The Velvet Underground

I am embarrassed to say that before October 27, 2013 I was only familiar with Lou Reed because A Tribe Called Quest sampled “Walk on the Wild Side” in their 1990 rap song “Can I Kick It?”  On that day in October Lou Reed died at the age of 71.  I came across an article highlighting his greatness and influence on American Rock and Roll and figured I should do some research.  Since then I have been on a Lou Reed binge, mainly listening to The Velvet Underground, his rock band that formed in 1964.  The Velvet Underground is considered to be one of the most influential American rock bands of all time.  The band is fascinating to study because of their controversial subject matter including intense drug use and prostitution.  The group’s 1964 debut album, "The Velvet Underground and Nico", was initially a commercial flop, but is now considered their greatest work and is an album that highlights the revolutionary subject matter that Lou Reed is known for.  Interestingly, the album was produced by Andy Worhol and his art is seen on the album's cover, but apparently he did not contribute very much to the creative process.  The album begins with the dream-like sounds of “Sunday Morning”, but then the second song, “I’m Waiting for the Man”, describes a man’s attempt to acquire heroin in New York City.  The seventh track and my favorite on the album, "Heroin", is about the experience of using the drug and how it is abused.  The following line depicts the feeling of being high--“Cuz it makes me feel like I’m a man, when I put a spike into my vein”.  The line, “I wish that I was born a thousand years ago”, shows just how dark the addiction can become.  The song begins with slow, quiet and pleasant sounds, but as the track develops the tempo increases and the sounds become harsher, mimicking the experience of the drug.  In the 60’s other bands wrote songs about drug use, but none were so in your face as The Velvet Underground’s tracks.  The Velvet Underground had some great songs following their debut album, including "Sweet Jane" and "Pale Blue Eyes", but no other album was as revolutionary or influential.  

In Atlanta, Georgia during the 60’s my Father was listening to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, which was not received positively by my Grandparents.  I can only imagine how they would have reacted if they heard one of The Velvet Underground’s lyrics, “heroin, it's my wife and it's my life”.

As an American Studies major, The Velvet Underground is an important band to study because of their revolutionary sounds and subject matter, as well as the amount of American acts they influenced.  Also, it is fascinating that they were at first not a main-stream hit, highlighting the state of American music culture and the uniqueness of the group.  “The Velvet Underground and Nico” only sold 30,000 copies in its first few years, but as Brian Eno states, “Everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band”. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw4tHPUK6ig