Reviews (page 7 of 15)
Of course
The murder mystery + after hours are really good, but what is that Jesus song Overall, simple but good
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.
I can’t put my finger on where I’ve heard some of these songs before. There are some strong tunes here but then there’s also The Murder Mystery… wtf was that?
Sometimes feels so happy sometimes feels so sad...." c
Kinda boring, honestly. John Cale is sorely missed here.
Though I really am a fan of velvet underground this album never grabbed me as much as their other stuff. It seems a bit tame, which isn't bad but it doesnt give that edge that they usually have.
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.
Reviewing a second time?
The Velvet Underground is another case of a band I’ve heard rave reviews for that has been a bit of a let down on this project. Maybe I’m just not getting it and at points there were songs I found myself enjoying, but for the most part it was just a bland listening experience. It’s certainly not a “bad” album by any means, but it just feels “meh”. 3/5
Fairly nice listen
On first listen, a couple songs were nice or interesting I would enjoy again but by today's standards if avant garde meant slightly shit this is a 5.
Rv
After hearing about the Velvet Underground for years and never listening, this was extremely disappointing as a first album. Murder Mystery was the best track by far and the only reason this isn't a 2.
Good
Lou Reed was a pretty brilliant guy, I have to say.
There is no such thing as a bad Velvet Underground album unless Lou Reed isn’t on it. A close friend of mine argues that Lou needed an “editor” in John Cale but I am on the fence on that assessment. Anyway, this album should have made the Velvets superstars in their own time with its more contemplative, semi-acoustic arrangements. But unfortunately, they were on a crap label (Verve/MGM) at the time that was just about to be taken over by the tineared Mike Curb. By the time the Velvets changed labels to Cotillion/Atlantic and were ready to release “Loaded”, Lou Reed had quit his own band, Doug Cale had taken it over (to the point where he credited all of Lou’s songs to the entire band on the album sleeve and label copy of Loaded) and MGM was about to piggyback the album with a “Golden Archive Series” best-of. But that doesn’t change the fact that, where the first two albums of the VU were proto-punk, this eponymous third album and Loaded were proto-indie rock. And the world has been better for it all.
This is my favorite Velvet Underground album. I bought this on vinyl so long ago and would listen to it over and over again. It is their most chill and relaxed album. We used to joke that this is Lou's first solo album. Wear good head phones as they play with sound a lot. It makes me miss my larger hi-fi speakers I used to have. I use to try and make out all the lyrics to Murder Mystery. I still never looked up the lyrics. Great album. Easily one of my favorites.
This was okay. I know these guys were like the shit and pioneered some new psychedelic type music but, not that cool. 3 stars.
Listened to this twice and forgot about it twice
Good variety - some rogue moments towards the end. 3.
Boring Yank bootleg Beatles that don't know the meaning of brevity. Every song dragged on for hours. I was quite excited for this one too. What a let down.
meh. not my genre
But slow and uninteresting, not for me.
Not their best album. Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, and Beginning To See the Light are the standouts among some snoozers.
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
The extended instrumental vamp at the end of "What Goes On" might be the most boring thing I've listened to on this list.
this is music to cook to for me. calm, easy to tune in and out to. the lyrics are good and the melodies stick. even when the voice can become grating, the instrumentals are what are really enjoyable to me about this album. liked: candy says, some kinda love, pale blue eyes,
Pretty standard jangly guitar stuff until the end where you can see why they made impact. However, I feel their subsequent albums do the jangly stuff and the experimental stuff better.
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.
A friend introduced me to The Velvet Underground in college. I listened to this album a lot in 1993. I liked it then and I like it now. I do not know that I love-love it, but I'm definitely grading on a curve with these ratings.
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
still incredibly relevant. artistry, attitude. 'closet mix' is probably my favorite version of this. the stereo version of valentin is a little too stereo and doesnt hold up well in headphones. the closet also maintains the original vision of how these should sound according to lou. never knew the differences before looking into it now. each mix is probably good in its own way. I prefer the first two albums, but this has a bunch of great tunes and is experimental in its own right touching upon folk, blues, gospel, avant garde experiments, and a lullaby. there's too many lovely songs and flat out tunes and influence not to give it five stars.
Well, put me in the 'this is slow and boring' camp, because this is slow and boring. The couple of jangly tunes and the proto-SOAD nonsense salad of The Murder Mystery keep if from being completely forgettable, but also blah. I just kept wanting to poke it with a stick. Do something!
