The Velvet Underground

It's ok. My picks: begging to see the light,that's the story of my life,after hours.

not my thing! too slow? but i realize i have my preferences in the type of people who are singing it as well...

na pierwszy rzut ucha przyjemny ale są momenty gdzie już nie jest tak gładko, np. I'm set free przeradza się w trzeszczenie i jęczenie dżizas prawie skipnięte bo neruwuje mnie takie stękanie może byłby większy chill jakby oni nie śpiewali? dobra cofam to żeby nie spiewali bo murder mistery jest świetne

Liked some of the guitar but a bit too slow for my liking

pale blue eyes and Jesús is good, After hours cool Overall decent, very chill

super album durch und durch. 5/5 ohne frage. super. einfach sehr schön zu hören und fühlen und alles

Ya había escuchado un disco de The Velvet Underground y sabía que no son mi banda favorita. El disco me pareció medio monótono y aburrido.

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.

Some very good songs. Some less interesting

It’s cool to hear the bridge between old school rock and roll and the progressive, punk, and new wave styles that were to come.

Isn't it funny how Lou Reed of all people wrote the song "Jesus"?

dang chill

begint goed, eindigt best meh.

I am a fan of the Velvet Underground, and I mostly like this album, but it’s really not their strongest in my opinion.

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.

A couple of nice songs. The Murder Mystery's riff reminds me of something

great album. love the quiet tunes. "what goes on" is a fun little jam. "murder mystery" is a cool, experimental track. "after hours" is a delightful little number with maureen.

Não é meu álbum favorito do Velvet Undergroud, mas é muito bom mesmo assim

classic

Strange (of course) album, but GREAT. Pitchfork: 10 Rolling Stone: Top 500 Albums #143 Best Songs Candy Says Pale Blue Eyes After Hours

60s rock like The beatles. Very easy to listen to while cleaning 🧹. Indie cinema vibes.

I liked it

Good but slow.

Less chaotic and experimental than their other albums, but I think it still works and is an enjoyable listen. Likes: Candy Says; What Goes On; Pale Blue Eyes; The Murder Mystery; After Hours

É um bom álbum. Não faz o meu tipo de gosto musical, mas a harmonização dos instrumentos e o vocal calmo do Lou Reed faz com que a sonoridade entregue seja satisfatória e valiosa. Ouviria denovo em um dia chuvoso e quieto, porém, não é um dos meus favoritos e não me surpreendeu como eu havia esperado.

5/5

Was never exposed to Velvet Underground, first time hearing this album, liked it a lot, reminded me of smooth Beatles

Boring

Demasiado tranquilo, no es mi estilo.

A very solid album. I had only listened to The Velvet Underground and Niko and Loaded before this. This may stripped down album took me by surprise. I think its a lot softer compared to those other albums. Almost a Psychedelic folk vibe at times. Overall, I'm very happy to have discovered this!

I liked it kinda indie hipster whatever but old school, vibes with it - murder mystery kinda giving me a headache tho

not rlly my style of music

Genre defining!

The last song was the best. Didn’t realize Lou reed was in the band.

2,5

Missing the edge that John Cale brought to the band. Still enjoyable. 4 stars. Fave track - Pale blue eyes

Great album.

It's OK, more accessible than the earlier material, but still not a pleasant listening experience.

Non sono troppo fan. Carino ma un po’ à underwhelming. Some kinda love mi ricorda Heroes di David Bowie per qualche motivo e nomina due volte il mio nome quindi mi piace, Pale Blue Eyes è la tipica canzone da pomeriggio di piena estate seduta sull’erba sotto un albero con un libro e un cesto di ciliegie. Jesus mi ricorda le canzoni dei Beatles quindi è carina.

probably the least interesting/compelling of the three Velvet Underground albums on the list. it's still fairly good and The Murder Mystery is wonderfully strange, though. After Hours is seriously top-tier. takes me back to the painful, painful, *painful* spring semester of my freshman college year. the ONLY time weird 60s stereo panning helped the vibe. deserves to be one of the 1001? yeah

Good enough to listen to in the background, but too many songs stayed for too long. I'm not entirely against long songs as long as I feel like they are either 1. lyrically interesting enough to justify the length and looping instrumentality, or if 2. they develop the instrumental aspects of the song clearly and well. Pale blue eyes did this well, The murder mystery, while I understand what it was attempting to do, the mono tone voice and repetitive instrumental tracks make it hard to follow the story they are trying to do. The nicest thing I can say about this song is that the guitar kinda reminded me of Chop Suey.

my beatles

Some songs are literally tearjerkers and I am here for it.

I've really only listened to Velvet Underground and Nico album so wasn't sure what to expect. I enjoyed this one, I don't think it's mind blowing but it is very enjoyable.

Excellent !

Beautiful Pale Blue Eyes. Lief, rustig album.

I was once in a band that was desperate to be The Velvet Underground. As a drummer, it was fairly boring. Years later, however, I can listen to this and enjoy it a lot more than I used to.

Sure, I guess. I thought I'd dislike this given my general distaste for TVU but it wasn't a terrible listen.

I don't hate this as much as I've hated the other Lou Reed albums I've listened to as part of this project. A lot of that is because much of this album is sung by people other than Lou Reed - that is, people who can actually sing. It's still not something I'd put on by choice, but I wouldn't ask someone to turn it off...which is an improvement over the previous albums.

This is so pleasant and interesting. I'm a fan of Lou Reed's voice, but I liked his idea of having different band members sing on some of the songs in this album. "The Murder Mystery" is incredible.

