Velvet Underground & Nico/Velvet Underground [Import]

More Sid & Susie

Different Light
The Bangles
Doll Revolution
The Bangles
Austin Powers
Original Soundtrack

Greatest Hits
The Bangles
Girlfriend
Matthew Sweet
Time Capsule: The Best Of
Matthew Sweet

Album Description

What do alt-rock/power pop heroes like Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles) and Matthew Sweet do on their time off? They get together in Matthew's comfy home studio and record a stunning album of their favorite '60s pop hits and rarities, of course!

The two first worked together in conjunction with Mike Myers as members of the band Ming Tea, appearing in all three Austin Powers movies and soundtracks. Now they've struck out on their own with Under The Covers Vol. 1, a tribute to their favorite '60s acts, including The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Young,The Who, and cult favorites like The Velvet Underground,The Zombies,The Left Banke, and Love. Leaving the songwriting to others lets Matthew and Susanna focus on singing, and the results are breathtaking. For extra authenticity, they even asked Van Dyke Parks (most famous for his work with the Beach Boys)to play keyboards and write string arrangements. It all adds up to a rock fan's dream come true.

Customer Reviews:

A breeze from the past........2007-06-23

No, not a blast, just a refreshing breeze. Was any new ground in pop music broken here? Nope. But it's fun and well done all the way through, and some of the great classics of the '60 get tweaked a bit, with great reverence, so that they are both old and new at the same time.

My one criticism is based on my purpose for buying it. I am in desperate need of music that my two young boys can enjoy and that won't drive me stark raving mad with boredom. I was hoping this would fit the bill, but the psychodelic first track "I See The Rain" is about the least accessible of the entire recording and my kids immediately decided they didn't like this CD.

Of course, I can always try again with the CD player on random play mode, but it got me thinking that with a little tweakage here and there this could have been a real breakthrough into the child's music market, since it seems to be a trend to record covers of classics and market them to kids.

Be that as it may, Susanna Hoff's voice is as distinctive as it was in the heyday of the Bangles, and since this CD says "Vol 1" on it I can only hope that there will be additional volumes to follow. I get it, even if my kids don't.

A Boast for the Bygone.......2007-03-18

Apparently, Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs were going to bill themselves as "Sid & Susie." Glad the Shout label has their names on the release, because it made me look twice & eventually get this disc. There really aren't weak tracks on this CD. Cover versions can add to an original or well-known track, simply be a carbon copy or sometimes make you want to go back to the original disc. Two of these tracks have spent a great deal of time in my personal top ten rotation. I think my very favorite, which is a favorite because I kept playing it off the Left Banke record repeatedly back in its day and haven't heard it elsewhere, is "She May Call You Up Tonight." Ian Matthews did record a version of it, but the Left Banke's baroque pop was a unique sound. Sid & Susie give it a hard edge complete with soaring harmonies and jangling guitars, "I've been telling lines I never knew, all to keep that girl away from you." It's a luscious cover, not an obvious choice. Also a wonderful cover is "And Your Bird Can Sing" that pumps energy into what was a minor recording for the Beatles, but gleams with Sweet & Hoffs, "When your prize possessions start to wear you down, look in my direction, I'll be round." "Monday Monday" which will be one of the more familiar tracks is also given an excellent rendition with Hoffs proudly singing the "ba-da, ba-da's" like a boast for the bygone. The track has a stunning energy and is pure delight. I particularly like how the reverb flows into the break before the final chorus resumes. Fairport Convention & Judy Collins are closely identified with the Sandy Denny classic "Who Knows Where the Time Goes." Susan Cowsill recorded a cover of it on her recent "Just Believe It" set that went to the top of my favorite tracks of the year, as did the entire CD. Sid & Susie do a great version here, although I still go back to Collins' crystal Colorado voice and Susan's wonderful reading. I also enjoy their version of the Bee Gees' "Run to Me." The Bee Gees are kind of like the musical equivalent of Woody Allen -- it's hard not to sound like them, much as its hard for other actors not to sound like Woody Allen when doing his dialogue. Their rhythms and sound are so distinctive. This track is a contemplative gem that closes the disc. There are no weak tracks on this set, which makes me hope that a volume two does arrive! Enjoy!

beautiful melodies and uplifting lyrics.......2007-02-15

The Good
A catchy guitar hook and a blending of Hoffs and Sweet's vocals command "I See the Rain" (The Marmalade). On "And Your Bird Can Sing" (The Beatles), Sweet and Hoffs trade harmonic melodies back and forth. Matthew also lays down a great surf-rock guitar solo. The duo expresses their rocking side on Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl." The tempo is slightly faster than the original, but it still has all of the edgy guitar fuzz. With just one note you will instantly recognize the mark of Brian Wilson on "The Warmth of the Sun" (The Beach Boys). This down-tempo number is lead mostly by Matthew's high-pitched vocals. Susana backs him up on the choruses.

Hoffs has such a sweet voice on The Stone Poneys classic "Different Drum." This is definitely one of the songs I think of when I think of that decade. I had no idea it was written by Mike Nesmith (Monkees). Sweet and Hoffs unleash their rocking side again on "The Kids are Alright" (The Who) and "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere" (Neil Young & Crazy Horse). As the duo states in their liner notes, Who doesn't like The Mammas and the Papas? Songs like Monday, Monday were the epitome of the music scene in the sixties.