Nice record. Mello, but still captivating.
Three albums from 1969 so far this week. Great year, and this is probably the best of them. Timeless, influential and so listenable.
sooo gooood
This album works whatever my mood. Sometimes I feel so happy, sometimes I feel so sad...When I'm up it feels bouncy and celebratory, when I feel more introspective it still feels in tune. That's before we get into the fact that this band made - to this point - three absolute classic albums, all of which are so different from each other. Beginning To See The Light and What Goes On will always make me smile. One of the best.
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!
Perhaps my expectations were too high, but this landed with a thud with me. The production and performances both felt amateurish, although the songs seem like they could be done very well. Maybe I'll see if I like I'll Be Your Mirror (tribute album) next.
Good! But veryyy quiet. 3/5
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.
I was majorly into The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed circa 18 years old. Even spent what was probably an entire paycheck to buy the Peel Slowly and See boxset. I remember having a crush on a girl I worked with at the grocery store and lending her this cassette. I don't think she was that impressed. Looking back I'm wondering if I truly was that into The Velvet Underground or whether I was just being pretentious. Probably both. But listening to this for the first time in maybe 30 years I knew every word except for the long song where they just talk into both sides of the mix. Jesus is still a standout on all levels and I'm not sure why that song is not talked about more in the Velvet Underground canon. Also justice for Doug Yule, that guy was doing some heavy lifting here. Rounding up for nostalgia.
Meh
I was real excited for this, it's music I'm aware of but not familiar with. After a couple of listens, I can understand why it's never come up in conversation. I think this was impressive at its time, but now in 2025 it's soft background rock. Not bad but, nothing particularly amazing in the general scheme of it. I'm not a fan of the switching of vocalists throughout the project, it doesn't seem balanced, feels like a forced foot to be considered creative. Otherwise, the overall production is pretty good. We can hear that Beatles-rock era in the sound while still being a unique effort. "The Murder Mystery" is an amazing piece of work. I wish it had its own album, that'd probably be a 4/5 record. 2.8/5
Liked it, it’s giving kinda Beatles vibes
its alright. Listened to it once and already forgot what it sounded like. Not very memorable for me ig.
Not very remarkable to me. Found the album fairly boring
6/10
loved it, no notes. pale blue eyes and Jesus are some favs
Album is much more straightforward than The Velvet Underground and Nico. I think I like that album more overall; the production on this album being more subdued is fine, but I don't love it. There's some solid tracks here, like What Goes On and Pale Blue Eyes. Lyrically the album is as good as anything else by TVU. There's even a decent prog track here in the form of The Murder Mystery. After Hours is a very sweet album closer. I thing this is an album that's easy to like but hard for me to love.
I’m doing it, despite The Murder Mystery being weird. I haven’t been as captivated by a song as I am by Pale Blue Eyes in a loooong time.
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.
Not a big fan this one isn't awful just not into Lou.
It’s kind of just background noise for me. I don’t see the hype.
I quite liked The Velvet Underground. I have already heard this band's collaborative effort with Nico and that album suffered from the issue of the music not being very good and sounding very poorly produced but here, The Velvet Underground have absolutely stepped up their game. The music here is actually really solid with very few hiccups, it reminds me most of a very soft Beatles record. They also brought one of the best aspects about The Velvet Underground & Nico and that being the vocals as they still sound very good. The last album was only able to receive a 2.5 but this album managed to score a whole 3. Best Song: After Hours Worst Song: Jesus
Meh
Fascinating work from the late 60s. Definitely see why they inspired so many
Ispirato
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!
Good but not maybe my first choice.
Feels almost nostalgic but I'm not sure why.
Very relaxing and chilled, with mostly simple melodies. It was fine but nothing really stood out to me.
this isn't the banana album 🤔
For how much this group is lauded I suppose I was expecting a little more. I didn't hate the vibe and definitely felt it was fitting the cover but it really did feel like a good chunk of this was just a jam session where they were just throwing out whatever their mood ring was suggesting
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
While the influence of the Velvet Underground cannot be overstated, I am finding it difficult to marry up that fact with the reality of what I'm listening to. Sure, the big songs on here are good, and maybe a couple of deep cuts I haven't heard before. But the majority of this stuff is repetitive and forgettable. The enjoyment I got from the delightful surprise that is After Hours is massively outweighed by having to sit through stuff like The Murder Mystery. 5/5 for influence, 2/5 for how boring this was outside of the highlights. This album is really carried by 3-4 songs. Highlights: Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, After Hours
10
Algunas canciones me recuerdan a The Beatles
Favorite Track: Pale Blue Eyes
Okay album. Nothing remarkable.
