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** Their first album? Yeah, covered entirely by Music/{{Beck}} and a lot of musicians, who dedicated an entire day, and posted everything in Beck's website and Website/YouTube.
to:
** Their first album? Yeah, covered entirely by Music/{{Beck}} Music/{{Beck|Musician}} and a lot of musicians, who dedicated an entire day, and posted everything in Beck's website and Website/YouTube.
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** ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico'' showcased an eclectic mix of PsychedelicRock, Drone Music, [[AvantGardeMusic Avant-Garde]], ProtoPunk, and even FolkMusic that influenced {{Krautrock}}, PunkRock, NoisePop, NoiseRock, {{Shoegaze}}, DreamPop, and PostRock.
to:
** ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico'' showcased an eclectic mix of PsychedelicRock, Drone Music, [[AvantGardeMusic Avant-Garde]], ProtoPunk, and even FolkMusic that influenced {{Krautrock}}, PunkRock, NoisePop, NoiseRock, {{Shoegaze}}, DreamPop, PostRock, and PostRock.basically every other form of alternative/experimental rock since.
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Girl In A Box is no longer a trope; ZCE
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* [[GirlInABox Guy in a Box]]: "The Gift" shows us why it's a bad idea.
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Up To Eleven is a defunct trope
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** ''Music/WhiteLightWhiteHeat'' took the noise and avant-garde elements UpToEleven, with noise freakouts like the title track and "I Heard Her Call My Name", surreal narratives like "The Gift" and "Lady Godiva's Operation", the epic "Sister Ray" which combines both elements with a ProtoPunk riff, and just to mess with listeners, "Here She Comes Now", a light folk song with LoopedLyrics.
to:
** ''Music/WhiteLightWhiteHeat'' took the noise and avant-garde elements UpToEleven, up to eleven, with noise freakouts like the title track and "I Heard Her Call My Name", surreal narratives like "The Gift" and "Lady Godiva's Operation", the epic "Sister Ray" which combines both elements with a ProtoPunk riff, and just to mess with listeners, "Here She Comes Now", a light folk song with LoopedLyrics.
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** ''Music/Squeeze1973'', for what it's worth, was the result of manager Steve Sesnick kicking out Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison (John Cale had already left after White Light/White Heat, and Moe Tucker wasn't present on Loaded due to her pregnancy) and effectively forcing Doug Yule to make a glorified solo record and release under the Velvet Underground name. Sonically, it takes the commercial sound of Loaded UpToEleven, while lyrically it swaps out Lou Reeds cynical, poetic lyrics in favor of lyrics that sound like every other mainstream rock from TheSeventies. [[{{Understatement}} The record remains controversial among fans]], [[CanonDiscontinuity and the band pretends it doesn't exist]].
to:
** ''Music/Squeeze1973'', for what it's worth, was the result of manager Steve Sesnick kicking out Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison (John Cale had already left after White Light/White Heat, and Moe Tucker wasn't present on Loaded due to her pregnancy) and effectively forcing Doug Yule to make a glorified solo record and release under the Velvet Underground name. Sonically, it takes the commercial sound of Loaded UpToEleven, up to eleven, while lyrically it swaps out Lou Reeds cynical, poetic lyrics in favor of lyrics that sound like every other mainstream rock from TheSeventies. [[{{Understatement}} The record remains controversial among fans]], [[CanonDiscontinuity and the band pretends it doesn't exist]].
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Added DiffLines:
* DrugsAreGood: Taken as a whole, "Heroin" is rather ambiguous on the matter, but it does contain the striking line "It makes me feel like I'm a man when I put a spike into my vein."
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Creator/AndyWarhol was hired as manager and producer; at his insistence German singer/model Christa "Music/{{Nico}}" Päffgen joined the band on several songs. Thanks to his patronage, the band received a contract with Verve Records and entered the studio in 1966 to record. Their debut album, ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico'', was released in March 1967; it contained several now-classic songs such as "Heroin", "All Tomorrow's Parties", "Venus in Furs", "Sunday Morning", "Femme Fatale", "I'll Be Your Mirror", and "I'm Waiting for the Man". It had a muted commercial reception and few people paid attention initially despite rigorous touring, [[VindicatedByHistory but is now highly regarded among critics and fans]].
to:
Creator/AndyWarhol was hired as manager and producer; at his insistence German singer/model Christa "Music/{{Nico}}" Päffgen joined the band on several songs. Thanks to his patronage, the band received a contract with Verve Records Creator/VerveRecords and entered the studio in 1966 to record. Their debut album, ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico'', was released in March 1967; it contained several now-classic songs such as "Heroin", "All Tomorrow's Parties", "Venus in Furs", "Sunday Morning", "Femme Fatale", "I'll Be Your Mirror", and "I'm Waiting for the Man". It had a muted commercial reception and few people paid attention initially despite rigorous touring, [[VindicatedByHistory but is now highly regarded among critics and fans]].
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Changed line(s) 18,19 (click to see context) from:
Cale eventually left, and was replaced by bassist Doug Yule. In reaction to this and the theft of the band's amplifiers, ''Music/{{The Velvet Underground|Album}}'' from 1969 (which was released by Creator/MGMRecords, Verve's corporate parent) was a more subdued, reflective affair. Its style is most noticeable in the folky "Pale Blue Eyes" and "After Hours". Despite favourable critical reception, it was their first album to not enter the Billboard 200 (the previous ones managed the meager showings of #171 and #199). They toured throughout 1969 and continued writing material, most of which was shelved after disputes with Verve but eventually released on ''VU'' and ''Another View''.
to:
Cale eventually left, and was replaced by bassist Doug Yule. In reaction to this and the theft of the band's amplifiers, ''Music/{{The Velvet Underground|Album}}'' from 1969 (which was released by Creator/MGMRecords, Verve's corporate parent) was a more subdued, reflective affair. Its style is most noticeable in the folky "Pale Blue Eyes" and "After Hours". Despite favourable critical reception, it was their first album to not enter the Billboard 200 (the previous ones managed the meager showings of #171 and #199). They toured throughout 1969 and continued writing material, most of which was shelved after disputes with Verve Verve/MGM but eventually released on ''VU'' and ''Another View''.
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Corrected some minor errors.
Changed line(s) 18,21 (click to see context) from:
Cale eventually left, and was replaced by bassist Doug Yule. In reaction to this and the theft of the band's amplifiers, ''Music/{{The Velvet Underground|Album}}'' from 1969 was a more subdued, reflective affair. Its style is most noticeable in the folky "Pale Blue Eyes" and "After Hours". Despite favourable critical reception, it was their first album to not enter the Billboard 200 (the previous ones managed the meager showings of #171 and #199). They toured throughout 1969 and continued writing material, most of which was shelved after disputes with Verve but eventually released on ''VU'' and ''Another View''.
The Velvets were kicked off Verve in 1969 by a new president who wanted to purge controversial acts from the label ([[Music/FrankZappa Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention]] were another victim). They signed with Cotillion Records, a sublabel of Creator/{{Atlantic|Records}}, who requested less controversial material and an album "loaded with hits". The result was ''Music/{{Loaded}}'', their swan song. Despite strong material and, indeed, some hits, the band dissolved during production when Reed left the band in August 1970.
The Velvets were kicked off Verve in 1969 by a new president who wanted to purge controversial acts from the label ([[Music/FrankZappa Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention]] were another victim). They signed with Cotillion Records, a sublabel of Creator/{{Atlantic|Records}}, who requested less controversial material and an album "loaded with hits". The result was ''Music/{{Loaded}}'', their swan song. Despite strong material and, indeed, some hits, the band dissolved during production when Reed left the band in August 1970.
to:
Cale eventually left, and was replaced by bassist Doug Yule. In reaction to this and the theft of the band's amplifiers, ''Music/{{The Velvet Underground|Album}}'' from 1969 (which was released by Creator/MGMRecords, Verve's corporate parent) was a more subdued, reflective affair. Its style is most noticeable in the folky "Pale Blue Eyes" and "After Hours". Despite favourable critical reception, it was their first album to not enter the Billboard 200 (the previous ones managed the meager showings of #171 and #199). They toured throughout 1969 and continued writing material, most of which was shelved after disputes with Verve but eventually released on ''VU'' and ''Another View''.
