The Velvet Forum

What do you all think of "Animal Serenade," Lou's live album? I like it, especially the long version of "Venus in Furs."

actually really love the way Lou rearranges the vocal melody on Venus in Furs, but I haven't to this day ever met anyone who agrees with me on this point! I mean he's allowed to re-interpret his own melodies 25 years later surely...

I actually agree with you. I think when Lou changes and rearranges the song it is redefined in my ears. That is exactly why I'm a fan of cover versions because after a while you listen to the original and it's almost like listening to it for the very first time.

Speaking of the live Redux, It seem thats most people are in agreement that it's not the best recording, but does anyone know if the boots from 93 are any better? I go back every couple of years and listen to it to see if it gets better but it doesn't.

Speaking of the live Redux, It seem thats most people are in agreement that it's not the best recording, but does anyone know if the boots from 93 are any better? I go back every couple of years and listen to it to see if it gets better but it doesn't.

Yes, the "take a trip" 2cd bootleg that is listed as Rotterdam on the CD but is actually one of the London Forum shows is probably the best record of the '93 tour, in my opinion. My favorite live show was the Paradiso show in Amsterdam because it was my first time actually seeing the Velvets live, plus it was the most intimate show of the tour. The boot cd, let's me down a bit as I hear the actual sound doesn't match my memory exactly. maybe Lou's oh-so-cool headband was on too tight. I recently acquired a 2cd copy of the Prague show and it comes in at a close second to the Take a trip show. I am really sorry that I missed that show, but logistics only permitted me to see Amsterdam, hamburg and Rotterdam shows. But thank God I got over there at all. Thanks to MC Kostek for keeping me posted at the time, so I was able to arrange tickets (still paying off those international phone calls) and the other highlite of the trip, besides partying in amazing Amsterdam, was a pre-show dinner and talkfest with probably 20 or 30 VU fans from all over, who had converged in Amsterdam for that show. In my home, I am lucky to be able to talk "Velvet" maybe once a year when I stumble on another fan. That dinner was one of the best nights of my life. Hanging out on the "Rippabonn" (spellingf?) in Hamburg with most of those same fellow VU'ers was quite amazing also. One hell of a trip of a lifetime!