Used to have it on vinyl, and it's not as bad as some people seem to think. It's ok if you like 3 minute songs. But I bought it because it had "The Velvet Underground" on the cover - as you do. The "fifth" album, we thought.
I certainly wouldn't buy it again unless it had "Doug Yule Band" on the front instead. Maybe if Maureen had been on it, but Sesnick had got her out of the way by then. Correct me if I'm wrong but Sesnick and Yule also got bored and went in separate directions before the album even hit the shelves.
I've not checked it out, but isn't there a site dedicated to this album?
Yes, there is a site dedicated to Squeeze, but I've lost the url and haven't been able to come up with it for this post. Maybe someone else can have better luck finding it, but it is out there. I've seen it and been to it - a long time ago.
tarbaby2 wrote:So, even they don't know how to classify it!
They're just reflecting everbody's views, that it is in name a Velvet Underground release but in fact Doug Yule's debut solo album. -- As for "arranged and produced by the Velvets", that's just to keep the "band" myth alive, that this is a band record when of course it isn't. Unless (far shot, off chance) they mean to say that other Velvets had a hand in arranging the songs, which might be true particularly for the older ones (Dopey Joe, which was played in 1971 with the Yule-Alexander-Powers-Tucker line-up; Friends and She'll Make You Cry, both orginally recorded in 1970 for Atlantic. Especially the latter's twangy intro lead smacks heavily of Sterling, who played on the song's original recording).
The problem with dismissing the Yule contribution is that it's his voice I recall as a core part of the Velvets sound on later albums. Yes Reed dislikes Yule's phrasing, but the "my younger brother" joke isn't too far off the mark.
It's a bit like talking about Split Enz with or without the younger (or older) Finn brother. Different flavours, but enough remains to merit the name continuing.
Mind you, in Squeeze you have to hunt hard for it. But it is there, in places. And if in the early to mid 70's the direction being taken by the band was MOR rock, well, why not? A band doesn't need to stand in the same place just because the fanbase wants it. Look at Robert Plant.
Glad I've heard it but wouldn't play it even just once a year. Would buy it if the liner notes were complete and identify all the musicians, recording dates, and song histories.