The Velvetswere kicked off Verve left MGM in 1969 by a new president who wanted to purge controversial acts from the label ([[Music/FrankZappa Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention]] were another victim). They signed with Cotillion Records, a sublabel of Creator/{{Atlantic|Records}}, who requested less controversial material and an album "loaded with hits". The result was ''Music/{{Loaded}}'', their swan song. Despite strong material and, indeed, some hits, the band dissolved during production when Reed left the band in August 1970.
The Velvets
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Changed line(s) 128 (click to see context) from:
-->'''Lou Reed''': The engineer said, "I don't have to ''listen'' to this. I'll put it in record, and then I'm ''leaving''. When you're done, come get me."
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by all accounts, the band always had the "the"
Changed line(s) 1,7 (click to see context) from:
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/velvet_underground_1969_album_3925.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350: ''I don't know just what it's all about. Put on your red pajamas and find out.'']]
''The Velvet Underground'' is the eponymous third studio album by the Music/VelvetUnderground, released in 1969. It is their first album without founding member Music/JohnCale, who chose to leave the band after ''Music/WhiteLightWhiteHeat'' from the previous year due to CreativeDifferences with frontman Music/LouReed; it is also their last studio album to feature Maureen Tucker, as due to her pregnancy, she was unable to appear on ''Music/{{Loaded}}'' from the following year. This album is the first featuring Cale's replacement Doug Yule, who would take over the band in the future.
With his main rival within the band now gone, Reed was able to make his own ideas and tastes more dominant. The result was a less AvantGardeMusic sound compared to their previous two albums ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico'' from 1967 and ''Music/WhiteLightWhiteHeat''. Most of the songs are straightforward rock songs such as "Candy Says", "What Goes On" and "Pale Blue Eyes", which remained audience favourites over the years.
[[caption-width-right:350: ''I don't know just what it's all about. Put on your red pajamas and find out.'']]
''The Velvet Underground'' is the eponymous third studio album by the Music/VelvetUnderground, released in 1969. It is their first album without founding member Music/JohnCale, who chose to leave the band after ''Music/WhiteLightWhiteHeat'' from the previous year due to CreativeDifferences with frontman Music/LouReed; it is also their last studio album to feature Maureen Tucker, as due to her pregnancy, she was unable to appear on ''Music/{{Loaded}}'' from the following year. This album is the first featuring Cale's replacement Doug Yule, who would take over the band in the future.
With his main rival within the band now gone, Reed was able to make his own ideas and tastes more dominant. The result was a less AvantGardeMusic sound compared to their previous two albums ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico'' from 1967 and ''Music/WhiteLightWhiteHeat''. Most of the songs are straightforward rock songs such as "Candy Says", "What Goes On" and "Pale Blue Eyes", which remained audience favourites over the years.
to:
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/velvet_underground_1969_album_3925.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image002.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''I The Velvet Underground, circa 1967. And Music/{{Nico}}. Oh, and their friend [[Creator/AndyWarhol Andy]]. From left to right: Nico, Andy Warhol, Maureen Tucker, Music/LouReed, Sterling Morrison and Music/JohnCale.]]
->''Then one fine mornin' she puts on a New York station\\
You know, she don't believe what she heard at all\\
She started shakin' to that fine fine music\\
You knowjust what her life was saved by rock 'n' roll''
-->--'''"Rock and Roll"''', ''Music/{{Loaded}}''
Groundbreaking independent rock band from TheSixties famous for pioneering and influencing various subgenres such as {{noise rock}}, experimental rock, art rock, {{alternative rock}}, (hell, they were pretty much ''the'' [[UrExample first alt-rock band]]) and {{punk rock}}. Also infamous for their loudness, transgressive lyrics, and general too-cool-to-barely-give-a-shit attitude of their material. Overall, it'sall about. Put on your red pajamas and find out.'']]
''The Velvet Underground'' is the eponymous third studio album by the Music/VelvetUnderground, released in 1969. It is their first albumsafe to say that a LOT of today's music would not have existed without founding member them.
The Velvet Underground were formed in 1964 by dissatisfied Long Island songwriter Music/LouReed and [[UsefulNotes/{{Wales}} Welshman]] Music/JohnCale, whochose to leave was studying classical music in the USA. Reed was the main guitarist and songwriter, while Cale played keyboards and viola. Sterling Morrison joined at the same time, assuming guitar and bass duties. After a period with Angus [=MacLise=], the line-up was rounded out by drummer Maureen Tucker, who played with no cymbals and used a very simplistic, tribal style.
Creator/AndyWarhol was hired as manager and producer; at his insistence German singer/model Christa "Music/{{Nico}}" Päffgen joined the bandafter on several songs. Thanks to his patronage, the band received a contract with Verve Records and entered the studio in 1966 to record. Their debut album, ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico'', was released in March 1967; it contained several now-classic songs such as "Heroin", "All Tomorrow's Parties", "Venus in Furs", "Sunday Morning", "Femme Fatale", "I'll Be Your Mirror", and "I'm Waiting for the Man". It had a muted commercial reception and few people paid attention initially despite rigorous touring, [[VindicatedByHistory but is now highly regarded among critics and fans]].
The Velvets broke off the relationship with Warhol and Nico rather quickly. In this period their live shows started to contain more pronounced improvisation and harsh, loud material. Their second album ''Music/WhiteLightWhiteHeat''from in 1968 continued in this direction, as evidenced by the previous year due to CreativeDifferences with frontman Music/LouReed; it is also their last studio album to feature Maureen Tucker, as due to her pregnancy, she was unable to appear on ''Music/{{Loaded}}'' from title track and the following year. This album is 17-minute "Sister Ray". By this time, the first featuring band members were tired of having no recognition, and tensions were growing between Reed's traditionalism and Cale's replacement experimental, abrasive tendencies.
Cale eventually left, and was replaced by bassist DougYule, who would take over Yule. In reaction to this and the band theft of the band's amplifiers, ''Music/{{The Velvet Underground|Album}}'' from 1969 was a more subdued, reflective affair. Its style is most noticeable in the future.
With his main rival within the band now gone, Reed was able to make his own ideas and tastes more dominant. The result was a less AvantGardeMusic sound compared to their previous two albums ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico'' from 1967 and ''Music/WhiteLightWhiteHeat''. Most of the songs are straightforward rock songs such as "Candy Says", "What Goes On" andfolky "Pale Blue Eyes", Eyes" and "After Hours". Despite favourable critical reception, it was their first album to not enter the Billboard 200 (the previous ones managed the meager showings of #171 and #199). They toured throughout 1969 and continued writing material, most of which remained audience favourites was shelved after disputes with Verve but eventually released on ''VU'' and ''Another View''.
The Velvets were kicked off Verve in 1969 by a new president who wanted to purge controversial acts from the label ([[Music/FrankZappa Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention]] were another victim). They signed with Cotillion Records, a sublabel of Creator/{{Atlantic|Records}}, who requested less controversial material and an album "loaded with hits". The result was ''Music/{{Loaded}}'', their swan song. Despite strong material and, indeed, some hits, the band dissolved during production when Reed left the band in August 1970.
Yule attempted to continue the band, but it was over by 1973. The one resulting album, ''Music/{{Squeeze 1973}}'', is usually [[CanonDiscontinuity written out of theyears.
band's canon]].
The band reunited once from 1992 to 1993. A live album was released featuring performances from the second reunion. Morrison's death of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1995 pretty much iced the possibility of there being any further long-term reunions of the band (although the surviving members did play in 1996 for the band's induction of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with a song dedicated to Morrison), and Reed's death of liver disease in 2013 certainly ended the possibility for good. Nico, for her part, died in a cycling accident in 1988.
