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Post by jk on Jan 21, 2022 14:50:42 GMT -5
My first thought when pondering where to post this was of an existing if somewhat ancient EH thread devoted to The Velvet Underground. Then it occurred to me that one of the scores of informative threads I and some colleagues abandoned when Tapatalk steamrollered over our customized Freeforums BB board was about the VU "and beyond", i.e., what its individual members got up to after leaving. The thread title refers to a track sung by drummer Mo Tucker at the close of the Velvets' third album. Well, having watched the rather static third and final episode of a documentary on Andy Warhol, I delved into the history of Lou Reed, who featured in the superior second episode together with the other members of the classic Velvet Underground lineup (and Nico) in footage shot at Warhol's Factory. Among other things, I learned that Lou was in a relationship for three years with a transwoman called Rachel Humphreys. And that not too much was known about her. So I looked further and found a couple of illuminating articles (linked below). The mixup I observed along the way between transgender and transvestite can only be ascribed to ignorance. Check out the 100-plus revealing and mostly heart-warming comments following the first article. Another young life cruelly cut short by AIDS -- and then to end up in an anonymous pauper burial site with tens of thousands of others... If "Crazy Feeling", the opening track on Lou's winter-of-'75/'76 album Coney Island Baby, could be said to celebrate the onset of his relationship with Rachel, the epic "Street Hassle", from the 1978 album of that name, has been described as marking its demise: Rest in peace, Rachel, rest in peace, Lou.  dangerousminds.net/comments/rachel_lou_reeds_transsexual_musezagria.blogspot.com/2019/01/rachel-humphreys-1952-199-hairdresser.html#.YerKey2ZNTZ |
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Post by jk on Jan 22, 2022 5:02:47 GMT -5
This is the song that played over the end credits of the second episode of the above-mentioned Warhol documentary. "Slip Away (A Warning)" is a track from ex-VU colleagues Lou Reed and John Cale's 1990 album Songs for Drella, in memory of Andy W who had died three years earlier. I dedicate this to a good friend who also seems to have slipped away -- time will tell.  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_for_Drella |
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Post by jk on Jan 23, 2022 6:35:54 GMT -5
"Valley of The Kings" is my favourite Nico song, just her voice and her harmonium (one of my favourite instruments anyway). It comes from her 1974 album The End… (produced by John Cale), whose famous title track is in my view the album's weakest spot. (Its goodies include a truly surreal version of the German national anthem.) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End... |
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Post by jk on Jan 25, 2022 6:41:51 GMT -5
I posted this in early 2019 before I deleted my account (never again): "All Tomorrow's Parties" is my favourite VU song for a number of reasons. One is that I arranged it on a couple of occasions. The first time was in 1986 for a Christmas party at a school where a family member worked. It was played by an army of recorders (mainly teaching staff), the obligatory drum and tambourine and piano quatre-mains (I was at the top end doing the fiddly stuff). The kids loved it. The second time was in 1995 for our first (and best) "street party". My entire family was involved (tambourine, drum, electric guitar (rhythm) and keyboards) plus three neighbours (saxophone, cello and sporadic harmonica). I thought Nico and Lou were singing on this but its transpires that it's only Nico doing some rather strange double-tracking (see link): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Tomorrow%27s_Parties |
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Post by jk on Feb 11, 2022 6:10:55 GMT -5
John Cale and Terry Riley didn't exactly see eye to eye when they collaborated in 1970 on Church of Anthrax (released the following year), although Riley has warmed to Cale and McClure's production since then. According to Melody Maker, its title track is "a brilliantly dense piece of production. Cale's viola and bass and Riley's organ and saxophone create an impenetrable, organic vortex of sound … the avant-garde at its funkiest". Two drummers, Bobby Colomby and Bobby Gregg, complete the lineup: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Anthrax |
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Post by jk on Feb 14, 2022 8:36:33 GMT -5
If I had to single out the most representative Velvet Underground track, it would be "Venus In Furs". Cale's viola slashes, vocalist Reed's open-tuned guitar drone, Tucker's minimal thumps and shakes and guitarist Sterling Morrison (the subject of the follow-up post) on bass duty together create a grim claustrophobic ambience, marginally alleviated by the central six-bar passage in the relative major, like a window briefly opening onto the kinky proceedings: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_in_Furs_(song) |
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Post by jk on Feb 20, 2022 5:14:11 GMT -5
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Post by catchascatchcan on Feb 20, 2022 13:09:03 GMT -5
Jk, I have been thoroughly enjoying this thread and your commentary. I was always aware of the Velvet Underground, but I never did a deep dive on them. Maybe I just wasn’t ready for them at the time. So much music, not enough time! I remember a friend had the album with the banana on it way back when, and I would hear bits and pieces at her house from time to time. All Tomorrow’s Parties was a favorite. At least we have YouTube and can go back and seek out what we missed. Thank you for sharing these!
