 "Despite some mellow tracks, it rejects their debuts' vibe. More experimental." | 2009-09-07 |
| - Reviewed By dfle3 |
It's odd that the Velvets reject their debut album's feel in their second album, only for them to return to their origins with a vengeance in their self-titled album. Of their first three albums, which is all that I've heard by them, it's this, their second album, which justifies this band as being labelled 'proto-punk' or 'experimental' etc, because albums either side of it are, for the most part, quite easy listening. Not sure how many people have noticed this, but the cover art for "White light/White heat" is remarkably similar to what Metallica would use for their self-titled album, which was itself all black. Co-incidence? Before I go into my thoughts on the songs on this album, I should say that I was tempted to give this album 7/10, but then I listened to their third album, and it being similar in style to their debut, I thought I'd better leave some clean air between my scores for those three albums. If you love their 1st and 3rd albums, I don't think you will find much to enjoy on this album. Alternatively, if have heard their debut album or their 3rd album, and you can't understand why this band has the alternative reputation that they have, then you owe it to yourself to listen to this album. It's the kind of album that you will either really like or really dislike. So, I'd give this album an scoring range between 5 and 7 out of 10. Let's call it 65/100. It's a pity Amazon don't give scores by halves...3.5 stars out of 5 seems fairer than it giving it 3 stars or 4 stars.
Best track:
White light/white heat - this song strikes me as the kind of song that you could have found on Bob Dylan's "Blonde on blonde" album. Lou Reed often strikes me as being a Bob Dylan pupil who could often outshine his master. Track features a honky tonk piano and is catchy. There is distortion in this song...it sounds sort of fluffy and muffled. The band provide backing vocals on this. Outro is a bit experimental in vibe.
The gift - a bit like Dylan at his worst...here we get a shaggy dog story, a la "Blood on the tracks", by someone putting on an educated, Indian type accent. The left channel is devoted to that voice and the right channel has the music...electric guitar, bass and drums. It isn't quite as annoying as Dylan's shaggy dog stories on Blood, but it is so lucidly narrated and in such a matter-of-fact style that it doesn't really qualify as art, I don't think. Certainly there is no comparison with Malcolm McLarens lovely spoken word fairytale which introduces The Sex Pistols' album "The great rock'n'roll swindle", or, for that matter, the lovely Cream song called "Pressed rat and warthog", which because of their fairytale nature have enduring appeal. They never get old, I don't think. Unlike this song. Heard it once, heard it a thousand times. Some of the lyrics strike me as being saucy though. This is a track which could annoy some listeners, and maybe might have been better off placed last on the album.
Lady Godiva's operation - lyrically, this song strikes me as being proto-death metal! It's quite gruesome, in a graphic way, and there's nothing to distract the listener from the lyrics, unlike on their masterpiece from their third album, "Murder mystery", which is the band at their experimental height. This track is a slow tempo melodic song with an interesting drum pattern/tone. Occasionally you get a child like vocal appearing, and you can hear a violin used as well.
Here she comes now - a genteel song, with melodic note picking on the guitar. Lyrics are quite repetitive. This track is part of this album's schizophrenic nature...mellow tracks like this, mixed with tracks that push the envelope a lot, like the song above.
I heard her call my name - this track sounds proto-punk to me. Haven't really heard anything else which would deserve that label by this band, despite them being described as such in some circles. In my notes I describe this track as a proto-punk spiritual song. Maybe it's the backing vocals which conjures the 'spiritual' adjective. Other punkish elements to this track are the rhythm guitar and the lead guitar...generally there is a "have a go" feel to proceedings, where 'having a go' is placed above sounding like a professional musician. And that's part of the punk philosophy, right? This track also has distortion and feedback in it. The outro sounds noise rock.
Sister Ray - at 17:27 minutes in length, this track comes across as a trancy Doors song, complete with organ, which is what The Doors had to create their signature sound. At the start the organ is quite catchy. You later hear a keyboard riff...in Platonic terms, this track sounds to me like the shadow of a much better/catchier song, as far as the keyboard riff goes. I have to say, I really liked the drum solo in this song, which runs from around 14:10-16-10. It's excellent. Don't normally associate that element to this band. All round, this track sounds fuzzy, and features the violin. Ding dong, this review is over.
