All Velvet Underground material, as well as the solo albums of various members (including Nico) is eligible. Because this is such a large body of work, I'm going to limit the number of songs per ballot to 50. Not that I expect a lot of 50-song ballots but it really isn't hard for me to think of that many so hey why not. Scoring will be weighted as usual 1:50, 2:49, etc.
BALLOTS ARE DUE ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15th.
E-mail your ballots to me at conditionofmuzak at yahoo dot com
I had originally intended this to be a poll strictly of solo career material but people bitched about it. Dunno if nominations are really necessary (surely we all have heard everything, right? RIGHT?) but have at it...
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 16:39 (ten years ago) link
https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1381864_10201945029779263_1775634873_n.jpg
― scott seward, Tuesday, 29 October 2013 16:46 (ten years ago) link
^ haha love that
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 16:50 (ten years ago) link
50! You've got your work cut out for you...
― Victor Immature (WilliamC), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 16:51 (ten years ago) link
li'l Thurston!
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 16:52 (ten years ago) link
Hah that Thurston photo is the best. His sense of humor can pretty much be summed up by that finger-snapping gesture.
― grandavis, Tuesday, 29 October 2013 17:11 (ten years ago) link
yeah sure I listened to all these records 20-30 years ago. No time now, certainly.
― eclectic husbandry (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 17:15 (ten years ago) link
this predates the Velvets but will still be on my ballot:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgdZFnZ6M0k
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 19:30 (ten years ago) link
Will live versions be counted separately?
― A Made Man In The Mellow Mafia (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 19:55 (ten years ago) link
I was wondering that too, as the 1993 live version of "Hey Mr. Rain" (last best thing they did) may scrape into the lower reaches of my ballot.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 20:00 (ten years ago) link
if specific live versions are cited yeah sure I'll count those separately.
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 20:02 (ten years ago) link
I'm voting for every version of 'Disco Mystic' I can find.
― I'll take the jangle-jangle over the throb-throb (brg30), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 21:00 (ten years ago) link
I hope it goes without saying that "Hey Mersh!" belongs on the list, but I'm going to say it anyway.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 21:28 (ten years ago) link
It'll be on mine
― the objections to Drake from non-REAL HIPHOP people (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 21:30 (ten years ago) link
I can't see how the canon won't dominate the top 20 or so, but the lower rungs of this will be really interesting.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 21:38 (ten years ago) link
(Though obv in the case of the Velvets, "the canon" means pretty much everything they recorded.)
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 21:39 (ten years ago) link
i wouldn't vote for everything they recorded. i wouldn't vote for the gift.
― scott seward, Tuesday, 29 October 2013 21:45 (ten years ago) link
I can and will so there
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 21:46 (ten years ago) link
huh, never heard of this. from Alfred's favorite period:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6Ar4xsNNE8
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 21:57 (ten years ago) link
i could do 50 songs easy though.
― scott seward, Tuesday, 29 October 2013 22:04 (ten years ago) link
always felt this was underrated gem off an otherwise pretty shitty album:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXHpZq0_F0c
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 22:52 (ten years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeBL37MVP3U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIndW6-g7z8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2TejpTmbhU
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 22:58 (ten years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgAqWsv7xMs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqpmZ4w2J-Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYbCHKcT5Q0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-ZqAU4zWyE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyDIa8C-V30
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, 29 October 2013 23:01 (ten years ago) link
Cale/Conrad/Young/MacLise/Zazeela's Day Of Niagara's going on my ballot.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 13:52 (ten years ago) link
"always felt this was underrated gem off an otherwise pretty shitty album"
i don't like it as much as "ride sally ride", "animal language", "n.y. stars", "kill your sons", "ennui", or "sally can't dance", but "billy" is okay. never liked the sax though. would have been cooler if just lou + guitar.
― scott seward, Wednesday, 30 October 2013 14:59 (ten years ago) link
would be v surprised if anyone votes for any of the Pickwick stuff, Albert. well, maybe Why Don't You Smile Now.
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 15:53 (ten years ago) link
the sax on "Billy" is SO 70s singer-songwriter, it's kind of the closest Lou comes to Paul Simon
Sorry, there's just too much stuff to chose from. It's impossible.