Velvet Underground has one of the biggest gaps between quality of name and quality of music.

The Velvet Underground at their cozymost, forging an albumful of gentle comfort rock. Pale Blue Eyes and After Hours stand out, paving atmosphere not previously seen in its time, but the rest is a welcome offering as well

It's okay

*Interesting listen but not too into this band.

Couple of decent moments but overall never got in to it

Good but not as good as the first two albums, they need the John Cale weirdness. Rounded up from 3.5

Beautiful listening

I'm a big shamed to admit I haven't listened to this but you can see why they're still popular now. That album suits so many different generations. A great time

Ok, this may be the version of the velvet underground that makes me a fan. Some beautiful, understated songs that still are steeped in ambition and ideas. I listened to Murder Mystery 3 times as it made my head spin in a good way. There is a real body of accessible enjoyable music here.

Loved ‘Candy Says,’ the lyrics hit home.

You always hear about Velvet Underground and Nico, but this was better in my opinion

Yeah

Repeat listen

muy bueno

Minimal velvet underground exposure going in. ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ is probably the song I know best so that’s how I think of their music. This album sounds like indi Doors, which makes sense since they’re around the same time. Reading up on Lou Reed. Music my parents would listen to. The National was obviously influenced

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.

Le iba a poner 4 estrellas cuando iba por la mitad, después no se que pasó. Me gusta en general el sonido de las bandas así por eso me gustó, pero al terminarlo me quedé medio perdida. Tenía potencial

c'est pas trop trop mal en vrai, j'aime bien

8/10

While iconic, not especailly memorable.

Mid. Singing. Some good ones, but lost within mid. 2/5

not bad, feeling pretty niche

Overall a decent album. 6/10. I liked the lyrics and the dynamics of the album. But songs were a bit repetitive and often lacked that hook. But not bad Overall.

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

I do love this album but not the best musically. Lou Reed was a pioneer of pain… His lyrics spoke to an emerging community. Candy says… a must know song!

I hadn't really given the Velvet Underground a full listen. They are so pleasant and easy to listen to, I will be giving them more playtime in my rotation. The album flowed nicely, and my only minor gripe is the lack of a standout track(s).

A perfect record. Strange, tender, scuzzy, beautiful, lowdown, sweet. Yes, even "Murder Mystery". Pop gems, inventive, insightful, real.

Unexpectedly gentle at times, restrained, jagged, and punchy. Lou Reed is not a belter but really has a voice for the ages, and the lyrics are pretty brilliant.

Pretty good

je suis déjà en mood dodo là je vais juste dormir

I love how Lou Reed was always trying new things in these days; there’s an interesting lesson that anyone creative could take away from studying his projects. This is an album that I think gets easier to appreciate if you listen to it multiple times and with the full context of the work. Also, it is cool.

After the relentless ferocity of White Light/White Heat they tone it down a bit to produce this. What goes on is one of my favourite songs and Candy Says is a surprisingly lovely thing about a trans woman. Sure, they veer off into 60s Psychedelia nonsense with The Murder Mystery. But that aside, this is a solid album.

Highlights: Candy Says, What Goes On, Pale Blue Eyes and After Hours. 3.1

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.

No es mi edtilo

Cinematic

:P 9/10

Tja. Ikke noe jeg setter på frivellig ihvertfall, men var greit å ha på i bakgrunn (med unntak av Heroin og European Sun - de var grusomme)

Det var jo ganske OK. Har nok ikkje noko mot å høyre på det, men usikker på om eg gjer det igjen.

Es aburridisimo. Parece álbum de música cristiana.

A soild 9! My favorite song is 'The Murder Mystery' ! I don't listen to 60's music much but this is a great start!!

Pale Blue Eyes, Jesus and another one where it says "its all in your mind". great to sing along without knowing the lyrics

SOS groovy, I love it- candy says The others are alright

Solid album, "The Murder Mystery" was interesting, I really liked the instrumentals and the two people talking at once. Nothing too memorable per say.

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.

Rather enjoyable listening. Not at all what I expected.

Not a bad option for a Good Friday.

Another boring album

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.

I don't care how much I'm supposed to like them, I just can't get into these guys. Satellite of Love is all the Lou Reed I need.

Psst..hey, budding music cognoscente. You're fine with the Velvet Underground's greatest hits. They'll pluck "Pale Blue Eyes" and "Beginning to See the Light" from this album, which works. If what we'll very loosely call "hits" hook you, then take a deep dive into the albums. You may also discover, like I did long ago, that a little Lou Reed goes a long way.

Even though this was the first Velvet Underground album without John Cale, there's still enough experimentation on here for me to enjoy it. The band hadn't yet fully mellowed out and neutered themselves, and despite the more relaxed delivery of most of these songs there's still some bite here. Lou Reed's voice arguably never sounded more angelic than it does on some of these songs, and Doug Yule's delivery of opener "Candy Says" is gut-wrenching.

was alright liked 2 songs

Usually refer to this as my favourite Velvets, even if it is lacking Cale’s left field contributions. For better or worse this and Loaded both narrow the focus on writing straightforward songs, largely eschewing the variety or “experimentation” of the first two records. It’s a much more relaxed and contemplative set (I mean anything would be after WL/WH).

Favourite Track: After Hours

I was surprised at how boring this was. I expected so much more from the Underground GOATs. I now see why they were forced under the floorboards

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.

Several really good tracks, great mood

It was a very quiet album

I didn't like it really

After that last Velvet Underground album with the Banana on the cover was so bad I rated it a Zero, I didn't have high hopes for this one. It's a completely different album. Gone are the discordant noises for noise sake. In it are some delightful melodies. It's not great, but it's good, delightful tunes. I particularly liked the last track "After Hours", and will be adding it to the playlist.

