1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #104. Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat (1967)

Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat (1967)

Label – Verve
Producer – Tom Wilson
Art Direction – Andy Warhol
Nationality –UK/USA
Running Time – 38:55

Track Listing

1. White Light White Heat
2. Gift
3. Lady Godiva's Operation
4. Here She Comes Now
5. I Heard Her Call My Name
6. Sister Ray
Oh my. Here we have another record by the Velvet Underground. And yes it is just as bad as the first. “White Light/White Heat” was a no-holds-barred assault on music. Recorded this time out without the input of either Nico or Andy Warhol (who did do the artwork) the record is the purest and rawest document of the main Velvet Underground lineup of Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen Tucker, but the music is TOO tough and just TOO abrasive. It incudes songs about the endorsement of amphetamines and an epic noise jam "Sister Ray" This is just 17 minutes of pure torture that no one should ever subject themselves too. Legend has it that track was recorded in 1 take. I’m not surprised. A lot of the record is just noise, and that does not make good music. Period.
The album briefly appeared on the Billboard 200, although only peaking at number 199. In 2003, the album was ranked number 292 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, however it is definitely not recommended.


You can purchase the 180 gram vinyl LP record here.
Interestingly enough, on this date in 1968 pop artist Andy Warhol was shot and critically wounded in his New York film studio, known as "The Factory," by Valerie Solanas, an actress and self-styled militant feminist.

BIRTHDAYS FOR JUNE 3
Ian Hunter of Mott The Hoople is 70; Kerry King of Slayer is 45;

ON THIS DATE
1952 Billy Powell of Lynyrd Skynyrd is born in Corpus Christi, Texas. Powell died earlier this year
1964 Ringo Starr of the Beatles collapses during a photo shoot and is admitted into the hospital with tonsillitis and pharyngitis

IN CONERT
Sunday, November 15 STEVE MILLER BAND UCF Arena Orlando
Wednesday, November 18 STEVE MILLER BAND Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater