Bitching about the velvet underground

[Guest godthedog]

why are the velvet underground so unappreciated?  they made 4 albums between 1965 and 1970, all of them absolute classics (with the possible exception of white light/white heat).  outside of 'spin' magaizine, when are they ever mentioned in a 'greatest albums' list?  these guys were the original alternative band: they set the mold for every punk and alternative artist that followed, a decade before punk & 2 decades before alternative.  why are they never credited for it?  back when vh1 did a '100 greatest artists of rock & roll' special, it was generally a pretty good list, except the velvet underground were placed in the high 60s.  lou reed had his own sound that is a fundamental part of music to this day, yet he made more money when he ripped off davide bowie's sound.  reed is the only member of the VU that's rich, & that's because of his solo career.  why did moe tucker, sterling morrison, john cale, & even doug yule never get rich?

 

this band is easily one of the top 3 in music history, and they might be the most original.  why have so many smart, musically-educated people never heard of them?

 

these are all rhetorical questions, of course.  i just needed to let that out.

[Guest goodhelmet]

"why did moe tucker, sterling morrison, john cale, & even doug yule never get rich?"

 

I can't speak for the entire band, but if John Cale never became rich it's probably because he contributed to the abortion of sound known as Earth Opera. A supergroup of sorts in the late 60's who were absolutely horrible.

[Guest Kinetic]

I'm just glad to someone else dares to question the greatness of White Light/White Heat.  I love VU, but I just can't get into that album.  I like noise, but I specifically like noise that's used in the context of an actual song.  That album doesn't offer a lot of that.

[Guest godthedog]

i think 'white light/white heat' is lionized the way it is mainly because of the ideas behind it & not in the execution.  people love the fact that it's such a noisy album, & don't necessarily love listening to it.  i personally love the album, i think 'lady godiva's operation' and 'the gift' are the only low points.  'i heard her call my name' & 'sister ray' i both like a lot, though they do drag a bit.  easily the worst velvets album, but that's like saying it's the worst beatles album (i.e., it's still more original than 90 percent of anything else you hear).

[Guest muzanisa]

I love White Light/White Heat Sister Ray's my favourite track but after that it would be the gift and Lady Godiva's operation. I think the reason they aren't rich is the same reason none of the New York Dolls were ever rich while all those that followed were. They were trail blazers but weren't particulary popular when they were around. I think the reason why the individual members aren't rich is that Tucker and Morrison didn't write songs which is where you make your money and Cale outside the Velvets didn't write great songs (off the top of my head the only solo Cale stuff that comes to mind is do not go gentle into that good night and Hallelujah, both someone else's). I like to think that I would have been into them if I'd been around in the sixties but I probably wouldn't. But Joy Division and the Jesus and Mary Chain piqued my interest and made me a fan.