The Bad
Nothing notable

The Verdict
Not that I lived it, but what I've gathered in my lifetime; this album recreates the sounds of the sixties with beautiful melodies and uplifting lyrics.

Not a lot of new cd's worth buying these days. This one is!!!.......2007-01-29

And all covers- who would have thought? I had long forgotten about the Austin Powers connection but I had to listen to this after a highly critical/skeptical musician friend of mine told me how good it was. Then I met Susanna Hoffs at a Bangles show and was reminded how GREAT her voice is and how HOT she looks- she is like 47 and could put most 21 year old women to shame. Anyway I had better stop talking about that or that will be the whole review. Highlites? Your Bird Can Sing- man Susanna makes this her own- I would say it is the best Beatle cover EVER. Warmth of the Sun- I worship Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys and they did a great job with this one too. Cinnamon Girl- Incredible. The Kids Are Alright- again phenominal. The only one I could have lived without was "Different Drum". I don't buy the hype about Michael Nesmith being a musical genius. I think Hoffs sounds much better than Linda Rondstat but I found it impossible to forget Linda's whining while listening to it. One of the nice things about the album is that it is full of Susanna Hoffs. No jealous bandmates hogging the mic. And Matthew Sweet really compliments her. I have a lot more respect for the guy after hearing his voice and guitar work here.

Great Taste, No Revelations.......2006-11-10

"Under the Covers" is a solid album covering '60s and '70s pop tunes. Sweet and Hoffs have the talent and production chops to put together convincing remakes of some well known songsand some exciting obscurities. Mostly it works well, although Sweet should never again attempt early-period Beach Boys (he just can't sing up there effectively). The album is more a celebration of Sweet and Hoff's great taste (and Sweet's guitar prowess) than an album with anything urgent or fresh to say. It's a pleasant listen and a good way of getting lots of great tunes in one place. But it doesn't really do anything all that innovative or moving.

Average customer rating:

Loaded : Completing the Velvet Underground's Legacy
not as groundbreaking - but a personal favorite
The Last, and A Heck of a Least
"All the poets studied rules of verse/and the ladies, they rolled their eyes"
Their worst album but still not bad (3.5 stars)

Loaded
The Velvet Underground
Manufacturer: Warner Strat. Mkt.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 1

ASIN: B000002LVB
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Who Loves The Sun
Sweet Jane
Rock And Roll
Cool It Down
New Age
Head Held High
Lonesome Cowboy Bill
I Found A Reason
Train Round The Bend
Oh! Sweet Nuthin'

Amazon.com essential recording

While John Cale certainly gave the first couple of Velvet Underground albums a signature sound, his departure enabled Lou Reed to do exactly what he does best: write kick-ass, stripped-down rock songs. On Loaded his talent comes to full fruition. Who can imagine a world without "Sweet Jane" and "Rock & Roll," arguably two of the greatest rock tunes ever penned? The brilliance of those songs is so bright, it's easy to overlook a couple of other Reed masterpieces: the tender, epic discourse of "New Age" (which highlights his assured sense of poetic wordplay: "And when you kissed Robert Mitchum / Gee, but I thought you'd never catch him!") and the extended sweet blues romp of "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'." On Loaded the Velvet Underground--who before had hit the sonic ceiling experimenting with shattered chords, feedback, screeching violas, and what Reed once claimed was "the fastest guitar playing ever"--eschew the dark side of noise for clarity. Check out the ringing chime that begins "Who Loves the Sun" and the sterling (no pun intended) guitar riff that drives "Rock & Roll." This is not to say that the old ragged punch of the original Velvets is completely gone. Moe Tucker still beats a mean set of skins; there's no stopping Sterling Morrison's train-wreck rhythm guitar on "Train Round the Bend"; and "Head Held High" achieves near-"Sister Ray" moments of madness. --Tod Nelson

Customer Reviews:

Loaded : Completing the Velvet Underground's Legacy.......2007-06-28

Loaded, is the Velvet Underground's fourth and final studio recording.
Released in September 1970, one month after Lou Reed calls it quits and begans solo work. Maureen Tucker is absent from 'Loaded' out on maternity leave. "Oh Mo, where did you go?" - The VU really should have waited.
By now, new bassist Doug Yule took over as lead vocalist on far too many tracks. Yes, the band was on the edge of breaking up.
Despite all of this, as always The Velvets still produce a fantastic album.
'Loaded' is the VU's most commercially accessible and the band finally signed onto a major label. Although like their earlier lps - 'Loaded' didn't sell very well.
This last album does contain some really wonderful tunes. Includes : the fun, rollicking track "Rock & Roll" and "Sweet Jane" - the guitar bursts on "Head Held High" although it may sound like a repetitive generic rock song by many. My personal favorite track, the opener : "Who Loves the Sun"-
Although much more direct and different then earlier outputs, which of course can be a good thing. This album features one of the VU's biggest stinkers = "Lonesome Cowboy Bill" a country hillbilly type of Rock sound that Lou Reed never should have attempted.
-Loaded- does complete the Velvet Underground's Rock legacy. An end to a highly influential rock band as Reed and Morrison experimented with alternate tunings and fuzzy noise later copied by future bands. -
Such followers (many are favorites of mine) who were influenced by the Velvet Underground include CAN, Television, The Fall, the Dream Syndicate, Pavement, R.E.M. and continuing the New York no-wave tradition: Sonic Youth.

not as groundbreaking - but a personal favorite.......2007-06-02

post john cale velvet underground tends to get rated a little lower - which makes sense Cale was one of the great innovators of the time.. but i actually listen to this more than the other albums... It may not explore uncharted territories but it is perfect in its own way.. not a bad track on this album!

