Here's a rerview of the warhol tapes from my friend Trace
It opens with a previously unheard REED composistion, probibly made
spontaneously, called WALK ALONE. "When you walk, you walk alone. When you die, you die alone." You can see where it was going. Then, Reed tries to explan the lyrics to VENUS IN FURS to Nico, while the band warms up with an old Bo Diddley nugget, probibly to get Mo Tucker in the mood. Other bar band riffs predominate, but with a new and hither to unheard sonic assault on the ears of humanity - Lou Reed's brain busting solos, a la Cecil Taylor. Nothing, not even Jimi Hendrix, had gone that far out with an electric guitar by january 1966. This was new. This was fresh, and was the pebble that caused the avalanche ten years later, known as punk rock. Again the sound emerged on "Miss Joanie Lee", another Reed masterpiece that was pulled off the Velvet Underground special 60's commercial Brill building musical send ups at beginning and end. Every musical genre was known to these guys. Beatles, Rockabily, Blues, 50s rock, folk, all come out on the rehersal tape at some point, along with John Coltrane mid 60s avant guarde jazz from Reed's rhythm guitar. After a beautiful rendition of "There She Goes Again", Reed is heard once again, explaining lyrics to Nico, who then has the band back her up, as she sings the song. After several different key changes, Nico gets frustrated and says, "This is all too much for me. I have to learn it." An equally frustrated Lou is heard to retort, "You're just going to f*** this up, arn't you?" Naturally, Nico never did get to sing that song with the band. Next, comes a few songs from one of their first shows. The most astonishing revelation here, was Nico singing the song Dylan wrote for her, "I'll Keep it With Mine". The band's backing is strong, deep, precise and intense. Hearing it, only makes one ache for what "CHELSEA GIRLS" could have been, had the Velvet Underground been calling the shots for arranging, instead of Tom Wilson, who tried to turn NICO into early Marianne Faithful. The CD ends with another rehearsal snippet, including another unheard REED original, "GET IT ON TIME". Like many of Reed's songs, this was also addressed to a woman. Not Candy, not Sister Ray, not Stephenie, not Lisa. This was addressed to CAROLINE. Could it possibly be, that Lou's BERLIN song cycle had roots going back as far
as March of 1966? With the surprises that one gets from this CD, nothing is impossible.
Overall, great sound, considering the times. You don't get to hear much of
Moe, besides her Tambourine. However, when the band runs thru HEROIN, you can hear her right there, spot on with each tambourine hit, that would later evolve into her snare and bass drum attack. Everything's in place by January of 1966. This was before Zappa's FREAK OUT, before REVOLVER, before PET SOUNDS, before BLONDE ON BLONDE. The only missing element, were the millions of punks that were to eventually catch up with this sound, and cause a revolution that is still reverberating thru the airwaves, past grunge, past pop-punk, and into a future where the avante guarde will once again, embrace eclecticism, and perhaps make another giant leap forward into the unknown. This CD is the edge of the abyss. Put it on, crack it up, alter the mind, and make that leap into the unknown with them.
warhol tapes review
warhol tapes review
i found this review on the yellow board. originally posted by stevesays on nov 14th, 2004.
Great review... thanks for posting. Funny, Coltrane is the first thing that came to my mind the first time I heard "Miss Joanie Lee" (in decent quality - not counting that horrible audience tape!). I think some of the "official" titles are a bit fanciful, as well - for instance, "Boom Boom" is a generic blues riff, and not even the same blues riff that's on the John Lee Hooker song.