[[caption-width-right:350:
->''Then one fine mornin' she puts on a New York station\\
You know, she don't believe what she heard at all\\
She started shakin' to that fine fine music\\
You know
-->--'''"Rock and Roll"''', ''Music/{{Loaded}}''
Groundbreaking independent rock band from TheSixties famous for pioneering and influencing various subgenres such as {{noise rock}}, experimental rock, art rock, {{alternative rock}}, (hell, they were pretty much ''the'' [[UrExample first alt-rock band]]) and {{punk rock}}. Also infamous for their loudness, transgressive lyrics, and general too-cool-to-barely-give-a-shit attitude of their material. Overall, it's
''The Velvet Underground'' is the eponymous third studio album by the Music/VelvetUnderground, released in 1969. It is their first album
The Velvet Underground were formed in 1964 by dissatisfied Long Island songwriter Music/LouReed and [[UsefulNotes/{{Wales}} Welshman]] Music/JohnCale, who
Creator/AndyWarhol was hired as manager and producer; at his insistence German singer/model Christa "Music/{{Nico}}" Päffgen joined the band
The Velvets broke off the relationship with Warhol and Nico rather quickly. In this period their live shows started to contain more pronounced improvisation and harsh, loud material. Their second album ''Music/WhiteLightWhiteHeat''
Cale eventually left, and was replaced by bassist Doug
With his main rival within the band now gone, Reed was able to make his own ideas and tastes more dominant. The result was a less AvantGardeMusic sound compared to their previous two albums ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico'' from 1967 and ''Music/WhiteLightWhiteHeat''. Most of the songs are straightforward rock songs such as "Candy Says", "What Goes On" and
The Velvets were kicked off Verve in 1969 by a new president who wanted to purge controversial acts from the label ([[Music/FrankZappa Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention]] were another victim). They signed with Cotillion Records, a sublabel of Creator/{{Atlantic|Records}}, who requested less controversial material and an album "loaded with hits". The result was ''Music/{{Loaded}}'', their swan song. Despite strong material and, indeed, some hits, the band dissolved during production when Reed left the band in August 1970.
Yule attempted to continue the band, but it was over by 1973. The one resulting album, ''Music/{{Squeeze 1973}}'', is usually [[CanonDiscontinuity written out of the
The band reunited once from 1992 to 1993. A live album was released featuring performances from the second reunion. Morrison's death of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1995 pretty much iced the possibility of there being any further long-term reunions of the band (although the surviving members did play in 1996 for the band's induction of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with a song dedicated to Morrison), and Reed's death of liver disease in 2013 certainly ended the possibility for good. Nico, for her part, died in a cycling accident in 1988.
Changed line(s) 9,26 (click to see context) from:
!! Tracklist:
[[AC: Side One]]
# "Candy Says" (4:04)
# "What Goes On" (4:55)
# "Some Kinda Love" (4:03)
# "Pale Blue Eyes" (5:41)
# "Jesus" (3:24)
[[AC: Side Two]]
# "Beginning to See the Light" (4:41)
# "I'm Set Free" (4:08)
# "That's the Story of My Life" (1:59)
# "The Murder Mystery" (8:55)
# "After Hours" (2:07)
[[AC: Side One]]
# "Candy Says" (4:04)
# "What Goes On" (4:55)
# "Some Kinda Love" (4:03)
# "Pale Blue Eyes" (5:41)
# "Jesus" (3:24)
[[AC: Side Two]]
# "Beginning to See the Light" (4:41)
# "I'm Set Free" (4:08)
# "That's the Story of My Life" (1:59)
# "The Murder Mystery" (8:55)
# "After Hours" (2:07)
to:
!!
[[AC: Side One]]
# "Candy Says" (4:04)
# "What Goes On" (4:55)
# "Some Kinda Love" (4:03)
# "Pale Blue Eyes" (5:41)
# "Jesus" (3:24)
[[AC: Side Two]]
# "Beginning to See the Light" (4:41)
# "I'm Set Free" (4:08)
# "That's the Story of My Life" (1:59)
# "The Murder Mystery" (8:55)
# "After Hours" (2:07)
* '''Music/JohnCale''' - bass, backing and lead vocals, viola, piano, celesta, organ, keyboard, sound effects (1964–68, 1992–93, 1996)
* '''Angus [=MacLise=]''' - drums, percussion, bongos, tabla (1964–65, 1966, died 1979)
* '''Sterling Morrison''' - guitar, bass, backing and lead vocals, sound effects (1964–71, 1992–1993, died 1995)
* '''Music/LouReed''' - lead vocals, guitar, piano (1964–70, 1992–93, 1996, died 2013)
* Maureen Tucker - drums, percussion, backing and lead vocals (1965–71, 1992–93, 1996)
* Doug Yule - lead vocals, bass, organ, keyboard, guitar, drums, percussion (1968–73)
* Walter Powers - bass, vocals (1970–71)
* Willie Alexander - keyboard, vocals (1971)
Changed line(s) 28,34 (click to see context) from:
!!Principal Members:
* Sterling Morrison - guitar, backing and co-lead vocals
* Music/LouReed - lead vocals, guitar, piano
* Maureen Tucker - drums, percussion, backing and lead vocals
* Doug Yule - bass, backing and lead vocals, organ
* Sterling Morrison - guitar, backing and co-lead vocals
* Music/LouReed - lead vocals, guitar, piano
* Maureen Tucker - drums, percussion, backing and lead vocals
* Doug Yule - bass, backing and lead vocals, organ
to:
!!Studio Discography:
*
*
*
*
* 1973 - ''Music/Squeeze1973'' (InNameOnly)
Changed line(s) 36,118 (click to see context) from:
! '''''Linger on your pale blue tropes''''':
* AlliterativeTitle: "The '''M'''urder '''M'''ystery".
* AntiLoveSong: "Pale Blue Eyes"
-->''But mostly you just make me mad\\
Baby, you just make me mad\\
Linger on, your pale blue eyes''
* AvantGardeMusic: "The Murder Mystery" is the sole track that fits this genre.
* BlackAndWhiteMorality: A huge theme on the album. In "That's the Story of My Life" the difference between wrong and right is said to be "dead". In "Beginning to See the Light" Reed asks: "Here comes two of you, which one will you choose? One is black, one is blue. Don't know just what to do?" and in "Jesus" he asks Jesus to help him.
* BoringButPractical: "Some Kinda Love"
-->''I heard what you said\\
Marguerita told Tom\\
And, of course, you're a bore\\
But at that you're not charm-less\\
For a bore is a straight line\\
That finds a wealth in division\\
And some kinds of love\\
Are mistaken for vision''
* ContinuityNod: "Candy Says" would receive a CallBack with "Caroline Says Part II" on ''Music/{{Berlin}}'' by Music/LouReed.
* CountingToThree: Tucker does this at the start of "After Hours".
* CoverVersion: [[Music/RoxyMusic Bryan Ferry]] covered "What Goes On", which also interpolated "Beginning to See the Light", for 1976's ''The Bride Stripped Bare''.
* TheCynic:
** "I'm Set Free"
--->''And now I'm set free\\
I'm set free\\
I'm set free to find a new illusion''
** "That's the Story of My Life"
--->''That's the story of my life\\
That's the difference between wrong and right\\
But Billy said, both those words are dead\\
That's the story of my life.''
* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The album cover is in black and white.
* DespairEventHorizon: "After Hours"
-->''All the people are dancing\\
And they're having such fun\\
I wish it could happen to me''
* DownerEnding: "After Hours" is a pretty dark ending to the album.
* EpicRocking: The 8:55 "The Murder Mystery".
* EpiphanyTherapy: "Beginning to See the Light".
