Best Velvet Underground Song?

is it possible that "sister ray" (the 17+ minute last track on "white light/white heat") is their best song?

the repetitive "sucking on my ding-dong" and "searching for a main-line" lyrics get a little old, but the music is just mind-blowing shit … it seems like every 4 minutes or so they switch up the guitar effects and cover A LOT of ground

i guess it's almost impossible to compare "sister ray" to something like "stephanie says", but i think i'd put "sister ray" at #1

there are at least 18 best velvet underground songs.

among them are every song on white light/white heat, "venus in furs," "i'll be your mirror," "heroin," "femme fatale," "sweet jane," "new age," "rock and roll," "pale blue eyes," "ride into the sun," "ocean"…

I suppose an argument could me made that the faux-boogie-woogie pianner, snarling guitars and barrelhouse stomp of "I'm Waiting For The Man", tied to the seamy, desperate lyrical thread that ripped open a side of urban life that had never been poked at so branzenly in popular song, was a moment that tied the 50's & 60's together in a watershed way. Which would make it a pretty good song within the band's canon…

the correct answer is … "i heard her call my name"

the guitar squeal after the second "and then my mind split open" is perhaps the best moment in rock history.

thanks for playing!

I don't think any band ever blew my mind so bad as the first time I heard the VU when I was 14 or 15. "The Black Angel's Death Song" was some seriously dark and wicked shit for me to digest.

I can't pick a best song…mrpee's argument for Waiting for my Man is a good one, though it's far from my favorite song by them. They just turned rock and pop music on it's ear with that whole album.

And BookerT, I'm with you on that guitar squeal.

'What Goes On' from 1969

I'd have to go with Sister Ray. Tough question!

Sooo hard to pick a "best," because their songs are great for such widely differing reasons… from brilliant noise to brilliant perfectly pristine pop.

I think there IS one thing we can all agree on though – that the Feelies' limp, soul-less cover of "What Goes On" didn't even come close to doing that song justice.

New Age. Specifically the version from the "Velvet Underground Live 1969" album.

the noise they tease out of their guitars around 10:30-11:10 in 'sister ray' sounds a lot like the sound that bands like the jesus & mary chain and ministry (especially on 'stigmata') would find 15 yrs later

Sunday Morning, but how can you really choose? Time to break out the well-worn cds out again. it seems like every few years something happens- a movie soundtrack, a conversation with an old friend, this post- and V.U. are back in the every day rotation. Great question!

I was always a fan of Heroin.

Oh, Sweet Nuthin!, Rock and Roll, Pale Blue Eyes, New Age, Sweet Jane, All Tomorrow's Parties…a few other favorites.

I can't fucking answer this question. You're making my brain hurt.

Who's the Velvet Underground? Are they coming to town soon?

Rock and Roll or I'm Sticking With You? I really got into this band bigtime about 3 years ago when I got the box set. I never have really gotten into White Light White Heat though. Most people sat it is their best, but it doesn't do much for me… Maybe it will click with me someday?

Originally posted by DriveWay:
Rock and Roll or I'm Sticking With You? I really got into this band bigtime about 3 years ago when I got the box set. I never have really gotten into White Light White Heat though. Most people sat it is their best, but it doesn't do much for me… Maybe it will click with me someday?

Keep plugging away. It's definitely inaccessible, but once you get into it, it's well worth it.

Am I the only one who listens to "Loaded" more than their other stuff? I love "Rock'n'Roll"…and "Oh Sweet Nuthin'" is just sublime.

i love all of them equally, except for squeeze, hahaha. i suppose i rank white light/white heat a tad higher just because i think every song on it – and every minute of every song – is just immaculate. i don't think "lady godiva's operation," "the gift," and "i heard her call my name" are given their proper credit. going back to the first one, i even love the completely abrasive guitar noodling of "european son."

but you really can't go wrong with the self-titled third album – which directly influenced such wonderful bands like galaxie 500, yo la tengo, the feelies, the clean, etc – or loaded, which is full of anthems. "i found a reason" is another beautiful velvets song.

they were the first band to successfully write catchy, simple pop songs while simultaneously exploring the physical properties of sound and making jarring avant-garde art with it.

and lou reed and john cale both went on to make way better solo records than john lennon, paul mccartney, george harrison, pete townsend, or any member of the stones. cale, especially, should be noted for his spectacular run of albums from 1969-1979.

"This is one of my most hated bands, because they promote bad lifestyle choices" —my wife this morning.

I once had a friend stop speaking to me because I told her I though the VU was overrated. We probably had other issues, but that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Wait a minute, are you Al Gore?!