Not terrible. Some of it was kinda cool. Not all that interesting, though.

Wanky fuckers

Muy rockero, me gustaron varias canciones

Some call it boring, but I find the calm ballads here to be beautiful. The only downside for me is the inclusion of The Murder Mystery on this album. I don’t think it’s bad, it just doesn’t fit the same nature as all the other tracks

Love it Another 60s wonder.

pre listening: Velvet Underground!! fuckin uhhh reference to Good Omens for me chief. not sure im famiulaur with music tho... 1: reminds me of the feeling I get listening to Fruits Basket opening idk 4: stood out to me while listening passively 9: discordant in an unfortunately unpleasant way 10: pulled back in to enjoyiment, soft immature and feminine in the way that is awkward and lovely. felt like it really spoke to me.

A good album with good songs.

I love listening to this from the beginning to end. One album that defined the 60s for sure.

I love you Lou Reed

NGL this album blows. I get it was a different time I get it's unique for its time but bleh. I like the last track on it and the rest range from ok at best to full on unpleasant. 1.5, but I'll give it a 2 for the last track.

Was just listening to this album last week after rewatching Perfect Days! Continuously surprised that VU never went more mainstream, but they definitely get the props they deserve. Pale Blue Eyes is fantastic, I could take or leave *most* everything else. Some Kinda Love is pretty good. The closing track is really appealing to me even if it’s pretty simple- it’s got that rough-sketchy appeal. I didn’t really care for the psychedelic Murder Mystery but I did lol when I realized I was hearing Chop Suey in the guitar riff. And the lightning quick “upon the carpet” vocals at the end of that track too.

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 .

I need to give this one another listen to say for sure, but it is definitely in the better half of Velvets projects, which are all fire. I loved Murder Mystery and how insane and psychedelic it was, and Candy Says is top 3 Velvet songs, period. The only issue is that it came directly on thr heels of one of my favourite albums of all time, so I will revisit in a month to see how I feel then. Until then? 3.8

Very Indie sounding album and probably unique for 1969. I find it forgettable with no songs really standing out.

Non particolarmente entusiasmante.

estuvo piola, bastante experimental

290 povratak doma s treninga, prvi album koji sam poslusala s liste Nije mi se svidjelo Dosadno

Muy relajado pero si me agrada está excelente para una mañana tranquila

I liked it

Pretty solid, but sometimes I get annoyed by Lou Reeds lyrics

una verga

I wasnt that keen. It was very maudlin in places and Murder mystery was absolutely atrocious .

Was alright, sleepy in places, but there are not enough drugs in the world to make The Murder Mystery good

Me gustó mucho, pero algunas canciones me parecieron medio repetitivas. También me encantaron las partes instrumentales. Le daría un 8

"Candy Says" and "Pale Blue Eyes! are such a good songs! I liked this album more than the previous one I reviewed (The Velvet Underground & Nico)

The Velvets' first album without John Cale is much less experimental than its predecessors. This is the type of self-titled album that feels like a reinvention. The band weren't strangers to pretty songs, but "Candy Says" and "Pale Blue Eyes" are basically pop songs, and beautiful ones at that. Not everything here is a departure; "What Goes On" recalls the band's garage rock riffage and "The Murder Mystery" is a big risky swing like the band took on their first two albums. I do find that the latter doesn't quite work - there's too much going on and not in an interesting way - and some of the lighter moments are too lightweight. But the closer "After Hours" ends things on a lovely note. While this is less exciting and adventurous than the band's earlier albums, the songwriting is still strong and it's charming in its own way.

Super Dope

druga polovina albuma me dignula i prijala mi dok sam radila, nisam se udubljivala u tekstove ili u dalje lik i delo, ali mi stvara slike u glavi i to je dobar znam, osećam proleće, sedenje napolju, not my cup of tea ali me nije ubilo

Muy bueno

Iconic. Not my favorite Lou Reed output but solid!

3 This Velvet album is not easy listening; it’s not that easy to digest considering the time it was released… it hasn’t aged badly, however it wasn’t their peak.

Dearest have a favor and listen to the murder with headphones on trippy, trippy, trippy trippy trippy

how chill was that

aburrido, un par de temas buenos, a la mitad del disco hay que dejar de escucharlo

Low-key album with a different vibe than other late 60s efforts. Feels a little bit like 1960s shoegaze.

So chill and lovely

Too slow and not interesting until the Murder Mystery.

3/25/26 - Listened at the computer. Was excited to listen to this album since I've heard much about Velvet Underground but have never listened to them. I liked it good enough. Definitely something I would listen to again but not sure if its an all time classic. PS - Lou Reed will always be associated in my mind with the night in Baltimore where Pearl Jam "broke up". Top Song - Beginning to See the Light

Raw underground riffs, reminds me of urban underground offbeat experimental rock.

