Reviews (page 5 of 14)
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
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.
It’s a 4 from me
Great tracks on here, Murder Mystery intro is fire
Tan Lou Reed.. Chill
Very hippy Beatles
Classic.
Great album. Pretty soft and sweet. I’ll definitely be back.
Buen disco, muy digerible. Me gustaron mucho varias canciones. Pale Blue Eyes es una canción muy linda, The Murder Mystery es una joya experimental, se me hizo muy buena esa canción y muy atinado el lugar en que se puso en el disco, despues de una pista con disonancias (bien hechas, escuche varios tritonos que suenan increíble), con una polifonía vocal muy rara y arrítmica en varias partes, te llega una dulce After Hours para finalizar el disco. La experiencia es muy gratificante y genial. Buen disco.
Niice
Solid album. Pale Blue Eyes is an all time fave. I enjoyed this
Alright kinda liked it
Nöd s ganze album glost leider aber het mir eigentlich no gfalle
I had much lower expectations, and it was pretty decent (technically an unrelated note: I hate Andy Warhol)
4.2
This was so nice to listen to. Each song kinda blended together and felt like one thing.
Very chill and interesting album, would listen to again.
4/5 God.... yes. Just yes. This album was so well-rounded and lovely, and the last song ended the album in such a nice way. I love the Velvet Underground.
Interesting sound. 'Missing link' between classic 60s pop sound and punk. What Goes On is a good example of proto-punk. Some Kinda Love is fun, Lou Reed gets his classic delivery style, must have been very controversial at the time Pale Blue Eyes is quite a beautiful tender son From Jesus we see a drop in quality.. The Murder Mystery has an increase in quality with an avant-garde, psychedelic sound. Best track - What Goes On, Some Kinda Love, The Murder Mystery 4 stars - just enough to bring it up from a 3
I'm glad the Velvets were a thing. I'm glad they opened the door for so many bands. I'm glad I listened to them a lot in my younger days. I don't listen to them much these days.
love, listened twice
Listening to this album evokes a somewhat unsettling, flickering stillness. Purposefully underproduced and intimate, it is The Velvet Underground at their most vulnerable. It is easy to get lost in the tracks, some of which, admittedly, blend together in terms of sound. Most of the songs, apart from "Pale Blue Eyes", the dream pop of "Candy Says" and the experimental "Murder Mystery" are straightforward, rock songs about love. Resultantly, it is perhaps "After Hours" which is the most significant track on the album. It is a song offering respite from the relative messiness of the rest of the album, and is refreshingly simple; stripped back acoustics are paired with a thumping bass, clear vocals and a narrator dreaming. Of something impossible, yes, but still dreaming. And it is this naivete that concludes the album that has stayed with me the most.
Lou Reed wanted to switch things up after two albums and accidentally laid the foundation for shoegaze and countless indie rock bands. You may not appreciate his New York street poet delivery, but there's no denying the influence of this record.
left no notes but enjoyed a lot haha
86/100. The Velvet Underground’s self-titled album is an emotionally raw pop-rock record, exploring themes of love, longing, vulnerability, and personal reflection. The album has a chill, intimate vibe, making it a deeply fulfilling listening experience. Stripped down yet impactful, it showcases the band’s ability to create subtle yet powerful music.
Me gustó mucho, un sonido inesperado.
iconic tracks
gaby’s says listen!
This is one I hadn't heard before. I was honestly hooked even from the beginning song. The banana album gets so much credit, but I really enjoyed this.
I’ve listened before and liked them a lot but this go around made me want to get deeper into their discography
A classic.
Calm pleasant sound
Too sober to enjoy Murder Mystery, but I loved the rest of the album.
Not my favorite VU album which means I like it instead of loving it.
Really liked it!
A classic. I feel like half of my record collection wouldn't exist with Murder Mystery or What Goes On...
Well that was lovely.
Velvet underground is wel leuk vond het alleen beetje crazy toen het over jezus ging
4.5 - has some beautiful songs. I’m set free is one of my favorites.
The Velvet Chads 4.5
Favorite Track: What Goes On
While "The Velvet Underground" is undoubtedly charming, it fails to resonate with me quite enough to warrant the classic status others bestow upon it. It is certainly a pleasant listen, headlined by the standout brilliance of 'Candy Says', but it lacks a consistent identity. The inclusion of 'The Murder Mystery' is a particular sticking point; though it’s an audacious piece of avant-garde experimentation, it feels jarringly out of place against the hushed, melodic backdrop of the rest of the album. This album sits right on the cusp between three and four stars, but as I prefer to accentuate the positive and acknowledge its clear merits, I’m leaning towards the higher mark. Side one 1 "Candy Says" (5/5) 2 "What Goes On" (4/5) 3 "Some Kinda Love" (3/5) 4 "Pale Blue Eyes" (4/5) 5 "Jesus" (4/5) Side two 1 "Beginning to See the Light" (3/5) 2 "I'm Set Free" (3/5) 3 "That's the Story of My Life" (3/5) 4 "The Murder Mystery" (3/5) 5 "After Hours" (4/5) Total - 36 Average -3.6 230/1001 127/230 albums reviewed were new to me
I really enjoyed it. Very chill, subtle but profound songwriting. Enjoyable both in background music and in listening with attention to every word.
No drone rock like "Heroin", no long freak outs like "Sister Ray". Maybe with the exception of "The Murder Mystery", a pretty straightforward album; not quite what I was expecting. But still great, and ahead of its time.
62/1088 4.0028 There has always been a ton of hype about TVU but I never knew much more than Lou Reed's Sweet Jane and TAWOTWS. The music is beautiful, very unique and pleasant sounds. I must say that I'm a TVU fan after listening to the album 3 times. Great stuff from start to finish and I'd be excited to put this on for someone, young or old. Can't wait to get their other albums! Hits...candy says, murder mystery.
