1967 review of VU&Nico from the UK

[mangue]

Never seen this before, so for all of you:

1967 November 18, Disc and Music Echo [UK], page 14

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO: tracklist (Verve - 32s 5 1/2d.[pre-decimal UK price])
For a long time we've been hearing a lot of groovy music all about beauty and love from West Coast groups. The Underground is an East Coast - New York - group whose material is largely taken from the opposite site of life - evil and ugliness.
Their music is hard rock'n'roll brought up to date with electricity. An electric viola adds a distinctive cruel, harsh note - it's particularly evil on "Venus In Furs" and "Heroin," two of the best tracks on the album which are never likely to get played by the BBC. The drummer is a girl, the lead singer often sounds like Dylan and the beautiful Nico sings sweetly on the strange "Femme Fatale" and the lovely "Mirror".

review, as its from the UK, accompanied by a picture of Nico [not sure, but probably from around 1965 single release]

published at https://1960smusicmagazines.com/2019/11 ... r-18-1967/
full page https://i2.wp.com/1960smusicmagazines.c ... /14-27.jpg

[threechordwonder]

Thanks mangue, it's good to see an old mag from the time when Dave Dee outsold Clapton.

... which are never likely to get played by the BBC.

Yes indeed, back then they never got played on the BBC but now the band and the individual members and even the songs are all too frequently the answers to the questions on BBC quiz shows like Pointless, Only Connect and University Challenge (and Tipping Point on ITV); even the Lou Reed spider got a mention the other day.

Sometimes I wish the Beeb would shut up and not try to be cool.