Some great songs on here. Some others you probably had to be there and high for.

ax ti xalarotikh kai glukia melodia μου θυμιζει και λιγο καντρι.. δεν ειναι του γουστου μου, αλλα πολλα τσιλ βαιμπζ που εκτιμω..απλα δεν ειμαι αρκετα αμερικανα για να το νιωσω νταξ το παλε πμλου αιζ πικ δε λεω σε ηρεμει τοσο που αρχιζεις να κατουριεσε τοπ 5 πιο τσιλ αλμπουμ φορ σορ ΤΙ?? ΠΑΙΔΙΑ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΠΑΝΤΡΕΜΕΝΗ !!!!!ΣΟΚ .... δε επιασα για τι μιλαει μονο κατι ματια και μετα ακουω οτι είναι παντρεμενη και γιαυτο στο επομενο τρακ το γυρναει στη θρησκεια λογικο και ριλαιταμπλε ελπιζω να μην κοιμηθω μεχρι να τελειωσει (ειμαι κοντα) ααα οκ ξυπνησα αρχισε το begining to see the light murder mistery endiaferon μα καλα ποιο είναι αυτο το κοριστάκι στο τελος ?????/ γκοογκλαρα και τελικα είχε 2 γυναικες η μπαντα.. η μια γερμανιδα ναζι και η αλλη ρεπουμπλικανη οκ δικιο είχε ο μπρο για το ξεπουλημα με το 75$

приятный альбомчик, который нужно слушать целиком в прохладный весенний солнечный день. не выделила для себя отдельных фаворитов, но слушать залпом ощущается целостнее и логичнее.

Я снова подумала, что альбом абсолютно мимо, но все-таки кое-что зацепило. Некоторые песни по вайбу очень подходят к Очень странным делам, поэтому их просто приятно слушать (What Goes On, Beginning To See The Light). Но даже так, я не добавила их к себе, потому что я просто не слушаю такое. НО. The Murder Mystery — это очень хорошо! Мне сразу понравился инструментал в начале, даже не скажешь, что то один и тот же альбом. И в целом он очень отличается по звучанию и вайбу и отдаленно напоминает то, что я могу слушать сейчас. Его я добавила. Ему лайк. Но все остальное мимо :(

Great album

Inoffensive and vaguely soothing

FINALLY something from the 60s with an interesting sonic palette and not another copy of The Beach Boys or The Beatles. Hope they didn't abuse any minors, I want to finally find a unique 60s band that didn't copy anyone else.

début prometteur... mais plus on avance plus c'est étrange et les dissonances me dérangent :/ à un stade carrément la chanteuse chante juste FAUX et c'est embêtant.

Pas de fous convaincu surtout par la voix et le kiff de Jésus 🙄

4.1/5 velvets tamest and most experimental for them by toning things down

The Velvet Underground never became very successful but the band was influential. The last two tracks on the album were typical of the style of the late 1960s, but overall the music here was different than that typically heard then. I never listened to a Velvet Underground album before, so I’m glad to have the opportunity. It’s well done but not quite four stars.

I always mix them up with the movie 'Velvet Goldmine'. Both seem a little bit overrated. (Wiki assures me the two aren't unrelated, so this isn't the biggest bungle of mine.) This is very mellow. Kinda like Nick Drake maybe. Oh, just kidding, that's only like half of the songs. The rest has more pep and also more guitar. Supposedly the organ riff in 'What Goes On' is used in 'Once in a Lifetime', but I guess it isn't that memorable, because I wouldn't have clocked it. This is fine. Not offensive but I'm not very excited about it. Highlights: 'I'm Set Free', 'After Hours' Lowlight: 'The Murder Mystery' (although I do like when there are multiple singers)

Album before Loaded, loved it, you could tell they were ahead of their time. Each ear had different vocals from Lou and one other male spitting verse …songs were folky compared to the electric hit laden Loaded. It made me go back and listen to their first album and then 72’s effort. Terrific addition for my ears!

Fav- that’s the story of my life 4/5

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

Will definitely listen again!

I enjoyed this way more than expected. I knew of the velvet underground but had not actually heard anything other then pale blue eyes.

Perfect Best album EVAAAAA 10/5

Ruhiger als das bekannte Album mit dem Bananen Cover, in 2. Hälfte wieder mehr rockig, 1. Hälfte aber ganz nett

Not sure it's quite four stars, but enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

Good

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.

Shambly and moody, with some dark spots and beautiful melodies

Listened to it 5 times at least. One of those days. Fav songs were: -Candy Says -Pale Blue Eyes -The Murder Mystery -After Hours The only song I didn't like, probably cause I didn't relate, was Jesus. Just to do with the subject, not the production.

Leppoisaa, ihan kivaa, vähän levotonta. Vähän jotain beatlesvibaa ehkä löytyy!

- i love this album - so influential and ahead of its time - makin me tear up

I love that they all got to sing on it its adorable

Didn't realize that Doug Yule is already part of the VUs in this album, the transition from Cale to Yule sounds pretty seamless. Confused less chaotic for maturity. Even though WL/WH is my favorite VU album, pound for pound this album is better and only comparable to their debut. There's no weak points, the Murder Mistery might be their most listenable epic, Candy Says and Beggining to see the light are some of my all time favorites of theirs, Pale Blue Eyes is an all timer, great closer with After Hours. I'm tempted to give it five stars, but then i'd have to give 6 stars to the previous 2 albums, so i'll stick to 4.

Definitely listening to their self-titled (no Nico) without listening to their other stuff is a bit unconventional, but this was a good one. It's very whimsical with the guitar and vocal melodies, sounds like blissful hippie acoustic music. I think this is an album that would be good one to put on during a rainy day. I sense this album is one of those ones that I will come around to rather than totally get straight away. Highlight Song/s: "What Goes on", "Some Kinda Love", "That's The Story of My Life" and "Afterhours"

Honestly I don’t get a lot of the hype around this group. The songs weren’t bad by any means - far from it. I just found it a bit forgettable. I’ve rated many albums on here high even if they had no big hits. But this underground rock just isn’t my jam, and without big songs to back it up, this one just falls into the mix of other good-not-great albums.