Nice chill album, pale blue eye a highlight
Ti accoglie e ti respinge allo stesso tempo, può essere un album di sottofondo quanto di profonda inquietudine se ascoltato (e letto) con attenzione.
Hat mir gut gefallen, lief den ganzen Morgen Nebenher.
My introduction to this group, the vocals can sometimes be a bit too quiet. But the instrumentals are great. Gonna revisit.
Kind of sleepy music for a Monday, but I enjoyed it. Some songs felt oddly spontaneous (in a good way); didn't feel quite like your typical late-60s rock album. This is somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4, but close enough to a 4 that I'll bump it up.
Gostei bastante. Lembra um pouco Beatles. Ouviria novamente
Rare for a band to have an eponymous third album. Doug Yule replaced John Cale and we now have a more mellow set of less obtuse songs but they still have electric strum DIY sound that became so influential. A yes from me for a band I don’t rate THAT much.
quitando the murder mystery que es más rara que un perro verde me ha encantado esta experiencia <3
No john cale, m0 sings What goes on Some kinda of love Pale blue eyes Beginning to see the light The murder mystery After hours
Album No. 0133 on my list. To me, The Velvet Underground was always one of these bands that, despite creating a lot of other good music, was mostly associated with one album. Like Fleetwood Mac and "Rumors", or Alanis Morissette with "Jagged Little Pill". You know they have other music to listen to, but that one album is always the first thing that comes to mind. Due to success, cultural significance, or just quality. For The Velvet Underground, this album would be "The Velvet Underground and Nico". I had reviewed this album before (it was actually one of my first on the list), and I found it... well... okay. Since I assumed this was their greatest album, I didn't have high expectations for this one. But I was wrong. I actually like "The Velvet Underground" better than "The Velvet Underground and Nico". Except for "The Murder Mystery", the experimental nature of which I can appreciate but which I find annoying, all tracks on this are pretty good! Compared to the uber-album, I feel there has been a maturation in the songwriting. The experimental nature is still there, but the tracks feel somewhat more concise and catchy without getting too boring. The album sounds better as well. I'll add "Candy Says", "Pale Blue Eyes", "Beginning To See The Light", and "After Hours" to my playlist. Good stuff overall! 4/5 stars.
Different than what I expect from VU, but pretty solid.
A bit more accessible than their other records. Quite a relaxing album and very nice to listen to which, whilst I'm not saying this is a bad thing, isn't an attribute the records they released prior to this have.
Except for that one song this is a great album.
Enjoyed this album, good vibes well written.
This was more tame than that album that has the banana on the cover...until that last song that was super heroiny sounding and made my skin crawl. But the album was a cool listen and is a low 4
I dig it. A little repetitive as the album goes, but can see the appeal.
I feel like I'm walking through house on the rock while listening to this. A bit hard to focus on it with how much stereo effects L/R sweeps and fades are happening it's a bit much on headphones. Album is enjoyable.
I was gonna give this album a 5, but if you guys can give Dark Side a 4, I can give this a 4. Let’s be honest, everything after Heroin is a drag. And I get you invented feedback, but where do we draw the line between important and enjoyable?
The whole album felt like the guitarists were constantly switching between strumming at their nipples and strumming at their waist. The change in pace and heaviness kept me on edge and helped me understand why this group is considered so influential. I LOVED everything about "Pale Blue Eyes". The guitar on this song was enough to make me want to dust off the old axe. "Jesus", "Beginning to see the light", and "I'm set free" made a great little story in the middle. "The Murder Mystery" was wonderfully chaotic and utilized stereo in a real cool way. Other random thoughts: "Some kinda love" - deadpan vocals reminded me of CAKE "Jesus" - Reminded me of Iroh's "Leaves of the Vine" from AtLA. "The Murder Mystery" - Sounded a bit like Chop Suey for a second Overall, an awesome album!
VU’s third album feels like the calm clarity after a hard night of indulgence. Melody has taken primacy, John Cale and his violin are gone, and songs like “Beginning to See the Light” and “What Goes On” suddenly don’t sound all that far apart from the then-current sounds emerging from Haight Ashbury or even the British Invasion. But it’s still the Velvet Underground, and a dark undercurrent still pervades. Their most approachable LP after Loaded, which had the hits.
I love the unconventionality of The Velvet Undergound.
Simpelt på ytan men med en väldigt speciell drömlik känsla. Eller helt enkelt "de har nåt".
Kul att lyssna på ett klassiskt band jag aldrig gett mig in på, och flera låtar höll jäkligt hög kvalitet imo - och håller himla bra såhär långt efteråt!
Quiet, contemplative and delicious VU album. Pale Blue Eyes is a mega tune.
For a group that eventually became a bit of a cliché, this album is a breath of fresh air. It’s easily the most listenable thing in the catalog because it isn't dripping in attitude. It feels like a band finally comfortable in its own skin. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Candy Says - What Goes On - Pale Blue Eyes - After Hours
dope
Very enjoyable background music
Surprisingly didnt fall in love with this one. With how much i like & nico I should be drawing out over this. But im not. Its still good dont get me wrong. Very good even. But im not saving a bunch of tracks and into every song. But as a whole piece I think it shines more. Really all I saved was pale blue eyes and after hours. But everything else is great too. Just not that eye catching. Or ear i guess. Its still the velvet underground and that counts for a whole lot. Good record overall though. Absolutely
A beautiful chill album from a usually chaotic avant garde band. Candy Says and Afterhours are my favorites from this album.
first album back after a pause, very special, i loved learning new facts about the songs, and actually trying to decode the lyrics like poems
it's cool but not my cup of tea
There’s a lot going on here. And it’s being done without much. This is (for the most part) stripped back, folky, jangly rock. Tracks like Candy Says and Pale Blue Eyes are so simple, accessible, empathetic, and lovely while a track like “Murder Mystery” is basically inaccessible between overlapped spoken multi-channel lyrics and crashing piano. I appreciate any risk an artist is willing to take and sometimes, as is the case with The Velvet Underground (self-titled), that risk is taken in attempting to appeal to the masses. I’m never opposed to the “you just don’t get it, but there’s nothing to get”-edness of some music. This album does the opposite when, at times, it is so on the nose, it comes off as dull for the sake of being dull like on Jesus and Beginning To See The Light. This project has moments that are delightful and genuine, bonkers, and silly. I just wish it held off on some of the self-aware irony.
