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White Light/White Heat. I bought that one before The Velvet Underground and Nico and played it endlessly, so it's stuck in my brain forever.

If I hadn't been overexposed to the first one, my answer might be different.

Velvet Underground (3rd album).

But I also like Another View (Ferryboat Bill! We're Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together!). And VU.

I really have a hard time deciding between Live 1969, White Light/White Heat, and the self-titled one. My favorite is probably Live 1969. I may change my mind tomorrow.

It's a tossup between White Light/White Heat and The Velvet Underground. Both albums are astonishing, but in completely different ways.

White Light/White Heat was my first Velvets album and it completely fucked my head. I have never heard soloing quite like the insane toxic spray of "I Heard Her Call My Name" (one of the 10-15 greatest guitar solos of all time, if you ask me) again, and "Sister Ray" just bludgeoned me into submission (though I remember hating it the first time I heard it).

The Velvet Underground is probably better, from an objective viewpoint, but I've never totally gotten behind "The Murder Mystery," and some songs just feel a little slow, even for the Velvets. Absolutely brilliant songs, however. Even though there is an overarching "sound" to the album, that it's their "folk" album, there's still quite a lot of room for variation within that sound. It's interesting to take a listen to both versions of "Some Kinda Love" and see how different they are: the one I first heard for a long time (not the official version) was the one with one guitar and Lou's more desperate vocal. That version is just dirty and brilliant. The two-guitar, more straight version that got released sounds far more humorous - which probably makes the song even more subversive than it is already. So many beautiful songs, and such a gorgeous guitar tone.

The Velvet Underground and Nico is great and probably their most influential album. But "influential" doesn't necessarily mean "great" all the time. (Probably some wag who dislikes the Velvets will modify that statement accordingly.) I mean, most of that album is good-to-unbefuckinlievable, but I've never liked "The Black Angel's Death Song" or some of the more hokey pop on there like "Femme Fatale" (even though Nico is the person singing it, it's still hokey). "Sunday Morning," "Venus In Furs" and "All Tomorrow's Parties" are tablets from the Mount, however.

Loaded is just a very good late-'60's pop album with two of the greatest A-sides of all time in a row on there.

You know, I remember being fifteen and listening to Chelsea Girl for like two months straight and thinking it was my favorite Velvet Underground record. It was just this tape I had and I didn't know shit but if pressed I might still make the case for the best Nico stuff tying in with the early VU records.

So yeah, VU & Nico for sure.

I don't care so much for anything post-Cale.

I actually have a funny story I just remembered about VU

I was playing a VU mix CD I made at work, some dude asked me what it was I told him 'Velvet underground'
he just stood there looking at the radio with a real weird face for a good two minutes, I think 'sister ray' was in full force when he walked in

after a minute he says 'man this sounds like SHIT'
I said 'yeah it's not for everyone'
'no, seriously I was looking forward to this record so bad and man, this shit is terrible'

I realized he thought it was Velvet Revolver or whatever the new Gn'R band is called. I just said 'yeah I thought it'd be different too'

He left and that was that, I thought that was pretty funny.

I had a belly laugh here in the office at this^.

Throw me in the "toss-up between WL/WH and S/T" camp. I listen to the s/t one most of all these days, but WL/WH was the first one I heard, and I think "Here She Comes Now" is my favorite VU song.

Loaded is ok. To me some of it sounds like Reed is trying too hard, and it gets long to listen to. But the good songs on it are great.

I used to like & Nico just fine, but the more obscure LPs from the same era I hear, the less impressive it sounds to me. The subject matter is still out there for the time, but musically.....I think some of it is overrated. Still has some great stuff though.

I'll probably vote s/t.

christ..

you're all nuts..

it is those two barrel scrapings albums where you get the lot..
i can't stand it..
foggy notion.


though i wish they had dug up some nico

nico is lovely and scary..

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

watch out..it's of questionable quality

burun wrote:Does anyone love, I mean really love Loaded?

Loaded was my first VU album. I loved it then, and I love it now. It's also a pretty cool reference point to have when you're only 17. Favorite? Maybe not.

I go White Light/White Heat for the gut emotional response I get from it. It still scares the living daylights out of me.

"What Goes On" from Live 1969 is the best version of that song ever. Dito for "We're Gonna Have . . ."

VU is great too . . .

Damn it, I dunno, I just can't rank them, they're all wonderful.