Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground & Nico was conceived in 1966.  Their debut album was recorded in April 1966.  Velvet Undergrond’s image was already dark and influential.   Their goal was to have a cynical mood or a decadent feel amongst the people.  The young teenage minds engulfed their music as if it was a message for them.  Some said that the Velvet Underground expressed who they were and how they felt musically.  When Nico, a german model/singer/composer, joined the band, The Velvet Underground became even more enticing.  Lead by Andy Warhol, the new band became what is now known as “punk” rock music today.  The debut album was very dark.  It expressed a lot of sexual fetishes with some German and French influences.    

The Velvet Underground had a backbone for their creativity.  Amongst them were Lou Reed and John Cale.  Lou Reed was the primary songwriter and the lead vocalist of the group.  So he had the greatest importance out of all the members in the group.  While, John Cale, Was the experimental part of he group.  His classical background gave the groups music an exuberant edge.  These two powerhouses had a drive for music, which gave their unique sound.  Unfortunately, Lou Reed saw John Cale’s feel on music a threat towards the band.  Henceforth, Lou Reed threatened to leave the band if John didn’t leave.  The rest of the band members sided with Lou but it’s unclear if Cale was fired or if he quitted from the band. 

Even today I can this groups influences.  Their music was controversial and devious.  Even though their lyrics involved drugs and explicit sexual content the band really wasn’t rebellious in reality.   Their image still seemed pure.  As a listener, they wouldn’t have seemed like the type of band I wanted to follow because their music didn’t follow their image.   As a professional, they were probably the most ideal performers to work with.