The Last, and A Heck of a Least.......2006-11-01

The Velvet Underground followed up their mellow third record with the more rocking Loaded. Doug Yule, who first appeared on the previous release, sang lead on four tracks. Drummer Moe Tucker was pregnant and unable to play, so Doug's brother Billy sat in on drums. John Cale was long gone. Lou Reed left the band shortly before the album's release, and claimed that it had not been mastered to his satisfaction. Obviously, this was a different kind of Velvet Underground record.

The same two songs are always the first to be mentioned in every review of the Velvets' last album. "Sweet Jane" is rightfully one of the band's best-known numbers, as it is a jubilant pop song with sturdy guitar riffs and self-assured vocals by Lou Reed. It is also a tune about the joy of domestic bliss, which wasn't exactly Reed's signature topic. The other well-known track on Loaded is "Rock And Roll". Now, I hate to expose the naked emperor, but this is not that great of a song. It is very pedestrian, not very inspired, and frankly quite trite. Their is no reason for it to be praised as one of the songs that best displays Reed's songwriting talent, especially when there are several other songs on this album that more rightly qualify. Among these are the Mamas and Papas-esque "Who Loves the Sun?", which opens the record. Initially, this may strike the listener as the type of song that represents everything that the Velvets were against on their first two albums. But let us not forget that the first track on their debut was the hazzy, sunny pop song "Sunday Morning". (And as I said in another review, the opening track of their eponymous third album - "Candy Says" - must have been quite a shock to first-time listeners as well.) In general, Reed eschews songs of sex and drugs for more down-to-earth subjects. The lyrics are more pensive if not profoundly philosophical, such as on the eloquent "New Age" (which contains the cringe-inducing rhyme of "Mitchum" and "catch him"), the tuneful "I Found A Reason", and the closing track "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'". "Cool It Down" has an old-fashioned quality to it, and is another highlight on Loaded. However, although "Head Held High" and "Train Round the Bend" recall some of the manic moments of the band's first two records, they are lyrically repetitive and uninteresting, as is "Lonesome Cowboy Bill".

These soft spots are not enough to drag the album down too much, but like the ones on The Velvet Undergroud, they are enough to lose it a few points. The fact that their last two albums were different does not by itself cause them to be the slightly lesser records that they are. Rather, it is the fact that Lou Reed - who was the lone leader of the band now - simply sounds uninspired some (but certainly not all) of the time. But please don't let me be misunderstood - the positive is absolutely worth accentuating on Loaded. Lou Reed's pop songs were among the best he's ever written, and his thoughtful side shone brightly in tracks that were of slower tempo but impenetrable vitality. While more accessible in the conventional sense, it is not the place to begin a Velvet Underground collection. It is still best to start with The Velvet Underground & Nico or The Best of the Velvet Underground: Words and Music of Lou Reed. (Loaded was the second of VU's studio albums that I heard.) It's too bad that the original release does not include the full-length version of "Sweet Jane", which can be only found on the Fully Loaded edition or the box set. Although I wouldn't recommend buying Fully Loaded just to have that version of the song, it does have some first-rate stuff like "Ride Into the Sun", "Ocean", and "I'm Sticking With You", the latter two of which can also be found on the very worthwhile collection simply titled VU. (And you can't really go wrong with the box set, if you are willing to take that plunge. It contains what is probably the bravest and most influential body of work in American rock.)

To many fans of popular music, the end of an era occurred in April 1970, when The Beatles broke up. To fans of altermative rock, an era ended a few months later, when Lou Reed left The Velvet Underground. Loaded was the last of their proper albums, and to some, the least. But if this is the weakest link, then The Velvet Underground's chain will remain forever unbroken.

"All the poets studied rules of verse/and the ladies, they rolled their eyes".......2006-08-29

Okay, after hearing all this [...] about new albums by Paris Hilton, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Simpson, I did what I always do: Escaped into that happy little land known as Music Made Before I Was Born. To be more specific, I listened to Sweet Jane, by far VU's greatest song, for the billionth time. It never gets old. The same can be said about Loaded... well, most of it.
Every VU album has a cliche around it - VU & Nico is the one from left field, White Light/White Heat is the speed-fueled party, VU is the quiet morning after, and Loaded is the pop album, minus the sex, the drugs, the murder (kind of ironic when you think about how being "loaded" can refer to being drunk or having a loaded gun). And the group pulls it off, though sometimes it seems they're trying too hard (I Found a Reason, Cool It Down). But there's a lot to like about Loaded: Who Loves the Sun, the aforementioned Sweet Jane, ode to Man's Greatest Invention Rock and Roll - like Ginny and Lou Reed, my life was also saved by rock 'n' roll. Not to mention album-closer Oh! Sweet Nuthin', New Age, Head Held High and Train 'Round the Bend. Loaded isn't perfect - subtract Lonesome Cowboy Bill, I Found a Reason, and Cool It Down, then we'll talk - but it's a good one!

