Velvet Underground's The Velvet Underground and Nico (Thirty Three and a Third series)

Author: Harvard, Joe

Publication Date: 03/31/2004

Format: Paperback

the Velvet Underground And Nico Has Influenced The Sound Of More Bands Than Almost Any Other Album. And Remarkably, It Still Sounds As Fresh And Challenging Today As It Did Upon Its Release In 1967. In This Book, Joe Harvard Covers Everything From Lou Reed's Lyrical Genius To John Cale's Groundbreaking Instrumentation, And From The Creative Input Of Andy Warhol To The Fine Details Of The Recording Process. With Input From Co-producer Norman Dolph And Velvets Fan Jonathan Richman, Harvard Documents The Creation Of A Record Which, In The Eyes Of Many, Has Never Been Matched.

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music Fans Love To Trumpet Their Favorite Recordings To A Sympathetic Audience. Continuum Has Given Fans That Chance With Its Quaintly Titled 331/3 Series, In Which The Authors Wax Poetic On The Greatness Of Their Favorite Lps From The Past 40 Years. Though It's Unclear How Continuum Selected The Authors, The Musicians And Music Writers Chosen Do Their Subjects Proud. Their Articulate, Well-researched, And Passionate Cases Are A Welcome Change From The Capsule Reviews Found In Most Music Magazines, Which Seem Intended To Show Off The Reviewers' Pithy Witticisms Rather Than To Illuminate The Merits Of The Work In Question. Interestingly, The Authors Here Take On The Qualities One Would Expect Of Fans For Each Artist. For Instance, Perry, Former Guitarist For The Only Ones, Gamely Tries To Explain The Technical Details Of Jimi Hendrix's Brilliant Playing; Ott, A Regular Contributor To Pitchforkmedia.com, Is Serious And Dramatic In Telling Joy Division's Tragic Tale; And Vincentelli (music Editor, Time Out New York) Is A Bit Defensive In Her Self-conscious Apology Of Abba, Resorting To Tearing Down Other Artists To Make Her Faves Look Better. While The Series Is Refreshing In Its Decision To Sidestep The Usual Suspects (e.g., The Beatles' Revolver, The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds), Its Focus On Lesser-known, More Cultish Albums Limits The Series' Appeal To Larger Public Libraries. Also Potentially Problematic: The Artists' Names Are Not Always Included In The Book Titles. Though Written For Lay Readers, 331/3 May Get Better Use, As A Whole, In Academic Libraries.-lloyd Jansen, Stockton-san Joaquin Cty. P.l., Ca Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.