Recommendations:
If you like this album...gee, I don't know what to say...I don't normally listen to albums this weird. Maybe try Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica which is quite a jazzy album, but experimental too. Or The Stooges debut. That's pretty much all I've got at this time. My wall of weird as far as cds go is quite limited. |
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| "Downright Noisy" | 2009-08-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1SD82ZAT3INZ2 |
| This is containing alot of venom within it's sound. The title track starts everything off with it's grunge sounding piano and guitar. I guess Lou was bitter with the break up between him and Nico because this is downright psychotic compared to the first album. It continues with the next song called "The Gift" which is a story of a guy who mails himself to his girlfriend with unexpected results, and this is done over a droning guitar probably inspired Black Sabbath to create their guitar sound. Then the next two songs were forgetable except for the title of one, and that was "Lady Godiva's Operation". Then it picks up again with aggravated assault on the ears, and the brain with "I Heard Her Call My Name". About 3 minutes of distortion, feedback, and murdering of the drums. Finally the noise assault ends with the 17 minute opus "Sister Ray" the worst song on this album. Well this is a way to let off steam when you break up with a girl I guess. However, the group would go through alot after this album as Verve would drop them as an attempt to clean up the label with only squeaky clean groups, and their next album would go in the can, and what would result was the self-titled pop album( the last one for Verve). John Cale would leave after this album, and the introduction of the Yule brothers. This is an all right album, but it's noisy...too noisy for me. |
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 "The Quintessential VU Album" | 2009-05-25 |
| - Reviewed By deckard-croix |
The greatest VU album of all time and perhaps the greatest album as well. Just as their debut was more of a collaboration with Nico and Warhol, White Light/White Heat was truely their own record. They never really surmounted this as the group tended to drift more towards a Lou Reed vehicle (especially in Loaded)and away from the visceral experimentation of White Light/White Heat.
And the album IS unrepentantly experimental, avant-garde, alternative rock (perhaps in its first appearance). The intensity of Cale's electric viola and Reed's dirty twangy guitar predate even the Stooges' guttural howl and perhaps even influencing Frank Zappa to a degree (Hot Rats and Weasels Ripped My Flesh, perhaps?). The Velvet Underground defied conventions in such a natural existential way that they changed how songs were written and performed.
Of course in the end, it's all pretentious artsy meanderings, but extremely interesting and informative. While it may not appeal to newcomers, White Light/White Heat is not only an essential VU album, but an essential rock album as well that every audiophile should own. |
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| "essential and important album" | 2009-05-14 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2TP27MJEHDOZ6 |
| This is a classic and influential album. Sounds better than ever. I'm very thankful to have this in 180 gram vinyl. Worth the price plus some. If you are thinking to get this on vinyl, go for this version. Sounds great. |
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 "The most original album of the 60's" | 2009-04-13 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3J3B5J63UVMRK |
| White Light/White Heat is, along with Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica, the most original album of the 60's. Then why do I only give it four stars? It is because out of all six songs, only three approach greatness: "Lady Godiva's Operation", "I Heard Her Call My Name", and "Sister Ray". The album was recorded in one day and was probably the first album to use distortion and feedback throughout the entire course of an album. This is serious art rock. This is NOT the kind of album you put on for entertainment value. "White Light/White Heat" is a blues-riffed boogie about speed freaks and how they feel on speed. The song is ironic because Reed wanted absolutely nothing to do with blues on the Velvet Underground and Nico album. The song is good but not great, but it somewhat hints at what is to come. "The Gift" is perhaps the first song ever recorded as a narrative backed by instrumental accompaniment. It tells a disturbing tale of romantic obsession. The vocals are heard through the left speaker and the instrumentals are heard through the right. The song is executed well and is interesting throughout, but is too bizarre to be taken seriously. It is high on originality, but low on much else. "Here She Comes Now" is a letdown. The song is all mood and atmosphere which are not really Reed's strengths. Reed's strengths lie in painting a picture devoid of analysis. It is basically Lou showing us his stream of consciousness of "is she made out of wood" and "if she ever comes now now". It is either about satisfying a woman sexually or longing