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The Velvet Underground


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Thank you, RonJon!! :: :: It´s interesting how a band such as VU influenced many of nowadays bands. They were a mix of avant-garde (Andy Warhol influence), pure rock (Lou Reed) and some refined and experimental music (John Cale). With Nico adding her look and voice...and glamour.

I prefer their classics: "There she goes again" (straight rock) "I´ll be your mirror", "Sunday Morning", "Pale Blue Eyes", which had beautifull melodies and poetical lyrics.

I never really got into that "White Light/White Heat" sound, "Black Angel´s Death Song" and that kind of trip.

But they were really modern. And I enjoy their music, though I despise Lou Reed´s attitude with heroin, which was a clear subject in his work. I think he did a real propaganda... and publicity. In the mid 60´s you didn´t know as much as today about drugs, and I understand the poetic license, but I guess he went too far. Mainly considering that he never was a junky and all that seemed to be like a marketing trick.

Maybe I´m wrong... and that´s not about dope but VU.

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  • 2 weeks later...

No, you´re not wrong... they were an inspiration for many bands even now. The Stooges included... They had all kind of songs: impossible ones, rock, pretty tunes...

I guess the only way to know about them is to listen to their records. "VU and Nico" (first album, 1967) is a good record, as "The Velvet Underground" (1969)...

I hate that "Heroin" song due to the lyrics... it sounds to me like if he (Lou Reed) was a pusher, which he actually was. I didn´t hate it in the early seventies but I can´t help it now, after seeing what happened to a whole generation.

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I LOVE the VU ("Heroin" included, I've read a lot of first-person accounts and the song is pretty real). Definitely seminal-they just don't make music like that anymore. I'm currently obsessed with "Pale Blue Eyes."

How about Nico on the first album? I've heard so many people say that her voice annoys them, but I've never been bothered by it. She doesn't sing on most of it anyway, and I like Nico-she's definitely a character.

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I love VU, they are one of my favorite bands. I understand that drugs were a big part of their subject matter, but I don't look at that as being a problem, look at The Beatles' psychedelic period, for example. My current favorite VU song is either "Some Kind of Love" or "I'm Waitin' For My Man" which, if you listen to the lyrics, is about waiting for a drug dealer. Doesn't keep it from being great music, though!

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"Pale Blue Eyes" is my absolute favorite VU song... "I´ll be your mirror" is very good too, sung by Nico... she was a fantastic addition to the VU for me...

I believe The Rolling Stones talked very much about drugs but did it better... and I thought "I´m waiting for the man" was about a dealer... :confused:

WAITING FOR THE MAN

I'm waiting for my man

Twenty-six dollars in my hand

Up to Lexington, 125

Feel sick and dirty, more dead than alive

I'm waiting for my man

Hey, white boy, what you doin' uptown?

Hey, white boy, you chasin' our women around?

Oh pardon me sir, it's the furthest from my mind

I'm just lookin' for a dear, dear friend of mine

I'm waiting for my man

Here he comes, he's all dressed in black

Beat up shoes and a big straw hat

He's never early, he's always late

First thing you learn is you always gotta wait I'm waiting for my man

Up to a Brownstone, up three flights of stairs

Everybody's pinned you, but nobody cares

He's got the works, gives you sweet taste

Ah then you gotta split because you got no time to waste

I'm waiting for my man

Baby don't you holler, darlin' don't you bawl and shout

I'm feeling good, you know I'm gonna work it on out

I'm feeling good, I'm feeling oh so fine

Until tomorrow, but that's just some other time

I'm waiting for my man

Yes it´s about dope, I´mthatguy... ;) I know the story, I´m quite old and I can tell you it´s about a man waiting for his dealer... "He´s never early, he´s always late, first thing you know is that you always gotta wait..."

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She was a German muse for warhol and others... I think she did a brief appearence in "La Dolce Vita"... is that so? I´ll google to see... She died some ten years ago, she fell from her bike... I just found a bio of hers... it´s quite interesting...NICO

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and I thought "I´m waiting for the man" was about a dealer... :confused:

Yes it´s about dope, I´mthatguy... ;) I know the story, I´m quite old and I can tell you it´s about a man waiting for his dealer... "He´s never early, he´s always late, first thing you know is that you always gotta wait..."

Sorry, I´mthat guy!!! :doh: :doh: I didn´t read well your post, I was doing twenty things at a time... yes, you´re right!!! Will you ever forgive my speedy behaviour? :angel: :angel:

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The Velvet Underground is amzing. I recently puchased "Loaded" (Fully Loaded Edition) and its stellar. I also have The Velvet Underground and Nico." Overall, that album is more consistent than "Loaded," however, "Sweet Jane," "Rock and Roll, " and "Cool it Down" are superb tracks. VU ROCKS.

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  • 1 month later...

RIDE INTO THE SUN

Looking for another place

Somewhere else to be

Looking for another chance

To ride into the sun

Ride into the sun

Ride into the sun

Ride into the sun

Ride into the sun

Where everything seems so pretty

When you're lonely and tired of the city

Remember it's a flower made out of clay

To the city

Where everything seems so ugly

When your sitting at home in self pitty

Remember you're just one more person

Who's living there

It's hard to live in the city

It's hard to live in the city

It's hard to live in the city

...

I hardly remember this one... I just remember the chorus, Lou Reed singing that line... it must on a compillation which is called "Velvet Underground" and has a banana on the cover (but not the "VU and Nico") I bought my copy in a strange compillation in France and I guess I lost it in some divorce... it´s a quiet song, I recall...

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