--> ''Yeah, I'm beginning to see the light''
* FaceOnTheCover: This was the first album to feature the band members on the cover. Features a hilariously clean-cut Lou Reed.
* GodIsLoveSongs: "Jesus", a song where Reed asks the Messiah for salvation.
** Complicating the matter is that, well, Reed was Jewish. This has led to a number of conflicting interpretations.
* GratuitousPanning: "The Murder Mystery", which has different vocals from different band members in each channel. Reed would later call this a failed experiment.
* HairOfTheDog: "Beginning to See the Light":
--> ''Wine in the morning, and some breakfast at night''
* InnocentBlueEyes: {{Subverted|Trope}} in "Pale Blue Eyes". The mellow and soothing music leads one to think that this trope is in play, and from the lyrics you can tell that the narrator ''wants'' to believe this -- but he can't, because the relationship can't last, because she's cheating on her husband with him.
* LighterAndSofter: Compared to their last two albums this record is much more minimalist and intimate. The only real AvantGardeMusic track is "The Murder Mystery".
* LyricalDissonance: Despite the incredibly dissonant lyrics, "After Hours" has a jaunty melody with an innocent vocal delivery from Tucker.
* AMindIsATerribleThingToRead:
** "Candy Says"
--->''Candy says: "I'd like to know completely\\
What others so discreetly talk about''
** "What Goes On"
--->''What goes on in your mind?''
* MinisculeRocking: The 1:59 "That's the Story of My Life" and 2:07 "After Hours".
* MythologyGag: The album cover is a deliberate nod to the cover of ''Music/WhiteLightWhiteHeat'' immediately before it, featuring the band name in the exact same font and a similar position, again against a black backdrop, but with a photograph of the band in place of the skull tattoo.
* NewSoundAlbum: Compared to their earlier albums they are almost unrecognizable, save for "The Murder Mystery".
* NonAppearingTitle: The album title does not appear in any of the lyrics.
* OneDialogueTwoConversations: "The Murder Mystery" features all four band members' voices. During the verses, Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison each recite different verses of poetry simultaneously, with each track panning strictly to the left and right. For the choruses, Maureen Tucker and Doug Yule sing different lyrics and melodies at the same time, also separated left and right.
* OneManSong: "Jesus".
* OneWomanSong: "Candy Says".
* PerishingAltRockVoice: The {{Trope Codifier}}s at work. Notably, Reed's voice is even more perishing here than it usually is; a listener could be forgiven for thinking Yule sings lead vocals on tracks like "I'm Set Free" and "That's the Story of My Life".
* ProperlyParanoid: "Candy Says"
-->''Candy says: "I'd like to know completely\\
What others so discreetly talk about"''.
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: "Candy Says" was about Creator/AndyWarhol model Candy Darling, who would later be referenced again in Reed's song "Walk on the Wild Side" from ''Music/{{Transformer}}''.
* SelfTitledAlbum: ''The Velvet Underground''.
* ShoutOut:
** An instrumental version of "Pale Blue Eyes" was used in ''Film/TheDivingBellAndTheButterfly''.
** "Some Kinda Love" inspired the Music/{{dEUS}} song "What We Talk About (When We Talk About Love)" from ''Music/PocketRevolution'' (2005).
** The distorted organ sound heard at the end of Music/TalkingHeads' "Music/OnceInALifetime" from the ''Music/RemainInLight'' album (1980) was inspired by "What Goes On".
** "The Murder Mystery" references Music/TheBeachBoys' [[Music/PetSounds "Caroline, No"]].
** "Candy Says" was written with Andy Warhol protégé Candy Darling in mind.
* SpokenWordInMusic: "The Murder Mystery" alternates Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison speaking in one channel with Doug Yule and Moe Tucker singing in the other.
* StepUpToTheMicrophone: Drummer Maureen "Moe" Tucker sings lead vocals on "After Hours". Bass player Doug Yule performs the lead vocals on "Candy Says" and co-lead vocals on the choruses of "Jesus". All four band members perform lead vocals on "The Murder Mystery" (Morrison and Reed during the verses, which are spoken-word; Yule and Tucker during the choruses, which are sung). This is Morrison's only lead vocal credit on a Velvet Underground album, though he did provide backing vocals quite often.
* SurprisinglyGentleSong:
** "After Hours", much thanks to Maureen "Moe" Tucker's vocal delivery. Reed admitted that he gave it to her on purpose because if he'd sung it, it wouldn't have sounded as innocent.
** Around two-thirds of the album qualified by the band's standards at the time. There are a few rockers such as "What Goes On", "Beginning to See the Light", and "The Murder Mystery", but by the standards of a band known for experiments like the viola freakout of "The Black Angel's Death Song" and the seventeen-and-a-half-minute noise jam "Sister Ray", the meditative ballads that make up the majority of this album were a major sonic departure.
* WordSaladLyrics:
** "The Murder Mystery" consists mostly of a series of nonsensical words and phrases, most of them spoken by different people at the same time.
** Many lyrics are difficult to decipher at first. This is lampshaded in "Some Kinda Love":
--->''I don't know just what it's all about\\
Put on your red pyjamas and find out''
* AlliterativeTitle: "The '''M'''urder '''M'''ystery".
* AntiLoveSong: "Pale Blue Eyes"
-->''But mostly you just make me mad\\
Baby, you just make me mad\\
Linger on, your pale blue eyes''
* AvantGardeMusic: "The Murder Mystery" is the sole track that fits this genre.
* BlackAndWhiteMorality: A huge theme on the album. In "That's the Story of My Life" the difference between wrong and right is said to be "dead". In "Beginning to See the Light" Reed asks: "Here comes two of you, which one will you choose? One is black, one is blue. Don't know just what to do?" and in "Jesus" he asks Jesus to help him.
* BoringButPractical: "Some Kinda Love"
-->''I heard what you said\\
Marguerita told Tom\\
And, of course, you're a bore\\
But at that you're not charm-less\\
For a bore is a straight line\\
That finds a wealth in division\\
And some kinds of love\\
Are mistaken for vision''
* ContinuityNod: "Candy Says" would receive a CallBack with "Caroline Says Part II" on ''Music/{{Berlin}}'' by Music/LouReed.
* CountingToThree: Tucker does this at the start of "After Hours".
* CoverVersion: [[Music/RoxyMusic Bryan Ferry]] covered "What Goes On", which also interpolated "Beginning to See the Light", for 1976's ''The Bride Stripped Bare''.
* TheCynic:
** "I'm Set Free"
--->''And now I'm set free\\
I'm set free\\
I'm set free to find a new illusion''
** "That's the Story of My Life"
--->''That's the story of my life\\
That's the difference between wrong and right\\
But Billy said, both those words are dead\\
That's the story of my life.''
* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The album cover is in black and white.
* DespairEventHorizon: "After Hours"
-->''All the people are dancing\\
And they're having such fun\\
I wish it could happen to me''
* DownerEnding: "After Hours" is a pretty dark ending to the album.
* EpicRocking: The 8:55 "The Murder Mystery".
* EpiphanyTherapy: "Beginning to See the Light".
--> ''Yeah, I'm beginning to see the light''
* FaceOnTheCover: This was the first album to feature the band members on the cover. Features a hilariously clean-cut Lou Reed.
* GodIsLoveSongs: "Jesus", a song where Reed asks the Messiah for salvation.
** Complicating the matter is that, well, Reed was Jewish. This has led to a number of conflicting interpretations.
* GratuitousPanning: "The Murder Mystery", which has different vocals from different band members in each channel. Reed would later call this a failed experiment.
* HairOfTheDog: "Beginning to See the Light":
--> ''Wine in the morning, and some breakfast at night''
* InnocentBlueEyes: {{Subverted|Trope}} in "Pale Blue Eyes". The mellow and soothing music leads one to think that this trope is in play, and from the lyrics you can tell that the narrator ''wants'' to believe this -- but he can't, because the relationship can't last, because she's cheating on her husband with him.
