The Velvet Underground (album) Totally Explained

Everything about The Velvet Underground Album totally explained

The Velvet Underground is the third album by American rock group The Velvet Underground. It was their first record to feature Doug Yule, John Cale's replacement in the band. It was recorded in 1968 at TTG Studios in Hollywood, California. It marks a radical shift in sound and approach.

About the album

The Velvet Underground was the band's first album for MGM Records, the band's first two albums having been issued by MGM subsidiary and legendary jazz label, Verve Records. The previously strong Andy Warhol influence is diminished, with the most notable ties to The Factory being the cover and back photographs taken by Warholite Billy Name, and opening track "Candy Says," written about Candy Darling (who would later appear in Lou Reed's 1972 song, "Walk On The Wild Side").
The record was produced by the band themselves, and issued in two different stereo mixes. The more widely distributed version is the one done by TTG staff recording engineer Val Valentin. The other mix was done by Lou Reed, and was dubbed the "Closet Mix" by guitarist Sterling Morrison.

The "Closet Mix"

Morrison thought Reed's mix had a small, closed in, cramped sound. With the music so muted, the phrase "Closet Mix" was coined by Sterling Morrison, who said that it sounds like "it was recorded in a closet." Overall, the songs on Reed's mix of the album sound different from the Valentin Mix in that the vocals are brought to the foreground, as opposed to the more "even" mix of Valentin's version. Drums and percussion on the Closet Mix are generally panned to one stereo channel only (typical of many other 1960's rock recordings.) On the Valentin mix drums are usually placed in the center.
Notable differences in the music can be heard on the 2 different versions. "Some Kinda Love" is a completely different performance. The Closet Mix uses a slower, quieter take, while the Valentin Mix is a slightly more upbeat and closer to the way the band performed the song in concert. The Valentin version of "Some Kinda Love" is about 20 seconds longer. There are different guitar solos on "What Goes On". "Jesus" is slightly longer in the Closet Mix, with a noticeable echo on the final refrain of "Jeeee-sus." "Beginning to See the Light" fades out 15-20 seconds later in the Closet Mix. On "The Murder Mystery," the vocals in the Closet Mix are brought to the front in an even more extreme fashion, drowning out the music almost entirely. There are also other less obvious differences.
While the album in either version is considered a significant influence on indie rock, the Closet Mix is thought to be a progenitor of the lo-fi genre of indie rock.

Release history

Early copies were on MGM, but most re-issue versions are on Verve. Upon initial release the album was somewhat more popular in the U.K. than in the U.S. The first U.S. version had the Reed mix, however the track times listed on the first U.S. issue more closely match the Valentin mix, possibly indicating that the Reed mix was issued by mistake. The original U.K. release used the Valentin mix. The 1985 U.S. re-issue LP used the Valentin mix. Other LP re-issues vary but most use the Valentin Mix. CD issues of the album use the Valentin mix, however, the Closet Mix is available on disc 4 of the 1995 CD box set Peel Slowly and See.

Track listing

All tracks written by Lou Reed and arranged by The Velvet Underground. Times shown are for the 1996 CD remastering of the Valentin mix.

Side one

"Candy Says" – 4:04

"What Goes On" – 4:55

"Some Kinda Love" – 4:03

"Pale Blue Eyes" – 5:41

"Jesus" – 3:24

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

Personnel

Lou Reed - lead and rhythm guitar, piano, lead vocals except as noted, verse vocals on "The Murder Mystery"

Sterling Morrison - rhythm and lead guitar, verse vocals on "The Murder Mystery", backing vocals

Doug Yule - bass guitar, organ, lead vocals on "Candy Says", chorus vocals on "The Murder Mystery", backing vocals

Maureen Tucker - percussion, lead vocals on "After Hours", chorus vocals on "The Murder Mystery", backing vocals

Further Information

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