John Cale’s Orch-Pop Masterwork ‘Paris 1919’ Is Brilliant
With his 1973 album Paris 1919, John Cale created one of his most serene and accessible works, a contrast to the frenetic style of the Velvet Underground.
The Velvet Underground
Lou Reed’s Pre-Fame Quest to Create a National Dance Craze
Lou Reed and John Cale met while touring a novelty act trying to make a hit on a discount record label. A new compilation highlights Reed’s wild pre-fame journey.
The Alchemy of the Velvet Underground’s Art
In The Velvet Underground documentary, Todd Haynes shows the music catapulting across time and space to Andy Warhol’s Factory, where the alchemy worked its magic.
Lou Reed Unplugged: The Velvet Underground Reimagined on ‘Words and Music’
Lou Reed and John Cale hint at the other side of the swinging ’60s with a fascinating collection of mid-’60s demo recordings for the Velvet Underground.
‘The Velvet Underground’ Film and the Exploding Lou Reed Inevitable
Todd Haynes’ audiovisual blast delves into the creative combat that birthed America’s first great avant-garde rock ‘n’ roll band, the Velvet Underground.
‘Velvet Underground’ Soundtrack Could Use More Idiosyncratic Curation
The soundtrack for Todd Haynes’ new documentary on Velvet Underground contains unimpeachable music but fails to offer a cohesive argument about the iconic band.
Counterbalance No. 4: ‘The Velvet Underground and Nico’
The Velvet Underground & Nico's self-titled debut album started as all hype thanks to Andy Warhol, but it somehow managed to become one of the most influential records of all time. Has this record outlasted its 15 minutes of fame? Peel slowly and see.
Punk Hybrids: Wham! Bam! Glam-Punk!
Glam Punk is "Rock 'n' roll with lipstick on," sneered John Lennon.
Punk Hybrids: Back in the Garage
Punk's idea(l)s may have been fostered in Art schools, but its musical foundations were cultivated in garages.
The Velvet Underground’s ‘Grey Album’ and the Delineation of a Decade
The Velvet Underground's 1969 self-titled release, known as the "Grey Album", blazes boldly 50 years later, and retains the same sonic relevance as a Laura Nyro or Nick Drake record: artworks utterly of their moment, that sound like they could have been made yesterday.
The 10 Most Famous Albums That Never Saw the Light of Day
Here's 10 albums that never happened but are still discussed among fans and often recreated in some shape or form by the original artists, inspired musicians, or just hungry fans.
Time Out of Minds: Interview with Author Ryan Walsh on Van Morrison’s ‘Astral Weeks’
Ryan Walsh chronicles the making of Van Morrison's Astral Weeks and the chaotic Boston scene that gave birth to it and tells us all about it in this expansive interview.