* LighterAndSofter: Compared to their last two albums this record is much more minimalist and intimate. The only real AvantGardeMusic track is "The Murder Mystery".
* LyricalDissonance: Despite the incredibly dissonant lyrics, "After Hours" has a jaunty melody with an innocent vocal delivery from Tucker.
* AMindIsATerribleThingToRead:
** "Candy Says"
--->''Candy says: "I'd like to know completely\\
What others so discreetly talk about''
** "What Goes On"
--->''What goes on in your mind?''
* MinisculeRocking: The 1:59 "That's the Story of My Life" and 2:07 "After Hours".
* MythologyGag: The album cover is a deliberate nod to the cover of ''Music/WhiteLightWhiteHeat'' immediately before it, featuring the band name in the exact same font and a similar position, again against a black backdrop, but with a photograph of the band in place of the skull tattoo.
* NewSoundAlbum: Compared to their earlier albums they are almost unrecognizable, save for "The Murder Mystery".
* NonAppearingTitle: The album title does not appear in any of the lyrics.
* OneDialogueTwoConversations: "The Murder Mystery" features all four band members' voices. During the verses, Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison each recite different verses of poetry simultaneously, with each track panning strictly to the left and right. For the choruses, Maureen Tucker and Doug Yule sing different lyrics and melodies at the same time, also separated left and right.
* OneManSong: "Jesus".
* OneWomanSong: "Candy Says".
* PerishingAltRockVoice: The {{Trope Codifier}}s at work. Notably, Reed's voice is even more perishing here than it usually is; a listener could be forgiven for thinking Yule sings lead vocals on tracks like "I'm Set Free" and "That's the Story of My Life".
* ProperlyParanoid: "Candy Says"
-->''Candy says: "I'd like to know completely\\
What others so discreetly talk about"''.
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: "Candy Says" was about Creator/AndyWarhol model Candy Darling, who would later be referenced again in Reed's song "Walk on the Wild Side" from ''Music/{{Transformer}}''.
* SelfTitledAlbum: ''The Velvet Underground''.
* ShoutOut:
** An instrumental version of "Pale Blue Eyes" was used in ''Film/TheDivingBellAndTheButterfly''.
** "Some Kinda Love" inspired the Music/{{dEUS}} song "What We Talk About (When We Talk About Love)" from ''Music/PocketRevolution'' (2005).
** The distorted organ sound heard at the end of Music/TalkingHeads' "Music/OnceInALifetime" from the ''Music/RemainInLight'' album (1980) was inspired by "What Goes On".
** "The Murder Mystery" references Music/TheBeachBoys' [[Music/PetSounds "Caroline, No"]].
** "Candy Says" was written with Andy Warhol protégé Candy Darling in mind.
* SpokenWordInMusic: "The Murder Mystery" alternates Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison speaking in one channel with Doug Yule and Moe Tucker singing in the other.
* StepUpToTheMicrophone: Drummer Maureen "Moe" Tucker sings lead vocals on "After Hours". Bass player Doug Yule performs the lead vocals on "Candy Says" and co-lead vocals on the choruses of "Jesus". All four band members perform lead vocals on "The Murder Mystery" (Morrison and Reed during the verses, which are spoken-word; Yule and Tucker during the choruses, which are sung). This is Morrison's only lead vocal credit on a Velvet Underground album, though he did provide backing vocals quite often.
* SurprisinglyGentleSong:
** "After Hours", much thanks to Maureen "Moe" Tucker's vocal delivery. Reed admitted that he gave it to her on purpose because if he'd sung it, it wouldn't have sounded as innocent.
** Around two-thirds of the album qualified by the band's standards at the time. There are a few rockers such as "What Goes On", "Beginning to See the Light", and "The Murder Mystery", but by the standards of a band known for experiments like the viola freakout of "The Black Angel's Death Song" and the seventeen-and-a-half-minute noise jam "Sister Ray", the meditative ballads that make up the majority of this album were a major sonic departure.
* WordSaladLyrics:
** "The Murder Mystery" consists mostly of a series of nonsensical words and phrases, most of them spoken by different people at the same time.
** Many lyrics are difficult to decipher at first. This is lampshaded in "Some Kinda Love":
--->''I don't know just what it's all about\\
Put on your red pyjamas and find out''
to:
!! Live Discography:
*
* AntiLoveSong: "Pale Blue Eyes"
-->''But mostly you just make me mad\\
Baby, you just make me mad\\
Linger on, your pale blue eyes''
* AvantGardeMusic: "The Murder Mystery" is the sole track that fits this genre.
* BlackAndWhiteMorality: A huge theme on the album. In "That's the Story of My Life" the difference between wrong and right is said to be "dead". In "Beginning to See the Light" Reed asks: "Here comes two of you, which one will you choose? One is black, one is blue. Don't know just what to do?" and in "Jesus" he asks Jesus to help him.
* BoringButPractical: "Some Kinda Love"
-->''I heard what you said\\
Marguerita told Tom\\
And, of course, you're a bore\\
But
For a bore is a straight line\\
That finds a wealth in division\\
And some kinds of love\\
Are mistaken for vision''
*
*
*
* 2001 - ''Bootleg Series Volume 1: The Quine Tapes''
* 2015 - ''The
----
!! Selected Compilations & Box Sets:
*
** "I'm Set Free"
--->''And now I'm
* 1986 - ''Another View'' [[note]] essentially the second volume of ''VU'' [[/note]]
* 1995 - ''Peel Slowly and See'' [[note]] box set
I'm set free\\
I'm set free to find a new illusion''
** "That's
--->''That's the story of my life\\
That's the difference between wrong
But Billy said, both those words are dead\\
That's the story of my life.''
* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The album cover is in black and white.
* DespairEventHorizon: "After Hours"
-->''All the people are dancing\\
And they're having such fun\\
I wish it could happen to me''
* DownerEnding: "After Hours" is a pretty dark ending to the album.
* EpicRocking: The 8:55 "The Murder Mystery".
* EpiphanyTherapy: "Beginning to See the Light".
--> ''Yeah, I'm beginning to see the light''
* FaceOnTheCover: This was the first album to feature the band members on the cover. Features a hilariously clean-cut Lou Reed.
* GodIsLoveSongs: "Jesus", a song where Reed asks the Messiah for salvation.
** Complicating the matter is that, well, Reed was Jewish. This has led to
*
----
!!! '''''I'm waiting for my man, 26 tropes in my hand''''':
* AddictionSong: "Heroin".
* AndIMustScream: "The
* HairOfTheDog: "Beginning to See the Light":
--> ''Wine in the morning,
*
*
* LyricalDissonance: Despite the incredibly dissonant lyrics, "After Hours" has a jaunty melody with an innocent vocal delivery from Tucker.
* AMindIsATerribleThingToRead:
** "Candy Says"
--->''Candy says: "I'd like to know completely\\
What others so discreetly talk about''
** "What Goes On"
--->''What goes on in your mind?''
* MinisculeRocking: The 1:59 "That's the Story of My Life" and 2:07 "After Hours".
* MythologyGag: The album cover is a deliberate nod to the cover of
* BreadEggsMilkSquick: "Lady Godiva's Operation".
* CallBack: The phrase "time-time" used several times in "Sister Ray" makes a cameo in "Cool It Down".
* CanonDiscontinuity: Nobody acknowledges ''Music/Squeeze1973'', despite some defenders. To be fair, it's basically a Doug Yule solo album since only he, [[Music/DeepPurple Ian Paice]] and a few session musicians played on it,
* TheChanteuse: How Warhol named Nico to avoid the band
* ComedicSociopathy / ComicallyMissingThePoint: In "Sister Ray", when Cecil shoots the sailor, the narrator's only reaction is "Oh, you shouldn't do that / Don't you know you'll stain the carpet / Now don't you know you'll mess the carpet."
* CoolCar: From "Sweet Jane": "Ridin' in a Stutz Bearcat, Jim..."
