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Rating:
Third official album for the very famous, at least nowadays, band led by Lou Reed and last noteworthy chapter for this seminal and essential American formation. After the stunning debut played on Rock experimentation and Pop format, on gloomy litanies and airy melodies, on angelic passages (I wonder why I think of Nico) and real descents into the depths of hell (I wonder why I think of Reed) and after the legendary and dissonant "White Light, White Heat", the first work of Noise Rock according to the writer, here is the album of maturity and complete fulfillment of their dirty craft.
"Velvet Underground" therefore deviates from the previously experimented extremes to land on a meditative acoustic sound, born from a thousand disappointments and reflections. Missing is the Beatrice of Reed's inferno, known to most as Nico, who did not appear in the previous Velvet Underground album either, and missing is the mysterious and emblematic John Cale, but the band, as a whole, has not been drastically changed. Besides the already mentioned frontman, there's still the legendary Sterling Morrison on guitar, the unforgettable Maureen Tucker on drums, and a new bassist, one Doug Youle.
Let's now talk about the purely musical aspect of the album, since this is a music review and not one of those boring and well-known cheap biographies that too many people nowadays put on the Web.
And precisely "musically speaking" some not insignificant novel elements are noted in this third chapter of the most famous New Yorkers of Rock, novel elements that make us understand how our heroes have always been, in reality, lovers of the acoustic sound and a certain singer-songwriter attitude.
Indeed, in this work, there is not a single reference to the guitar roar of "White Light, White Heat" nor is there any significant element to revive the glories of their essential debut. Gentle and acoustic music, as already written, characterized by a slight melancholy and an unusual delicacy. Music that aficionados of the Velvet "early days" will disdain but that, if listened to with the heart, can arouse a thousand emotions. And it is precisely on this album that Reed, Morrison, and Tucker (let's leave the unfortunate Youle aside) offer now famous and highly appreciated tracks like "Candy Says", "Jesus", "After Hours" and the haunting "Pale Blue Eyes".
An album to listen to calmly and to savor like a good old wine, perhaps in front of the fireplace and perhaps in the company of one's own solitude. A few years later the disappointing "Loaded" will be released, but this, as they say, is a whole other story and will mark the compositional decline of the underground velvet.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Sweet Jane (03:18)
Standin' on a corner
Suitcase in my hand
Jack's in his corset, Jane is in her vest
and me I'm in a rock 'n' roll band. Huh.
Riding a Stutz Bearcat, Jim
ya know, those were different times
all the poets studied rules of verse
and those ladies they rolled their eyes
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Now Jack, he is a banker
and Jane, she's a clerk
and both of them save their monies
when they get home from work
sittin downby the fire
Ooo, the radio does play
the classical music there, Jim
The March of the Wooden Soldiers
All you protest kids
you can hear Jack say
04 Cool It Down (03:04)
Somebody took the papers
And somebody�s got the key
And somebody nailed the door shut
That says hey what you think that you see
But me l�m down around the corner
You know I�m lookin� for miss linda lee
Because she�s got the power to love me by the hour
Gives me double you l-o-v-e
Hey baby if you want it so fast
Don�t you know that it ain�t gonna last
Of course you know it makes no difference to me
Somebody�s got the time time
Somebody�s got the right
All of the other people
Tryin� to use up the night
But now me l�m out on the corner
You know I�m lookin� for miss linda lee
Because she�s got the power to love me by the hour
Gives me double you l-o-v-e
Ooh if you want it so fast
Don�t you know honey you can get it so fast
But of course you know it makes no difference to me
Oh oh oh you�d better cool it down
You know you�d better cool it down
You know you�d better cool it down
You know you�d better cool it down
Oh hey if you want it so fast
Now lookie baby don�t you want it to last
But of course you know that it makes no difference to me
Oh you�d better cool it down
You know you�d better cool it down
You know you�d better cool it down
05 New Age (04:40)
Can I have your autograph
He said to the fat blonde actress
You know I�ve seen every movie you�ve been in
From paths of pain to jewels of glory
And when you kissed robert mitchum
Gee but I thought you�d never catch him
Over the hill right now
And you�re looking for love
You�re over the hill right now
And you�re looking for love
I�ll come running to you honey when you want me
I�ll come running to yoy honey when you want me
Can I have your autograph
He said to the fat blonde actress
You know I know everything you�ve done
Anyway I hate divorces
To the left is a marble shower
It was fun even for an hour
Your�re over the hill right now
And you�re looking for love
You�re over the hill right now
And you�re looking for love
I�ll come running to you honey when you want me
I�ll come running to you honey when you want me
Something�s got a hold on me
And I don�t know what
Something�s got a hold on me
And I don�t know what
It�s the beginning of a new age
It�s the beginning of a new age
It�s a new age
06 Head Held High (02:58)
My mama told me, ever since I was seven,
Hold your head up high.
