The Velvet Underground and Nico

Not long after The Beach Boys’ release of Pet Sounds in 1966, the west coast was enjoying a fun-in-the-sun discovery of new music.  Smiley Smile was on the verge of being printed for release, and yet another band was set to explode into a new scene on the east coast.  The year is 1967.  This new scene was an avant-garde art scene, almost single-handedly ushered into being by one Andy Warhol, who was not only instrumental in the launch and production of this new band but was also the driving force behind its exposure in this new and rich environment.

Two individuals bore the inception of the band, John Cale and Lou Reed.  John Cale, a child prodigy of amazing musical talent, would eventually find his compositional skills and his virtuosity in piano and viola, becoming a huge player in the molding of the music and sound behind this band.  Lou Reed, also a well seasoned songwriter and guitar player, was just as experimentally minded as his counterpart Cale.  These two became almost enamored with one another’s approach to music.  Sterling Morrison, a friend of Lou Reed’s, and later, drummer femme fatal Maureen Tucker would soon join the band.

A merging of music, movies, art, laser light shows, projection peddled political statements, fashion moguls, and super models was the recipe for this new social gathering melting pot.  The musicians in its epicenter were a band called The Velvet Underground.

David N. Howard describes their music best in his book, “Sonic Alchemy”.  He stated it like this, “…an aggressive blend of studious minimalism, off-kilter R&B, and primal rock ‘n’ roll.”  He also mentions the “orchestral chaos” that so many others used to describe their very unique sound.  When people heard their music wherever they played, they were not only dazed, but also confused all together, and at the very least blown away by the harsh yet harmonious and experimental sound.

Andy Warhol would eventually add to the mix a staunch German female fashion model by the name of Nico.  She would quickly become a very prominent vocal collaborator with the band.  The bands name would be changed, as a reflection of her undeniable contribution to their sound, to The Velvet Underground and Nico.

The beat of their music was a driving force, the pounding basic and almost tribal rhythms rolling over and over throughout each song as if looped from beginning to chaotic end.  The drummer, Maureen Tucker, claims she never had any training on drums at all and her only mission was to provide an unmistakable marker for the other members of the band to return to after their departure from the known structure of each song, as they so often did.

Tribal, Indian, and other “psychedelic” elements traipsed across their music just as flippantly as did the distorted electric guitars.  Drones of various types were ushered into almost every piece, whether a 30-minute starting set or a 30-second tangent.  Their lyrics told stories of every kith and kin, from drug dealers and transvestites, to politics and love.  I can’t believe I never took the time to pay attention.  There are a number of artists today who are heavily influenced by this body of work… no matter how small it may be.  It is almost impossible to believe that they never really saw any success with any of their album releases.  Very disappointing.  I can only be thankful, I guess, that somebody finally brought them to my attention.