― Thomas K Amphong (Tom D.), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 15:55 (ten years ago) link
What's wrong with having polls with a narrower focus?
Broader focus generally draws more participants. And you get 50 spots on your ballot in this one compared to the usual 20, so how impossible is it really?
― Victor Immature (WilliamC), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 16:09 (ten years ago) link
not enough people care about the solo careers, apparently
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 16:24 (ten years ago) link
I'm curious what the results are going to be but I must say that if the top 25 is all Velvets tunes I'm gonna be kind of bummed
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 16:25 (ten years ago) link
more participants leads to more predictable results
― iatee, Wednesday, 30 October 2013 16:32 (ten years ago) link
haha yeah that's true
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 16:36 (ten years ago) link
"Cycle Annie" has a groove, and Lou's sense of humour..
― Mark G, Wednesday, 30 October 2013 16:43 (ten years ago) link
Though Reed's involvement in it was at best peripheral... TIGER IN MY TANK FTW
― Has talent, needs to figure out how to improve (staggerlee), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 17:16 (ten years ago) link
so how impossible is it really?
As a fan/fanatic, it's impossible
― Thomas K Amphong (Tom D.), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 17:53 (ten years ago) link
wait so this includes solo john cale too?!yikes
― sweat pea (La Lechera), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 17:56 (ten years ago) link
Big fan of this one. I know it's the big-obvious-rocker on Ecstasy, but I like big obvious rockers, and the guitars and words are so exuberant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z9MoQadD-o
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 17:57 (ten years ago) link
yes this includes solo John Cale
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 17:57 (ten years ago) link
looooove that long held note in "Big Sky," tipsy
― the objections to Drake from non-REAL HIPHOP people (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 17:58 (ten years ago) link
Filling in some gaps in my solo listening. Lou Reed album is surprisingly good, but wow, this version of "Lisa Says" is a real stinkeroo.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 18:11 (ten years ago) link
Wait to hear his singing on "Ocean". Of course I lvoe that album.
― Thomas K Amphong (Tom D.), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 18:12 (ten years ago) link
Jesus, typing gone wrong.
man I don't like the debut at all apart from a couple - "Wild Child" is pretty funny
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 18:13 (ten years ago) link
No love for "I Love You"? "I Can't Stand It"?
― Thomas K Amphong (Tom D.), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 18:17 (ten years ago) link
I forget - the only tracks I kept from that album are Wild Child and Ride Into the Sun. the dry, proggy arrangements just grate on me
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 18:18 (ten years ago) link
I wasn't looking forward to Lou's "I Can't Stand It," since the Velvets' is easily one of my favorite things (and the first song of theirs I heard), but Lou's isn't bad at all.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 18:19 (ten years ago) link
listening now - ugh those backup singers
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 30 October 2013 18:23 (ten years ago) link
FUCK YOU!!!!
― I have a friend who works at Kroger (Matt P), Saturday, 16 November 2013 10:07 (ten years ago) link
When is the rollout, Shakey, Monday?
― Iago Galdston, Saturday, 16 November 2013 17:59 (ten years ago) link
Will probably start monday afternoon
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Saturday, 16 November 2013 18:00 (ten years ago) link
thanks
― Iago Galdston, Saturday, 16 November 2013 18:01 (ten years ago) link
B-b-but don't you think it should really start Sunday Morning?
― Into The Disco Mystic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 16 November 2013 18:01 (ten years ago) link
'Monday Afternoon' would have been a shit album opener
― Bridge of Size (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Saturday, 16 November 2013 19:20 (ten years ago) link
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/WilliamCrump63/JerryReedMMM.jpg
― He got...JACKED UP!!!!! (WilliamC), Saturday, 16 November 2013 19:50 (ten years ago) link
Shoulda made it "Farm Machinery Music" but I got tired of messing with it.
― He got...JACKED UP!!!!! (WilliamC), Saturday, 16 November 2013 19:52 (ten years ago) link
Ha
― Into The Disco Mystic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 16 November 2013 20:48 (ten years ago) link
Finish it why not
― Mark G, Saturday, 16 November 2013 21:26 (ten years ago) link
You won't regret it
― Into The Disco Mystic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 16 November 2013 22:47 (ten years ago) link
Just do what you feel most.
