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1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 1

The Velvet Underground - 1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 1 Audio CD

A fair review of the The Velvet Underground "1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 1" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Velvet Underground reviews here, or go back to the The Velvet Underground tabs.

Band: The Velvet Underground
Title: 1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 1
Rating:

Release Date: 1990-10-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: I'm Waiting for the Man 2: Lisa Says 3: What Goes On 4: Sweet Jane 5: We're Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together 6: Femme Fatale 7: New Age 8: Rock & Roll 9: Beginning to See the Light 10: Heroin [#]

Bringin' it for real!!
U. V. bringin' it for real! It must have been great to be a part of this show (the sights, the sounds. . . the smells!!).

Not Completely Underground
VU without John Cale is like saying Credence Clearwater Revival reincarnation CCR is the same without John Fogerty. I gave this album four stars because Velvet Underground ("VU") co-founder John Cale was not with the band during the 1969 tour from which these tracks were recorded. John Cale created the original avante-garde musical sound and played screeching electric viola on early versions of "Heroin" plus "White Light/White Heat. " Lou Reed was the songwriting half of the team.

Also, some tracks sound like bootleg recordings and others sound flat, as if in a small room with a couple of people. Maureen Tucker, an early band member and drummer during these performances later lamented there was not a guality, live recording of the band. This album proves her point. However, it is not bad. Simply, it is not great. There are many stories perpetuated in other reviews and blogs about these so-called "lo-fi" recordings. I will give you the real story, which has been confirmed by some former band members.

The album originally was a two-record set issued by Mercury Records during 1974 even though the live performances had been recorded during October and November 1969 at the End of Cole Avenue club in Dallas, Texas and the Matrix in San Francisco.

First, as you may remember or should know, during late 1968, VU co-founder John Cale departed the group after a long, bitter feud with co-founder Lou Reed regarding the band's musical direction. John was an avant-garde musician born in Wales, England. He composed most of the group's early music because he had a music degree from Goldsmiths College, University of London. Also, he played piano, organ, bass, viola, and electric viola (don't believe all the reviews or stories saying he played violin).

John and Lou founded VU during early 1965. Lou then recruited college friend Sterling Morrison to play guitar. John recruited his apartment-mate Angus Maclise to play percussion. Angus departed during November 1965 and Sterling remembered a college friend had a sister who played drums. At the time, Maureen "Moe" Tucker was working as a keypunch operator for IBM.

After John departed the group, Velvet Underground manager Steve Sesnick recruited Doug Yule, an aspiring Boston-based musician to join the band for the 1969 tour. Lou Reed and other VU members previously had crashed with Doug when playing the Boston Tea Party club. But, Doug was far from being John's replacement especially since he did not play electric viola or piano; and, was not a composer.

Anyway, VU played End of Cole Avenue club during October 19, 1969. A fan who was an alleged recording engineer brought to the club a 4-track audio tape-recorder and several microphones. Apparently, he did not direct a microphone toward the audience or did not have enough tracks to record the audience. So, the only audience sounds are from the vocal microphone.

Then, during November 1969 the band played at the Matrix in San Francisco and was allowed use of the club's 4-track recording machine allegedly with the proviso that the tapes would not be commercially released. I find this difficult to believe but later it became a big, legal issue.

Steve Sesnick, VU's manager was given two-track mixed tapes from the two sessions. Nobody seems to know who did the mixes and apparently nobody knows what happened to the original 4-track tapes. The 2-track mixed tapes sat in a box until late 1973 or early 1974. The band had earlier dissolved. Lou had departed the group during 1970 and it continued with Sterling, Moe and Doug. Then, Sterling departed and it was just Moe and Doug plus various sidemen.

Steve claimed he owned the band name and album rights. But, Lou Reed disputed his claims and seized control since he wrote all the songs performed. Lou's manager eventually negotiated a deal with Mercury Records for a compilation double album.

Paul Nelson, a music critic, then working in Mercury's A&R department was given the 2-track tapes and selected the cuts for the double vinyl release. Then during 1988, Polygram Records reissued the album on two, seperate, budget-priced CDs. The track list was rearranged and one extra track which had not been released on vinyl, was added to each CD.

Unfortunately, 1969 Live on audio CD is inferior to the earlier vinyl release. For unknown reasons, some tracks were sourced from mint, vinyl records which obviously were several generations removed from the original 2-track mixed tapes. And, that is the reason many people claim this album was a bootleg recording.

After the album was released, the Matrix club owners sued Mercury Records and Lou Reed claiming they never gave permission to release the tapes or exploit the Matrix name. I have no idea why they did not want the club associated with a VU album. Perhaps, it was just a shakedown as the lawsuit was settled out of court for money.