Nothing about this made me feel I needed to hear this before I die. Most songs felt familiar in a boring way. Some were just too much like "Jesus" and "The Murder Mystery". I'm not surprised "Candy Says" and "Pale Blue Eyes" stand out with listen count because they were really stand outs on the album for me.

legalzin

Overrated .

not my fav, a bit too psychedelic in parts

Veryyy calm music, like jazz for sleepping vibe a little, okay, next song is different, more energetic, something like the beatles, really long songs (8:54), a little bit weird and confusing, but kind of funny

Almost painful to get through.

I was annoyed every moment of this album

i like this one but its a little bland for me

so fucking amazing…

For the tracks I like: pale blue eyes, after eyes and some kinda love I’d give this album a 4, otherwise it’s a 3

it wasn't bad by no means, it was quite melodic and down to earth it just isn't for me

4.5

Quite brilliant in quite a different way to the other self-titled record. Loved this.

Meh this was okay. Pale Blue Eyes was the saving grace if I'm honest.

Liked: Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, Jesus, Beginning To See The Light, I'm Set Free, The Murder Mystery Added: Candy Says, Jesus, Beginning To See The Light, I'm Set Free

Its definitely not the best the velvet underground album but i still love it so 5 stars

again. really enjoyed!

Nice, kinda relaxing.

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

I miss Cale here, and regret that no band would showcase as much discordant viola again. Murder Mystery would be better with him involved. But this album showcases what a fine and sensitive songwriter Reed had become

I remember not liking this one when I first heard it years ago. Turns out, I just didn't like Murder Mystery. Take that song out and this is a 5 star album.

I am always up for an album that isn’t afraid to commit to a particular sound and stick with it. That is exactly the case with the self-titled album by The Velvet Underground. There is a specific kind of melancholy that can be felt from the very first note. The lyrics are introspective and vulnerable, and the musical flow throughout the record is excellent. I also like how it subtly blends genres while remaining consistent in tone. The tracks that stood out to me are "Candy Says", "I'm Set Free" and controversially enough "The Murder Mystery". The latter has been stuck in my mind. While the execution of the idea of having two parallel vocal tracks may not fully pay off, is it so unusual that I can't help but find it fascinating.

I don't know exactly what this means, but... at some point in the early 00s, I bought the self-titled Velvet Underground album, then an quiet part of their canon, overshadowed by the influential debut and White Light/White Heat, which included songs covered by Bowie and Nirvana. Of course, over time, I decided it was my favourite record of theirs. It was a bit of a surprise, as I always reckoned John Cale was the best part of the first two albums. But, truly, not so much of a surprise: why accept the received wisdom when you can peacock your contrarian opinions? In the years that followed, the self-titled album would be reclaimed, reassessed, and revised, steadily climbing historical charts and receiving mention in all the right places. A decision I had come to by myself was apparently the same one everyone - or everyone cool, at least - had come to. We've seen something similar, although much grander and harder to fathom, happen with Abbey Road, where footnote has become mountain head. Perhaps there is such a thing as culture after all. Perhaps there is something in the water (I heard it might be full of estrogen). Regardless, I can't trust my feeling on the self-titled album now. Which is a shame, because it is a lovely record. If the Velvets' small catalogue is one of reduction - remove Nico and Warhol; remove Cale; remove the cutting edge; remove Reed and try to make it with Doug Yule; gone - S/T sits in an interesting spot. Who was the transgressive element in the band and what was the form of that transgression? Are the hushed tones of the album an inevitable result of losing Cale, the noisemaker, or a deliberate retort? To me, the strangely intimate rock band sound is just as sensory and disorienting as the La Monte Young drones that Cale introduced. Everything is miked so closely that it feels like ASMR, there is a faint distortion on everything because everything is too near to everything else. The lyrics, then, feel more like inner monologues amplified, a breach of privacy that discloses self-hatred and desperate prayers. Even the guitars, which play together beautifully in stereo, hover around the same band of sonic space, playing the same undemonstrative licks, a drone in execution if not nature. Not exactly the highlight of the album, but an exemplar of all this, is The Murder Mystery, which is how I fear God experiences his people: too many voices all at once. It is a more contrived experiment than any Cale put into operation, but it is exactly right for an album that - consciously or unconsciously - is obsessed with proximity and the sacred. Probably not the best Velvets album then, but a great collection of songs with a strange, loveable character. 3.5 I said somewhere else that I thought Pop music was record-making first and songwriting second. Here’s another album, taken in context, that proves that to me. The first two Velvet Underground albums are great records and while there is really no drop in the standard of songwriting - there are some crackers here - the third album isn’t a great record in my opinion. The speakers miss John Cale, simple as that. The hole might be less about the loss of general ‚wacky‘ ideas than about the absence of textures - particularly harsh trebles. Everything - even that familiar choppy guitar in the left speaker - is softened, like it’s wrapped in cotton wool. Supposedly Lou Reed wanted this album to be more of a commercial gambit than the previous two. It’s very hard to understand how this collection relates to that ambition. The general sense is not of keen, fresh-faced courting of an audience’s approval but of a band that is done with ambition and now just wants to hang out in the studio and make something nice. I find it hard to escape the temptation of comparing this album is the introspective bits of The Beatles‘ White Album. ‘Candy Says‘ subdued guitars and whispery vocals recalls ‘Julia’. The sleepy sweetness of ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ and Jesus‘ makes me think of ‘Long, Long, Long’. There is facetious old timey-ness in ‘After Hours’ as there is in ‘Honey Pie’. The only track that lifts the sleepy, bassy veil is The Murder Mystery - with the twin spoken tracks buzzing around your ears like an annoying fly. But even that track does not really seem to me to constitute any kind of proper challenge to the listener - in the way that Revolution 9 or Sister Ray does. Those tracks know the audience is there and want to shock it; The Murder Mystery is merely selfishly introspective. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it ruins the album - in fact it might represent the spirit of the album as well as all the other tracks put together - but it isn’t any good at the same time. A lot of this album is ‘good’. Lou Reed’s lyrics are funny and striking and sad and memorable. The melodies are strong. It’s an easy collection of songs to admire - but not an engaging listen, and so a difficult record to love. If John Cale had dressed these songs though... I think that would have been something special. 2.5/5