― Into The Disco Mystic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 16 November 2013 23:14 (ten years ago) link
Put Jerry on your shoulder.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Saturday, 16 November 2013 23:37 (ten years ago) link
Rofflehttp://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/nigel.png?w=361Seems that Farm Machinery Music is on the charts in Japan
― Into The Disco Mystic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 17 November 2013 00:03 (ten years ago) link
(roffling at put Jerry on your shoulder, not my own post)
― Into The Disco Mystic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 17 November 2013 00:08 (ten years ago) link
Jerryboat Bill won't you please come home...
― kornrulez6969, Sunday, 17 November 2013 03:31 (ten years ago) link
But if Jerry Reed would just come back it would be all right.
― Into The Disco Mystic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 17 November 2013 03:42 (ten years ago) link
I wanna talk to that Jerry Reed, man, why'd he throw a capo during "Okie"?
― Into The Disco Mystic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 17 November 2013 03:51 (ten years ago) link
I did not actually vote in this poll for reasons I will explain later and will no doubt be chastised for by Shakey, but that will not stop from kibitzing during the rollout, which I'd like to think is the way Lou would have wanted it.
― Into The Disco Mystic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 17 November 2013 07:18 (ten years ago) link
okay voting is closed - 43 ballots total received. I'll start a results thread shortly
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 18 November 2013 17:22 (ten years ago) link
woohoo!
― reckless woo (Z S), Monday, 18 November 2013 17:39 (ten years ago) link
Would be a good idea to link to it:Bimble Says: The Lou Reed Memorial Velvet Underground and Solo Careers Poll RESULTS THREAD
― Bridge of Size (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Monday, 18 November 2013 20:10 (ten years ago) link
Stilling chuckling in 2014 at "Put Jerry on your shoulder."
― Can One Hear the Shape of a Ron Decline Bottle? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 5 January 2014 00:02 (ten years ago) link
Pfork article on "Sweet Sister Ray":
http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/309-invisible-hits-sweet-sister-ray/
― sleeve, Wednesday, 16 April 2014 17:54 (nine years ago) link
hey, i wrote that! be gentle with me.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 16 April 2014 17:59 (nine years ago) link
haha missed that! nice work.
― sleeve, Wednesday, 16 April 2014 18:09 (nine years ago) link
uggghhh i haaaate that guy
oh hey tyler
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 16 April 2014 18:11 (nine years ago) link
OK, is this the worst piece of music writing ever?
― tylerw, Wednesday, 16 April 2014 18:12 (nine years ago) link
Nice work Tyler, some of the sounds Lou gets from his guitar on that track are... actually indescibable!
― Eats like Elvis, shits like De Niro (Tom D.), Thursday, 17 April 2014 07:55 (nine years ago) link
thanks! and yeah, some of that guitar/feedback is one of a kind, not really sure what sort of gear he would be using at this point. btw there's one other complete track from that night, which you can grab here: http://ow.ly/vRMJR
― tylerw, Thursday, 17 April 2014 14:50 (nine years ago) link
Let’s also take a minute to consider the following anecdote from Michael Carlucci, who says the Cleveland fan who recorded the ‘Sweet Sister Ray” tape “(left) it in his car. His sister used the car, saw the tape, put it in a cassette player and started recording her friends laughing and being stupid. He wanted to kill her.” That’s why the tape fades out just as “Sister Ray” begins. Also missing is a half-hour version of “Hey Mr. Rain.” Read it and weep!
*weeps*
― sleeve, Thursday, 17 April 2014 14:57 (nine years ago) link
seriously
― waterbabies (waterface), Thursday, 17 April 2014 14:58 (nine years ago) link
Great piece, tylerw! As for the gear, maybe Lou's guitar was the insanely hot-rodded Gretsch Jonathan Richman described in Up-Tight. Other than that, they were probably using Vox amps, but dunno if it was US or UK Vox (huge difference).
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 17 April 2014 15:00 (nine years ago) link
In that Jonathan Richman interview for Lou's birthday earlier this year posted on another thread, he said he was pretty surprised at first to discover that the Velvets didn't use off-brand guitars but the the same makes and models as everyone else.