* CoolShades: All the band, especially Reed, rocked these. Just look at the above image!
* CoverVersion: None by themselves, but the Velvets have been frequently covered by AlternativeRock bands like Music/JoyDivision, Music/{{Nirvana}}, Music/Galaxie500, Music/TheRunaways and
** At least, not released. There are several rehearsal recordings in which the band are heard to play, among others, "Green Onions", "Boom Boom Boom Boom", and, amazingly, Music/TheBeatles' "Day Tripper".
** Their first album? Yeah, covered entirely by Music/{{Beck}} and a lot of musicians, who dedicated an entire day, and posted everything in
** "I'm Waiting for the Man" was a concert favourite of Music/DavidBowie, and frequently made appearances in his shows. Interestingly, he first heard it when his manager brought back an early acetate copy of ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico'' before it was released. So when a young Bowie started playing it live with his band, not only was he the first person to cover the Velvets, he was the first person to do it ''before the Velvets even got their record out''. There's got to be some kind of special achievement for that.
* CreepyMonotone: Lou Reed and Music/{{Nico}}'s vocals. Cale's vocals on "The Gift" could also be considered an example.
* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico'' was this to most rock music of its' time, ''Music/WhiteLightWhiteHeat'' ''even more'' so.
* DoubleEntendre: "White Light/White Heat" is a non-sexual example. The song's inspiration by amphetamines is by now well known, but its inspiration by Alice Bailey's occult book ''A Treatise on White Magic'', which advises control of the
* NewSoundAlbum: Compared
* DownerEnding: In perhaps one of the saddest ends to a band ever, their
* DroneOfDread: A lot of their songs are based on this to the point where they could be considered the {{Trope Codifier}}s. The live piece "Melody Laughter" is a good example.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: People familiar with their more abrasive first two albums may be surprised to find out that their 1965 demo recordings consist entirely of acoustic FolkMusic. This does, however, anticipate the direction they
* EpicRocking: "Heroin", "All Tomorrow's Parties", "European Son", "The Gift", "Sister Ray", "The Murder Mystery", "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'".
** The [[LostEpisode possibly unrecorded]] "full version" of "Sister Ray" played to open gigs on the 1968 tour, which would begin with a ''forty-minute'' intro jam called "Sweet Sister Ray" before evolving into a twenty-plus-minute version of the song itself, which in turn would sometimes be reprised at the end of the show. In other words, ''over an hour of each show was devoted to '''one epic song'''''. There is one known bootleg recording of a live performance of "Sweet Sister Ray", but unfortunately it does not include the performance of "Sister Ray" that followed it. Another performance of "Sister Ray", which is one of three that appears on ''The Quine Tapes'', does not include "Sweet Sister Ray" but nonetheless extends to thirty-eight minutes in length.
** Other super-long live tracks include "Melody Laughter" (complete version is half an hour), "The Nothing Song" (nearly twenty-eight minutes), and "Chic Mystique" (over twenty-six minutes). These probably aren't the only ones, but all of these, as well as "Sweet Sister Ray", can be found on a bootleg box entitled ''Caught Between the Twisted Stars''. ("Melody Laughter" and "The Nothing Song" also appear on the 45th anniversary edition of ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico''). Another lengthy song performed live, which in this case is actually a song, is "Follow the Leader", which in at least one version is over seventeen minutes long (again, see ''The Quine Tapes''). Many other songs would also be extended dramatically when performed live; for example, "White Light / White Heat" is under three minutes long in the studio version, but live recordings exist that exceed ten minutes in length (yet again, see ''The Quine Tapes'' for an example).
* EverythingIsAnInstrument: That ungodly noise that kicks off the instrumental portion of "European Son" is Music/JohnCale pushing a metal chair with a stack of plates on it across the studio.
** Not to mention [[UrExample feedback.]]
* FaceOnTheCover: Only on their third album ''Music/{{The Velvet Underground|Album}}'' and their compilation ''Another View''.
* FemmeFatale: "Femme Fatale," obviously.
* FourMoreMeasures: "All Tomorrow's Parties".
* GentlemanAndAScholar: Sterling Morrison has been described as this by many people who knew him.
* [[GirlInABox Guy in a Box]]: "The Gift" shows us why it's a bad idea.
* GratuitousPanning: "The Murder Mystery" and "The Gift" being the most extreme examples.
* HeavyMeta: "Rock and Roll".
* HumanMail: "The Gift" explores this.
* {{Improv}}: They did this often even in their composed songs; as ''The Complete Matrix Tapes'' attests, they never performed a song the same way twice. A good chunk of their live discography also includes songs that were completely improvised, such as "Melody Laughter" and "The Nothing Song"; however, this element of their music would drop off somewhat after Music/JohnCale left the group.
* InvincibleClassicCar: The Stutz Bearcat in "Sweet Jane".
* LeadBassist: Both Music/JohnCale and Doug Yule. Cale provided much of the avant-garde sound of the first two albums, and Yule contributed lead vocals to a good chunk of the last two.
* LighterAndSofter: ''Music/{{The Velvet Underground|Album}}'', ''Music/{{Loaded}}'', ''Music/Squeeze1973''.
* LiteraryAllusionTitle: "Venus in Furs". The band's name itself is taken from a book about, fittingly enough, the sexual subculture of TheSixties.
* LoudnessWar: Surprisingly, most of their releases have averted this trope, even recent reissues. A few scattered songs on them have wound up not being particularly dynamic, but if one reviews their release history it turns out most of those songs have never been particularly dynamic, perhaps owing to the lack of percussion on many of them.
* LyricalDissonance: "The Gift", "Lady Godiva's Operation", "Sister Ray", "Who Loves the Sun".
* MindScrew: "Lady Godiva's Operation" and "The Murder Mystery".
*
* MisogynySong: "There She Goes Again". May be a {{deconstruction}} since it's based around jealousy, an emotion Lou Reed is on record as considering "a destructive, horrible emotion" ("The Gift" and "Satellite of Love" also de-construct jealousy).
* MistakenForGay: Lou Reed and John Cale. According to Cale's autobiography ''What's Welsh for Zen'', when they were making music together in the very early days of the Velvet Underground, they were seen as "weird, sadistic, aloof, and nasty," as Cale puts it, and were seen as so close to one another that everyone was certain they were gay.
** According to Sterling Morrison, all the members of the band were assumed to be gay due to their association with Creator/AndyWarhol.
* MyFriendsAndZoidberg: ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico''.
* MythologyGag: As pointed out above, the title of the box set ''Peel Slowly and See''.
* NewSoundAlbum: And how! Between their four canonical albums, the Velvets changed musical styles just as fast as any of [[Music/FrankZappa the
* OneDialogueTwoConversations:
** ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico'' showcased an eclectic mix of PsychedelicRock, Drone Music, [[AvantGardeMusic Avant-Garde]], ProtoPunk, and even FolkMusic that influenced {{Krautrock}}, PunkRock, NoisePop, NoiseRock, {{Shoegaze}}, DreamPop, and PostRock.
** ''Music/WhiteLightWhiteHeat'' took the noise and avant-garde elements UpToEleven, with noise freakouts like the title track and "I Heard Her Call My Name", surreal narratives like "The Gift" and "Lady Godiva's Operation", the epic "Sister Ray" which combines both elements with a ProtoPunk riff, and just to mess with listeners, "Here She Comes Now", a light folk song with LoopedLyrics.
** ''Music/{{The Velvet Underground|Album}}'' is the complete opposite: 9 LighterAndSofter Folk Rock songs with one avant-garde track (The Murder
** ''Music/{{Loaded}}'', as the title implies[[note]]The record label asked for a record "Loaded with Hits", so Lou Reed basically [[DeadpanSnarker spelled this out right on the cover]][[/note]], is the most commercial effort in their acclaimed discography , bordering on [[Music/TheBeatles Beatles]]-esque at times. It certainly worked; "Who Loves the Sun", "Sweet Jane", "Rock and Roll", and "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" still get radio play to this day (Though much like the rest of their discography, [[VindicatedByHistory it took a bit for them to get picked up by the radio]]).