The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground’s 1969 self-titled effort is a "warm and intimate" masterclass in atmosphere. It is the ultimate "lounging" record—a collection of songs that encourage "reminiscing" through their quiet, soulful simplicity. Tracks like "Candy Says," "Pale Blue Eyes," and "Jesus" hit the brain with a level of emotional "musicianship" that doesn't require volume to be powerful. While the experimental chaos of "The Murder Mystery" can feel a bit "overwhelming," it remains a "passable" detour in an otherwise "immaculate" body of work. It is a deeply "human" album that trades the noise of their earlier work for a sophisticated, late-night vulnerability.
Not their best, but damn good
I really enjoy Lou Reed’s work - I’m always so drawn to his music and voice. This was a good album, some really good tracks show up here - namely Pale Blue Eyes, The Murder Mystery, and After Hours. It’s got a timeless sound while carrying the softness that I hear in most music from the 60s. Not Velvet Underrated’s best work, but pretty darn good.
nunca entendi quem classificava esse álbum como chato ou quando diziam que ele dá sono. esse só é mais um álbum melancólico e introspectivo, e é lindo. o estilo que lou reed usa nas músicas é tão particular e própria dele, isso dá um toque muito especial ao disco pra mim.
They were really ahead of their time...I was pleasantly surprised with the whole album.
Personally not very into soft indie bedroom music but if there's one group I'll allow it it's the Velvet Underground esp because of Candy Says <3 Favorites: Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes
Although I love The Velvet Underground And Nico, I’ve never really listened to any of their other albums. Listening to this made me wonder why - I liked it a lot.
lindo dms
A really relaxed and nostalgic album
The low-key version of the Velvets opens with some stunners. Maybe drifts a little in the second half but still loads to love here.
Liker d! hørt før ofc. ikke min favoritt velvet underground da
43m 10 songs Pale blue eyes ❤️❤️
Awesome
Best Track - "Pale Blue Eyes"
Cozy Lou Reed
The lo-fi sound space works really well, the atmosphere is amazing and very cozy. They seem in full control while also being vulnerable. Best song: Candy Says Worst song: The Murder Mystery Cover check: That is in fact The Velvet Underground
Reading some of the public reviews for this one hurt. I love this album! It's so tender and endearing in a way that VU had never really done before. It was their most accessible album they'd made to that point. With John Cale leaving, they basically dropped the entire experimental layer of their music and went for a much more sweet and less aggressive sound. I think they nailed it.
Great Groove on What goes on, love this guitar. Feels like classic new york. Pale blue eyes is one of the best songs I've ever heard of course Beginning to see the light makes you sound like you're running through the streets of new york
While it still struggles a bit sonically, this album remains so groundbreaking in so many ways. Nico's raspy Bohemian voice with zero fucks to give and Lou Reed already showing what a powerful musician he was make this record a standout.
Great album, a definite listen again. 8/10
Very mellow and slow. Not really my thing
A great album brought down by an overly avant closer.
Nesse álbum a banda já mostra que seria diferente. Ainda tá em busca de um som mais singular, mas a genialidade está presente. QoA Cloudscape.
Love anything velvet underground
Well...middle of the day working in the office is NOT the best time to listen to this one. It's good -- really good -- but out there -- far out! I enjoyed enoigh to give it a critical listen at a later date, but until then, 4 stars.
Liked it better than I expected. I like a nicer slower tempo record
This, after The Band by The Band, put me on the back foot immediately but fuck me there's a gorgeous album waiting to be let out here. Pale Blue Eyes and The Murder Mystery steal the show, with the latter's chaotic instrumentation and panned vocals remind me of Circle Takes The Square, while hearing After Hours for the first time broke me
Great album from The Velvet Underground. Haunting vocals from Lou Reed being the highlight for me as always. Favourite Track - The Murder Mystery 7/10
So sweet, and I can see their influence upon…many
I liked this one more than the banana album.
Really enjoyed the vibes of the songs, very soft and relaxing
This is a Velvet Underground album if you like them you will enjoy it if you don't you won't. It's that easy.
Funnily enough, i listened to them for the first time yesterday at robert's (sassy's friend from vienna) recommendation 1. candy says: so dreamy and warm, like floating on a cloud at the beach, ve ry LA are they from la i wonder, nope new york, makes sense, they look like city slickers 2. a little more rocky more upbeat i dig it
Excellent display of experimental, often melancholic vibes. I appreciate the uniqueness of the album and band in general and think this is something I could put on to zone out to. One or two of the more experimental tracks are keeping this from being a 5 star for me.
Such good vibes. Really enjoyed listening to this album
good songs on it, some songs weren’t for me
Great songs with a couple of oddities I had not heard before.
C'est cool, c'est chill, c'est Velvet. 4.25 étoiles
Candy Says - 4/5 What Goes On - 4.5/5 Some Kinda Love - 3.5/5 Pale Blue Eyes - 4.5/5 Jesus - 3.5/5 Beginning to See the Light - 4/5 I'm Set Free - 4/5 That's The Story Of My Life - 3.5/5 The Murder Mystery - 4/5 After Hours - 4/5 A surprisingly intimate album. I had never listened to anything by the Velvet Underground (closest I guess is Lou Reed's sample on ATCQ) so I was going into this completely blind. Good through-line from beginning to end. A very mellow and intimate album that sounds like the sober realization of the morning after. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Candy Says, What Goes On, Pale Blue Eyes
Man this was great! Top 3 - 1. Pale blue eyes 2. Candy says 3. After Hours
(3.7) I liked this better than their other album I listened to. Pale blue eyes is very good
I've only listened to this album all the way through once, but it actually shines brighter on this second listen. I don't enjoy this album as much as 'The Velvet Underground & Nico' but it's still pretty good! Sorry, but I do hate Moe's voice.