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Post by jk on Feb 20, 2022 16:25:39 GMT -5
Jk, I have been thoroughly enjoying this thread and your commentary. I was always aware of the Velvet Underground, but I never did a deep dive on them. Maybe I just wasn’t ready for them at the time. So much music, not enough time! I remember a friend had the album with the banana on it way back when, and I would hear bits and pieces at her house from time to time. All Tomorrow’s Parties was a favorite. At least we have YouTube and can go back and seek out what we missed. Thank you for sharing these! My pleasure, cacc. Thank you for the kind words! A little encouragement makes it all worthwhile. Well, I try to keep my commentary informative without looking like a know-it-all!  I first heard the Velvets in 1967 on Radio London, one of the unofficial offshore UK radio stations prevalent in the mid '60s. Disc jockey John Peel played two tracks from their debut album to illustrate the two sides of the band: "I'll Be Your Mirror", sung by Nico… ...and the abrasive "European Son", with Lou on vocal duties: I was floored, and bought the album that same year -- and the two follow-up albums over the next two years. I was lucky enough to catch Lou Reed at the Torhout Werchter festival in Belgium in '84. That was when he had ex-Voidoids guitarist Robert Quine with him. What I recall of it was most impressive, if rather a long way off. |
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Post by jk on Mar 4, 2022 4:39:19 GMT -5
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Post by bobbreckwoldt on Mar 7, 2022 14:59:52 GMT -5
Glad to see someone else enjoys The Velvets and Japan do a great version of All Tomorrow's Parties but I think this is one of their best.
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Post by jk on Mar 7, 2022 15:57:35 GMT -5
Glad to see someone else enjoys The Velvets and Japan do a great version of All Tomorrow's Parties but I think this is one of their best. Hi Bob. Yes indeed, "Sunday Morning" is a fantastic album opener. Flatmates of mine used to play it every Sunday morning  back in the early '70s. And following it on the album with "I'm Waiting For The Man" is a masterstroke: I used to own a mono LP of that album, which I bought in late '67. It's great to hear it all in mono again on YouTube. |
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Post by bobbreckwoldt on Mar 8, 2022 15:17:39 GMT -5
Yes JK, the whole LP is great. If you got it in 67 did you have the peel-off banana edition? And of course, Femme Fatale straight after I'm Waiting For the Man. I have a friend who often puts Sunday Morning on his Facebook page almost every Sunday.
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Post by jk on Mar 8, 2022 17:41:49 GMT -5
Yes JK, the whole LP is great. If you got it in 67 did you have the peel-off banana edition? And of course, Femme Fatale straight after I'm Waiting For the Man. I have a friend who often puts Sunday Morning on his Facebook page almost every Sunday. Looking at the album's wiki, I see it was only very early pressings that had that "peel slowly and see" stuff, and a Japanese re-issue LP in the early 1980s. My copy certainly didn't have it. Now, "Femme Fatale" is one reason why I still prefer the mono version of the album. (I love mono anyway.) There's echo, or reverb, or something, on the male voices in the chorus in the mono version that's simply not there in the stereo version: But yes, what an album!! I liked the gritty Nico-less follow-up but could only warm to a few tracks on the self-titled #3... |
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Post by bobbreckwoldt on Mar 12, 2022 11:05:11 GMT -5
Agree JK First two albums are great and the third is not as good but still some great tracks e.g. Pale Blue Eyes.