I own and like VU & Nico but this is the first album besides that I’ve listened to. It probably needs more than one listen, there were some hallmarks here but I struggled to grasp onto it in the setting I was in.. that being a French campsite. There were good moments but I’ll have to return to this to properly assess.
Pretty good! No strong feelings
Koliko sam mrzila njihov prošli album ovo je čudo neviđeno da mi se dobar dio ovoga ozbiljno sviđa. Ima tu opet i smeća ali dominira neki Creamast vajb. Ovo im je puno bolje išlo.
Really not a fan of the production here. First song too low to understand. Second song piercing shrill sound pervasive throughout, obscuring an otherwise good song. Roller coaster ride the rest of the way, with lyrics drowned out by music. Then Murder Mystery - no.
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
Mellow and restrained. Not amazing, but pleasant.
Not sure what to say about this! Found most of it dull and nothing much stood out initially although Beginning to See the Light was a welcome cool change and then you get the complete oddball surprise of Murder Mystery?! A very strange song but I surprisingly found I liked it a lot. And then the closer is very sweet and soft. So a mixed bag for sure!
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.
I feel like this album could've been vastly improved upon if the singer just said less. Maybe even nothing.
Look, I think Pale Blue Eyes is one of my favorite songs & I danced to a Velvet Underground song at my wedding…this was sleepy as hell
Boring as hell.
Pale Blue Eyes slaps.
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
Everything they did was original and beautiful.
только что втирала Наташе как людям могут нравиться песни мимо нот, но не мне, не мне… ну хотя бы интересно и не неприятно (не палп). и неожиданно что такой старый альбом
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
3 stars - pretty good fun!
Helt ok
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
Good elements, purposefully confused whole.
Не дуже викупаю цей альбом
Album 874 of 1089 The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground (1969) Rating : 3 / 5 Hate to sound cliché, but I really expected to like this one more than I did. I’ve enjoyed a lot of what I’ve heard from them before and thought of them as a band I liked, but this listen makes me wonder if maybe I just got caught up in a few standout tracks from elsewhere. It’s certainly listenable - nothing offensive to the ear - and there are some interesting aspects here and there, but nothing really grabbed me or demanded my attention. They saved the best track ("After Hours) for last. “Candy Says” and “Pale Blue Eyes” show flashes of that gentle, reflective side they do well, but overall the album just didn’t land in a memorable way for me. Sometimes “interesting” can go in many directions, and in this case, it never quite took off.
Pale Blue Eyes almost made it a 4, but other than that I felt the album a bit too forgettable.
3.5
Dope wasn’t expecting this. Pretty cool, I enjoyed it
3.2
3.75
First half was great second half felt less great
This started slow, and I wasn't convinced at all. But then I hit "Pale Blue Eyes", and the stress of the day dwindled to a faint echo. From this point on, it's a cracker. "Jesus" is gorgeous as well. From that point on, it's just a wonderful album. This is a very different Velvet Underground from the one I thought I knew.
never rlly clicked w me but i understand why ppl like it
mi è piaciuto molto, dava molte vibes da elvis presley
This album is such a mixed bag. The highs are pretty good (Im Set Free, Pale Blue Eyes, Jesus...), even thought they are not risky at all, but the lows (The Murder Mystery, Some Kinda Love...) tend to be such disruptures that messess a good amount of the album. The Middle part of the album is pretty good while not being anything amazing while the extremes (start and end) are such a mix of ideas that dont stick and vary crazily in quality. Before ending, just wanna say The Murder Mystery is such a weird experience, but bad weird, and I love experimental music and risky songs but this one just comes out as a vomit of words with barely any coherence to try and make a story while sacrificing the listening experience. Just an awful song Overall, its a 74/100, wont be coming back to listen the album but some songs like Im Set Free or Pale Blue Eyes are coming to my playlists
Old music, liked murder mystery, otherwise pretty forgetable
Nothing exeptional but very chill
The Murder Mystery was actually very fun
No es mi album favorito de velvet underground, aun asi , es musica que me gusta
not my favourite vu album
перший альбом, з яким я трішки знайома. музично вайбово, але в якийсь момент стає нудно. текстово повз мене, бо не маю досвіду male loneliness
An ok album without being anything overly memorable. I enjoyed it but I’m unlikely to ever revisit it
has a club vibe, probably wouldn't listen to
One of my favs, start to finish
Some greatest hits tracks. Deliciously low key.
more cozy music! much calmer then their debut, so i glom on to it faster. 92/100
Very good instrumentals but was not a big fan of the lead singers. The deeper in you go the blander it feels.