It was nice to listen to this and read about it and learn more. This album was an answer to the prior era of the band like when they had the one with niko case and also white lights or whatever it is. This is after they kicked out John Kale since Lou Reed wanted commercial success, but this sold even worse lol. There are songs on this album I've heard in movies like science of sleep for After Hours and Candy says and Pale Blue Eyes. I feel like understanding the influence this had on future bands and waves is important, and I think its like a cool guy thing to be "in" on this band and this album. I enjoyed it, I almost wish I did even more too be truly cool but I'm like one step back off that. If you really listen in on the lyrics of Candy Says it take son like a better meaning even since its about someone who is transexual dealing with that at the time in New York and there's a nice "anti mxing" going on all over so make the production very raw.
3.5
I wish Spotify had the non-deluxe version available. Pale Blue Eyes was the only song I had saved already. It reminds me of an edit or a Moment of a show that I can't place.
Very solid. Love Lou Reed and his guitar. Pale blue eyes and I’m set free were highlights. Didn’t like murder mystery. A little bit slow paced overall.
Actually hadn't listened to this all the way through.
Ah man I haven't listened to this album (or the Velvet Underground come to think of it) in ages. It's nice to be reunited with some of these tracks. I love 'What Goes On' in particular. What a tune, even if it does have weird, jarring moments of putting everything through the left channel. I'd say there's less stand-out tracks on this album as a whole, but it's pretty good throughout, and of course there's plenty of artsy weirdness as well, as is custom. 3.5 rounded up.
Good. Can tell John Cale is not in the band
Nice
I love the first song on the album "candy," but my favourite part of the super deluxe 1969 album is Disc 4 and some of 5/6, there's definitely a experimental element that you don't get in the first half of the album. I love the ballads, its simple, easy, yet very punchy. The lyrics are all so amusing and witty. Good on you Lou Reed.
You know, I went into this expecting not to like it since I don't really like Velvet Underground and Nico. That experimental psychedelic sound isn't for me. But the whole time I was listening to this though, I was enjoying it and wondering why it was reminding me of something. Mostly I was thinking "Does this sound like 90's pacific northwest music, like The Spinanes", which it does... but halfway through That's the Story of My Life it hit me. This sounds a lot like Belle and Sebastian. So yeah. This album honestly sounds way ahead of its time, which is why I'm enjoying it. Great record.
I listened to it twice yesterday, liked it a lot. It does not seem to be as good as the banana album, but still some great tunes, with Pale Blue Eyes as an obvious choice. I’ll be happy to give it some more time over the weekend
This truly great album as definitely something to say and work through music, and that I enjoyed a lot. It can be quite subtle, and therefore probably requires multiple listens. It also strikes a balance between being interesting avant garde and listenable gorgeous music. "The murder mystery" is really impressive, though I don't want to listen to it again, it is necessary, and at the right time in the album, just to let us know we can do songs you have never heard before, therefore every "simple" song means more, cause they are here with purpose. I just don't know that my mind was blown, or my heart truly moved to get to the 5, but I thoroughly enjoyed it
I don't think I've ever listened to all of this album in one go before. It somehow lacks the edge of their previous stuff, was that all John Cale? It's still pretty good though.
Very 60s-70s vibe, nice one
Good compositions
Great album did not know of the experimental portion of the catalogue.
Gentle songs brought on by hard drugs. TVU&N might have launched a thousand bands, but decades later, more bands sound like this record. I could see this growing into a five-star. For now, I just feel a gap between my preference for this and their first two albums (especially White Light/White Heat).
Very beautiful album!
Not what I was expecting based on previous VU listening. Instead of another experimental rock outing, we were treated with something more beautiful. Really enjoyed this one.
Crazy that this came out in 1969, way ahead of its time.
Wish it would have snowed.
Loved this. Guitar tone and songwriting was great. Interesting and weird but moreish. Good stuff
Really enjoyable album. Not any hits of Velvet Underground that I knew, but a collection of good tunes.
Yeah nah, this is awesome.
Pale Blue Eyes is the obvious standout.
Day 109 My first tube listening to a Velvet Underground album despite how influential they are to a lot of my favourite bands 7/10 Highlights Pale Blue Eyes I’m set Free After Hours
Pale Blue Eyes - a banger as always, album very listenable even in 2025
chicos que lloran pero rockeritos indie, algo bien
Ett band dom hittat hem, sitt sound och dessutom lärt sig spela under tiden. Borta är den taffligt spelade flumrocken från bananen. Kvar finns enkla fina melodier fulla av sårbarhet och värme. Höjdpunkterna är förstås "Candy says" och "Pale blue eyes" som är fullständigt fantastiska i sin enkelhet. Men "I'm set free", "Jesus", "After hours" och "That's the story of my life" är alla också underbara. Var det Dagge som nämnde Belle & Sebastian förra gången? Jag tycket den referensen sitter mycket bättre här, så här låter B&S när dom är som bäst, i synnerhet "That's the story of my life". Sen får John Cale leka av sig ordentligt på "Murder mystery" också och han gör det med tämligen gott resultat, den blir rätt kul och bryter av förtjänstfullt. Det är egentligen bara "Beginning to see the light" som jag inte har mycket till övers för, känns som nån skåpmat som blev över från bananen. Här blir VU inte bara ett biktigt band utan ett bra band. En stabil fyra
Really great although didn’t hit as hard towards the end
Meget anderledes end det første de lavede. Det her er mere slowcore / dream-folk og proto indie rock. Det har sådan en lo-fi lyd som er lidt skrattet. Det kom ud i en periode hvor hipsterbevægelsen var på sit største. Det er et mere poetisk take end provakatør take fra det første album. Det er meget tidligt inspiration til slowdive og hele shoegaze genren. Det er meget sårbart, melankolsk og til et reflekterende humør. Jeg synes egentlig det var meget godt, men det falder også lige i min smag. ER lidt bange for det bliver sådan en "jeg ved at jeg kan lide det her" og jeg så jeg nyder det meget mere end rent faktisk at prøve at lægge mærke til hvad jeg synes gør det godt. Så jeg føler lidt jeg skal revisit det her og gerne snarest.
