LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
VU & Nico gets all the credit, but this may just be my favorite Velvet Underground record.OK, so it sounds like absolute garbage. It was obviously recorded on a voice recorder (or something akin to it) and yes, it's only 6 songs long, so it doesn't have as much variety as their other albums, but it flows like a dream, and sounds like nothing else.
White Light/White Heat - A bluesy brawl of a track. What other songs were as openly positive about drugs back in '68? Amazing guitar assault at the end.
The Gift - People say it gets less interesting each time, but I still love it years later. Love the characters, and the ending is a not-so-pleasant surprise that remains amusing. John Cale's accent FTMFW.
Lady Godiva's Operation - Creepy stuff. It scared the shit out of me the first time I heard it. Now, it's just a surreal rocker about an unpleasant topic. The ending is still very disturbing to me to this day. "THE HEAD WON'T MOOOOOOOOOOVE"
Here She Comes Now - One of my all-time favorite authentic pop songs from any artist, ever. It sounds so fragile, and has a great atmosphere. Still play this one on guitar when I get bored.
I Heard Her Call My Name - My least favorite, but undoubtedly influential. Sonic Youth, Flaming Lips, Wilco...none of them would be what they are today without that guitar solo. It was one of the first examples of guitar insanity caught on record.
Sister Ray - It's amazing that this was done in a single take. The lyrics are hilarious, and I love how it sounds as if the instruments are trying to kill each other. Highlight? That organ. Coolest sounding thing ever. The song keeps my interest throughout, but I wouldn't complain if it was cut to a lean 11 minutes or so, versus the current 18.
Overall, incredibly influential, but generally overlooked by many modern listeners. Probably the best thing the band recorded, IMO, though I can see why many others would hate it with a passion.