Their worst album but still not bad (3.5 stars).......2006-08-07

Released in 1970, Loaded would be the final Velvet Underground release to feature their leader and chief songwriter Lou Reed. Like their previous albums, Loaded would sound different from its predecessor, this time sporting more of a hard rock sound. The performances sound almost professional compared to their looseness of their previous works. Also worth noting is that while all the songs are good, they're not quite as memorable or as exciting as before. The now classic tracks "Sweet Jane" and "Rock & Roll" are the best tracks as well as the only ones that really capture the spirit of their previous output. Another great song is "New Age", a track that not only has some great chord changes but also recalls the beauty of "I'm Set Free" and "I'll Be Your Mirror." The opening "Who Loves The Sun" is psychedelic pop similar to "Sunday Morning" and "Femme Fatale" from their first album, Velvet Underground and Nico. While rockers like "Cool It Down", "Head Held High", "Lonesome Cowboy Bill", and "Train Round the Bend" are all decent, they don't touch anything off their previous albums. The same goes for the mellower "I Found a Reason" and "Oh! Sweet Nothin"; both are okay but they've done better. All told, while Loaded is still a good album and the band certainly don't embarrass themselves like many do on their last albums, it's not on par with their previous classic material.

Average customer rating:

A fantastic out takes collection.
The Fifth Essential Velvet Underground Album
(3.5 stars) The first six songs would've been welcome on any VU album
The best band of the '60s have an '80s production on this album.
This album has the two best Velvet Underground Songs on it

VU
The Velvet Underground
Manufacturer: Polydor / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 2

ASIN: B000008LZA
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

I Can't Stand It
Stephanie Says
She's My Best Friend
Lisa Says
Ocean
Foggy Notion
Temptation Inside Your Heart
One Of These Days
Andy's Chest
I'm Sticking With You

Customer Reviews:

A fantastic out takes collection........2007-05-23

In 1969, the Velvet Underground parted ways with Verve Records (which, along with its parent ocmpany MGM, had released their first three albums) and signed with Atlantic, recording and releasing 1970's Loaded. Before switcihng labels, however, the group had recorded several songs for what was to be their fourth Verve album. None of those songs followed the group to Atlantic, and for years they languished in MGM's vaults. Then, in the 80s, as the Velvets' posthumous legend grew and the group's albums began to be re-released on vinyl and CD, the folks over at MGM released 10 of those "lost tracks" as VU (others surfaced on Another View). The songs, recorded between 1968 and 1969, are in a similar vein to the band's gentle, melodic third album. With the exception of "Stephanie Says" and "Temptation Inside Your Heart" (which feature our old friend John Cale), these songs were recorded with multi-instrumentalist Doug Yule, as well as de-facto leader Lou Reed, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Maureen Tucker.

But enough about that. You're probably here because you wanna know if it's a good album. It is- as a matter of fact, it's fantastic, easily as good as any of their "official" releases. For one thing, the disc shows Reed's growth as a lyricist: "Lisa Says" is one of his most heartrendingly beautiful compositions (and he's written a lot of beautiful songs), full of quiet yearning and subdued passion. "Stephanie Says" and "She's My Best Friend" are similar, although slightly more dreamy and surreal. All three songs are also musically superb, full of lilting melodies and twisting guitar lines. The jolting "I Can't Stand It" is one of the group's finest rockers, and "Ocean" is one of their dreamiest, most ethereal explorations. "Andy's Chest" and "I'm Sticking With You" are lightweight (almost childish) but undeniably fun, with gently playful melodies and lyrics. "Temptation Inside Your Heart" is a bouncy rocker with some great vocal asides from Reed, and "One of these Days" is a pleasently weird electric-country vamp. Best of all is "Foggy Notion," which is simply one of the greatest rock and roll songs of all time: It's a rollicking, raving fist-pumper with some wonderfully weightless guitars, a storming pulse of rhythm, and some of the greatest sleazily exuberant sing-along lyrics ever. Dancde to it or die.

If you've never listened to the Velvets before, you may want to start elsewhere, but if you're a fan of the group, this is an invaluable aritfact of the later period Velvet Underground that is worth every penny. Happy listening!

The Fifth Essential Velvet Underground Album.......2007-02-07

This collection captures the Velvet Underground halfway between their amazing third album (self-titled) and their more commercial-sounding final album (Loaded). Actually, there are two songs here--"Stephanie Says" and "Temptation Inside Your Heart"--that were recorded in February 1968, when John Cale was still in the band, though the others all date from May through October 1969. It is freely admitted in the liner notes that this is not the "Great Lost Velvet Underground Album." However, the songs do flow together nicely, and most of them are very good.

At least three tracks are instant classics: "I Can't Stand It," "Foggy Notion," and "Stephanie Says." A couple others--"Lisa Says" and "Ocean"--are almost as good. Only one song here, "One of These Days," sounds like it would've been a good fit for "Loaded," as it has that country-blues feel that the band was getting into at the time. There are two songs in this collection that were not included in the "Peel Slowly and See" box set, and I have to admit that they picked the best two to omit: "Andy's Chest" works much better on Reed's campy "Transformer" album, and "She's My Best Friend" is sort of a throwaway.

Still, this is a fairly solid release. At one time I owned the second album of Velvet Underground outtakes, "Another View," and I was so unimpressed that I sold it back. But this one definitely belongs in your collection if you already own the four official studio albums that were released during the band's lifetime.