Only listened to two
tycker om mycket men jag tycker albumet kan vara lite repetitivt
Bra grejer! Lou Reeds känsliga röst kommer fram i dessa låtar.
Probably my least favourite velvet underground
Never listened to Velvet Underground before but I thought this was excellent. Will be giving it more listens for sure
I know nothing about the Velvet Underground, so I was excited for this to pop up in my assignment since I knew this was a blindspot in my music knowledge. Sadly, this was not at all what I had in mind. Slow-to-midtempo songs with repetitive choruses. Nothing entirely memorable while some tracks are just downright bizarre (The Murder Mystery). I'm not surprised at all this band doesn't get ANY radio airplay and never makes it to mix tapes. It's all so middling. Why does their reputation precede them?! Hopefully, I'll find out if I get another assignment for The Velvet Underground.
The VU mellow out musically and lyrically into a more melodic, straightforward, folkier, softer, poppier rock - but not in such a way it becomes bland or boring. Dropping their transgressive subversion in favor of some love songs, they show their prowess in writing a pretty standard song with pretty standard topics and not needing to rely on Avant-garde experimentalism(except the ever-peculiar The Murder Mystery). The songs and album are still high quality, melodies abound, proving that this is a band who can do both.
I love the intimate feel. I'm a big Elliot Smith fan and a moderate Alex G fan, and candy girl was a strong start for me. Everything else, while meaningful, was just too sloppy to keep me engaged.
Loved it
A classic album: My favorites: What Goes On, Pale Blue Eyes, Jesus, Beginning To See the Light and After Hours.
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: 16/1001 If released today, the album could pass for a modern day indie release. It's a testament to the timeless nature of this album with its subdued sound and experimental sprinkles. It's quite warm in its exploration of the concept of love, but with lulls that feel less inviting and pushed me away. I had moments of intrigue, and moments of sheer confusion, and one moment of both. The various vocals and ebbing sound work really well conceptually and bring about the most unique aspect of the collection. Experimental flairs add life to the album, though the resonance varies for me. The versatility of the album helps set the tone for each track. While I think the album would struggle to stand out against a broader array of music more finetuned, for the 60s this is a masterclass that no doubt can stand on its own even today. Podium: 1. What Goes On 2. Pale Blue Eyes 3. After Hours Honorable Mention: The Murder Mystery & After Hours Overall, there are songs on the album that I could live without, others I'm glad I heard but won't be returning to, some that challenged my ears and stood out, and some overall keepers. It's definitely worthy of a listen, but not a full experience I could see craving on my own again, as the more lackluster and repetitive tracks lose me. My engagement level fluctuated tremendously throughout this album, and for these reasons I give The Velvet Underground by The Velvet Underground 3.5/5 stars P.S. Other than Chop Suey, what other songs does The Murder Mystery remind you of? It's been driving me crazy trying to place the spoken, overlapping vocals.
Heared VU&N and WL/WH before, liked some of it, hated some of it. But it puzzled me. VU doing (mostly) soft pop rock album? I don't know how to feel about it. Songs are nice, but only What Goes On and Murder Mystery really caught my attention. In places it's more accessible than stuff from the first two albums, but in return, it's less rewarding
Doesn't really sound like a VU album as it has more of a folk, even country vice at times. What Goes On and Beginning to See The Light sound more like it and are my fave tracks. The Murder Mystery is the token psychedelic cut but as a whole this isn't my fave VU album.
A pleasant listen with some interesting songs, like the second to last one. Listened to it two times and it grew on me. During the first listening I thought it was a bit bland, but with the second time I thought it became more exciting. The bland rock became well thought through tracks that worked well together.
I clearly spent a lot of time listening to this in college if I was remembering the words to Murder Mystery. The first half felt like it was flirting with getting a 2 rating, but the end of the album really picked it up
this was so thoroughly boring that it made me go look for the context on why it's on the list and i found the explanation wanting. it sounds like there's a producer in the studio glaring at lou reed to make sure he doesn't get too lou reed about anything
Not as difficult of a listen as some of their other albums even if I spent too much time listening to Pale Blue Eyes as a teenager and kind of got sick of it.