Always knew the Velvet Underground and understood their place in rock history and their large influence over genres like punk but this was my first time listening to them and it was fine. I enjoyed some of the songs such as "Some Kind of Love" and "Pale Blue Eyes" but the overall experience didn't move the needle above a 3/5 for me so thats what it gets.

meh

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.

Found this OK, but nothing inspiring.

If the Beatles found Jesus. I like Pale Blue eyes, the rest: meh

I haven’t listened to the velvet underground before. It was fine. No songs particularly grabbed me, although The Murder Mystery was more interesting than the others. The songwriting was solid but I like a more raw or rockier sound (which Lou Reed delivers later). Borderline 3, but wouldn’t listen again, so 2.

This is a very specific sort of gentle alt-rock and sure it’s kind of one-note but it works. I liked it, and it’s fairly concise I have always loved the song Pale Blue Eyes

It was fine - except for The Murder Mystery which was weird - but kind of too folk for my tastes. I did enjoy some of the guitar work however.

Thought it was ok all sounded a bit the same

Kinda weird

7/10 Coming off the back of White Light/White Heat, this is a pretty interesting change in direction. It’s much more of a traditionally structured, musically safe album, and whereas the former album was a challenging listen that I found to be a little too repetitive and a little to unfocused to completely connect with, this managed to present the ideas in a much more palatable way. It was the overall vibe of this that connected with me more than anything else. There was some decent melodic writing and engaging song structures in there, but it was all melded together with a really interesting blend of tones that added an extra depth to the recording. There were plenty of lo-fi elements in there, but they would also mix those up with more crisp and clear tracks that would create a really warm, engaging sound that helped to bed everything together into something that was sonically interesting and cohesive. There were moments of experimentation on here, not least The Murder Mystery, but even that track felt a bit more focused and coherent, despite its more menacing and avant garde bent. While I wasn’t completely in love with this, it definitely had something about it that made it worthy of further consideration and repeat listening. I can kind of see why Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground were so influential, because this sounds really interesting for a record from 1969 and I can hear some of the ideas presented here echoing over the music of the decades that would follow. This may be one that I need to dip back into over the next few weeks and months, and my fondness for it may grow, but for now, it was an enjoyable, if unspectacular record. Candy Says - It’s a tonally pleasant start and an interesting and dramatic change of pace and intensity from their previous record. The chord structure is really pretty and it roams around really nicely, but does manage to maintain an edge due to the subject matter. It’s pretty intriguing to hear a song about gender dysphoria and transgender issues as far back as 1969. What Goes On - And now the pace picks up a bit. It’s another more traditionally structured song, but the experimentation in sound design gives it an interesting twist. It’s a slightly muddled mix, but that gives it a bit of a DIY sound that I actually quite like. The driving rhythm from the guitar and bass give this a bit of force and zip, although the instrumental stuff in the second half perhaps drags on a bit too long. Some Kinda Love - This has a really nice blend of parts that drift and circle around each other, but it’s way too repetitive and relentless. I actually quite like it, but the same couple of bars of fairly laid back and pleasant music that only very occasionally dip into anything else is a bit much for me, which is a bit of a shame as the vibe and core musical concept are pretty good. Pale Blue Eyes - The vibe here is solid too. It’s laid back and has an almost hymnal backing with the slow organ chords. The guitar line is great too. There’s something really subtle but effective about the whole presentation here. It’s nothing groundbreaking from a songwriting point of view, but it has a little edge of something that makes it an endearing listen. Perhaps its the time and space they allow for everything to breathe. I don’t love it, but I still think it’s really good. Jesus - I really like the blend of tones that they bring to the table here. They meld really lo-fi aspects with some much crisper and clearer elements and are happy to not strive for musical perfection. The vocals waver a little here and there and sometimes slightly miss the mark, but it all combines to create such an interesting sonic palette and a really engaging vibe. The sparing dynamic lifts they use are really effective too. Beginning To See The Light - Now the pace has picked back up again. It’s got a nice groove to it too and there are some nice bits and pieces of range and variety to the songwriting too. Some of the vocal harmonies are pretty cool. It’s got a great raw edge and it sounds like they’re having great fun recording it too, which is sometimes a difficult thing to put across, but can be quite infectious when it’s done well. It’s a bit repetitive in places, but the vibe continues to be great and it’s got some decent melodic hooks too. I'm Set Free - This is a slow build of a track. It starts off subtly but increases in intensity and then drops away before building again. It’s a nice idea to build a track around and it works well here. Again, the tonal mix is really cool and it all feels very warm and welcoming. There’s nothing overly complex about it, but it’s a really effective presentation. That's The Story Of My Life - There’s a nice little swing to this and it’s subtle but effective. Again, I really dig the tonal vibe of this, it’s sonically very interesting and engaging, despite the fact that it’s a simple composition. That being said, there’s enough melodic quality to hold it up and backed by that sonic vibe, it all just comes together really well. The Murder Mystery - And we’ve arrived at the most experimental, traditionally Velvet Underground track on the album. It’s weird, it shifts between various phases and it’s musically and sonically more challenging, but it’s really interesting and carries over that warm tonal vibe. The panned dual vocal lines are a really interesting effect, as is the shift in intensity between what you might consider to be the verses and choruses. It’s a pretty tasty piece of experimental work and doesn’t sound like the kind of thing you’d expect from the late 60s. It’s quite pretty in places, it’s unnervingly intense in others and it has this delicious undercurrent of menace about it, and then it ends in this increasingly intense, hypnotic and threatening way. Great stuff. After Hours - We close with something more delicate and pretty. It’s melodically pleasant and is a really nice palate cleanser after the previous track to close us out, as well as echoing the sense of fun and camaraderie that is sprinkled across the album.

