The Velvet Forum

Hello :)

I've been really getting into the Velvet Underground recently, I positively adore the first three studio albums (White Light/White Heat being my absolute favourite), and I'm increasingly interested in what they sounded like live, so could anyone tell me a good place to start in terms of live recording boots? I suppose I'm interested in the Cale years of the band, so any recommendations from that era would be greatly appreciated! I'd be downloading these tracks, so if anyone has them on soulseek and would like to share them with me, or share any other VU related rarities, add me, my username is drrobbphd, I'm friendly :)

Thank you :)

Some of the post-Cale stuff is still pretty extreme at times, they were a whole different band live!
But if you want Cale, then the 2 CD Move Back... from Columbus OH, Nov 66 will get you 2 half hour improvs and live versions of most of the 1st LP tracks, but I would also recommend the Legendary Guitar Amp Tapes, from March 69 - widely held to be the best live Sister Ray. The Warhol Tapes (much discussed here, rehearsals at the Factory in early 66, plus a few live tracks) are also essential. Next in line would be Sweet Sister Ray - a sort of minimal 40 min quiet prequel to Sister Ray from April 68, w/ Cale. If you dig the loose improv stuff the soundtrack to the Warhol film VU & Nico AKA A Symphony of Sound will also satisfy. Sadly there aren't any complete Cale shows apart from this stuff.

New fans usually automatically think the Cale era is "it", the real thing and this question gets asked a lot. The truth is, the band really found its feet live after Cale's departure and for a new fan I would definitely recommend the official live releases first, 1969, The Quine Tapes...

I like the post Cale years a lot, but personally, I'm interested in the noise terrorism and crazy improvisations and distorted guitars myself. But thank you both for your recommendations, I shall go forth and search out the Guitar Amp Tapes and the Quine Tapes and some other stuff mentioned.

Thank you once again!

Oh. My.

I just listened to a 25 minute long Sister Ray live from the Boston Tea Party, 12 December 1968, and...

wow. Funking awesome. I am in love. It was tight as hell and had a great sound quality. It was a RealPlayer stream, so I couldn't save it to my computer unfortunately, but... One day soon, I shall own a copy, either physically or digitally.

Where is the copy? The only live VU I have is the 30 minute Melody Laughter and the La Cave set. The former is from the 66 Columbus show, I think, and I too wanna get that show, the Warhol tapes, Sweet Sister Ray, and the Amp Tapes.

http://olandem.chez.tiscali.fr/vu/btp121268.html
For the 25 minute Tea Party Sister Ray.

I'm currently downloading the Legendary Guitar Amp Tapes (is Heroin supposed to merge into Sister Ray on them? I downloaded that track first, and it's awesome, but are those two tracks usually joined together like that?) and I've picked up some bits and pieces over the day, the Velvet Underground sound excellent live, I'm so glad I decided to go beyond the studio albums...

let's not forget these - they are downloadable too
http://www.geocities.com/landem.geo/vu/lacave1968.html
this is my favourite version of Foggy Notion

and the legendary gtr amp link http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Lo ... 369_2.html

Thanks simon. I like that Foggy Notion too. I don't know how they didn't release it on a 'real' album.

I got hold of the whole Legendaly Guitar Amps Tapes, c'est super, great stuff, although it's a shame the vocals are too quiet... I managed to download and save to my computer a copy of the Boston Tea Rooms 12/12/68 Sister Ray also, that's going to get played at a deafening volume later...