In the glory days of the music world, there would be releases from record companies that have nothing to do with time or space. Just product. I by chance found this album "1969" by The Velvet Underground, and I have to imagine that it's a combination of the 1980's release of "VU" and "Another View" which is basically putting everything out under the Velvet's recorded catalog of the time. Now, Universal music has put together these two albums as a double-album set on vinyl. Three-sides are the Velvets with Doug Yule in the line-up, and side four is when John Cale was in the band. Probably somewhere between White Light/White Heat and the Third album. There are no liner notes explaining the reason for this album, so it's very much of a rush-released piece of product. "1969" is also a great compilation of Velvet Underground tracks that never made it to the final works (albums).
The truth is The Velvet Underground couldn't do anything wrong from the years 1966 to 1970. Lou Reed was on the top of his songwriting powers, and even throwaway songs like "Foggy Notion" are magnificent. When I listen to these set of songs decades later, it strikes me how original his approach to pop/rock songwriting was at the time of these recordings. For one, (both line-ups) the band was fantastic, with Moe Tucker's dynamic primitive drumming, with the combination of Lou and Sterling Morrison's guitars going in and out of their arrangements. Then you have someone like Yule with his backup vocals, or Cale's viola riding on the rhythm, and you have this tremendous noise that's The Velvet Underground.
There are no weak cuts on this four-sided package. All of it is essential if you are a Lou or Velvets fan. The cover/packaging is boring but the sounds inside the package are going to take one to other worlds.
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