The Velvet Underground & Nico entry

The music and image of The Velvet Underground and Nico was perfect for their time. Andy Warhol described the group as the combination of music, art, and film. They were the group that was thought to say whatever they want and not care what anyone thought of them. They were supposed to be viewed as truly free and experimental. Their music was about issues they cared about and had a poetic feel to it. The instrumentation was dirty. They had noisy amps and a drummer with no prior experience, but it worked.

The primary songwriters in the group were Lou Reed and John Cale. In addition to writing songs, Lou Reed was also a guitarist and vocalist. He co-founded The Velvet Underground in 1965 with John Cale. John Cale came to America on the Bernstein Scholarship in 1963. Writing lyrics for The Velvet Underground wasn’t his only job either; John Cale played viola, bass guitar, and piano for the group, as well as doing vocal work.

Andy Warhol is the person who supported, promoted, and produced The Velvet Underground. His credits as producer only go so far in the real world because the group didn’t follow his musical direction. Lou Reed and John Cale were the ones who really created The Velvet Underground’s sound, but they were both influenced greatly by Andy Warhol and the company he kept.

 There were many characteristics that set The Velvet Underground & Nico apart from other popular recordings of the mid 1960s. A major characteristic is the fact that Lou Reed wrote about personal experiences such as his sexuality and drug use. This hadn’t been openly explored in rock and roll before Lou Reed decided to incorporate the themes. Another characteristic that sets the album apart is the instrumentation and arrangements. They were an unorthodox group of musicians. They played to a simple drum beat that served as the backbone for the songs. The lyrics are what drove the song, but the drums were always there in case someone ventured off. Meaningful lyrics with a simple drum beat accompanied by more developed guitars was out of the ordinary for rock groups of this age.

As a listener, I can appreciate the lyrics on these songs. In my opinion, the lyrics save the songs. Other than the lyrics, the rest of the music sounds typical. As a professional, I know that isn’t true. I admire the creativity and experimentation of the group. The instruments aren’t as clear or pristine as people like music to be nowadays, but the vocals are genius and really reflect the intellect of the person who wrote them.