1969: The Velvet Underground Live With Lou Reed

"The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band." 
—Brian Eno

The Velvet Underground, with their innovative blend of avant-garde art rock with raw, experimental sounds, coupled with provocative and often taboo lyrical content, laid the groundwork for numerous subgenres and inspired countless artists across various musical movements.  Despite their limited commercial success during their active years, they had a profound and lasting impact on music.

David Bowie, Kraftwerk, Patti Smith, T. Rex, Roxy Music, Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Clash, Talking Heads, Blondie, Television, Elvis Costello, U2, R.E.M, Joy Division, New Order, The Smiths, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Bauhaus, Sonic Youth, Pixies, The Replacements, Jane's Addiction, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Nirvana, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, RHCP, Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, Beck, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, The White Stripes, The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, and many, many others were inspired by the Velvet Underground.  The influence is so big & diverse, they've even been sampled by major hip hop artists.
 

'1969: The Velvet Underground Live With Lou Reed' will always be an essential album in the discography of a band short on albums.  About half of the album is from the Matrix (owned and operated by Jefferson Airplane's Marty Balin) in San Francisco, CA; the other half is from End Of Cole Ave., in Dallas, TX.  Those two sources are sometimes alternating from one song to the next as the album unfolds.  Whoever compiled the original reels had impeccable taste. They made great song selections and sequenced them perfectly.  The album is also roughly one third of their discography.

This album really shows their versatility, unlike their four studio albums, it maintains a consistent character.  It has a rough and undoctored quality, reflecting an authentic live performance, yet it projects an intimacy and warmth that makes it highly enjoyable to listen to.

Not to slight John Cale, but I don’t miss him here at all.  From what I’ve heard of Cale era live performances, I think the vibes here would have been considerably more uptight with John on the stage instead of Doug Yule.  I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the Doug Yule era was just as influential as the Cale era, particularly on 80s indie rock, if such things, of course, could be measured.  That said, I wish the Cale era had been documented with a similarly good live recording.

I know quite a few diehard fans, who site this as their favorite Velvet Underground album.

The freeload is a 2 SHM-CD Japanese limited edition, reissue.  This is my favorite sounding version, not that this album is an audiophile's dream by any stretch of the imagination.

But wait, there'a more! Order before midnight tonight, and receive a bonus mystery VU surprise, as my gift* to you. 
What will it be? 
The suspense will kill you, even if you think you have a foggy notion.
*Just pay a separate shipping and handling fee.
Limited time offer, not available in stores. This product may cause uncontrollable urges to dance, sing, or spontaneously combust, may cause death especially if you're an idiot, consult your doctor before use, batteries not included, if you still have an erection after 48 hours you should consult your physician, this blog is not responsible for lost limbs, eyesight, or dignity, use at your own risk. Void where prohibited.

For the freeload, caption what you think, Lou Reed is thinking, in the picture below.