The Velvet Underground...crumbs
June 18th 2008 10:49
‘ello there,
.
Last time I proclaimed a desire to try and describe to you with due diligence the most towering musical achievements heard through my ears in the mere 25 years of their existence. Looking (hearing?) back a little further I’d like to write some on the wonder that is The Velvet Underground and if we are talking about The Velvet Underground then we better bloody well be talking about ‘Venus in Furs’. A song that I can only describe as a gutter-dwelling squelch of sound and words ringing heavy with overtones of drugs and sexual oblivion. But then this song is based on the novel of the same by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, who’s writings coined the term ‘Masochism’ (what a legacy!) so what else can you expect. The song itself sounds like it’s from another world, dominated from the start by the scoring drones of John Cale’s viola and the blunt chopping of Lou Reed’s ‘Ostrich’ guitar, whose strings were all tuned to the same note (I think to H, they were that experimental, but then it was the 60’s).
.
‘Venus in Furs’ was undoubtedly one of the high points of a relatively short history and short catalogue of albums, just 4, count ‘em. Numerous line up changes (and I would suspect lots of drugs) can’t have helped their output but they should be remembered as one of the most important bands of all, if for nothing then for ‘Venus in Furs’… oh and ‘I’m Waiting for the Man’ and ‘Heroin’ and ‘Candy Says’ and ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ and ‘I’m Beginning to See the Light’ and ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’ and ‘White Light/White Heat’, oh and for being the coolest band ever…
.
yes?
.
.
Last time I proclaimed a desire to try and describe to you with due diligence the most towering musical achievements heard through my ears in the mere 25 years of their existence. Looking (hearing?) back a little further I’d like to write some on the wonder that is The Velvet Underground and if we are talking about The Velvet Underground then we better bloody well be talking about ‘Venus in Furs’. A song that I can only describe as a gutter-dwelling squelch of sound and words ringing heavy with overtones of drugs and sexual oblivion. But then this song is based on the novel of the same by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, who’s writings coined the term ‘Masochism’ (what a legacy!) so what else can you expect. The song itself sounds like it’s from another world, dominated from the start by the scoring drones of John Cale’s viola and the blunt chopping of Lou Reed’s ‘Ostrich’ guitar, whose strings were all tuned to the same note (I think to H, they were that experimental, but then it was the 60’s).
‘Venus in Furs’ was undoubtedly one of the high points of a relatively short history and short catalogue of albums, just 4, count ‘em. Numerous line up changes (and I would suspect lots of drugs) can’t have helped their output but they should be remembered as one of the most important bands of all, if for nothing then for ‘Venus in Furs’… oh and ‘I’m Waiting for the Man’ and ‘Heroin’ and ‘Candy Says’ and ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ and ‘I’m Beginning to See the Light’ and ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’ and ‘White Light/White Heat’, oh and for being the coolest band ever…
.
yes?
.
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