Good
it's worth sitting through this if solely for the murder mystery
miss nico just wish I could have her back 😢
It's a good album. A solid end of 60s rock album. Psychadelia, folk rock and straightforward rock n roll. Nothing mind-blowing, but a nice listen. 3.5/5
Not the best they did but, hey, it's still Velvet Underground
Want to listen again, but extremely solid
Very good, a little experimental at the end but enjoyed the listen
Nice
👍
Groovy fun.
J’ai écouté cet album en travaillant, et je me suis surprise à m’arrêter plusieurs fois pour en apprécier certains passages.
pretty solid. i hadn't listened to this album specifically before, but i'd heard other songs by them plenty before, so i was excited to check this one out. overall i really enjoyed it, but a couple songs specifically like jesus and the murder mystery i found a little lacking. i'll likely come back to this one for sure. standout tracks: candy says, what goes on, beginning to see the light
Different than the other Velvet underground’s discogory. Shows their versatility.
Beautiful album. Simpler and quieter than their later works. Vocals are fantastic. Very difficult to pick favourites. Favourites: Candy Says What Goes On That's The Story Of My Life The Murder Mystery
Inventive, fun, weird.
Great Album. Experimental tunes stand beside great catchy rock/pop songs. Fav: The Murder Mystery
I’m not sure why I think this is a 4 star album but here we are. 🤷🏼♂️
There’s a tension and disconnection that seems to permeate the guitars. A lot of the songs are folksy, but then you hear the electric guitar come in almost impatiently and overly assert its presence. It works, oddly enough.
This is one of my go-to albums when I have a migraine. So you might say this album has the power to heal. ❤️🩹
I actually quit enjoyed this. It was a lot calmer than the debut. But, still kept up some weirdness (particularly the penultimate track). I couldn't resist and read all about it. It's a shame John Cale got the boot. Amps underwater! That would have been good! I will say, I didn't miss the droning guitars... But maybe I should not say that out loud. 4 stars.
Beautifully gentle
I really like the track order. The songs flow together really nicely. I have known the closing track After Hours for some time, and quite like it
I've been a big fan of the debut for a long time, but hadn't listened to this classic until now, apart from some of the big hitters. Candy Says is a gorgeous opening track, and I was also familiar with Pale Blue Eyes as one of my favourite love songs for hungover mornings. After Hours was the other I knew going in although less well. Other tracks are more classic Velvet Underground, although with a more subdued feel than the debut (I've not yet listened to White Light/White Heat so can't compare.) Goes to show maybe how much John Cale was pushing the experimental side of the band. . The Murder Mystery is a cool experiment and develops nicely over it's run-time.
pas mal, ca chante bien 4
Not surprising that I really enjoyed this, always loved Velvet Underground.
Probably my favorite VU album. Some of the songs on this album sound like they could've come out this decade. Neat stuff. Favorite track: Candy Says 4.5/5
That was a pleasant listen. It's nowhere as good as the first album but because of its less intrusive nature it goes on my background playlist. A solid 4 out of 5
balsam fuer d oohre
Tönt vlt blöd aber git mer mega Proto-Indie-Rock vibes? Han es paar Double Takes müesse mache ufs Release-Johr vo dem Album. Ja indie-Rock ish au eher es genre wo oft eppis älters emuliert aber glich sho sache ghört wo stärcher galteret hend als das Album. Also du chöntsh es ine Playlist tue miteme Mac DeMarco & The Cooks und es würd ned usesteche. Usnahme zu dem Statement: Pale Blue Eyes, Jesus. Defür den Tracks wie Murder Mystery wo wieder so modern töned. Ish au so de Stand out Track für mich. Letscht Track (After Hours) het mich jez au easy ghitted gha als epper wo sich au selber gern mol isoliert. TLDR: Sehr toll, sehr moody, ziitlos und sweet
85
I had no idea what to expect, and this was oddly comforting. Interesting experimental tracks that sounds like schizo-audio hallucinations. Wierd. I like it.
Høyrt masse på denne, held seg godt.
Very easy and fun album to listen to, best way to describe is a vibe, definitely more accessible then the banana album (not saying that’s bad, just that this is a very easy way to get into the velvet underground) a few songs as well that are some of my favourite from the group too, maybe not as iconic but should not be slept on
o álbum inicia de forma bem agradável, a primeira música é extremamente tranquila e deu uma aquecida no coração, seguindo para a segundo que deu uma agitada mas sem perder a essência.
Surreal experience. I hadn't listened to this album before, but I've listened to a lot of bands and artists who were clearly inspired by it
Schönes Album. Sehr ruhig. gut als hintergrmusik oder zum nachdenken
After two very.....transgressive albums, the Velvet Underground's third is a huge departure. The dissonance is almost entirely gone, as are most of the exotic topics. There is still some experimentation going on, as with "The Murder Mystery," (which I'm honestly not even sure how to listen to), but overall these are low-key, noise-free tunes, melodic and quiet. "Candy Says" and "Pale Blue Eyes" are some of the VU's best songs. And as much as I'm a big White Light/White Heat guy, this album is far more listenable. FOUR STARS
Very solid, but it helps that I know this music already
First time listening to this album. Some very good songs. enjoyed it.
