery was like some arty Philip Glass shit, but have at it Lou.
Amazing Album! Areal moment in time captured perfectly
As always, if a band can take its foot off the gas a little and still come with all the mastery, you know you’re listening to a really good band. A bit of elegant and beautiful softness from some of the best ever.
One of the best, not a new discovery.
The Velvet Underground are one of those bands whose discography will always be overshadowed by their debut. But when you listen to the rest of their music, you realise how amazing it actually is. And that's exactly what it's like listening to this album.
I rate Blue eyes a 4 stars because I used to listen to it all the time. I don't really like this song because its not for me and I give it a 3 star.
Absolutely loved this. My favourites were Pale Blue Eyes, Jesus, After Hours and the best of them all The Murder Mystery, this song just blows me away every time.
This album shows a softer, more reflective side of The Velvet Underground while still experimenting with their sound. Their influence on music since the 1960s is undeniable, and you can hear echoes of their style in so many artists that followed. Some of the experimental parts don’t always work for everyone, but you have to appreciate their willingness to push boundaries (that said, Murder Mystery is still a thrilling listen). The standout tracks for me are Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, Jesus, and After Hours.
Awesome. Great band. Great sings.
Candy Says: 10/10, very chill, as a trans person I really like the meaning behind the song What Goes On: 9/10, it's a fun vibe, I love the guitar and organs Some Kinda Love: 9/10, instrumentation is great, and I love how Lou Reed always sang about taboo things without hesitation Pale Blue Eyes: 10/10, I tend to prefer VU's more chill songs, I also think it describes impossible love perfectly Jesus: 10/10, Holy shit the vocal harmonies and guitar are AMAZING Beginning To See The Light: 10/10, again very fun and i love what it's about I'm Set Free: 10/10, Does a really good job talking about still feeling tethered to someone after a relationship That's The Story Of My Life: 10/10, not much else to say but I loved it The Murder Mystery: 10/10, It's so fucking weird I love it After Hours: 10/10, probably my fav track from this record, i love it Final Rating: 9.8/10 This is my favorite VU Record
Nico’s voice sounds like a cello waking up in the morning.
Pale Blue Eyes is a top ten song for me. The Murder Mystery is wild and After Hours is great. Everything is more polished than other VU albums, but Beginning To See The Light harkens back a bit to that wildness that I love so much.
A delightful album, great to listen to with a toke and a drink late at night while reading a good book.
I can see why many of the artists I love cited this group as an influence.
very good i didn’t like the eight minute song thougu
Maybe my favourite Velvet Underground album. It has so many hits but is still noisy and forward thinking.
Chill
There are so many tracks on this record that are instantly enjoyable and timeless to say the least.
It just gets better and better
Legendary
Wonderfully weird, varied, fuzzy and a bit inaccurate. All of that adds up to an album that is right in my wheelhouse.
Fantastyczny album. Dużo mniej agresywny i wyciszony w porównaniu do poprzednich albumów Velvetów od których totalnie się odbiłem. Godly songwriting i produkcja. Parę przemyśleń to niektórych trackach (pierwotnie napisałem "top tracki", ale to cały album, lol) Pale Blue Eyes to przepiękny heartbreak song, oczy mokre. Jesus - desperacja, która doprowadziła Żyda do szukanie sensu w Jezusie? geniuszzz Beginning to see the light - ta piosenka przypomina mi moje tripy na kwasie, duchowość i połączenie ze światem. I'm set free - damn, heroin sucks. Ale mając ADHD i skłonności do uzależnień ta piosenka uderza w mordę mocno. The Murder Mystery - błagam, przesłuchajcie to na słuchawkach. Niesamowity eksperymentalny kawałek. Nie do końca jeszcze go rozumiem, najbardziej wymagający kawałek na płycie(?). Muzycznie miazga. Piękny krążek, 5/5, laur konsumenta i emmy.
By coincidence last week, I reviewed the Velvet Underground's album, "White Light, White Heat" the album released before the self-titled, third album, "The Velvet Underground". These two albums couldn't sound any different as White Light was abrasive and noisy, "The Velvet Underground" was a mellow, soothing record with slower songs, ballads and some rockers. This just might be my favourite Velvet Underground album, a toss-up with Loaded, but for different reasons. There are some great songs on here, Candy Says, What Goes On, Pale Blue Eyes, Beginning To See The Light and one of the best ever closer tracks, After Hours sung by drummer, Maureen Tucker. Aside from maybe, The Murder Mystery this is a near perfect album that I've always felt was a bit under the radar and underrated. Since I gave WL/WH 4 stars, this has to be 5 stars! A classic!
Perfect album.
For me this is from top to bottom the Velvet underground's best most consistent album. A quieter affair than the 2 previous albums but that doesn't mean that it doesn't rock out, case in point, Beginning to See the Light and What Goes On both showing off Sterling Morrison's rhythm guitar chops which are substantial. Of course John Cale's absence is felt but Doug Yule's bass playing is massively supportive of the song which helps make this Mo Tucker's best performance on record. Just to listen to the dramatic I'm Set Free for all the proof you'll need. This record has 2 of Reed's most achingly beautiful ballads in Jesus and Pale blue Eyes. Throw in Candy Says and you have the foundation for the Velvets greatest achievement and, perhaps, my favorite album period. If I could I'd give it 6 stars