The Velvet Underground (studio album) by The Velvet Underground

This is an album that starts off so amazingly and unfortunately they cannot maintain this throughout the whole record. The deeper into the record you go the less interesting and engaging the songs become which all culminates on one of my least favourite tracks ever released by VU which is The Murder Mystery. It just feels so out of place with all of the other more accessible material on here making the song really stand out as being quite uninteresting. The biggest issue I have with this release is the large absence of the classic VU experimentation which is what made them so great in the first place. Instead they favour a more mainstream sound that feels like a bit of a precursor to the early years of Reed's solo career. This new sound is quite boring and gets stale pretty fast on this record. Despite this, we get just over a half of the run time of the album which is simply fantastic which drags this release up a lot quality wise. After Hours, Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, I'm Set Free and What Goes On are classics and are some of the most infectious songs ever released by the band. After Hours acts as a phenomenal closer to the record as well with it being such a beautiful song with some brilliant vocals on there. Lou Reed is as strong as ever on here as well with some outstanding song writing and great guitar work across the whole album. Overall, this is the perfect starting point for anyone looking to get into the Velvet Underground and it has some elite level moments but it doesn't match up with their two previous masterpieces.

From lleon79 01/24/2023 15:25

Not as ambitious or interesting as their previous two works, but still enjoyable!

As I revisited it I enjoyed it much more than 1st time, but still I think thatthe first couple of tracks are the strongest and then quality decteases, but most of the songs are still decent. I don't like only Some Kinda Love and That's The Story Of My Life.

Great songwriting travels far. Although previous efforts were certainly more challenging, for me the self titled record has so much heart and depth in it's back to basics-esque presentation. Lou Reed ultimately has a chance to breathe in this album and he flourishes.

87

Completando Discografías | Los Velvet
¿Qué se puede decir? No necesariamente llegando al nivel de su disco debut, pero este otro disco homónimo de los Velvet es una maravilla de inicio a fin con momentos muy eufóricos. Tiene la maravillosa Pale Blue Eyes, quizás la canción más popular de la banda; así como otro hitazo, un himno indie que parece escrita hace un par de años, como lo es la adelantadísima a su época After Hours. Tiene las infravaloradas Beginning to See the Light y Jesus. Un experimento con vocales habladas como ya se había visto en White Light/White Heat, esta vez llamada The Murder Mystery. Es un disco que como todos los de la banda le es fiel a su estilo experimental y logra cautivar con sus peculiaridades. Discutiblemente el segundo mejor disco de los Velvet.

Nice vibe, but a little boring after couple of tracks for me. But still quite enjoyable listen for me.

This album is a bit more commercially driven for sure, but it's SUPER underrated, in my opinion. There is such an oddly infectious energy about it the draws the listener in.

Album Rating: 93.10
(931/10)

Yes, this 1969 album is intentionally a more commercial sound than the brilliant, Nico assisted, 1967 effort. Yes, as a body of art it is inferior. Yes, it’s not technically as good. But, as much I love Velvet Underground & Nico, I prefer the highs of this 1969 album and there are no lows.

1. "Candy Says" Yule - 93
2. "What Goes On" Reed - 95
3. "Some Kinda Love" Reed - 81
4. "Pale Blue Eyes" Reed - 99
5. "Jesus" Reed with Yule - 90
6. "Beginning to See the Light" Reed - 100
7. "I'm Set Free" Reed - 99
8. "That's the Story of My Life" Reed - 87
9. "The Murder Mystery" Reed, Morrison, Yule, and Tucker - 92
10. "After Hours" Tucker - 95

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