This is Lou Reed's Underground and far different than the original incarnation or the early version with Nico. The band is very good and the album features songs previously then unreleased or much different versions than those recorded on studio albums such as "Loaded. "

Also, "Femme Fatale" originally sung by Nico is sung by Lou. "Waiting For My Man," is performed as if a country-rock song by The Byrds. "Sweet Jane" and "New Age" are much different than the versions on Loaded.

Volume one features "Heroin" in a 8:14 version and the same song is on Volume two but in a 9:49 version. So, all the more reason to buy both discs. The original two-record set only has one "Heroin" track from the Matrix club, with a running time of 9:42.

I prefer the early avante-garde, art-rock VU with John, Lou, Sterling and Maureen; plus, I like the Andy Warhol executive-produced band with Nico. I think the early band is better than this version with Doug Yule. I am not knocking Doug. But, I am a fervent VU fan and in order to feel satisfied I need John. I think the early band is more frantic and proto-punk than this version. I feel the same about the alleged VU with only Sterling, Moe and Doug that continued to perform after Lou departed during 1970.

Apparently, other reviewers and alleged fans don't care who is in the group and are happy with anyone playing the songs. I assume they like VU even after Sterling departed and the only surviving member from the early group was Moe. I guess they think Ringo Starr with some hired musicians is the same as the Beatles.

Nonetheless, this album, especially on vinyl, is very good. Sadly, even 24-bit remastering is not going to improve on the original vinyl version unless the original 4-track tapes are found. But, even if that happens, Velvet Underground is not Velvet Underground without John Cale. Those are the Underground secrets and reasons I give this album four stars instead of five. The more I listen to the two CDs, the more I am inclined to give the CD version 3. 5 stars. .

What its all about
Sure, John Cale is gone and the wall of sound that easily set vu apart from everyone else is gone, and he is sorely missed, but without him they are still the best band, and although i reccomend all three of the three vu live stuff, (maxs, bootleg, this one) this one has the best sound quality and is my personal favorite, the best live cd ever in my opinion and the reason the vu changed history shines possibly brighter here than anywhere else.

Stroke of Genius
That's my first sentence and I'm sticking with it. The action unfolded it seems in some type of taproom built if you can believe it beneath gigantic elevated railroad tracks. An ale venue then, or public house if you like, a tavern definitely. The dude there, a recovering apoplectic slash barkeep, said the following to me while feeding dollar bills into the jukebox on the right side of the bar: Three years ago tomorrow I had a stroke to this song. Everybody else thought this was hilarious and commenced falling off their stools but how could I not be impressed and listen closely and soberly? Tony Bennett crooning Rags to Riches. The just clocked out of work beer engineer then told me he also bet on a horse named Rags to Riches one time too, in Florida of all places, and the danged nag romped home at something like 50 to 1. Down for you is up I told him and he said make a list, no more than ten songs, my son will burn 'em or whatever you do and I'll stick 'em in the jukebox. Hot diggity I said. Do you mind I asked if the first song is over eleven minutes long? Yes he said so there went Hawkwind's Brainstorm right out the window. Number seven or eight on the list is track three on volume 1 of this stupefyingly good live double Velvet Underground album from 1974. The version of What Goes On what appears here is as good a reason as any I can think of for loudly espousing the very considerable merits of rock and roll in general and the Velvets' Live 1969 in particular. Both volumes too because unaccountably this scintillating live material was split into two separate records by its promoters who, legend has it, didn't know a stroke of genius from the stroke of bleeding midnight so they put it all on two platters thinking they could at least make themselves some extra dosh. The recording equipment is a bit on the primitive side too and sounds like maybe it arrived and probably even stayed in the back pocket of some bewildered Texan jasper in brown shoes but actually both volumes sound all the better for all that. They're stupendous as a matter of fact and I'd strongly urge you to bend your ear at least once in your lifetime to the eight minute and 55 second version of What Goes On on Disk 1. Can't rightly remember now all the other songs I put on the list but the first two are definitely by Ween and I think Spec Bebop by Yo La Tengo is in there too which honestly only I'm ever going to listen to. I read somewhere that Tony Bennett was born in Astoria, New York, just like Melanie Safka. Good for him.

Must have for VU fans
Surprise! The 1969 series is an enormous step up in quality and the performances are even better. As far as Velvet Underground live material, I had only heard Live at Max's Kansas City, which I love, so I expected more of the same from the 1969 material, fidelity wise, before I heard this.

1969 used to be one volume and it should be still; there is no difference in the liner notes or packaging but there is now a volume 1 and volume 2. Having said this, if you must buy one of these volumes, this is the one. They are both great, but this one rocks more, has a better song selection and a longer running time. It may be blasphemy to say, but I think the versions of What Goes On and Beginning To See The Light here are better than the studio recordings.

Check this out! You won't be disappointed.

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You can see a complete list of all The Velvet Underground discography, or go back to the The Velvet Underground tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.