5/10
Honestly one of my big errors has to be listening to the velvet underground and Nico years ago, loving it, and then never listening to another song by them. I loved this album. From the opening called “Candy Says” which is wonderful. To songs like “Pale Blue Eyes”, “Jesus”, and “I’m Set Free” it was fantastic. The only song I didn’t like was “The Murder Mystery” sorry this is not my sort of thing.
I enjoyed it , a mysterious album
They’re underground and they sound as smooth as velvet feels. What more can you ask for?
The hype surrounding the Velvet Underground used to put me off, so I never gave them a fair try in the past - a mistake that is now fixed. Their eponym album is a very decent folk-rock offering with a few twists. I expected something trippier and more experimental, but I still dig the overall vibe. To my own surprise, I enjoyed the ballads more than the rock tracks. Some hypnotic moments here an there. Nothing life-changing, but a pleasant listen.
I really enjoyed listening to this Velvet Underground album I had never heard before. The subtlety in both the soft songs and the more rock ones is surprising, and Lou Reed almost has a voice
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
Hell yeah
Fun!
Kinda cool vibe
Album was alright, but very repetitive and bland
I have learned I really don't like Lou Reed going through this list, but this was better than many of his other works. It was more refined and subtle than his other works. 3/5
Strange group. Strange music.
This list has too much Lou Reed
Definitely good songs on here, but many just went on way longer than necessary. It loses at least 1 star just for "The Murder Mystery... beatnick-style nonsense read over noise. That's nine minutes of my life I'll never get back. 😄
I did not like 2
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.
4.6 - Lou Reed <3
Was finding this incredibly bland until the last two tracks. I really don't get the hype with the Velvet Underground. 2.9/5
I’m not a huge fan of this one, it’s fine, but not very interesting. I’ll say 1.something, but not enough to round up to 2 stars.
Ugh, again, Black Francis may like Lou Reed, but I'm not a fan. This album is another reminder that I don't really think Lou Reed is a good songwriter and he's not a great guitar player either. I just don't see the love/excitement for this band. They're way overrated.
This is the album where the chaos quiets down and the emotional weight comes into full focus. Gone are the screeching feedback storms of White Light/White Heat. In their place, you get a band stripped bare, writing songs that ache with vulnerability, clarity, and an eerie kind of grace. It is the most human of all the Velvets' records. Every song feels like it was written in the aftermath of something intense, maybe a breakup, maybe a bad trip, maybe just life itself catching up to you. Tracks like “Candy Says” and “Pale Blue Eyes” are heartbreakingly gentle, full of quiet pain and weary acceptance. “Jesus” sounds like someone praying for real, not for show. And yet the band does not lose their edge. It is just channeled inward, turned into something more bruised and beautiful. This is Lou Reed at his most poetic, John Cale gone but not forgotten, and the rest of the band locked into a subdued but deeply affecting groove. It is not as flashy or provocative as their debut, and that is what makes it so powerful. The Velvet Underground is not just a great album. It is one of the most intimate, emotionally resonant records ever made.
It’s their best album. Except for the other three (not counting Squeeze, though that’s great too…), which are also their best album.
I'll go 4 stars on this one.
Enjoyed it , was a good listen
An album that just sounds cool, the vibes are cool, the music is cool, the people who listen to it are cool. 4 stars
Ok at times but not super interesting after all these years. I am a fan of Lou Reed but I don’t see myself coming back to this. I think it is a step down from the magic of their debut. Not bad but not memorable
A fabulous album. Great collection of songs and that influential sound....
норм, но миксинг подвел, низ слишком гудит даже в наушника, не оч приятно было слушать...
For how often the Velvet Underground is cited as a source of inspiration by Bowie and others, I expected more. It is a really tame album with mostly quite straightforward music. I expected more alternative rythms and singing.
A whole ass vibe.
Ganska bra ändå. Gillar sång, bra låthantverk. Rätt varierat. Har mer personlighet än plain-rocken som brukar dyka upp. Blir ibland väl flummigt. Hade funkat ännu bättre i bil. Kommer lyssna igen: ja kanske Bästa spår: d- pale blue eyes Dw- after hours Betyg: D- 5 av 10 ( 3 av 5) Dw- 5 av 10 (3 av 5)
My teenage self is flailing in joy
This is a strange one. It sounds more like a collection of B-sides than like a regular album. Some individual tracks sound quite good and there's nothing horrendous on here. But it doesn't really work as an album.
