Lou Reed versus The Velvet Underground
Who wins?
I think it's an interesting question because some people (me included) feel that Lou Reed WAS The Velvet Underground- maybe not though. What haunts me about this is that there is no denying; The Velvets did have a "Sound". A sound that I have never heard even a glimmer of on one single Lou Reed record (I have heard it though in countless other bands over the years the latest one being Brian Jonestown Massacre). And while the bands that claim influence by VU are many I can't remember too many saying "Oh yeah, Lou is the Man" - I'm sure there has been though- but I can't think of any.
Lou's many records over the years are always welcomed warmly to my ears and heart and I love them all, for better or worse. Same goes for VU, but if I could only listen to one or the other I'd choose Lou's stuff with out hesistation.
What say you?
Remember Sick Boy's assessment in Trainspotting?
tis spot on. hehe
John
Cale.
^
D-bag dissapoints me
: (
the first 2 VU albums (clearly the best ones)
were made so good primarily as a result of Cale's avant-gardist tendencies. When they lost him they became so much more ordinary (although still very good).
Lou Reed's solo work has never appealed to me on the whole because i find his lyricism to be clumsy and very heavy handed a lot of the time. And though i've not heard all of his records the NYC Man Best Of contains some seriously dodgy material
I don't agree....
The first 2 albums didn't have Rock & Roll. Often forgotten about, definately definately underated song. Quite possibly the best song VU ever did.
Also, 'who loves the sun'.
Rock & Roll
It's the best example of the Velvet Sound.
And I love every version of it LOU has ever done.
That track single handedly inspires about 20 bands.
You know when a band has a similar sound, and you can spot their influences, but cannot pinpoint exactly which tracks? Well, Rock & roll is one of those tracks that you can actually say, yes, The Strokes (as an example)were influenced by that exact track. Rock & Roll was such an important track. It never gets mentioned on here, nor does 'Loaded'. Shame.
NYC MAN has sad picks on it, yes
But if you skip the lame best of collections and listen to whole records then I think Lou is more fun, although seriously flawed. But I love him, warts and all.
I followed John Cale through the eighties, bought the cd's and went to a show- the results of which led me to think velvets were weak without LOU, weak to the point of being irrelevant.
At best Cale adds spice but no meat.
they both brought things to the table
you could say that Lou was a lot more effective when he had the intellectual counterpoint of Cale to balance his more earthy tendencies. Maybe Lou just lost it a bit as time went on, but records like Transformer and Berlin really don't stand up to Paris 1919 et al
Whaaaat!!!!
Transformer is a masterpiece???
Although, only partly written by Lou, so may have to concede there.
it's good
it has some great songs
but it certainly isn't a masterpiece
Transformer is Gold!
Campy Lou, with Mick Ronson and David Bowie's great vocals, Herbie Flowers , bass and tuba. Walk On The Wild Side, Satellite Of Love, Andy's Chest etc. " Wagon Wheel" is the only week moment.
Lou singing about fuzzy bears is precious! FTW!
It depends how you gauge masterpiece I suppose.
I have it on a par with Ziggy Stardust, and I would class that as a masterpiece.
Oh please
John Cale is cool but, how about a serious argument?
Vevet Underground by a whisker
Consistently good. I don't think they ever released a really bad album. Lou had Transformer and Berlin, ... and then it was diminishing returns.
Loads of Lou
was better than Berlin. Have you ever heard Coney Island Baby? It was one of my favorite records of the seventies and "Kicks" is as close to the Velvet sound as he ever came.
Haven't got that one
but it did have quite a tasty looking re-issue a couple of years ago. Might just give it a look.
Please, you owe yourself and big treat.
It has beaucoups treasure aboard.
It's the only one of his movies I haven't seen
but I bet yer gonna say Lou gacks without The Velvets?
more importantly
sterling 'the most underated person ever' morrison.
after leaving VU he got a phD in medieval literature from a university and texas and then became a tug boat captain.
to say lou reed WAS the velvet underground is very unfair i think considering both john cale and sterling who i think did co-write a lot more songs than is well known.
lou reeds solo stuff isnt a patch on VU
No, his name is a big patch on vu writing
let's see know what was that great velvet song that that tugboat guy (morrison) wrote? Hmm, was it "Tugboat Annie"?
thats plain ridiculous
hes my guitar idol
Sorry, (about the tugboat comment)
Yeah, "Venus In Furs". Not one of the bands that claim influence by The Velvet Underground has achieved Morrison's level of magical guitarness he made on that song.
Have you checked out Television? - best NY guitar-
If anyone steps out from behind a tree and says "MO TUCKER!"
I'm going to cry.
Mo Tucker was the greatest drummer ever. Only Meg white
has come close to achieving anywhere near the same level of perfection!
;-)
Good one!
I think the overlooked je ne sais quois of the velvet phenon is Andy Warhol and the Factory Scene- that, I think was what gave them the real juice. Without Lou and Andy, velvets were a garage band fronted by John Cale- Cool but not groundbreaking.
VU win for me
I would in no way dismiss Lou though he is damn good.
Andy Warhol and Factory Scene MADE The Velvets
And any band that claims influence is totally going to
THE FACTORY.