The Velvet Underground & Nico Review: A Dark, Influential Debut
9/10 — The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
Pros
- Fearless subject matter
- Hypnotic, noisy textures
- Enormous influence
Cons
- Rough production
- Some difficult tracks
Produced by Andy Warhol, the Velvet Underground’s debut album pairs Lou Reed’s street-level lyrics with John Cale’s avant-garde sensibility and German singer Nico’s icy voice. It sold little but, as the saying goes, everyone who bought it started a band.
What works
The subject matter, from drug dealing on ‘I’m Waiting for the Man’ to the sadomasochism of ‘Venus in Furs’, was unprecedented. The mix of tenderness and noise on tracks like ‘Sunday Morning’ and ‘Heroin’ is hypnotic, and ‘Femme Fatale’ is sublime.
Where it falters
The production is rough, and ‘The Black Angel’s Death Song’ and ‘European Son’ are demanding listens.
Verdict
An influential, boundary-pushing classic that remains compelling.