Heck yeah this album is brilliant. There are no bites of the commercial apple taken on this and I'm glad for it. Mellow and lo-fi, I'll be adding this to the rotation. Just exactly perfect for a Friday morning. I think Kirk Hammett said it best, "when Lou Reed says he wants to make an album with you, you say yes." 5 stars all day, everyday, in my book.
Everytime I listen to a Velvet Underground album I’m surprised by what The Velvet Underground sounds like. Weird lullaby rock.
Grandpapi 2000s indie rock.
4.1/pretty cool sounding for '69
I absolutely enjoyed listening to this record. It had a great progression and made sense as an album. There is this nice subversion and plenty of musical and lyrical surprises
Not great, pretty boring actually, wouldn’t listen again
Lou Reed just doesn't seem to do it for me. In any form
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.
Did someone throw clothes in the sewer?
Late '60s prog rock. Very laid-back and easy to listen to. Nico's voice is an acquired taste. Folk rock.
Such a beautiful album - one of my favourites
Really hit or miss for me. I really liked some of the songs (Pale Blue Eyes), and others just felt very busy. Overall good, but wouldn't listen straight through the album again.
Una fiesta desbocada en una casa de ancianos.
Not the usual stuff I listen to. It's hard, sometimes even unwieldy, but still a ballad. I like the country and blues influences. Screeching and scratching is surprisingly good.
Not for me
22/1001 The Velvet Underground - s/t Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I've tried to get into the Velvet Underground before with listens to both the album with Nico and Loaded and the music has always held me at a distance. It's the same with this album unfortunately. Not that there's anything I actively dislike here, it just never grabbed my attention, bar a couple of songs. A shame really.
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.
Something cool to listen to in every single song, weird journey that makes sense all together. The debut will always slap.
This is the best the velvet underground album imo but it’s still not my favorite
This list loves Lou Reed. I like this more than the previous Lou Reed we have encountered, but I'm unlikely to revisit it.
Pretentious.
Loved a few songs. Not so much others. Ultimately okay, I appreciate the roots it set it place for future experimental rock.
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.
this was fine, i wouldnt have called this rock, it was pretty soft
This was a relaxing listen and arguably ahead of its time for ‘69. Better than a run of the mill 3 but not quite a 4 for me. 3.5/4
It’s pretty amazing to think that this album is from 1969. The sounds, production and overall feel could have it being easily mistaken for an indie band of the last few decades. Pale Blue Eyes continues to be a top track (check out REM’s version on their 1986 b-side and outtake compilation Dead Letter Office). But there were other chill surprises too. That being said, an automatic downgrade due to the 9-minute attempted artsy drivel Murder Mystery track.
Really enjoyed basically all of this, and Pale Blue Eyes cements it as a fairly classic album. Really good
God I hate giving 3s but that’s where I am on this. Decent. Didn’t really pull me one way or the other.
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
This works great as a whole album for me. Another nice discovery for me. Hadn’t heard this before.
I’m not familiar with earlier Velvet Underground so the radical departure is lost on me, but this a fairly enjoyable 60’s/70’s light but still introspective album. I especially love After Hours Abs I’m Set Free.
My Favorite Velvets Album at this point. So good.
I would give this zero if I could. Lou Reed sucks.
....
Didn't expect this album to be this gentle. It was mostly soft and comforting, and even the relatively more energetic tracks had a chill vibe to them. I don't think I'll revisit this album soon, except for a couple of songs. fav tracks: "Candy Says", "Pale Blue Eyes", "After Hours" "Jesus" has a nice, pleasant melody. "The Murder Mystery" is a bit too long, but I love the experimentation, especially in the vocals. I have never heard a song that has two different lead vocals on the left and right headphones. 3/5
I didn't care for this.
I just don’t get The Velvet Underground.
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).
I liked it! Not normally the kind of stuff I'd listen to but it was pretty cool. 'Candy Says' and 'What goes on' were my favourites. 'The Murder Mystery' was an odd but fun song, even found myself going back to listen to that a few times.