(3.5 stars) The first six songs would've been welcome on any VU album.......2006-12-18

The last four, not so much. It's too bad that the Velvets were dropped from their label while working on their aborted fourth album, since half of this (which collects that material) and half of Loaded could've easily been VU's best effort. Take rockers I Can't Stand It and Foggy Notion (with great guitar from Sterling Morrison, an underrated guitarist), add a couple of lovely ballads (Lisa Says; She's My Best Friend; Stephanie Says; the Ocean), and you've got pure gold, right? Side two isn't as good: Andy's Chest is goofy, but better heard on Lou Reed's Transformer album; I'm Sticking with You is a half-serious sendup that veers dangerously close to self-parody; Temptation Inside Your Heart is weak; One of These Days is too. But the best songs on this disc make it a near must-have.

The best band of the '60s have an '80s production on this album........2006-08-15

I bought this album on cassette a week or so ago. This is what I think about it right now (opinions subject to change, of course):

1. I Can't Stand It: Over-rated song.
2. Stephanie Says: All right, but not fantastic.
3. She's My Best Friend: Not interesting.
4. Lisa Says: There's a better version of this song (same music but with totally different verses of lyrics, and an excellent 'song-within-a-song' that sounds musically based upon "That's The Story Of My Life" from the band's awesome self-titled third album) on the first volume of the band's two-volume "1969 Live". This version is quite poor to my ears.

[By the way, why does Lou Reed make so many songs about girls? Especially on this album, the first four tracks are like girls-only. Rather alienating, I gotta say, as a male fan of the band who listens to them partly for their abilities to salve certain sores caused by WOMEN.]

5. Ocean: This is pretty good, but I recall hearing a much better version somewhere else. On the second, rarities disc of the 2-CD"ReLOADED", I think.

And that concludes Side A on my cassette tape.

Side B, on the other hand, has ALL GOOD SONGS: "Foggy Notion", "Temptation Inside Your Heart", "One of These Days", "Andy's Chest" and "I'm Sticking With You". I like/love 'em all.

There's a bit of silliness here and there, especially on the absurdist "Andy's Chest" track which doesn't seem to mention anything about Andy Warhol in its lyrics.

So that's it. Except two more unrelated things:

(1) I'm a Velvet Underground fan. I love their second and third albums, and find spots of greatness on both their first album (w/ Nico) and their fourth & last album "Loaded". I also bought the first volume of "1969 Live" recently and it has some GREAT stuff on that one.

(2)(a) A big problem I have with this "VU" album/compilation is its production. I am not familiar with Bill Levenson's production work (he's the guy who took the original masters from '68 and '69 and oversaw new production/mixing of them in 1984) but I DO know that his engineer/mixer Michael Barbiero has an AWFUL '80s-cock-rock-like sound that he puts onto things. (Think "Higher Ground" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which he may have engineered for all I know; I know he has worked with that band in the past.)

(2)(b) Even Michael Barbiero can't ruin the appeal of these songs, of course, (and it's more of a problem, I think, on the first 4 songs than on the rest of the album) but I just wanna warn fans who are, as I am, fans of the band's rawer, more modest and honest self-productions that this album is DIFFERENT from albums like "White Light/White Light" and "The Velvet Underground" in terms of sound/production.

This album has the two best Velvet Underground Songs on it.......2006-07-29

"A Foggy Notion" and "I Can't Stand It" are two of the best Velvet Underground songs ever. These songs are nothing less than savage. I have blown car speakers playing these songs over and over. "I Can't Stand It" always reminds me of what an airplane crash might sound like, and if you are a Velvet Underground fan you should hear these songs. They are also on the "Gold" collection and on the box set. The rest of the album is okay but not essential if you are not familiar with the rest of the VU previous albums. It is criminal that these songs were not released when they were recorded. Great great stuff.

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Postcolonial flashback
Late Velvet Underground live
Better live than in the studio
If your Looking for a "Live" performance of the The Velvet Underground....
it made me forget I hate texas.

1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 1
The Velvet Underground
Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 2
VU
The Velvet Underground
White Light/White Heat
Live at Max's Kansas City

ASIN: B000001FOD
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Waiting For My Man
Lisa Says
What Goes On
Sweet Jane
We're Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together
Femme Fatale
New Age
Rock & Roll
Beginning To See The Light
Heroin

Amazon.com

Originally a two-record set, this live recording has been split and released as separate albums, volume 1 and volume 2. No matter, it's an essential document of one of the finest and most innovative rock bands of all time. 1969: Live catches the band at a juncture in their career, still reeling from the departure of John Cale and settling into the addition of multi-instrumentalist Doug Yule, who would help the band find their rocking heart. Thank god that Maureen Tucker was still around--her inspired, primal drumming makes this recording such a delight. Her quiet thumping on "Lisa Says" is understated and touching, and her timpanic, thunderous rolls on "New Age" are nothing short of awesome. Lou Reed is particularly loose and chatty, more comfortable with his voice as he stretches to hit some tender passages. And the version of "Rock and Roll" here is perhaps the finest of all it's many versions, epic in scope and focused in intensity. --Tod Nelson

Customer Reviews:

Postcolonial flashback.......2006-11-05

Born in India in 1976, I heard this group in 2006 after graduating from an art school in the US, the way I could associate with these voices only confirms time-space-less-ness of good music at large!

Late Velvet Underground live.......2006-11-03

This disc is consistently good. It reflects the late Velvet Underground which is indisputably Lou Reed's band. I can't imagine why they ever tried to make a studio record after Lou Reed left, but apparently they did.

