![]() ![]() The Documentaryĭirected by acclaimed filmmaker Todd Haynes, The Velvet Underground shows just how the group became a cultural touchstone representing a range of contradictions: the band is both of their time, yet timeless literary yet realistic rooted in high art and street culture. After Morrison’s death in 1995, the three surviving members, Reed, Cale, and Tucker reunited and played for the last time in 1996 for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Morrison and Tucker also departed the group shortly after, leaving Yule and The Velvet Underground effectively disbanded. ![]() Both Cale and Reed continued on as solo artists. Cale was replaced by Doug Yule in 1968 after the release White Light/White Heat, and Reed quit in August of 1970. The Velvet Underground’s pursuit for specific artistic vision yielded little recognition in their time, which resulted in tension within. Nonetheless, the band released four albums: The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967), White Light/White Heat (1968), The Velvet Underground (1969), and Loaded (1970). This new take on rock, now universally recognized and hailed, was initially overlooked with poor album sales and criticism in the industry. The Velvet Underground’s music was stylistically diverse, rebellious, and characteristically woven with experimental sounds like drones, distortion, and atonal feedback. In 1967, Nico later moved on to a solo career when Reed fired Warhol as the band manager. Warhol also introduced them to Nico, a German singer, actress, and model who was featured in three songs of their first album, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967). The artist’s reputation helped the band gain visibility when he took them on tour for his performance art roadshow, Exploding Plastic Inevitable, combining his films with their music from 1966 to 1967. ![]() The famous pop artist Andy Warhol became the band’s manager and producer in 1966 after seeing them perform in a Greenwich Village club. Led by singer and guitarist Lou Reed, the violist, bassist, and pianist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Moe Tucker (who replaced original drummer Angus MacLise in 1965), disrupted the world of punk and alternative rock with their avant-garde sound and controversial lyrics, which often explored topics of drug use, sadomasochism, and numbing despair. Who is The Velvet Underground?įormed in New York City in 1964, The Velvet Underground was said to be so influential that those who saw them perform went and started their own bands. Whether you are familiar with the group or not, this quick rundown will help refresh your memory or catch you up on The Velvet Underground’s history and influence before watching. After its smashing premier in July 2021 at the Cannes Film Festival, Todd Hayes’ documentary, The Velvet Underground, is scheduled for release in theaters and Apple TV on October 15. The Velvet Underground created a new sound that changed the world of music, cementing its place as one of rock ’n’ roll’s most revered bands. Initially released as a two-LP set but released as separate volumes on CD, 1969, recorded in Dallas and San Francisco, captures Reed in spirited voice and performance: “What Goes On” churns for a propulsive nine minutes “Heroin” retains its defiant empathy the versions of “New Age” and “Femme Fatale” are an excellent example of a band able to present calm, reflective material without losing its aggressive edge.The Velvet Underground: What to know before watching At the time, the Velvets’ version of rock n’ roll was still considered unusual, but listening with modern ears, their influence fully absorbed by the mainstream, theirs is the sound of an excellent, competent band running through an exemplary set of tunes. By 1969, the band had replaced its aggressive avant-garde bassist-violist John Cale with the more conventional Doug Yule and the band took on a less confrontational stance. Despite a lack of commercial success, the Velvet Underground was among the most influential bands of the late ‘60s, pioneering several different approaches to rock writing and performance that resonated throughout the punk, new wave, no wave, and post-punk eras that followed. ![]()
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