2,5/5

Good album. 10 out of 10 would listen again

락밴드인줄 알았는데 되게 컨트리스러운 느낌

nice background music

8/10

it's nice fav song: Candy Says

This was a nice listen this morning with my coffee. I had only heard Pale Blue Eyes before. It's not quite as experimental and noisy as the Nico record, a bit more mellow overall and production a bit cleaner. But it didn't excite me as much. I like Candy Says.

I loved this. The poignant questioning songs were a perfect fit for my rather morose mood of today. I added “Candy Says” to my Generator -playlist.

Toujours aussi bizarre, dans le bon sens du terme ! Il faudra que je me repenche sérieusement dessus.

I enjoyed a few of the songs, an easy listen.

I didn’t previously know this album. Having now heard it, the absence of John Cale’s abrasiveness from the band is quickly apparent. I prefer the harder, more urgent Velvet Underground sound of their first couple of albums, as opposed to these lyrically reflective and largely mainstream-sounding Lou Reed efforts. There are some highlights, though. Some Kinda Love is really good. Doug Yule’s bass-playing on Beginning To See The Light is fabulous. The Murder Mystery has an interesting structure, including simultaneous-but-different spoken word tracks. And, having heard After Hours for the first time, I feel I know what Edwyn Collins was listening to on repeat before writing and recording the first Orange Juice album. All in all, though, I found this album more worthy than exciting, and I don’t think I’ll be revisiting it soon.

I must admit when I saw the name I thought this was a more recent album not a late 60's one. Sort of OK but nothing special. There were a number of places that sounded/were out of tune which gave the impression of a slightly amateur production.

I don’t have anything to say about this album. It’s fine and mostly unremarkable.

Lou great poet. Band, brown.

w album my new fav i would throw it back to listen to it for the first time agian

I really don’t get it. They lost me with Heroin or whatever that loud ass song is. I liked the intro, though.

Great music. Great length.

Hits that sitting around a small campfire about to start a drum circle on some drugs kind of energy. Some very experimental sounds, vocals that are buried behind the soft guitar/ piano, meandering melodies and lots of repeated chorus lines. A couple tracks that were okay but lost me in the sauce.

discazo, recomiendo escucharlo triste

Biasa

Otimo album de rock classico, mt bom de ouvir

Very average, imo

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

The Murder Mystery is one of the most terrible listening experiences I've ever had and it actually gave me a headache. The rest of the songs on here sound like half-baked demos. I don't know who this album was for, but I regret having listened to it.

Idk when autotune became a thing but it's glaringly absent w these older artists, esp when their music is heavily produced otherwise When this dude holds his notes he goes "uhhyUh"

I thought this album was fine until it got to The Murder Mystery. What an awful song. Like it made me really angry. And then the last song was bad too. I’ve never seen quite the nose dive at the end of an album than what happened here.

Velvet, smooth, bland.

Heel vet ingetogen album

Really enjoyed this. It felt like a complete album and I know if I listened to this when I was 16 I would have eaten it up. It felt like the soundtrack to a film, something close to submarine. It felt like a more complete version of the mama and papas record we listened to before. Just a more mature record. Think I’ll be checking more of them out. I really like after hours. Felt like a great closer.

I know the famous one with Nico, so really wasn't expecting this. There was a couple of standout moments but it was slightly to folksy for me to be able to enjoy it as a complete project. I did really like 'Pale Blue Eyes' though.

Very chill

Quite spookier than you would imagine

I’m not sure where people are hearing the 5-star album. But I’m not

not much to say about this apart from that it was nice

Cool

Chill and mellow

Felt like when the weather in spring starts to get consistently warm

hold my hand. let’s do downers together <3

I love boring music :)

Why did I think the Velvet Underground was similar to the Clash???

3.3

Pretty chill, enjoyable 3.5

Amei

hermoso

Color me unimpressed! I don't get it. I hope the Andy Warhol Banana album is better than this. Alot of these are just somber songs that go on too long. Jesus is interesting song to hear from Reed based on his reputation. Murder Mystery is interesting to say the least. Just unimpressed. 2

Wow, A third Velvet record I get here, after almost 200 albums. And their three first albums in order. Some nice coincidence. I'm a huge John Cale fan, and knowing this one is the first record after his departure always had an impact on me. With great respect to the other band members (I mean, Lou is one of the best songwriters to ever live) I view this one as a debut of a new band. Having said that, it's hard to not fall for this Album. The songs are incredibly good. Lyricly, while totally different from his previous work, Lou is shining. Finding a new voice and material that will carry him further in his career. Musicly, it's hard not to think of it as a step back. But it's not. It's just a new, much simpler beginning. The exploration of their first two masterpieces is replaced by the coziest sound you can imagine for a rock band. Guitar work is just mesmerizing and shining out of its simplicity. I won't go in to detail on all the songs here, but as someone who's favorite velvet songs are sister ray and venus is furs, I have to note The Murder Mystery. What an incredible inclusion. As an experimental piece it's much more "friendly" then Sister Ray for example, but it's still so fucking thrilling, and may I say, fun. The music is rolling with the poetry in such a imaginative way, and it just works so well. You never want it to end.. I love the Velvet Underground. One of the best bands of all time, without a doubt. I gave Nico a 5. It has to be a five. I Gave White light a 4, only to distinguish the unique greatness of Nico. I think this one deserves a 5 and everyone giving it a 5 can be my friend, but I'll keep to this tradition A very very high 4. 4.9, if you want.