Each of the four Velvet Underground studio albums is a very different experience. Although this live disc pulls material from all four albums, it is played through a post-Loaded prism which is usually more straightforward rock-oriented. They play rock as well as anyone, but I still think the dynamic between John Cale and Lou Reed was what gave their early work such a special quality.

That said, a lot of these songs are played to the point where monotony becomes positively trance-inducing, and with a casual, absolute conviction that you won't find many places.

Better live than in the studio.......2006-10-08

These two discs rank right up there with the Heartbreakers' "Live at Max's Kansas City" as some of the best live music ever recorded. The band is loose, John Cale is gone, and the VU sound comfortable being a rock and roll band. The flawed sound just makes it all the more poignant. I agree that some of these versions are better than the originals. One difference from the original LP is the version of "Heroin". The original is on volume 2. I still like the one on volume 2 better, but this one is different enough to be interesting, a little more urgent. These might be the albums I'd take on a desert island.

If your Looking for a "Live" performance of the The Velvet Underground...........2006-09-08

Apparently, the story goes, that one of "Maureen Tucker's" (Velvet's Drummer), biggest regrets, in her tenure with the band, was that there is a distinct lack of quality `Live' performances of the band. And a quick peruse through the bands discography points to this being the case, with only a small handful of releases available and most largely lacking a suitably reprehensive documentation, of the band at a key point in their existence, as one of the most progressive and influential Proto-Punk, Experimental-Rock, and druggy Rock & Roll acts to ever take to the stage. And so, this is...far and away, the best `Live' Document of the bands performances, with each member giving the songs here a grittier and more dramatic/ aggressive feel. Arguably what this means is that the tracks that most will only be familiar with via the studio albums, will be surprised at how different some of these slightly re-jigged `Live' performances are. Whether it's the hypnotically slow and detached drone of "Sweet Jane", or the beautifully dramatic ebb and flow of "What Goes on", lend each of these songs seem to have a more sleazy and precarious edge, that although the studio versions were certainly not lacking in, these versions feel more visceral, and truly representative of the band. Lou Reed, in particular...growls/sneers/scowls...throughout the more up-tempo numbers, and maintains a sombre/bittersweet/poignant tone whenever the songs necessitate are slow ballad-style. With his guitar work throughout being particularly impressive. But this isn't to take anything away from the rest of the band, whom give as committed a performance as Reed. With Sterling Morrison guitar work, chiming perfectly with Reed's to make for a truly thrilling rhythm section , and Doug Yule's contributions on bass, just about holding the whole thing together, like some dangerously out of control vehicle, with the wheels about to fall off.

But the band remain at their most impressive when working through the material that allows them to truly tear things up, and so on tracks like "Heroin", "I'm Waiting for the Man" & "Rock & Roll" get fierce and intense reworkings that differ slightly from the studio versions by being noticeably rawer, passionate and nihilistic...with the sense of hostility towards the audience, the listeners at home....Hell, virtually everyone!!??, and it's one of the key reasons, that so brilliantly illustrates why keen fans of bands / aficionados , are generally curious to check out `Live' performances of their favourite acts, just to hear that intensity that sometimes doesn't transfer as well on studio albums, as they do on `Live' recordings. And although The Velvet Underground were more widely known for being such a groundbreaking acts that although selling minor amounts of records by todays standards, went on to influence virtually any wannabe drug-f***ed guitar band, with a penchant for decedent lyrics. But this `Live' performance disk (as well as Volume 2), illustrates that the Velvet's were as staggering `Live' as they were in the Studio. This is almost certainly a release that is of no use to the casual fan, the Studio albums (or a compilation) with satisfy those with only a passing interest in the band. But for the keen fan, this is by far the best recorded document of the band `Live' output, and therefore remains an essential purchase.

it made me forget I hate texas........2005-06-17

Great album, "Waiting for my man" and "Lisa Says" are my favorite songs on this but "Heroin and "Rock n' Roll" are pretty close, all the songs are classics and played perfectly. I think my favorite thing about this is the beggining when they talk about the cowboys/eagles game.

Average customer rating:

Great Album
Nice "alternate album" with some wonderful bonus tracks
Who Loves the Sun?
Loaded with Hits... Integrity Intact Forever
A Masterpiece

Loaded (2-CD Fully Loaded Edition)
The Velvet Underground
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Velvet Underground
White Light/White Heat
VU
1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 2
1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 1

ASIN: B0000033WC
Release Date: 1997-02-18

Tracks:

Who Loves The Sun
Sweet Jane (Full-Length Version)
Rock & Roll (Full-Length Version)
Cool It Down
New Age (Long Version)
Lonesome Cowboy Bill
Lonesome Cowboy Bill
I Found A Reason
Train Round The Bend
Oh! Sweet Nuthin'
Ride Into The Sun
Ocean
I'm Sticking With You
I Love You
Rock & Roll
Head Held High

Tracks:

Who Loves The Sun (Alternate Mix)
Sweet Jane (Early Version)
Rock & Roll (Demo)
Cool It Down (Early Version)
New Age (Full-Length Version)
Head Held High (Early Version)
Lonesome Cowboy Bill [Early Version][#]
I Found A Reason (Demo)
Train Round The Bend (Alternate Mix)
Oh! Sweet Nuthin' (Early Version)
Ocean (Demo)
I Love You (Outtake)
Satellite Of Love (Alternate Demo)
Oh Gin (Demo)
Walk And Talk (Demo)
Sad Song (Demo)
Love Makes You Feel Ten Feet Tall (Demo)

Customer Reviews:

Great Album.......2007-01-10

I consider myself a hardcore Velvet Underground fan, and I absolutely love this album. In fact, I am going to blaspheme and admit that I prefer it not only to the eponymous third album, but also the band's legendary debut (GASP!). I realize Velvet Underground and Nico is one of the most influential albums of all time, and I listen to it a lot, but I like many of the songs on Loaded better. (I don't think anything else the band did can touch the raw glory of White Light/White Heat).

