The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground is a very image centric group. From the start they were an art band. Another creative impulse in Andy Warhol's mixed media empire. Their musical goals were inspired by divergent ends of the musical spectrum. German/Austrian singer Nico further added to the band's dark hedonistic image. Even in his early music career Lou Reed was a rock'n'roller but prior to the VU he only cranked out pop songs. With Velvet Underground he authored most of their songs. Opposite his influence was Cale the band's sonic craftsman. Gravitating towards the avant-garde and minimal, his John Cage inspired drones and piano arrangements shaped the band's sound. Who should be credited for producing The Velvet Underground is a grey area and up for debate. Through his funding and promotion through the Exploding Plastic Inevitable events, Warhol certainly deserves some credit. On the other hand he had no real understanding of the music and accounts indicate he had little involvement outside being present at the sessions.

In the ecosystem of all modern rock The Velvet Underground is the one common ancestor all lineages can trace back to. Joe Harvard offers up dozens bands which have "…been influenced in a fundamental or important way…" by The Velvet Underground. Almost counter-intuitively, the album's release was largely unsuccessful. This can be partly attributed to the lack of mainstream media's blackout of the album severely impeding its success. One of my favorite characteristics of The Velvet Underground is Lou Reed's lyrics. Music critic Robert Christgau uses words like deadpan, witty, lively, and conversational to describe Reed's writing. It is also argued that he is not a rock poet but instead offers narrative and authenticity. When listening to the Velvet Underground I was taken away by the cacophonous storm of rock-reborn. With each track I would hear sections that influenced or inspired much of my favorite music. As a professional the record has impressed upon me how important it is to have a real producer if you want commercial success.

Harvard, Joe. The Velvet Underground and Nico . New York: Continuum, 2004. Print.
Howard, David N.. Sonic alchemy: visionary music producers and their maverick recordings. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp., 2004. Print.
Howard, David N.. Sonic alchemy: visionary music producers and their maverick recordings. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp., 2004. Print.
Olsen, Eric. "The Velvet Underground - It Began Here - Blogcritics Music ." Blogcritics - News Reviews and Opinion . N.p., 15 Aug. 2002. Web. 17 Jan. 2011. .
The Southbank Show. Dir. Kim Evans. Perf. The Velvet Underground. musicdox.net, 19. Film.