** ''Music/Squeeze1973'', for what it's worth, was the result of manager Steve Sesnick kicking out Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison
* OneManSong: "Jesus".
* OneWomanSong: "Candy Says".
* PerishingAltRockVoice: The {{Trope Codifier}}s at work. Notably, Reed's voice is even more perishing here than it usually is; a listener could be forgiven for thinking Yule sings lead vocals on tracks
* ProperlyParanoid: "Candy Says"
-->''Candy says: "I'd like to know completely\\
What others so discreetly talk about"''.
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: "Candy Says" was about Creator/AndyWarhol model Candy Darling, who would later be referenced again in Reed's song "Walk on the Wild Side"
*
* ShoutOut:
** An instrumental version of "Pale Blue Eyes" was used
**
* ObsessionSong: Several entries deal with the
* PerishingAltRockVoice: With the possible exception of the boyish-sounding Mo, pretty much every one of their vocalists. Arguably the TropeCodifier.
* ProgressiveRock: Even though the band is usually thought of as an UrExample of PunkRock, the band's avant-garde classical influence (thanks to Music/JohnCale) and Reed's poetic lyrics also anticipated prog. The Velvets also influenced a lot of {{Krautrock}} bands, including Music/{{Can}} and Music/{{Neu}}. Prog Archives list Cale's solo work as "prog-related".
* RecordProducer: Creator/AndyWarhol, technically -- his job was to just pay for the sessions and use his influence to protect the band from
**
** Averted with "Sister Ray":
-->'''Lou Reed''': The engineer said, "I don't have to ''listen'' to this. I'll put it in record, and then I'm ''leaving''. When you're done, come get me."
* SelfTitledAlbum: Two of them, in fact: ''Music/TheVelvetUndergroundAndNico'' (their debut, with [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg their guest singer's name tacked on at the
* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: ''They're '''The Velvet Underground'''''.
* ShaggyDogStory: "The Gift" (guy mails himself to girlfriend and gets killed), "Sister Ray" (huge debauched party, someone gets shot), "Lady Godiva's Operation" (trans woman goes to have some operation, gets a botched lobotomy from a sloppy doctor and dies).
* ShoutOut: "European Son" is dedicated to the
** "Sister Ray" is named after [[Music/TheKinks Ray Davies]].
** From "New Age":
---> "And when you kissed Creator/RobertMitchum\\
Gee, but I thought you'd never catch him"
* SillyLoveSongs: Yeah, they have one. "I Found a Reason", to be precise. "I Love You" could qualify, too, although it's hard to tell how sincere Reed is being.
* SingleStanzaSong: "European Son".
* SinisterShades: As seen above, very nearly the whole band wore them. Apparently they started doing this to cope with the bright lights that were a part of their live show, but it became an iconic part of their look and they began wearing them offstage as well.
* TheSomethingSong: "Black Angel's Death Song".
* SopranoAndGravel: Every band member who ever sang. We've got: Reed's Long Islander snarl (almost every tune, but he did also sing in less snarly ways, like on "Sunday Morning" and "Jesus"), Cale's smoother voice and slightly Welsh accent ("The Gift", "Lady Godiva's Operation"), Yule's even more accessible PerishingAltRockVoice ("Candy Says"), Tucker's girlish voice ("After Hours", "The Murder
** "Candy Says" was written with Andy Warhol protégé Candy Darling in mind.
* SpokenWordInMusic: "The Gift", "The Murder
* StepUpToTheMicrophone:
* SurprisinglyGentleSong:
** "After Hours", much thanks to
**
* TakeThat: The "Evil Mothers" who'll tell you that "Everything is just dirt" in "Sweet Jane" may have been referencing The Mothers of Invention, whose leader Music/FrankZappa was regarded by Lou Reed as a rival [[note]] For his part, Zappa didn't consider Reed to be a rival; he had no time for the Velvets' drug use and didn't think much of their records, but
* TheTheTitleConfusion: Officially they're "The Velvet Underground", but the
* ThreeChordsAndTheTruth: They're ''legendary'' for
** And organ, glockenspiel, tambourine, piano...
--->'''Lou Reed''': One chord is fine. Two chords... That's pushing it. Three chords and it's {{jazz}}.
** They sort of ZigZagged this, really. They used all kinds of unorthodox and avant-garde arrangements, but Reed wanted the songs to be the kind of music anyone could play, so they're still usually pretty simple melodically.
* {{Transvestite}}: "Sister Ray".
-->'''Lou Reed''':'Sister Ray' was done as a joke -- no, not as a joke -- but it has eight characters in it and this guy gets killed and nobody does anything. It was built around this story that I wrote about this scene of total debauchery and decay. I like to think of 'Sister Ray' as a transvestite smack dealer. The situation is a bunch of {{Drag Queen}}s taking some sailors home with them, shooting up on smack and having this orgy when the
** "Sweet Jane". (''Jack is in his corset, Jane is in her vest...'')
* TropeMaker:
** For AlternativeRock and NoiseRock, pretty much. "Sunday Morning" could also be arguably the first DreamPop song.
** Lou Reed was pretty much the first songwriter working in popular forms of music to address issues like homosexuality, drug use, and sadomasochism in his lyrics.
* TwistEnding: "The Gift".
* UrExample: For PunkRock (they are considered ProtoPunk for a reason, after all) and AlternativeRock. As mentioned above, they also had some influence on ProgressiveRock and {{Krautrock}} bands, as well, and they are sometimes cited as this for PostRock as well (BoleroEffect-laden songs like "Heroin" would certainly seem to support this assertion). Their self-titled third album is also cited by some as one for {{Slowcore}}, though not as much as the previous 5.
* WhiteDwarfStarlet: The "fat, blonde actress" in "New Age".
* WordSaladLyrics. "The Black Angel's Death Song" and
* WordSaladLyrics:
**
** Many lyrics are difficult to decipher at first. This is lampshaded in "Some Kinda Love":
--->''I don't know just what it's all about\\
Put on your red pyjamas and find out''
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Deleted line(s) 38,43 (click to see context) :
* AMindIsATerribleThingToRead:
** "Candy Says"
--> ''Candy says: "I'd like to know completely''
--> ''What others so discreetly talk about''.
** "What Goes On"
--> ''What goes on in your mind?''
** "Candy Says"
--> ''Candy says: "I'd like to know completely''
--> ''What others so discreetly talk about''.
** "What Goes On"
--> ''What goes on in your mind?''
Changed line(s) 45,47 (click to see context) from:
--> ''But mostly you just make me mad''
--> ''Baby, you just make me mad''
--> ''Linger on, your pale blue eyes''
--> ''Baby, you just make me mad''
--> ''Linger on, your pale blue eyes''
to:
--> ''Baby,
Baby, you just make me
--> ''Linger
Linger on, your pale blue eyes''
Changed line(s) 51,58 (click to see context) from:
--> ''I heard what you said''
--> ''Marguerita told Tom''
--> ''And, of course, you're a bore''
--> ''But at that you're not charm-less''
--> ''For a bore is a straight line''
--> ''That finds a wealth in division''
--> ''And some kinds of love''
--> ''Are mistaken for vision''
--> ''Marguerita told Tom''
--> ''And, of course, you're a bore''
--> ''But at that you're not charm-less''
--> ''For a bore is a straight line''
--> ''That finds a wealth in division''
--> ''And some kinds of love''
--> ''Are mistaken for vision''
to:
--> ''Marguerita
Marguerita told
--> ''And,
And, of course, you're a
--> ''But
But at that you're not
--> ''For
For a bore is a straight
--> ''That
That finds a wealth in
--> ''And
And some kinds of
--> ''Are
Are mistaken for vision''
Changed line(s) 64,66 (click to see context) from:
--> ''And now I'm set free''
--> ''I'm set free''
--> ''I'm set free to find a new illusion''
--> ''I'm set free''
--> ''I'm set free to find a new illusion''
to:
--> ''I'm
I'm set
--> ''I'm
I'm set free to find a new illusion''
Changed line(s) 68,71 (click to see context) from:
--> ''That's the story of my life''
--> ''That's the difference between wrong and right''
--> ''But Billy said, both those words are dead''
--> ''That's the story of my life.''