Velvet Underground fans often complain that this album is less edgy and groundbreaking than their other three efforts. I agree with this claim completely, and I think Loaded is the only album the band released that really sounds like a product of its era. At the same time, I think 1969-1970 was an incredibly inspired time for music, so fitting into this era is a good thing. 1969 and 1970 witnessed a shift in the rock world away from psychedelia toward country and folk sensibilities. 1969 saw The Band release their second album, the Stones release the country-tinged Let It Bleed, and Dylan release the pure-country Nashville Skyline. 1970 featured Zeppelin's shift to folk with their third album. Even the true champions of psychedelia, the Grateful Dead, released the folk rock classics Workingman's Dead and American Beauty in 1970. Loaded stands up well amid these albums.

I also think I like this album because I typically listen to classic rock rather than the alternative rock many Velvet Underground fans prefer. Along with the Velvet Underground, I would say the Rolling Stones and pre-'75 Grateful Dead are my favorite bands. "Sweet Jane" and "Rock and Roll" are two of the greatest classic rock songs ever. "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" is almost as great, and the rest of the songs are better than filler to my ears (I love "Cool It Down," contrary to many of the other reviewers). And while the album lacks the alternative sound, some of the lyrics still hint at Lou Reed's cynicism ("Who Loves the Sun", "Train Round the Bend").

There is no doubt in my mind that Loaded is far more accessible than the other three Velvet Undergound albums. It is the one recording by the band that I think could appeal to many casual listeners. People can quibble over whether this really is the Velvet Underground because of all the personnel changes, but that just draws attention away from the great music you will find here. The extra tracks are a nice touch and worth the extra money, though not essential to most folks. Still, any fan of the Velvet Underground (especially Lou Reed) or classic rock should check this album out.

Nice "alternate album" with some wonderful bonus tracks.......2006-11-26

The alternate version of the album is a gem - more personal, intimate and quirky than the original.

Amongst the rest (ie the "bonus tracks") are 2 superb versions of Ocean, his best version of Satellie of Love, and the magnificent demo Love Makes You Feel Ten Feet Tall which contains elements of at least two later songs - have fun identifying them!

Who Loves the Sun?.......2006-07-31

I can't speak for everyone, but I for one, do.

I've never heard all of the Velvet Underground's albums, but from what I've been able to pick up, they were more depressing-sounding albums, with sombering looks at life - particularly drugs and sex.

This album on the other hand, stands out amongst the songs of sorrow with songs that sound to me as complete jubilation, the exception being 'I Found a Reason.' But starting out with Who Loves the Sun, a song that sounds as if it came out of a George Harrison song-writing session, starts off the album with a great beginning hook and glorious chorus lines that reaffirm that this album is quite different than their previous ones. The next, Sweet Jane, is quite possibly my favorite of the album, with pure joy seeping from the entire track, especially the third chorus. I'm assuming it's Lou Reed singing, and I doubt he's even sounded so exuberant ever since or before.

Rock and Roll seems like a direct extension off of Sweet Jane, and is just as 'rockin' as the two previous tracks. Probably one of the most simple tracks on the album, lyrical and instrumental, but still great. Cool It Down is probably my least favorite track and one I think really disrupts the flow of the album. I know there's not much there for description, but I really can't listen to it.

Things pick up again though with the gentle and quite beautiful New Age. A song that seems to be about new-found love with an older women. (I'm not entirely sure, the lyrics are kind of strange. But still a good tune.) Another thundering rocker with Head Held High, another kind of strange tune about keeping your spirits up.

I think it would be impossible for me to even try to describe Lonesome Cowboy Bill, since it seems so incredibly out of place with anything the Velvet Underground has done, albeit, a song, joyous in all senses, with a slight country-rock tinge to it, about a travelling rodeo cowboy... So I guess I did basically describe it. But it's definitely a stand out track.

I Found a Reason is probably the only depressing track on the album, which seems to be a song about a man or woman who diverted from attempting suicide because of his papa.

Rounding out the album are Train Around the Bend and Oh! Sweet Nuthin', which is probably my second favorite track on the album, and very melodic, slow paced, yet very spirited song that is a very fitting ending to a very great, high-spirits album. Thoroughly recommended to anyone. Especially those who love today's indie sound and wish to explore the beginnings of that sound, although I'm not saying this is the true beginning by any means.

