I think a lot of the "alchemy" was the immunity that the NYC streets had against the pervasive hippy-dippy of the times. You weren't gonna end up with something wimpy or lame. No other city could hatch something like this. Even the rotting rust-belt giant where I'm from - Detroit - famous for edgy bands like the Stooges and MC5, would never in a million years produce a Velvet Underground.
I I was an art major in college and I was very interested in the Dada and Surrealist movements, V.U.'s first album was like a soundtrack to that art period.
Think I'll join you.spinning it now
the drivel of conformity
Watch some decent films from the 70’s hincluding the German avant- gardej to get a feeling of the grittiness of urban life in that period.
Places like New York (San Francisco, London and Berlin) were attractive to people ready to become iconoclasts because they were tired of the increasingly dull pablum that came from the increasing suburbanization of the US and the dissatisfaction with conformity in the face of outright turmoil. Yes, location as well as economics inspires music.
Issues like the political turmoil inEurope and the US including Vietnam furthered by the drivel of conformity expressed in music like pop singles that included “How Much is that Doggy in the Window?” helped to inspire a generation fueled by their parents with their increasing middle class wealth.
People like Lou Reed seemed to come along at the the right time to feed on and channel this turmoil into music that would affect generations to follow.
Recently saw Suburbicon. Biting social commentary on the 1950s American social culture.Watch some decent films from the 70’s hincluding the German avant- gardej to get a feeling of the grittiness of urban life in that period.
Places like New York (San Francisco, London and Berlin) were attractive to people ready to become iconoclasts because they were tired of the increasingly dull pablum that came from the increasing suburbanization of the US and the dissatisfaction with conformity in the face of outright turmoil. Yes, location as well as economics inspires music.
Issues like the political turmoil inEurope and the US including Vietnam furthered by the drivel of conformity expressed in music like pop singles that included “How Much is that Doggy in the Window?” helped to inspire a generation fueled by their parents with their increasing middle class wealth.
People like Lou Reed seemed to come along at the the right time to feed on and channel this turmoil into music that would affect generations to follow.
I saw John Cale in 1986,The Festival of the Tenth Summer,Manchester G-Mex,he was mid bill followed by The Fall,then The Smiths,New Order headlined.
Ive seen some drugged up performances over the years,Evan Dando springs to mind,but he was in a bad place that day.
He made this for BBC Wales,its very insightful.
I love the album. It always reminded me of the nihilistic pre-war cabaret music of Germany mixed with folk, classical and other influences. I was an art major in college and I was very interested in the Dada and Surrealist movements. V.U.'s first album was like a soundtrack to that art period.