Candy Says What Goes On Pale Blue Eyes Jesus
questo + the delle 5 + studio di funzione
A gentle and melodic listen with a couple songs that stand above the others, and one that stands far below (The Murder Mystery).
Monster of an album!
Great, mellow album. Highlights: "Pale Blue Eyes" and "I'm Set Free"
og classic
The most personal and impactful VU album for me. Their previous 2 get all the praise for the influence amd experimentation but thia one has always hit harder for me. Just beautiful, soul healing music.
Ah, theeeee vibes. Amazing. I really love it. Radek was right when he said I would like this album.
This gets wonderfully weird but I think it’s really well sequenced and makes me want to listen to it all the way through. Some days it’s a 5, today it’s a 4.
Lou Reed was a pretty brilliant guy, I have to say.
I had only ever heard their album with Nico, but I really enjoyed this. They're incredibly sincere and they have some fun guitar figures in a lot of the songs. Favorite tracks: What Goes On, I'm Set Free
Enjoyed this. Good amount of variety and the albums holds up until the end. Sounds more consonant than the previous two releases which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but there are enough flashes of their discordance in it which keep the tracks interesting.
i had to listen to this four times to find some kind of salient feeling about this album. this thing is mellow and subdued - i was wondering if i was somehow missing the critical acclaim that i otherwise figure the velvet underground warrants. but not everything is gonna be an in-your-face, get-on-the-dance-floor-now-motherfucker kind of ride. the more time i spent with the album, the more it grew on me, and there was more for me to hear and appreciate on each listen through. highlights - candy says, what goes on, some kinda love, beginning to see the light, i'm set free
Not the best Velvet album, but hey its the VU!
kinda enjoyed listening to this heard the whole album on repeat like three times
Nice record. Mello, but still captivating.
This is a delicate, heartbreaking album. It's such a pivot from the first two VU releases. Beginning to See the Light put a bloody great big smile on my face. I played it three times in one sitting. Spectacular!
Liked it, it’s giving kinda Beatles vibes
This is generally pretty lovely. No more John Cale, no more Nico, and the songs are more like the Brill Building pop songs Lou started out wanting to make a career of. Mostly verse, chorus, verse, except for Some Kinda Love and the weird Murder Mystery. Their next album, Loaded (not in the 1,001 list unfortunately), is their best with the banger trio of Who Loves the Sun, Sweet Jane, and Rock & Roll opening the disc. Well worth a listen for the first three songs at least.
Mítica banda que había escuchado poco. “Candy Says” para abrir el disco presagia algo bueno. En general tiene un tono intimista preocupado por encontrar la perfecta fusión entre melodía y sencillez en los arreglos. Luego dirán que el lo-fi es de modernos, pero es que todo estaba inventado. Aparte de la mencionada “Candy Says”, cabe mencionar “Beginning To See The Light”, donde se vislumbra por qué caminos va a transitar Lou Reed en su carrera en solitario. Luego está la sorpresa de la interminable y experimental “Murder Mystery”, que te mantiene a la escucha pese a su duración. Easy listening, según lo mires, porque aquí hay algo más que buenas melodías.
Very chill album. Enjoyable.
This gets wonderfully weird but I think it’s really well sequenced and makes me want to listen to it all the way through. Some days it’s a 5, today it’s a 4.
Fascinating work from the late 60s. Definitely see why they inspired so many
Didn’t expect to like it so much!!
This is a beautiful and gentle album, with a different feel than the rest. In some ways this is their most important work and leaves the longest shadow outside of Reid's solo work.
Can’t beat the VU!
I had the sneaking suspicion I would fucking hate this but I really enjoyed it. Nice to have a little surprise from time to time. One of the vocalists sounds painfully Californian.
A great album in a very mixed catalogue. I despise some of their albums, think some are masterpieces. This sits somewhere in the middle that I think its pretty great. A lot of depth with enjoyable subsequent listens. 8/10
Algunas canciones me recuerdan a The Beatles
Favorite Track: Pale Blue Eyes
The Velvet Underground’s trippiness and weirdness has always meshed well with me. Pale Blue Eyes is such a beautiful song, and this album shows the band leaning into a more melodic, polished sound compared to the abrasiveness of their earlier work. It wasn’t a commercial hit at the time, but it’s aged into one of their most admired records. What I love is how they managed to smooth things out without losing their edge. Coming off their raw beginnings, this feels like a shift towards accessibility that still stays true to who they are. Oddly enough, when bands like Green Day did something similar -sounding more polished and moving labels - they got accused of selling out. The Velvet Underground didn’t get that criticism, just indifference back then. But history has been kinder: this record proves they could be both strange and beautiful at the same time.
Obviously love the album, although they did get away with a lot there
I'm shook that this is a 60s album, if you'd asked me to guess I would have said 90s for sure. Sounds like if Eels were a bit edgier. I really dig the vibe, despite it being in a genre I'm not normally so fond of.
Quite liked it with a couple exceptions (Jesus). What goes on probably the favorite.
I really liked it! There are a few songs that I loooved but all of the album was a great listen. Don’t know if I’ll revisit the whole album but some songs I’ll definitely revisit and add to playlists
I enjoyed this album. It was a little weird and experimental, which was interesting, but a lot of it was Beatles-esque (which makes sense for the time period, as that is my biggest touchstone for the late 1960’s) and overall I liked it. 4/5
I have never been a big Velvet Underground fan but this one really surprised me. I am so glad for this project getting me out of my comfort zone because this was a great listen
First half was great second half felt less great
Some greatest hits tracks. Deliciously low key.
tycker om mycket men jag tycker albumet kan vara lite repetitivt
Bra grejer! Lou Reeds känsliga röst kommer fram i dessa låtar.
Never listened to Velvet Underground before but I thought this was excellent. Will be giving it more listens for sure
I enjoyed it , a mysterious album
They’re underground and they sound as smooth as velvet feels. What more can you ask for?