― When I Get To The Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 17 April 2014 15:13 (nine years ago) link
yeah! also hilarious to hear jonathan talk about how quiet they actually were (at least compared to the volume of bands now). i dunno, i was listening to that guitar amp tape and the dudes sound fucking loud. like, crazy loud. but i guess in terms of actual wattage, they were limited.
― tylerw, Thursday, 17 April 2014 15:16 (nine years ago) link
hmm as I think abt that tape anecdote, isn't he talking abt Jamie Klimek of Mirrors? iirc he was the dude who taped all those Cleveland VU shows.
― sleeve, Thursday, 17 April 2014 15:19 (nine years ago) link
(Xp)Truth be told I kind of wanted more detailed anecdotes about his extensive interactions with them but, Jonathan being Jonathan, it was really more about him reiterating how much he loved them and was influenced by them and still can't get over them, which was still something I guess.
― When I Get To The Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 17 April 2014 15:20 (nine years ago) link
xp i believe so, him and mirrors guitarist jim crook. in fact, i found this while i was researching:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVLlSdO539gpretty sure klimek is at least the guy who taped that later La Cave show with Yule. there are rumors of other tapes, but they might just be rumors.
― tylerw, Thursday, 17 April 2014 15:21 (nine years ago) link
There was some good stuff about Sterling though: "People talk a lot about Lou Reed, Jonathan, but what they don't realize is that nothing goes on in this band without my say-so."
― When I Get To The Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 17 April 2014 15:23 (nine years ago) link
haha yeah. i thought it was pretty touching when Richman talked about seeing Lou in the 90s -- when Lou said he was proud of him, Jonathan cried! A perfect anecdote. i do think Richman should write a memoir of some kind, though that might be the last thing he'd ever want to do. i don't know, he's an interesting guy!
― tylerw, Thursday, 17 April 2014 15:25 (nine years ago) link
I would buy that instantly.
― ▴▲ ▴TH3CR()$BY$H()W▴▲ ▴ (Adam Bruneau), Thursday, 17 April 2014 16:16 (nine years ago) link
me too. even if it was comprised primarily of lists of his favorite organic grocery stores and long ruminations on slack key tunings
― How dare you tarnish the reputation of Turturro's yodel (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 17 April 2014 16:18 (nine years ago) link
i'd be ok with that. he's just interesting because he really doesn't fit into any narrative that I can think of (even tho he's tangentially related to a lot of different things).
― tylerw, Thursday, 17 April 2014 16:22 (nine years ago) link
At this point if the "real" Jonathan stepped out from behind the persona, it could potentially be hugely disappointing if not horrifying. We've had a long time to get used to the Jim/Iggy split. Cf "Wakefield" if not Flitcraft.
― When I Get To The Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 17 April 2014 17:14 (nine years ago) link
The journey kicks off with the band (most likely just Cale, Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison; drummer Maureen Tucker isn’t audible here) chugging steadily, slowly over a spare, spidery riff.
Now unless my ears deceive me, when Cale starts up on organ, you have Lou + Sterling on guitars and there is definitely a bass guitar there too (not bass pedals, as far as I can tell, and I'm not sure Cale played those anyway) so I can only assume Mo was playing bass!
― A frenzied geologist (Tom D.), Tuesday, 22 April 2014 07:56 (nine years ago) link
i thought it was pretty touching when Richman talked about seeing Lou in the 90s -- when Lou said he was proud of him, Jonathan cried!
Hey, he's an emotional guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7mHg0H6sy8
― A frenzied geologist (Tom D.), Tuesday, 22 April 2014 12:20 (nine years ago) link
Wonder if Donald Fagen was around to witness that.
― Kid Creole Meets Señor Coconut at a fIREHOSE Show (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 22 April 2014 14:03 (nine years ago) link
― Harper Valley CTA-102 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 16 September 2018 21:07 (five years ago) link
Andhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slaAGS7f0LU
― Harper Valley CTA-102 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 16 September 2018 21:10 (five years ago) link
hey it's the hideout!!
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Sunday, 16 September 2018 22:55 (five years ago) link