that she will come over for company. It is mellow and uninteresting and borders on filler (sorry Lou). Out of all his songs, "I Heard Her Call My Name" is probably the one song most deserving of giving Reed the unfortunate tag of "Godfather of Punk" (he hated it and Iggy Pop is more deserving of the title anyway). It is corrosive to say the least and the feedback and distortion is all over the place. Reed's solo ranks as one of his very best (up there with "What Goes On") and the song is probably the ultimate statement of Lou being cool (forgive the jokes, Lou is my idol). What Reed lacks in lyrical substance here, more than compensates with relentless intensity by himself and the band. "Lady Godiva's Operation" ranks as one of Reed's favorite songs he has ever written and it's easy to understand why. It is vintage Reed that showcases his ability to paint a picture with an amazing literary sensibility. One time I was listening to it and it dawned on me that the song is similar to Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" in how it tells a story about how things can get progressively worse over time if somebody isn't careful. But unlike Dylan's riches-to-rags tale, the subject here is much darker: sexual deviancy. Lady Godiva is portrayed as a woman who thinks sex is all fun and games that doesn't come with consequences. The hospital machines and heavy breathing at the end really heighten the impact of the song and give the song a spine-tingling, bone-chilling effect. It ranks as one of Reed's most powerful and emotionally overwhelming songs. It will stay under your skin for quite some time. "Sister Ray" is the album's 17-minute magnum opus and was done in one take, which was Reed's idea. The improvisational chemistry on this song has few rivals in the realm of classic rock. It is about a heroin-fueled orgy gone awry. The song is all over the place: the trancelike organ, the constant bongo drumming, Reed and Morrison's dueling guitars...but the messiness is in no way a bad thing. The length and intensity of the song is most certainly a litmus test: to the listener's ears, it is either a heavenly noisefest or a feedback-laden piece of trash. The lyrics "doncha know you'll mess the carpet?" is terrifying; somebody just got shot, but everybody is acting as if the high from the heroin is actually more important. Despite the terrible events that occur at the orgy, the end of the song is cheery; maybe the most ironic change of tone in the history of rock. The final section can be interpreted two ways: now that the killer is arrested, everybody can go back to heroin and sex in peace or that Sister Ray's supply and the state of euphoria it brings cannot be duplicated in spite of what happened. I'm probably looking too much into it, but then again, this is Mr. Reed we are talking about. B+ |
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| "10 Most Dangerous Albums of All Time (Entry Six)" | 2009-01-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: ADL6AMKXSXILM |
1967.
A year that changed the musical landscape. The emergence of psychedelia affected nearly every major recording artist performing at the time; even the macho swaggering Rolling Stones were not immune to this new scene. Much of the music steeped in pyschedlia and produced that year resulted in soulless records, bland and boring.
Fortunately, one band would release an album full of life; one that challenged the musical landscape.
The Velvet Underground's White Light/White Heat
Upon the formation of the Velvet Underground, the subject matter of sex and drugs was nothing new in rock and roll. It was how the subject matter was addressed that made the Velvet Underground, their debut album in particular, different. More importantly, though, their debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico hinted at the shearing sheets of noise that would mark the follow-up album
White Light/White Heat introduced an element of music seldom used in 1967: sheets of noise. Abrasive while retaining their pop sensibilities, the Velvet Underground blazed forward with an urgency. Each instrument created its own sharp, churning sound. The title track introduced these elements to the listener; every subsequent track upped the ante.
But the Velvet Underground relied on much more than noise, although that was the unifying element of the album. Listen to John Cale's spoken word piece on "The Gift." And typical of the Velvet Underground, their love of bubblegum pop is present in "Here She Comes Now" and the scorching "I Heard Her Call My Name," with its feedback and noisy wallop throughout. This is the Velvet Underground challenging traditional music conventions and the musical landscape at large.
The album closes with the mammoth "Sister Ray," a dangerous eighteen minute exercise in the melding and destruction of a simple riff. The track's influence is easily recognizable in many of today's noise rock artists. And, while it may have been record over forty years ago, the track is still every bit as abrasive, dangerous, and antagonizing as it was in 1967.
Don't believe it? Play "Sister Ray," or any cut off this album, on the local jukebox and revel in the patrons' reactions. |
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