"...and then my MIND split open!": The Velvet Underground's White Light/White Heat POLL

gift

i dont get how anyone can get aspie "arghhh i hate that song!" about these trax -- its like either u like the vu or you dont why fight it? this is what they are

"Sister Ray" for me - I mean, I guess everybody "gets over" Sister Ray & it loses it power, but I will never forget sitting in my teenage room getting my mind properly blown when the organ really starts to work and the bass drops out and comes back and the vocals kick back in, and trying to figure out the lyrics - I don't know, I guess what I mean is "it's a really personal vote for me." But I had heard rumors of Sister Ray before I heard it, and then when I finally did hear it, it did not disappoint.

"Heard Her Call My Name" a very close 2nd.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ejpcnn

I'm at work, so I can't look at that link -- what is it?

lou reed having sex with batman

"Sister Ray" for me - I mean, I guess everybody "gets over" Sister Ray & it loses it power, but I will never forget sitting in my teenage room getting my mind properly blown when the organ really starts to work and the bass drops out and comes back and the vocals kick back in, and trying to figure out the lyrics - I don't know, I guess what I mean is "it's a really personal vote for me."

otm ^^^. This whole album was like this for me. Although I didn't hear it until that fairly decent CD remastering job released in the nineties, nothing, not even The Velvet Underground and Nico prepared me for how transgressive and fun this album was.

while we're at it, let's hear it for the guy on the far right:
http://www.britannica.com/psychedelic/images/opsyroc099p1.jpg
Tom Wilson! A guy who knew how to get outta the way and let people like the VU, Zappa and Dylan make awesome records. (From what I hear, this pic is pretty representative of his hands-off production style).

Also produced Sun Ra!

too tough can't pick

And Cecil Taylor! And Simon & Garfunkel! Yeahhhhh!
xpost

Tom Wilson, RIP

It is kind of interesting -- I wonder how much biz collateral Wilson had because of his big hits with Dylan/S&G, and whether that made a big difference in getting records like the VU's and Zappa's released? Because honestly, especially, WL/WH -- it's kind of amazing that a big label released that in 1968.

Should have been out in 1967 of course.

It got delayed in the release schedule when the Mothers album was pushed up.

What, again? Didn't that happen to the 1st Velvets's album too?

Thought the first one was delayed because of the picture of the dude on the back of the cover -- he wouldn't give them permission to use it or something. Eric's Trip. Also, problems with the Banana.

link above is the Cabs cover version.

The organ in Sister Ray...the moment when Cale plays this Riley/Glass-esque bassline and seems to just decide to turn it up to 11, I'm looking at you 12 minutes and 26 seconds, that's it for me.

No, no, not a second time, I made that up.
(xxpost)

He invents Suicide in the course of that song too (xp)

ha

sweet -- thanks for the mp3, dan. What are some other WL/WH covers? Joy Division/New Order do Sister Ray ... Feelies do the title track. I heard Yo La Tengo do Heard Her Call My Name. Has anyone ever done Lady Godiva? Or The Gift? That last one probably not ...

i guess i'll vote the title track. i love the call-and-response-ish vocal lines. also how cheerful it is -- not enough drug songs (including most of lou's) make drugs sound fun. "tickle me down to my toes"! but the album's pretty flawless. even "the gift," which for me is in the library of great '60s absurdism.

Has anyone ever done Lady Godiva?

Oh yes, the Fatima Mansions!

hmm! never heard that one! what's it from?

Some tribute album, I think

"Sister Ray" for me - I mean, I guess everybody "gets over" Sister Ray & it loses it power, but I will never forget sitting in my teenage room getting my mind properly blown when the organ really starts to work and the bass drops out and comes back and the vocals kick back in, and trying to figure out the lyrics - I don't know, I guess what I mean is "it's a really personal vote for me." But I had heard rumors of Sister Ray before I heard it, and then when I finally did hear it, it did not disappoint.

"Heard Her Call My Name" a very close 2nd.

― J0hn D.,

STOP READING MY THOUGHTS, J0HN D.!

The Feelies did What Goes On.

Bowie did "White Light/ White Heat" many a time

Is “Guess I’m Falling in Love” from these sessions... cuz I love that song more than anything on WL/WH </challops>

Yeah, was "Guess" actually recorded at the WL/WH sessions? Funny how different it sounds -- mainly the drums -- since it probably wasn't mixed til the 80s. Too bad it doesn't have vocals! Still, that Morrison solo is fucking off the hook. Are there any other outtakes? I don't think that "Mr. Rain" was recorded at the same time ... I guess "Sister Ray" was legendarily recorded in one take, so there aren't any alts of that ... Just different mixes.

Half Japanese does a great "Heard Her Call My Name". (Mo Tucker on drums)

aw yeah, forgot about that one! it is great. who else has attempted "sister ray"? other than my high school garage band ...

Yeah, was "Guess" actually recorded at the WL/WH sessions?

It was recorded in December '67. WL/WH was September.

Hm! Think if they had put out a single with "Guess" and "Stephanie Says"... Number one hit!

who else has attempted "sister ray"?
There's a great cover on Mike Rep and the Quotas STUPOR HIATUS that really emphasizes the bouncy poppiness of the riff. You could call "roadrunner" a sister ray cover, too. Speaking of Modern Lovers, there's a nice "Foggy Notion" on Live at the Longbranch, dating from a time when no one had really heard "foggy notion."

New Order has a good cover.

yeah, rocket from the tombs do "foggy notion" too. i wonder where they all heard it? ii can imagine that jonathan richman just committed it to memory. and i guess all those cleveland dudes might've heard various bootleg recordings of those La Cave shows ...

I think that is correct, Peter Laughner def. recorded some of those gigs.

When I started looking for this album it was like 1983 and impossible to find, my mom eventually sprung
for an Xmas or Bday present of what eventually turned out to be a counterfeit copy, which I still have.

LGO for me. Also, TS: original black cover VS English white cover

there's also this oddity
http://991.com/gallery_180x180/Velvet-Underground-White-LightWhite-369413-991.jpg

oops yeah that is the "white" cover I was referring to.

it is kind of a cool cover!

"who else has attempted "sister ray"? "

There are at least a couple of versions by Suicide - the one I remember is off the "We never said we were music" boot, which has a long section stripped down to Rev ringing the changes on his FX pedals on the basic riff. There's a devastating version by Dr. Mix and the Remix (most of Metal Urbain) on their classic "Wall of Noise" album. Oh, and I think some obscure Manc punk act used to do it live as well.

more information here:

http://acuterecords.com/releases/act006_drMix.html

the 3ds did 'lady godiva's operation' live once. it was pretty good.

I think that is correct, Peter Laughner def. recorded some of those gigs.

It was Jamie Klimek of the Mirrors, wasn't it? Peter Laughner would have been 15 or 16 in 1967/68.

Yeah, I think Klimek is the one responsible for those La Cave tapes, found on Sweet Sister Ray and Problems in Urban Living. In other words, the guy is an American hero.

Not to mention all the great Mirrors songs that sound like the Velvets.

Yeah! Thanks for the link to the Dr. Mix info -- I gotta make a big Acute order at some point -- I still need those Lines discs!

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.