Why The Velvet Underground’s landmark debut album still resonates after 50 years

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 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.

great observation :beerchug:
 
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.
 
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First thoughts before reading the article are how influential it was to musicians and how it wasn't as popular in 1970 as it was 20 years later. Then I read this in the article
"The album was a slow burner, selling only 30,000 copies in five years, though as Brian Eno famously said, “everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band”
 
I remember what a dark dingy window on an exotic urban underworld this was for those not acquainted with this realm of city life, when it was released ca 1967.
Exciting in some ways, but ultimately not a place I'd want to stay at this stage of my life.
 
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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.
 
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.

Frank Zappa took a similar "artitude" in his early years of social satire, before musicmaking for it's own sake became his cause celebre'.
 
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.
 
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 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.

Thanks for the post. I will have to check it out.

Sometimes it seems that the biggest proponents of drugs are those who know very little (or even nothing) about them. I'd like to hear what someone like Cale - who likely has seen and done it all - thinks.
 
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.

Andy vs. Lou. Plus that darn Julliard Brit.
 
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