The Velvet Underground and Nico

The Velvet Underground was an amazing iconic group in the 1960's that would inevitably inspire all of punk rock today. The band was an full symphonic orchestra of noise, filled with guitars, bass, a viola, and simple drums to steady out and lock down the beat.

Lou Reed and John Cale lived together, and after inviting over a few college friends, they formed The Velvet Underground. This dynamic duo was almost entirely responsible for the overall sound and lyrical content the band created. Their musical tone and timbre caught the attention of Andy Warhol, a pop artist of the time.

Warhol began to produce the band and get them in touch with other creative minds. Eventually he was responsible for incorporating European former model and singer, Nico. At first the band was resistent to the change in their line up, but Reed reluctantly wrote several songs for Nico to sing on. This lead to the release of "The Velvet Underground & Nico" almost as if the band wanted to state that Nico was a separate entity and not a member of the band.

The album stood vastly apart from anything that had been produced up to that point. The album gained notoriety for its experimentalist performance sensibilities and the controversial subject matter of their lyrics. "I'm waiting for the man" discussed an effortful venture to obtain heroin, which for it's time was an extremely sensitive subject. The tonality of the album was a very original concept as well. John Cale implemented what is now known as "ostrich tuning" in which all of the string on the guitar are tuned to the same note. This radical tuning can be heard on the songs "All Tomorrow's Parties" and "Venus in Furs."

The album helped me to realize how many of my favorite bands came to be and from where they pulled inspiration. I honestly believe that if not for The Velvet Underground bands like The Black Angels would not be able to exist today. As a professional, however, I'm greatly disappointed with the album. As impressive, revolutionary, and rebellious as it is, it seemed to me to be a bit rushed and thoughtless in the production upon first listening.