This is the first Velvet Underground album without John Cale, and for better or worse (depending on who you ask) his absence is felt. Without his shrieking weaponization of the cello, The Velvet Underground's sound feels a little less "punky proto noise rock" and a little more "art pop/rock classic", and this has resulted in this album being one of The Velvet Underground's most accessible, with noteworthy results. This self-titled is kind of a perennial favorite, mostly for those who (understandably) couldn't get into White Light / White Heat. And, while they did dial it back here a little, a lot of the best songs here still show some echoes of their avant-garde roots. On What Goes On, Jesus, Some Kinda Love, and I'm Set Free, a lot of the drone-y minimalism of the band's older stuff still appears in a more tamed form. And, while I don't know if it's one of the band's more successful avant pieces, The Murder Mystery is pretty cool, if slightly long winded. But there are also moments here that very successfully capture more conventional songwriting. Pale Blue Eyes is a wildly successful, very tender love song. After Hours is vulnerable and sparse. And, say what you will about Lou Reed's personality, with its ups and downs, but Candy Says is an incredibly empathetic, very sweet song aiming to capture the experience of transness in a way that I truly appreciate. Unfortunately, there are some songs that don't fully sell me here. I think side 2 is generally the weaker one here. I don't really like Beginning To See The Light, That's The Story Of My Life's kind of country feel doesn't really fully sell me, and as interesting as it is, The Murder Mystery is an overlong mixed bag. Ultimately, there's a lot of good here, and while the second half is a little spotty, I think The Velvet Underground's first venture into more accessible music was very successful. This is justifiable as an essential, and I am glad I heard it.
Really enjoyed this album. Easy listen and quite a vibe aside from some religious stuff
This is great. I continue to be impressed by VU when I get their albums. It’s been awhile since I revisited VU+Nico — and it never really clicked with me — so that one will be interesting to get back to now that I’ve experienced this self-titled and WL/WH, both of which I’ve adored. This album just has such an interesting downcast vibe. It’s not overly sad, it’s not overly sappy, and in fact there’s sort of a despondent blankness with which the vocals are delivered that REALLY adds to the experience. You can trace this album’s influence through the careers of people like Beck and Mac Demarco and Conor Oberst. ML 171.
p172. 1969. 1 star. Mostly average 60s songs from a mostly average 60s band. You can see why it didn't sell at the time. Reduced from 2 stars to 1 because of the abomination that is "The Murder Mystery".
Classic. Lou Reed and Nico ❤️
xulo xulo la meua cançó fav ha sigut la de beginning to see the light super bon rollera molt guay tot i la veu del q canta és perfecta
7/10
Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Schon etwas öde.
3.5
This just doesn’t hold up. Can’t get excited about it
Very Bob Dylan by someone else. Another album where I liked everything on it (except murder party) but nothing sticks out to come back to or listen to again. I was definitely expecting a more rockin album but I liked the vibe.
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
Don't quite understand this? What appears to be a fair to middling, some decent tunes some filler, end of the 60s album that is just what was then mainstream mainly acoustic fare with the odd excursion into neverland. It doesn’t exactly stand out, and not surprisingly it didn’t it appear to sell well, it’s not Abbey road, let it bleed or the Band. So why is it here. The subsequent idolising of the VU name I'm supposing. A level of mythologising personally don’t quite understand. If I hear this and didn't tell know who it was wouldn’t guess expect for his vocals.me I don’t get Reeds supposed Artistic aim to elevate rnr through darker and more experimental, apart from 1 track it could be anyone. It’s like ok if you like the period which I do, but nothing special 3 Star.
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".
This is dumb
It's real stripped and simple. Not sure it's my thing constantly but really good. Sort of a quiet catchiness. Suddenly Murder Mystery shows some of the strangeness that's possible here.
Early alternative music - has its moments, but generally not for me
Ditching art rock abrasion for ballads and rock and roll, this continues to prove the Velvets could do it all. B-side is a bit weak, though.
Probably not our favourite velvet underground album but it does have some very strong songs on it. Especially pale blue eyes.
It was pretty good but what the hell was that murder mystery song?? 10 minutes of what i would describe as "proto system of a down"
Enjoyed the progression of this album. Some parts were nothing special but they still contributed to the story. 8/10
My favourite of all the Velvets’. It walks that difficult line between romanticism and jaded cynicism, perhaps After Hours the best example of this in a literal sense. Pale Blue Eyes and Candy Says are masterpieces and if they’d bunged Stephanie Says on there as well it would have been the Strawberry Fields cherry on the Lonely Hearts Club cake. As Matt Johnson said of Mind Bomb, this is one to play very late, very loud and very alone.
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
It’s ok
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.
Velvet Underground is one of those bands that was highly influential to a generation… just not MY generation. Musically, it’s fine. And I’m sure it was a breath of fresh air when it was new. To my GenX ears, though, it’s not particularly outstanding.
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.
