The Velvet Forum

I hope the previously bootlegged material will be a huge upgrade soundwise.

I'm not expecting huge upgrades on live bootleg sound quality, but I am very much interested in Dolph recordings on tape, to hear what they can do to clean up the acetate and to hear a couple of alt versions we've not previously had access to.

A couple of articles have suggested that that the move to release more archive material is really about the fight with the Warhol foundation for the right to the banana symbol http://www.spin.com/articles/velvet-und ... ry-edition. If that's the case, we may see more material released to defend the rights. Fingers crossed for a complete Gymnasium, Matrix and Freeman tapes on respective anniversaries.

Not sure why there's so much negative response to this and thanks to the OP. Here's some potentially positive if speculative views.

1. Nearly everyone complains about existing Cd remasters of the VU&N LP, both mono and stereo. These may be better.
2. It has Scepter Studio stuff from tape. And the acetate sourced material may be from a better copy than the booters used. Surely UMG wouldn't release it if not.
3. The Live at the Valleydale Ballroom songs have never sounded as good as the two improv pieces from the same concert. Why not? Maybe these will. Maybe they are from the source tape.
4. Just maybe, it's a more interesting proposition than the fetishised rock collector edition Sundazed set.
5. It looks like it has a stereo Chelsea Girls.
6. It certainly looks like the barriers preventing release of other VU materials are now no longer an issue. So ? deluxe WLWH and 3rd are now very possible if materials exist.

Elvis Plebsley wrote:
A couple of articles have suggested that that the move to release more archive material is really about the fight with the Warhol foundation for the right to the banana symbol http://www.spin.com/articles/velvet-und ... ry-edition. If that's the case, we may see more material released to defend the rights. Fingers crossed for a complete Gymnasium, Matrix and Freeman tapes on respective anniversaries.

Elvis, a couple of articles have mentioned that the VU have filed against the Warhol Foundation, as reported earlier in the year, with an implication that the move to release this material is somehow related to that unsettled lawsuit but in a way that is not stated. Looks like some lazy Internet journalism to me. But there may be other more likely reasons that this collection has been made available at this point ? after the long hiatus.

Sounds great to me!

Hi iaredatsun,

yeah, I've seen articles which don't state what the connection between the two events might be. The Spin article I linked to is more specific:

The set is expected on October 1, nine and a half months after members Lou Reed and John Cale filed a lawsuit against the Andy Warhol Foundation, claiming that it was licensing the album's unmistakable cover without the band's permission. The Foundation claims the image is in the public domain and sought to dismiss the case in March, citing the fact that the band had broken up over 40 years ago and thus hasn't been around to defend the image's use. The new reissue, however, basically does just that ? redefines the band as an active entity. As of now, the case is neither settled nor decided.

I thought that it was an interesting angle, but as you say, this may be speculative, lazy journalism. It may simply be that the band and Universal have finally reached agreement and that the events are not connected.

Elvis Plebsley wrote:Hi iaredatsun,

yeah, I've seen articles which don't state what the connection between the two events might be. The Spin article I linked to is more specific:

The set is expected on October 1, nine and a half months after members Lou Reed and John Cale filed a lawsuit against the Andy Warhol Foundation, claiming that it was licensing the album's unmistakable cover without the band's permission. The Foundation claims the image is in the public domain and sought to dismiss the case in March, citing the fact that the band had broken up over 40 years ago and thus hasn't been around to defend the image's use. The new reissue, however, basically does just that ? redefines the band as an active entity. As of now, the case is neither settled nor decided.

I thought that it was an interesting angle, but as you say, this may be speculative, lazy journalism. It may simply be that the band and Universal have finally reached agreement and that the events are not connected.

Elvis, I missed that. Put like that, it's a good point and makes the possible link clear. I hope it's wrong if it means that they only released this set to re-assert the band as an active business proposition. Would we see the banana become a business logo used on all merchandise? Still, for one reason or another, at last the blockage has been removed.

Eh, I don't know. I don't know why they're not doing a mono Chelsea Girls as well (there's room on a disc for stereo and mono), and unless Columbus is a big upgrade in sound, I don't know if it's the #1 thing I'd go for, but honesty, we're all going to buy it, and it's probably more worthwhile for us all than getting the same wonderful record with a slightly different cover or record label address, and I look forward to hearing alt takes/mixes from tape.

Having said that, there's no way this is going to sell enough to justify doing the same for WL/WH and the third album (which is what we're really waiting for). I have heard rumours of outtakes from the third album era, on tape, that we may have to wait another twenty years for. Here's an idea - release everything, and let us give you our money.

DavidH wrote:There's no way this is going to sell enough to justify doing the same for WL/WH and the third album (which is what we're really waiting for).

I don't see why it wouldn't meet whatever sales expectations they have for a 6CD box. I wouldn't underestimate the number of VU obsessives out there.

DavidH wrote:I have heard rumours of outtakes from the third album era, on tape, that we may have to wait another twenty years for.

The session tapes for the 3rd LP definitely exist. No unreleased titles but lots of alternate takes. They should give the 3rd LP the "Funhouse Sessions" treatment. Now that would be a release that would sell!

I would love to listen to the May 29, 1968 "I´m Begginning to See the Light" with Cale...