Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Things Found on My Local's Jukebox # 378 The Velvet Underground


Rosie's at its best on a Monday evening. Near empty, some of the best of the regulars in, Newcastle United on the television. Even sulky Jack behind the bar seemed to be enjoying it, even if he was pretending not to. Newcastle lost but it didn't seem to matter as much at it often does. They're surely safe from relegation for another year at least.

This sounded wonderful. It's no surprise it's on the jukebox. Even this crap new one. Any jukebox worth its salt would have the Velvets on it and this has plenty. When I first heard them all those years back as a callow teenager, I didn't take to the Nico fronted songs, not even one as beautiful and timeless as this.

Her voice I suspect is an acquired taste, and one that it takes a few years and some life experience to appreciate and I do so now, more with every passing year. The song is off kilter and eerie, particularly those backing vocals which come across as almost sinister and mournful. The arrangement too has incredible emotive depth. Nobody projected sin quite as powerfully as the Velvet Underground in 1967.



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