Good 70s rock album
strong start, weaker finish
Er ikke så meget til den slags musik, men kan sagtens se, hvorfor det er et godt album, men lidt for kedeligt og ensartet for min smag 4/10
A couple great songs but overrated
This is my second Velvet Underground album for this project and I’m afraid I’m just not a fan of this band. The Velvet Underground is a much more tolerable album than the one with Nico and the banana on the cover but it is still not something that grabbed my interest. Beginning To See The Light and Pale Blue Eyes are the songs I didn’t mind. But Pale went on a little too long. I just don’t dig this music. This is a 2 rating. 2/5
Classic
Real “it was okay” for me, first half felt a bit vacuous before Murder Mystery came in and really shook things up sonically. Interesting religious break with Jesus and Beginning to See The Light… felt out of place but maybe I was missing the album’s motif. The back half was all right as well, just wasn’t enough for me to really consider the album a winner. Not a painful listen just not one that’s particularly memorable or that I will end up putting on any playlists.
Boring. They're a band, I guess...
I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this album before - I’ve been missing out. It sounds like nothing else from that time - it’s testament to their influence that it sounds more like a 90s low-fi indie record. The Murder Mystery was a real standout track for me. I’m going to be returning to this album again
Off the cuff remark: easy to see their influence across a wide range of bands new and old. With the exception of Murder Mystery I thoroughly enjoyed it. Very familiar with Velvet Underground & Nico and most of these songs individually so great to listen to the whole album. Standout track: "Pale Blue Eyes" though several others come close. Revisit?: Yes. Lovely stuff.
Not as attention-grabbing as their celebrated debut, nor as energetic as follow up White Light/White Heat, their 1969 offering is perhaps a but too laid back for it's own good. The arrangements and simplistic recordings often fail to do justice to the equally simple - but occasionally effective - songs here. After the irresistibly melodic opener Candy Says and the proto-indie of What Goes On, the Velvet's third album loses focus somewhat. Which is a shame, because there are more gems to come - Pale Blue Eyes - it just kind of goes off the rails and never really finds its way back on track through the murky and uninspired production.
What a dreadful noise
Timeless.
The Velvet Underground only had one great album and it wasn't this one.
Not to be confused with The Velvet Underground & Nico, this one is a lot more straightforward than their prior work, in part due to the departure of John Cale. Like most of their albums, this one sold like shit, but was hugely influential on acts to come. I’ve been a fan since college and was more than happy to get this one after a pretty lackluster weekend pull.
Oh, geez. This often sits atop my list of favorite Velvets albums. The softer side of Lou Reed. Probably their best period.
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.
TOP 10 ALBUNS DE TODOS OS TEMPOS
When I think of "rock bands" this isn't what I was thinking of or really desiring. I prefer faster stuff. But I'm not saying this was bad. If I was just chilling and hanging out with friends, this would be a good background to our activities.
Murder mystery sucks though.
Klassiker.
not to my liking
Another one I've always meant to listen to but never did. A fuckin' masterpiece, 10/10
I was vaguely aware of Velvet Underground before. Nice surprise.
8/10 Have I even heard this before all the way through?
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.
It's ok. Something like 3/5
Felt like a lot of noise, not a lot of song.
The best, love this album. Not much more to add
"Sometimes I feel so happy Sometimes I feel so sad" Eu também, Lou, eu também...
I was really not enjoying it, but the last two songs brought me back around a bit. Probably my least favourite 3/5
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.
A strong album from a legendary act. There are pockets of real charm throughout: Pale Blue Eyes is the clear standout, and the playful After Hours is such a refreshing palate cleanser after the experimental onslaught of Murder Mystery. I really enjoyed my time with this one, and have a few favourites that I’ll be revisiting. However: I question what Reed was thinking with Jesus. In general, I find pseudo religious soul searching music tedious and rarely worth paying attention. “Oh I’m so lost, and need to fill my spirit up with love and god, etc.” There’s nothing special in such messages. We’re all in the same boat, and a lot of us don’t need God to feel fulfilled. Reed explicitly stated that this was not a particularly Christian song; however, belting out “I am beginning to see the light” at the start of the next track only extends the tedium of one the record’s key themes. Which is frustrating because both songs in question are performed exceedingly well and sound great! So it gets a 3 for me for a couple of missteps, but I still absolutely love what I’m hearing for the most part.
I enjoyed this album more than the previous Velvet Underground. But it's still pretty underwhelming and it hasn't aged great. 6,5/10 fav song : Beginning to see the light & What Goes on