My parents toldmy ever since I was eleven,
"Hold your head up high."
They said the answer was to become a dancer,
Hold your head high.
Oh, just like I figured, they're always disfigured
With their heads up high.
Now I'm older, I'm getting so much bolder
With my head up high
Oh, as I figured, just like I figured
Since your head's up high, baby.
Oh, just like I figured,
You know, they was disfigured
Hold your head up high.
You know, they says the answer was to become a dancer
Hold your head high, boy.
Ever since I was a baby on my mama's knee,
Oh, just listened to what everybody told me,
Oh yes I did. But still the answer was to become a dancer,
And hold your head high,
But, just like I figured, they're always disfigured,
They hold their heads up high, Watch out!
Do the dog! Oh, watch out!
And now I'm older, they say I'm so much bolder
Got your head up high.
Oh, and the answer was, hey, to become a dancer,
Head up high.
Well, but just like I figured, they're always disfigured
They got their heads up high.
But the answer was, now, boy, to become a dancer
With your head up high
Head up high,
Head up high...
07 Lonesome Cowboy Bill (02:44)
Lonesome Cowboy Bill rides the rodeo
Lonesome Cowboy Bill you gotta see him yodel-e-eo
Lonesome Cowboy Bill rides the rodeo
ever since he was a little lad rode the rodeo
buckin' broncs and sippin' wines
got to see him go
and all the ten-gallon girls love to hear him yodel-e-eo
Lonesome Cowboy Bill rides the rodeo
Lonesome cowboy Bill you gotta see him yodel-e-eo
Lonesome Cowboy Bill, still rides the rodeo
up around Colorado shores, down by the Ohio
sometimes even New Orleans down by Mardi Gras
and all the ten-gallon girls love to hear him yodel-e-eo
Lonesome Cowboy Bill rides the rodeo
Lonesome Cowboy Bill you gotta see him yodel-e-eo
you gotta see him in the rodeo
when he's ridin' goin' too darn fast
you gotta hear the people scream and shout
they call him Lonesome Cowboy Bill
08 I Found a Reason (04:16)
I found a reason to keep living
Oh and the reason, dear, is you
I found a reason to keep singing
Oh and the reason, dear, is you
Oh I do believe
If you don't like things you leave
For some place you never gone before
Honey, I found a reason to keep living
And you know the reason, dear it's you
And I've walked down life's lonely highways
Hand in hand with myself
And I realized how many paths have crossed between us
Oh I do believe
You're all what you perceive
What comes is better that what came before
Oh I do believe
You're all what you perceive
What comes is better that what came before
And you'd better come, come come, come to me
Come come, come to me
09 Train Round the Bend (03:21)
Train round the bend
Takin me away from my country
I'm sick of the trees
Take me to the city
Train comin' round the bend
Oh train comin' round the bend
Been in the country Oh much too long
Trying to be a farmer
But nothing that I planted never seems to grow
Train comin' round the bend
Train comin' round the bend
Hey I am just a city boy
And really not the country kind
Oh I need the city streets and I need your light
To see bend comin' round the bend
The train comin' round the bend
Allright
Ooh Ohh
Once
She's going twice
She's going ?to the loop? up and down
She's going twice
She's going the train comin round the bend
You know the train comin round the bend
And I'm out of nowhere
Takin' me back where I belong
I've been here once and I don't take it tonight
For the train comin round the bend
The train comin round the bend
OOOh Allright!
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Other reviews
By principles
That bastard, dirty sound that characterized the band was lost.
This is just little stuff, lousy stuff I'd say, poor in content and so far from the real Velvet Underground.
By malley8
If it’s true that Squeeze picks up where Loaded left off, it’s to continue not necessarily lowering but certainly in another direction, one that veers away from New York’s soul’s night to sunny carefree days.
The cover’s hand doesn’t grip a banana but a skyscraper and just like here there’s no Andy Warhol, in the album’s tracks, there are no Velvet Underground.