--> ''That's the difference between wrong and right''
--> ''But Billy said, both those words are dead''
--> ''That's the story of my life.''
to:
--> ''That's
That's the difference between wrong and
--> ''But
But Billy said, both those words are
--> ''That's
That's the story of my life.''
Changed line(s) 74,76 (click to see context) from:
--> ''All the people are dancing''
--> ''And they're having such fun''
--> ''I wish it could happen to me''
--> ''And they're having such fun''
--> ''I wish it could happen to me''
to:
--> ''And
And they're having such
--> ''I
I wish it could happen to me''
Changed line(s) 87 (click to see context) from:
* InnocentBlueEyes: {{Subverted|Trope}} in "Pale Blue Eyes". The mellow and soothing music leads one to think that this trope is in play, and from the lyrics you can tell that the narrator ''wants'' to believe this--but he can't, because the relationship can't last, because she's cheating on her husband with him.
to:
* InnocentBlueEyes: {{Subverted|Trope}} in "Pale Blue Eyes". The mellow and soothing music leads one to think that this trope is in play, and from the lyrics you can tell that the narrator ''wants'' to believe this--but this -- but he can't, because the relationship can't last, because she's cheating on her husband with him.
* AMindIsATerribleThingToRead:
** "Candy Says"
--->''Candy says: "I'd like to know completely\\
What others so discreetly talk about''
** "What Goes On"
--->''What goes on in your mind?''
** "Candy Says"
--->''Candy says: "I'd like to know completely\\
What others so discreetly talk about''
** "What Goes On"
--->''What goes on in your mind?''
Changed line(s) 99,100 (click to see context) from:
--> ''Candy says: "I'd like to know completely''
--> ''What others so discreetly talk about''.
--> ''What others so discreetly talk about''.
to:
--> ''What
What others so discreetly talk
Changed line(s) 111 (click to see context) from:
* SurprisinglyGentleSong: "After Hours", much thanks to Maureen "Moe" Tucker's vocal delivery. Reed admitted that he gave it to her on purpose because if he'd sung it, it wouldn't have sounded as innocent.
to:
* SurprisinglyGentleSong: SurprisinglyGentleSong:
** "After Hours", much thanks to Maureen "Moe" Tucker's vocal delivery. Reed admitted that he gave it to her on purpose because if he'd sung it, it wouldn't have sounded as innocent.
** "After Hours", much thanks to Maureen "Moe" Tucker's vocal delivery. Reed admitted that he gave it to her on purpose because if he'd sung it, it wouldn't have sounded as innocent.
Changed line(s) 115,117 (click to see context) from:
** Many lyrics are difficult to decipher at first. This is lampshaded in "Some Kinda Love"
--> ''I don't know just what it's all about.''
--> ''Put on your red pyjamas and find out.''
--> ''I don't know just what it's all about.''
--> ''Put on your red pyjamas and find out.''
to:
** Many lyrics are difficult to decipher at first. This is lampshaded in "Some Kinda Love"
--> ''ILove":
--->''I don't know just what it's allabout.''
--> ''Putabout\\
Put on your red pyjamas and findout.''out''
--> ''I
--->''I don't know just what it's all
--> ''Put
Put on your red pyjamas and find
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Deleted line(s) 8,9 (click to see context) :
The album was listed at #316 in Magazine/RollingStone's ''Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime''.
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Changed line(s) 108 (click to see context) from:
** The distorted organ sound heard at the end of Music/TalkingHeads' "Once in a Lifetime" from the ''Music/RemainInLight'' album (1980) was inspired by "What Goes On".
to:
** The distorted organ sound heard at the end of Music/TalkingHeads' "Once in a Lifetime" "Music/OnceInALifetime" from the ''Music/RemainInLight'' album (1980) was inspired by "What Goes On".
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** "Candy Says" was written with Andy Warhol protégé Candy Darling in mind.
Deleted line(s) 114 (click to see context) :
* {{Transgender}}: "Candy Says" was written with Andy Warhol protégé Candy Darling in mind.
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Changed line(s) 63 (click to see context) from:
* CoverVersion: [[Music/RoxyMusic Bryan Ferry]] covered "What Goes On", which also interpolated "Beginning to See the Light" for 1976's ''The Bride Stripped Bare''.
to:
* CoverVersion: [[Music/RoxyMusic Bryan Ferry]] covered "What Goes On", which also interpolated "Beginning to See the Light" Light", for 1976's ''The Bride Stripped Bare''.
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No longer a trope.
Changed line(s) 89 (click to see context) from:
* InnocentBlueEyes: {{Subverted|Trope}} in "Pale Blue Eyes". The mellow and soothing music leads one to think that this trope is in play, and from the lyrics you can tell that the narrator ''wants'' to believe this--but he can't, because the relationship can't last, because [[YourCheatingHeart she's cheating on her husband with him]].
to:
* InnocentBlueEyes: {{Subverted|Trope}} in "Pale Blue Eyes". The mellow and soothing music leads one to think that this trope is in play, and from the lyrics you can tell that the narrator ''wants'' to believe this--but he can't, because the relationship can't last, because [[YourCheatingHeart she's cheating on her husband with him]].him.
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Added DiffLines:
* CoverVersion: [[Music/RoxyMusic Bryan Ferry]] covered "What Goes On", which also interpolated "Beginning to See the Light" for 1976's ''The Bride Stripped Bare''.
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Added DiffLines:
* HairOfTheDog: "Beginning to See the Light":
--> ''Wine in the morning, and some breakfast at night''
--> ''Wine in the morning, and some breakfast at night''
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Added DiffLines:
* PerishingAltRockVoice: The {{Trope Codifier}}s at work. Notably, Reed's voice is even more perishing here than it usually is; a listener could be forgiven for thinking Yule sings lead vocals on tracks like "I'm Set Free" and "That's the Story of My Life".
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Added DiffLines:
* DownerEnding: "After Hours" is a pretty dark ending to the album.
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* LyricalDissonance: Despite the incredibly dissonant lyrics, "After Hours" has a jaunty melody with an innocent vocal delivery from Tucker.
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** Around two-thirds of the album qualified by the band's standards at the time. There are a few rockers such as "What Goes On", "Beginning to See the Light", and "The Murder Mystery", but by the standards of a band known for experiments like the viola freakout of "The Black Angel's Death Song" and the seventeen-and-a-half-minute noise jam "Sister Ray", the meditative ballads that make up the majority of this album were a major sonic departure.
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Changed line(s) 105 (click to see context) from:
* StepUpToTheMicrophone: Drummer Maureen "Moe" Tucker sings "After Hours" and provides backing vocals on "The Murder Mystery". Bass player Doug Yule performs the lead vocals on "Candy Says".
to:
* StepUpToTheMicrophone: Drummer Maureen "Moe" Tucker sings lead vocals on "After Hours" and provides backing vocals on "The Murder Mystery". Hours". Bass player Doug Yule performs the lead vocals on "Candy Says".Says" and co-lead vocals on the choruses of "Jesus". All four band members perform lead vocals on "The Murder Mystery" (Morrison and Reed during the verses, which are spoken-word; Yule and Tucker during the choruses, which are sung). This is Morrison's only lead vocal credit on a Velvet Underground album, though he did provide backing vocals quite often.
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Added DiffLines:
** Complicating the matter is that, well, Reed was Jewish. This has led to a number of conflicting interpretations.