Arguably the most influential album ever released. David Bowie was handed a test pressing of this album by his then manager Kenneth Pitt in December 1966 (Pitt had been to the US to see Andy Warhol in an attempt to book the VU for a UK tour and Warhol gave Pitt the record) and was performing a cover of “I'm Waiting For The Man” before this album was released in the UK. Almost every Punk band worth its salt in those early days covered that same song and expressed a love for the Velvet Underground. Brian Eno, after being told by Lou Reed that the album sold 30,000 copies in its first 5 years, said in an interview “I think everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band!”. Its influence can never be underestimated and can still be heard today. It also helps that it is a mind-meltingly wonderful record.

It opens with the greatest Sunday morning song I can think of outside of Kris Kristofferson’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down”. The VU’s “Sunday Morning” is a gentle, beautiful start to any Sunday morning. Chiming bells lead you in to Lou Reed breathily intoning “Sunday morning, brings the dawning, It's just a restless feeling by my side”. It’s gorgeous and, just to set some kind of record how many times can you say the phrase Sunday morning in one paragraph, we just said Sunday morning again.

Then…I’ve said many times in here that track 1, side 1 sets the tone for a whole album. On this record track 2, side 1, it could be argued, set the tone for the next 50 years, set David Bowie on an unstoppable path and invented Punk Rock, Indie Rock, Stoner Rock and any other kind of outsider Rock genre you can think of, because “I'm Waiting For The Man” may well be one of the most, if not THE most, important songs in the history of Rock & Roll music. It tells of a junkie going to meet his dealer at the corner of Lexington Avenue and 125th Street in Harlem, he scores and then has to wait to do the same thing tomorrow (“but that’s just another time”) to do that all over again. Bowie had it in his set before it was released here. It has been covered by Eater, Beck, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Tubes, Vanessa Paradis, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Bauhaus, The Wasps, Slaughter & The Dogs, Georgia Satellites, Tom Robinson Band, Cheap Trick, Belle & Sebastian, The Members, hell, I’ve done it in more than one band I was in…do you start to see what we’re saying ? This song travelled a long way…and here we are, only two songs into this record. 

Of the remaining four songs on side 1 three are absolute classics too and most bands in 1967 would have been happy to write something like the 4th ! Those 3 classics would be “Femme Fatale”, “Venus In Furs” and “All Tomorrow’s Parties”. “Femme Fatale” was written at Andy Warhol’s request about Warhol superstar Edie Sedgewick (also the subject of The Cult’s “Edie (Ciao Baby)” BTW) and is sung by Nico in that beautifully deadpan German accent (she was described in one review as being"half goddess, half icicle”) with the rest of the band droning the backing vocals on the chorus like petulant schoolboys. “Venus In Furs” is a song about sadomasochism and bondage written by Lou Reed after reading Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s book of the same name. John Cale’s Viola screech’s in the background as Reed delivers scenes like

“Taste the whip, in love not given lightly

Severin' taste the whip

Severin' taste the whip, now pleeeaaad for me”

from whence Steven Bailey found his alter-ego on becoming the Bass player in Siouxsie & The Banshees. “All Tomorrow’s Parties” comes in on a hammered 2 note piano motif with Nico once more droning Lou Reed’s lyric about the people who could be found at Andy Warhol’s Factory studio. The title has lent it’s name to a music festival, a novel by William Burroughs and a movie directed by Hong Kong director Yu Lik-wai. It has been covered by Japan, Jeff Buckley, Bauhaus, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Siouxsie & The Banshees and Bryan Ferry ! Oh and that other song on side 1…”Run, Run, Run” which ain’t half bad.

Side 2 opens with Lou Reed’s epic description of drug use, “Heroin”. It’s a fairly graphic description of the use and effect of taking Heroin (“Heroin will be the death of me, It’s my wife and it’s my life” and “Because when the smack begins to flow, I really don't care anymore”). Audience members would tell the band they shot up while the song was being played which troubled Reed and made him very reluctant to play it. I do remember in the ’80’s a huge argument about the song breaking out on the letters page of one of the music inkies (Sounds or NME) that went on for weeks and I’m sure involved Boy George. The whole subject of Heroin use is troubling but Reed doesn’t condemn or endorse it in the song, it’s one that definitely raises controversial questions.

“There She Goes Again” and “I’ll be Your Mirror” are in that vein of “Run, Run, Run” although the lyrics of “There She Goes Again” do contain some troubling imagery. The last two songs “The Black Angels Death Song” and “European Son” are in a more experimental vein. The former features more of Cale’s screeching Viola and as the latter is credited to all 4 members of the band I’m presuming it was a studio jam, cos that’s what it sounds like.

The album that launched a thousand bands is the only way to think about “The Velvet Underground And Nico”. It’s influence on rock and popular music through the latter part of the 20th century (Punk, Goth, Indie and Alternative Rock in general) is immeasurable. Another record I own more than 1 copy of, a 2012 35th anniversary facsimilie of the 1st issue with a peelable banana on the front (a genuine first issue will cost you four figures these days) and a yellow vinyl copy of suspect legality. It’s influence shows no sign of abating just yet.

I’m Waiting For The Man - https://youtu.be/99og_g7rXnA?si=uI60elZ1QHLcUQN-