In mourning here at the ecib house. Candles lit and records spinning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crjeF8G13x8 ...Reed's Screen Test for Warhol with Dean & Britta playing Not a Young Man Anymore.
My girl and I drove to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland a few years ago. Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips had collaborated with the Warhol Museum to take 13 of his screen tests and set music to them. Their live performance consisted of a giant screen displaying the subjects face filmed looking into the camera while they played a live version of the song pairing in real time. I don't think I could sit though the screen tests unadulterated (boredom), and the additional emotional impact they introduced to what would have otherwise just been a live set of music was crazy. I could not have imagined it before experiencing it.
The Velvet Underground is one of those bands that has influenced an absurd amount of music, and will continue to do so. Lou Reed has certainly made his mark, despite having a few clunkers. Metal Machine Music is still one of the most interesting albums when you look at it in the context of the times.
I first heard of the Velvet Underground when I was about 11. I was obsessed with Nirvana and I heard them do a cover of "If She Ever Comes Now". I was playing it, and my dad said that was a Velvet Underground song. Then he went out and bought me a copy of The Velvet Underground and Nico, which blew me away. I think it's their best, even if that's a cliche album of theirs to love.
I have it, but this was 1993 or thereabouts. It's on CD, not on vinyl. The Andy Warhol cover just doesn't have the same quality on CD that it does on the large cardboard format. But even still, I would have to rate it as among the greatest album art of all time.
One of my favorite Velvet Underground songs is Who Loves the Sun. I was really excited recently to hear Wilco cover it. I was also really impressed with a recent review that Lou Reed wrote about Kanye West's Yeezus. Sorry to see him go, he was always trying to stir shit up and try out new paths in music.
I'd also be interested in knowing what my favorite musicians are listening to that is current. Until then, I'm glad I have #theweeklymusicthread to find new artists in. -No joke, I find new stuff there almost every week.