Fun listen! A few skips but overall pretty good. I can see why they weren't too relevant at the time tho
Cale or Yule. Tough to choose. Im probably a Cale man but this is some album. Restrained vocals, beautiful harmonies. Far more intimate than the Cale stuff. More accessible, none of the danger. Sometimes its nice to enjoy a more stripped back, melodic record. Pale Blue Eyes probably is the best track on the record. After Hours is a lovely closer and the decision to go with Moe's voice was a brilliant one. I even found that The Murder Mystery worked really well. It eases you into Moe's voice and is a proper interesting piece of music. Favourite track - Pale Blue Eyes. 9/10
It's some good music and I can see how it was influential to a lot of music created throughout the next few decades. My favorite tracks include Pale Blue Eyes, and I'm Beginning to See the Light. It's not my favorite music from this era, but it's quite good.
I'll go 4 stars on this one.
An album that just sounds cool, the vibes are cool, the music is cool, the people who listen to it are cool. 4 stars
A fabulous album. Great collection of songs and that influential sound....
A whole ass vibe.
My teenage self is flailing in joy
4.1/pretty cool sounding for '69
Solid album from beginning to end.
Красиво и хорошо
Me ha gustao. Solo conocía el mítico del plátano. Este es más suave, melódico, más tranquilo. Menos experimental y más pop supongo.
Great!
The OG indie band
So this is the second time I've been given this album now, and upon another listen I'm moving it from 3 stars to 4, I really do quite like it! A few of the tracks I forget exist in the middle but a lot of them all standout to me.
This is the first band that I've listnened to one of their albums all the way through before starting this and as I do love the Velvet Underground, it was plesant to listen to these songs as I've only heard a few on this LP. Very decent album, not as good as TVU & Nico and Loaded but I'd say #3 is a good spot for a great band.
Really enjoyed basically all of this, and Pale Blue Eyes cements it as a fairly classic album. Really good
All vibes and I'm here for it. Don't think I ever listened to this album outside of Pale Blue Eyes. Good stuff. 3.75/5
insanely damn good
Very good...although not as good as The Velvet Underground & Nico. I am particularly fond of After Hours.
It would not make me move to New York and crash on the manager's couch, but this is a pretty good album. It took me a while to appreciate Lou Reed's songs (apart from his voice and his sound) and most of these are very good and not especially challenging (except The Murder Mystery).
Really enjoyed this album. Easy listen and quite a vibe aside from some religious stuff
7/10
Alright I’m a total music noob and have listened to approximately 0 velvet underground songs. This was not what I was expecting at all. It didn’t knock my socks off, but there were definitely some shining moments for me. Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, and After Hours were all great. The murder song was pretty whack, but I think this album is deserving of soft to decent 4.
I have conflicting feelings about this album. Candy Says is such a beautiful song. What Goes On is also a great song, feels of it's time. I love when Velvet Underground has the driving rhythm and they just vamp on a couple chords. I got lost on the next couple songs. Not feeling Jesus in here. These songs aren't bad or anything, I just don't think they are of the same caliber as the first two. Then we get to "The Murder Mystery" which starts off excellent and then devolves into the most art-rock 9 minute track of all time. So much talking and then some faux-lounge duet thing going on. Truly the first bad song and it takes so much out of this record. But then After Hours is a timeless song that I love with all my heart. I really don't know where to rate this because the bookend tracks are so good, but the Murder Mystery is painful. I'll throw a 4 on this, I loved a couple songs. I liked some songs, and only didn't like 1 track. After Hours is soooo good it is an instant +1 on the whole album. 4/5
J’aime bien ! C’est moins mélancolique que ce que j’attendais. À réécouter
"Murder Mystery" is het enige minpuntje, maar dat wordt direct daarna ruimschoots goedgemaakt door mijn favoriet "After Hours".
Probably not our favourite velvet underground album but it does have some very strong songs on it. Especially pale blue eyes.
Enjoyed the progression of this album. Some parts were nothing special but they still contributed to the story. 8/10
Interesting but not my style
BEST SONGS: - The Murder Mystery - Pale Blue Eyes
I liked two of the songs in this album! What Goes On was pretty good. But over all I think the songs were too slow for me.
неееет я просрала несколько дней😭 альбом показался медленным для меня, но некоторые песни зашли хорошо
Much better than with Nico droning on and on, I actually really enjoyed listening to this one!
A lot of my personal favs.
First velvet Undergroknd that I actually like. Usually I just don’t get it.
4.3 stars rounded down.
I loved it, the middle songs were a bit repetitive tho (ik it's the point but it kinda broke the vibe) (ik it's the point again but I was vibing bro) but it got great again. I always love a bit of noise in my albums
I rather liked this; it's better than The Velvet Underground & Nico I had earlier in the project. I would happily listen to this again.
I like the cinematic-esque sound they were going for here I found it kinda captivating, the songwriting was also very solid and the stratchey vocals were annoying sometimes but helped give the album a certain tone which I think worked.
Nice chill, experimental, really enjoyed most of it.
a classic, one of their best, always a good listen!
Not very clearly recorded and very soft songs. Songs are pleasant.
4/4,5
This one took me by surprise. I am familiar with a handful of their songs from the first two albums, but I hadn't heard anything from this one before. What Goes On is now one of my favorite songs, I knew it immediately when it started. The only song I really didn't like is The Murder Mystery.
has a very different vibe from there other work but its still great. considering how avant garde and crazy their other work is its cool that they would release a more accessible and pleasing to the ear. proves that they are indeed great musicians. you can't write them off as talentless and pretentious like how most experimental bands get treated by general audiences.
A surprisingly enjoyable album. I feel like Velvet Underground has been filled with a lot of highs and an equal amount of lows. This one fits right there in the middle. I liked it and would probably listen to it again.
This is good stuff. Minimalist in its own way, it still covers a surprising range of sounds- not something you'd expect after their debut with Nico. I enjoy all the experimentation here, with perhaps the lone exception being The Murder Mystery. Playing a different set of lyrics in each ear simultaneously is sadistic.
That was good. I've always liked Pale Blue Eyes but hadn't listened to this album before. What Goes On and Beginning to See The Light stood out. I actually I liked pretty much all the songs, but am sitting on the fence regarding The Murder Mystery.
El principio del indie, excelente
A nawet niezłe
The Velvet Underground often contains an intimacy and a fragility in their presentation of the "new" rock and roll, or rather new for the time. Their vision of rock was pretty expansive and inclusive, even if the sounds themselves were incredibly repetitive and hypnotic. Lou is a hell of a frontman, there's an eeriness to his swag, idk how to explain it. His vocals beat you over the head the same way the instrumentals do. Even with his insistence at times, theres a gentleness to the honesty of this record. When it comes to love, Lou is often strangely esoteric in his language, and he sort of continues that theme on a ton of his solo stuff too. This was not my fav velvet underground album simply because I find some songs a tad bit grading, and the repetitive nature of the grooves mixed with Lou's meandering style contrast eachother in unpleasant ways. It's no wonder the shortest (and best) track on this album is After Hours and also lacks Lou's vocals entirely in exchange for Maureen's, who are far sweeter. Lou's vocals are about as sweet as a rambly ol jalopy. I would say most of these songs are esoteric explorations of the self in relation to the divine. The rock sounds on this album can be quite thrilling and surprising, White Light/White Heat sure is a trip. Lou's certainly a memorable romantic doing his best to croon and seduce on this one and I'll give him that. Strange swag forever.
Another one I had listened to before, even though it's not as weird as the previous two TVU albums and instead has more of their kind of slow songs, it's still very enjoyable and I kinda forgot about that. I don't have much more to say than yeah, it's a great album if a little behind its two predecessors
Another solid offering from VU. This one isn’t my favorite of their discography, I lean more towards VU&N and Loaded, but this is always an interesting, strange, druggy listen.
Standout Songs: What Goes On Pale Blue Eyes Beginning To See The Light That's The Story Of My Life When I saw I got a Velvet Underground album I felt sick to my stomach because I was familiar with their noise rock type music, which is a style I don’t particularly enjoy. I went into this with the lowest of expectations and was pleasantly surprised. This album takes a step back from their more experimental work to focus on topics of love and religion. A very beautifully written album that I’m glad I gave a chance to.
Great album, though not as good as Velvet and Nico. It's refreshing listening to simple music, especially in this day of over produced nonsense. Lou Reed's voice is still spectacular
First four songs are pretty good all things considered. Candy Says is very melancholy, with probably the best songwriting on the album. After Pale Blue Eyes the album falls off a cliff- not bad but not nearly to the expertise of the first four. Murder Mystery kind of sucks. Just monotonous for 9 bloody minutes. After Hours might just be the best song on the album though. Incredible closer to an alright to good album. Overall, Velvet Underground gets a 3.5
Very familiar with this one, so I decided to change things up today by listening to the Closet Mix for once. I don't think the difference is quite as drastic as some people make it out to be (with the obvious exception of "Some Kinda Love"), but it's nice to have a change of pace every once in a while. The more intimate songs are my favorites by a long shot, the rockers just don't work quite as well with this new, meeker sound, though I still do quite like "Beginning to See the Light". I guess it's the two songs between that and "Murder Mystery" that really hurt the overall strength of this album. Those are just too slight and wouldn't work on any album.
Even considering the fact that the 60s was an experimental time in popular music, it's crazy to me that songs like "The Murder Mystery" were being made in 1969. I like this album a lot.
Thoughts before listening: Most of my knowledge about Velvet Underground is with the VU and Nico album that I owned and Loaded which Phish covered. I also know they have an album called White Light White Heat. While this album has a familiar cover, I am not associating it with any of their songs. Review: So this is their 3rd of 4 albums and was seen at the time as a departure from their sound. Very quiet and subdued for a lot of the tracks and lacking the experimentation that had defined their first 2 releases, this is certainly a different version of the band from the one that was seen as a major inspiration for the punk scene. While I do enjoy some of the more rocking songs like "What Goes On" and "Beginning to See the Light", the best song on the album is "Pale Blue Eyes" which is a tender love song. Like a lot of the VU's output, there is a certain fragile nature to the sound here with both the music and Lou Reed's voice sounding like they could collapse at any time. However this is a very effective release. I was surprised by how much I didn't like parts of the ...and Nico album when I listened as part of this project, and I am equally as surprised by how much I am enjoying this one. 4-stars
Had me grooving while cleaning. Pale Blue Eyes and Beginning to see the light stood out
Some classics on here
More tuneful than I expected, aside from “The Murder Mystery.” Love “Pale Blue Eyes” which apparently was meant to be a hit.
I am listening to this album directly after "Napalm Death". It's like slipping into a nice warm bath after being dunked in a swamp. The velvet underground are a salve for my weary soul. "Candy Says" is a very pretty song. I love the quiet harmonies and the peaceful guitar. The opening riff on "Some Kinda Love" is so nice. The vocals sit on top of it very nicely. "The Murder Mystery" is tripping me out. "After Hours" might be my favorite song on the record. This is a pleasant album. Nothing blows my mind, but I like it. 7/10
Iconic cover. 1. Actually like this. Took a few listens (and several years) to realize this. 2. Great song. 3. Great song. Is this about Nico? 4. Also good song. 5. Fun song. Interesting guitar. 6. Good song. Also about Nico? 7. Good. 8. Ok. 9. Ok. 10. Is Bob Dylan influenced by TVU? An ok song. 11. Funky guitar. They actually bother to play guitar more than usual. They really don't care about instrumentation at all. OVERALL: An excellent album. Liked it more than I remember.
Crazy that they can depart from their abrasive, noise-rock and still sound this good. The Murder Mystery is a really interesting song, albeit not one that I enjoy. Great album, 9/10