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Post by jk on Mar 12, 2022 17:37:10 GMT -5
Agree JK First two albums are great and the third is not as good but still some great tracks e.g. Pale Blue Eyes. Oh yes, there are definitely some good tracks on #3, such as the one you linked (although it's a little painful to see John Cale and Nico in the video image). I think "Some Kinda Love" is my favourite, not least because Lou has a little chuckle just before the bridge: |
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Post by Bruce’s Shorts on Mar 16, 2022 16:06:59 GMT -5
Here’s a truly fantastic documentary on Moe and her playing. Indispensable for anyone who loves The Velvets and is curious about her different drum set ups and approaches to the various songs:
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Post by jk on Mar 17, 2022 15:22:24 GMT -5
Here’s a truly fantastic documentary on Moe and her playing. Indispensable for anyone who loves The Velvets and is curious about her different drum set ups and approaches to the various songs: Wow -- thanks, BS (if you don't mind me calling you that). I'm up to my eyes right now but I'll be certain to check it out asap.  I'm fascinated by Maureen's approach to pop drumming. One of the few drummers who has stood up to play, another being Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie when he drummed for The Jesus and Mary Chain: |
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Post by Bruce’s Shorts on Mar 17, 2022 15:52:09 GMT -5
Here’s a truly fantastic documentary on Moe and her playing. Indispensable for anyone who loves The Velvets and is curious about her different drum set ups and approaches to the various songs: Wow -- thanks, BS (if you don't mind me calling you that). I'm up to my eyes right now but I'll be certain to check it out asap. I'm fascinated by Maureen's approach to pop drumming. One of the few drummers who has stood up to play, another being Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie when he drummed for The Jesus and Mary Chain: Please call me exactly what it is that I’m usually full of, haha! And what’s also cool is that Moe didn’t even always play standing up. She sometimes played a traditional sit down kit and sometimes she even sat down on the floor to play. It was all about the individual song and whatever approach was best. |
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Post by jk on Mar 25, 2022 16:45:55 GMT -5
Here’s a truly fantastic documentary on Moe and her playing. Indispensable for anyone who loves The Velvets and is curious about her different drum set ups and approaches to the various songs: I actually got round to watching this tonight. It is, as you say, fantastic! What a creative player -- and what a lovely person. The way the group interrelates is most affecting. And to see Moe and Sterling in action is a treat. And all so lovingly demonstrated by Cam Forrester -- a true fan. Thanks, BS. |
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Post by catchascatchcan on Mar 26, 2022 1:23:16 GMT -5
Bruce’s Shorts, thank you for sharing the Moe Tucker documentary. I like her drumming. It’s creative and effective. It was intriguing to hear her say she was inspired by Babatunde Olatunji. I perform locally in a drum troupe that plays traditional African polyrhythms, Babatunde among them. So that was interesting to hear how she incorporated that raw sound into the Velvets.
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Post by jk on Mar 26, 2022 4:35:27 GMT -5
Bruce’s Shorts, thank you for sharing the Moe Tucker documentary. I like her drumming. It’s creative and effective. It was intriguing to hear her say she was inspired by Babatunde Olatunji. I perform locally in a drum troupe that plays traditional African polyrhythms, Babatunde among them. So that was interesting to hear how she incorporated that raw sound into the Velvets. That’s fascinating, cacc. Actually I encountered Babatunde only a short while ago when linking Santana's "Jingo" down the road. Here's his electrifying original: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin-go-lo-bahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin-go-lo-ba |
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Post by jk on Mar 27, 2022 14:50:27 GMT -5
The cult thriller series Killing Eve has always had great music and it's no different in the final season, which we started watching on Dutch TV this evening. It was heartwarming to hear a Velvet Underground tune, "Jesus": en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Velvet_Underground_(album) |
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Post by jk on May 1, 2022 12:46:59 GMT -5
Angus MacLise (1938–1979) played for a while with LaMonte Young's Theatre of Eternal Music, whose core consisted of Young, his wife Marian Zazeela, Tony Conrad and John Cale. MacLise is best remembered, however, as The Velvet Underground's first drummer. That said, his approach to music was too experimental and his life-style too erratic (he often missed gigs by hours and even days) and he and the band soon parted company. (See the wiki page for a more detailed explanation.) I spent an hour or more sifting through tracks by MacLise on YouTube, as I felt he deserved a post in this thread, but I had great trouble finding anything even halfway listenable! I eventually opted for the brief "Trance", as it gives a general idea of where the man's head was at and why he didn't fit in with the direction in which Reed and company were heading. To quote uploader MikeyRemembers: "This track was originally released in a limited edition of 100 single sided vinyl 7 inch 45's on the Fierce Recordings label in 1987. Curiously packaged with an Angus branded chocolate bar, an incense cone, a badge entitled 'Far Out' and a collection of Khatmandu prayers. Described as 'A short low-fi tape recording of a mid-60's sine tone experiment' on the [now defunct] blog where I found this little gem." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_MacLise |
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Post by jk on May 29, 2022 8:32:09 GMT -5
How could I forget Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music? It was a thread at Hoffman that reminded me of it. I bought MMM in the early 2000s after reading the Lester Bangs biography Let It Blurt. Two other CDs I bought along with it were Mogwai's 20-minute single "My Father My King" and Nico's album The End… Good stuff, all of it. Lester and Lou enjoyed a love-hate relationship. I like Reed's appraisal of LB on the back cover of the biography: "He's fat and he's got a mustache. I wouldn't shit in Lester's nose". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Machine_Music |
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back in the early '70s. And following it on the album with "I'm Waiting For The Man" is a masterstroke:
