Graham Reid | | 1 min read
The Velvet Underground and Nico: Femme Fatale
Brian Eno once said that there would come a time when the Velvet Underground were discussed in the same breath as the Beatles with regard to their influence and importance. He said that when very few people in rock culture had really given serious consideration to this band out of New York which recalibrated the coordinates of rock music.
With the VU came themes which had never previously appeared in contemporary music (although were common enough in underground films and novels), a kind of drone rock where mood and tone were as important as melody, and an attitude that this was art to be taken seriously.
There are plenty of articles about the Velvet Undergound at Elsewhere which includes CD, book and DVD reviews (start here) so this can be brief.
Here are their first two albums (both from '67, the year of debut albums by Hendrix and the Doors as well as Sgt Pepper's) which should be cornerstones in any sensible collection: all the "hits" are here including Sunday Morning, Waiting for the Man, I'll Be Your Mirror, Femme Fatale, Sunday Morning, Heroin, Here She Comes Now, Sister Ray . . .
These were the only two VU albums with John Cale and some might say the only ones worth having. That's not true, but Cale was an integral part of their sound so . . .
Anyway why mention them now?
Because these two albums are part of a double package which is only $19.99 at JB Hi-Fi stores here.
That's a lot classic music at a low price, which makes it yet another Elsewhere recommendation as a Bargain Buy.
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