#91. The Velvet Underground & Nico | The Velvet Underground (1967)

Largely ignored when initially released, this is now considered one of the most influential albums in rock history. It was banned from New York radio stations because of its straight talk about sex and drugs, but most stations in the U.S. just ignored it. Critics hated it, many thinking that it was an elaborate put-on by producer Andy Warhol; Rolling Stone didn't even review it. But new wave bands like Talking Heads and Joy Division owe much of their edginess to The Velvet Underground; and acts like The Jesus and Mary Chain even adopted their black-shades-and-leather look.

The album starts off with the innocent music-box sounds of "Sunday Morning," which was originally written for Nico, but Lou Reed decided at the last minute (against manager Paul Morrissey's better judgment) that he would sing lead and Nico would provide backing vocals. "I'm Waiting for the Man" is one of the band's more popular songs and one of many to touch on the subject matter of drugs. It's about a drug deal in Harlem (the "Man" in the title is a drug dealer). It's hard to pick a favorite on this album, but "Femme Fatale" is definitely one of them. It was written at Warhol's request about one of his muses at the time, Edie Sedgwick. Another great track is the s&m-themed "Venus in Furs" ("kiss the boots, shiny boots of leather..."). Warhol's favorite Velvet Underground song was the Nico-helmed "All Tomorrow's Parties." Perhaps because it was written about all the goings-on at Warhol's studio, The Factory. The seven-plus-minute-long track "Heroin" depicts the high a user gets from the drug, starting off slow and melodic and building to a frantic crescendo, punctuated by shrieking violas and guitars, before returning to the original tempo. A couple of other notable songs appear ("There She Goes Again" and "I'll Be Your Mirror") before the nearly eight-minute long finale, "European Son," which is a dedication to Lou Reed's literary mentor Delmore Schwartz.

I can't say enough good things about this album. It's obviously one of the most influential pieces of music, inspiring several acts and spawning numerous cover version. I encourage you to check out the cover of "Sunday Morning" by James and the R.E.M. versions of "Femme Fatale" and "There She Goes Again." This album should be in your collection!

Track Listing:
01. Sunday Morning
02. I'm Waiting For The Man
03. Femme Fatale
04. Venus In Furs
05. Run Run Run
06. All Tomorrow's Parties
07. Heroin
08. There She Goes Again
09. I'll Be Your Mirror
10. The Black Angel's Death Song
11. European Son