Loaded with Hits... Integrity Intact Forever.......2006-05-08

Lou Reed did it..the survivor, new bandmates and studio musicians,a new age...total greatness, a 2 CD gift for the fans..the original album,the alternate album,early versions,full length versions, demos, early skeleton songs that appeared later on Lou's solo works with the demise of the Velvets, all in all not a note to be missed.. all loaded with a wonderful booklet, cover art appreciated by any NYC Subway junkie.
On this 4th offering, the band(now officially broken up) set out to show that they remained that tight Long Island Rock band of Lou(minus the drummer Mo and John Cale's replacement, Doug Yule singing lead on 3 great Reed compositions) showering a slew of tight songs showcasing many styles on the world fully knowing that this was the sort of album that all the commercial executives wanted the Velvets to make from the beginning..but it was a sad song and too late for that type of stardom.
Their fame was posthumous and always beyond category and comparison.Loaded was an album of hits completing a cycle for the band that began with the Nico album, culminating into a collection of topnotch song craft smacking of beautiful songs and FM staples, songs you can rock and dance to.
The story still requires their odds and sods collections Another View and VU and the live Robert Quine Tapes, the now 2 CD set Live At Max's and that extraordinary live 2 volume CD set 1969 recorded during this Loaded period.
You won't be disappointed in their box "Peel Slowly And See" neither.

A Masterpiece.......2006-04-21

Of all the VU albums, this is the most "pop" sounding and accessible. It also has, in my opinion, the definitive VU song;"Sweet Jane", which is inarguably, one of the most compelling rock songs ever written.This is quite simply a flawless classic that you should own, if for no other reason that you cannot claim that you have a classic rock collection without owning this album. As for this "fully loaded" version; dont hesistate to buy it. The extra songs and different versions are all gems and will open the door to an appreciation of VU other albums.

Average customer rating:

it's really lovely
Amazing.
No collection is complete without it
THE BEST Velvets Album
If you have the 1st one you must get this...or vice versa

1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 2
The Velvet Underground
Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 1
VU
The Velvet Underground
White Light/White Heat
Live at Max's Kansas City

ASIN: B000001FOE
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Ocean
Pale Blue Eyes
Heroin
Some Kinda Love
Over You
Sweet Bonnie Brown/It's Just Too Much
White Light/White Heat
I Can't Stand It
I'll Be Your Mirror

Amazon.com

It's the rarest of live albums whose songs add anything to the majesty of the original studio recordings. This one adds immeasurable data to the Velvet's story. Without 1969: Live we might never have known that they were more than just an art outfit, that they could actually rock with fury. Check out Reed's strumming on "What Goes On" if you want to have your mind blown. None of these staples of the V.U. catalog can be truly known without hearing these fully formed, fleshed-out versions, so for history's sake alone we must treasure this. History's tragedy of course is that we get to hear the excruciatingly light applause--it sounds like there's only 10 people in the room at some points--after each course in ass kicking. They were wrongly under-appreciated in their time, and for this we must all pay forever by playing this record constantly. --Gene Booth

Customer Reviews:

it's really lovely.......2006-02-27

This LP in it's original Double-album form was one my favorites of the era (the early seventies being a little sparse and sometimes unoriginal), but when the CD's came out, they split the thing into 2 separate discs. So this one has lots of dreamy, drug induced pop ("pale blue eyes', "I'll be your Mirror') , and some atmospherics ('Ocean')as well as the classics ("Heroin, White Light/White Heat').
Good for fans, good for people who liked their studio stuff, also.

Amazing........2005-01-17

Basically, if you're into the vu, you'll be into them live. There's almost no other way of looking at it. Their live performances are the most innate I've ever heard. So, if you're having some sort of dilemma regarding which live albums to spend your hard earned currency on, here's a suggestion: 1969: The Velvet Underground Live Vol.'s 1 & 2, Live at MKC, and the Quine Tapes. Those are the best live performances I've heard from the band. My personal favorite is the 1969: The VU Live Volume 1, but it's all personal preference.
I suppose I've gone off on a bit of a tangent - forgetting this was a review for 1969 Vol. 2. Well, the album is amazing. You're really doing yourself an injustice by not buying it. Trust me, the technicalities don't need to be described: just buy it, listen to it, and be inspired by it.

No collection is complete without it.......2003-05-09

The version of "Ocean" on this album is mind-blowing. You have to buy the CDs just for that. The rest of the Vol. 2 CD is excellent, as is Vol. 1, but that recording of "Ocean"...oh, it's impossible to do any justice to it here.

THE BEST Velvets Album.......2003-04-30

This is one of the rare cases when volume 2 is better than the first. Of course, it would be best to buy both but if you have to pick one, pick this volume.

This is the album that made me really appreciate the Velvets. I love live music and this album really captures the band as they were meant to be heard -- Jamming, Moody, Rock and Roll. The first 3 songs especially (Ocean, Pale Blue Eyes, and Heroin) have reverberated in my musical memory for a very long time.

A GREAT FIRST VU ALBUM! If you know the Velvets or even just think you might like them, you can't go wrong with these live concerts.

If you have the 1st one you must get this...or vice versa.......2003-04-28

Volume 2 picks up where the first one leaves off, opening with a ten minute version of OCEAN, complete with Crashing waves of cymbals. This also has rare gems you cant find anywhere else like the short but sweet OVER YOU, and the 50's rockabilly, speed freak sounding combo of SWEET BONNIE BROWN/IT'S JUST TOO MUCH.
Then there is the extended noise drone of WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT.

Just more evidence that the VU were a real loose dirty rock band who were more at home playing in dive bars than the early Warhol era trendy art crowd.

Peel Slowly and See
Average customer rating:

review of the compilation

the greatest box set ever..

viaje la centro de la VELVET

The Whole Is Not the Sum of its Parts

Despite a few flaws, an essential purchase

Peel Slowly and See
The Velvet Underground
Manufacturer: Polydor / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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