Honestly fuck this album and fuck this band. One star is too many.

Me encanta. Ya conocía alguna que otra canción, pero escuchar el album entero me hizo que me gusten más. Me gustó mucho y es un álbum que volvería escuchar (solo si estoy un poco deprimido y el día me ayuda a estarlo). Muy adelantado a su época. After hours fue una premonición a la música therian de 2020.

que lindo para una siesta fresquita y chill. tkm lou

Good mix of groove and softer tunes. It was a good listen- nothing revolutionary, but a nice groove while you’re working. “The Murder Mystery” is conceptually a really cool song… unfortunately, when it’s your second day at a law office and you’re trying to parse legalese, it’s not the easiest task ever when you have two separate guys talking in two separate ears LOL… but super cool the way that song plays with time. Overall, if this album was their “safer record” in response to their previous more experimental album, I kind of just want to give that one a listen!

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.

Just an album full of rambling and talking with instrumentals.

I absolutely hated The Murder Mystery. Who wants to listen to that? The rest of the album honestly wasn’t that bad but holy shit murder mystery ruined this for me.

Honestly this was the right album for this moment. I like the velvet underground, and there's some great songs in here with a couple of misses towards the end, though after hours is an excellent song

Nice and good, especially for its time. The Murder Mystery is proof that Sonic Youth never did anything new or interesting.

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.

was a struggle to finish, didn't like voices ontop each other

Classic album, but lets be honest here. This lp is really hit and miss.

Their 3rd might not be held in quite the same hallowed renown as their debut, but it has cast its own long shadow of influence across the decades. Largely mellow and restrained with just a couple of rockier moments here and there (“Beginning to See the Light”, “What Goes On”), the only overt nod to experimentalism is the 9 minute “The Murder Mystery”. We all know however that when VU make a straight pop song, that in itself is an arch art statement. Special shout out to under appreciated Doug Yule. It can’t have been easy to step into the shoes of such a significant band member. Not only was he up to the task, but some of his contributions on vocals, harmonies, and organ are the icing on the cake of some of the songs here. His bass playing can’t be faulted either.

I love The Velvet Underground, but this one isn't their best. It's like John Cale took their teeth with him when he left. It's still the Velvets, so 4 stars, but I can't give it the 5 stars I've given the rest of theirs so far.

I found some pieces interesting, some boring

It’s a 4 from me

Great tracks on here, Murder Mystery intro is fire

Tan Lou Reed.. Chill

this has never been my type of music unfortunately

Very hippy Beatles

very soft start. nice vocal harmonies what goes on--now we're rocking. a little bit doorsy some kinda love--what? pale blue eyes--i dunno jesus--jesus song counter: 2 beginning to see the light--breakfast at night? wine in the morning? i'm set free--is this by any chance connected to the last song? the murder mystery--love the organ. vocals are weird. getting doors vibes throughout--which is probably accurate since they were contemporaries. honestly for some reason i think of that sound--organ, certain style of vocal harmonies, etc.--as more british than american. i dunno, 3.x/5. tbd how i'll round it.

How Beatles of them? But significantly less good. Only 2 listenable tracks on the album for me: What Goes On (which I enjoy) and After Hours. Murder Mystery Party had potential but quickly felt like “more of the same” and I lost interest.

I especially enjoyed the murder, mystery and pale blue eyes!

If you like the Beatles, you MIGHT like this band… but just listen to the Beatles instead; they’re better than The Velvet Underground. The songs aren’t terrible or anything, they just sound… bland. Their slow songs are boooring. The upbeat ones are better, but regardless, every song has very repetitive instrumentation and uninspiring lyrics. Apparently this band’s most popular song of all time is Pale Blue Eyes, so I paid special attention to that one and ??? It’s not catchy, it’s not thought provoking, it’s not visceral or emotional. “Sometimes I feel so happy, sometimes I feel so sad, but mostly you just make me mad.” Riveting stuff. The song I’d be most likely to listen to again is After Hours, the last song on the album. I think it was just included as a little extra thing for fun; It has a completely different singer and a completely different style than the rest of the album. Ironically, it turns out to be better than everything else on the album, precisely because it’s nothing like it. I’m think the bar for a good album was just lower in the 60’s.

no es para mí (demasiado folk)

i'm so glad we're past the days of this music being acceptable

The album has an interesting sound. I imagine people felt this was kind of a new age vibe at the time. The vocals aren’t stellar in my opinion, but have an interesting quality (don’t have a better way to describe it). Slow and soft. Kinda just weird, but also maybe giving spoken word poem vibes? No clue what was happening in The Murder Mystery (not a fan). The music is easy enough listening because it’s gentle, but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to it again. (10 songs, 43 minutes) 2/23/26

aburrido asf

It was good what we did yesterday, And I’d do it once again. The fact that you are married Only proves you’re my best friend. (Pale Blue Eyes)

Classic.