The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground and Nico

The 1967 debut from The Velvet Underground didn't sell many records, but arguably no album in the past half century has had a greater influence on rock music. Jim and Greg offer a Classic Album Dissection of The Velvet Underground & Nico in celebration of the art-rock classic's fiftieth anniversary.

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The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground & Nico (45th Anniversary Edition)

According to Jim and Greg, few albums are worthier of the Classic Album Dissection treatment than The Velvet Underground's 1967 debut, The Velvet Underground & Nico. Songwriter and guitarist Lou Reed teamed with avant-garde violist/bassist John Cale in the mid-'60s to form the core of the band, joined by guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Maureen Tucker. The sonic assault of their live performances caught the attention of Andy Warhol. Warhol provided the funding for their debut album in 1966 and created the iconic banana cover art. He also insisted on featuring German chanteuse Nico on several tracks.

The Velvet Underground & Nico was released in March 1967 against a backdrop of psychedelia, the Summer of Love, and Sgt. Pepper’s Loney Hearts Club Band. Its noisy, stark depictions of junkies and sadomasochism in New York City didn't fit well with that San Francisco feeling, and the album didn't sell. But over the past half century, its reputation has grown to the point that, as Jim and Greg argue, it's become the most influential album in rock history. Each track has launched an entire genre, from the goth rock of "Venus in Furs" to the noise rock of "European Son" to the proto-shoegaze in "Heroin." It's hard to imagine bands like Sonic Youth, the Ramones, or Radiohead existing without The Velvet Underground & Nico. On the album's 50th anniversary, Jim and Greg tell the history of the band, give a detailed examination of each of the album's songs, and share their thoughts on its legacy.

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