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Category:    Home > Reviews > Concert > Rock > Punk > Alternative > The Velvet Underground: Velvet Redux Live MCMXCIII (Rhino DVD Concert)

The Velvet Underground: Velvet Redux Live MCMXCIII (DVD-Video Concert)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: B-     Extras: D     Film: A

 

 

The Velvet Underground formed in the mid 1960’s amidst the chaos and magic that was Andy Warhol’s Factory.  While performing primarily as his house band VU did release several albums that unfortunately very few people ever heard at the time.  They were experimental, raw, and years ahead of their time.  While it puts them in exalted company it is safe to say that they were one of the most influential bands of the era.  Their influence on punk and alternative music cannot be overstated.  It took over nearly twenty years for the rest of the world to start catching up.  The Velvet Underground: Velvet Redux Live MCMXCIII is one of the only video records of their reunion and their first DVD release.

 

The band’s life was a short one.  By the beginning of the 70’s they had broken up.  Though there were many reasons behind it, primary among them was the ongoing creative clash between primary songwriters Lou Reed and John Cale.  They were volatile personalities with very different views on what the band should be.

 

Both Reed and Cale pursued solo careers.  With the brief exception of Reed’s subversive hit record Walk On The Wild Side, neither of them left much more of a mark on the public consciousness then the Velvets had.

 

By the 1980’s though, countless musicians were counting the Velvets as a primary influence, leading to re-releases of their catalog and an audience that was much wider than anything they had while they existed.

 

In 1990, Reed and Cale set aside their differences and came together to record Songs For Drella, a tribute to their late mentor Andy Warhol.  This led to them discussing the previously unthinkable possibility of a Velvet Underground reunion.

 

In 1993, it happened.  Along with original guitarist Sterling Morrison and original drummer Mo Tucker, the Velvets staged a tour of Europe to sell out crowds.  This DVD contains live concert footage from their June performances at L’Olympia Theatre in Paris.  The songs chosen are essentially a greatest hits collection (if that can be said about a band that had no hits).

 

 

1. Venus in Furs

2. White Light/White Heat

3. Beginning to See the Light

4. Some Kinda Love

5. Femme Fatale

6. Hey Mr. Rain

7. I'm Sticking With You

8. I Heard Her Call My Name

9. I'll Be Your Mirror

10. Rock N' Roll

11. Sweet Jane

12. I'm Waiting for my Man

13. Heroin

14. Pale Blue Eyes

15. Coyote

 

 

The DVD manages to capture the spirit of the band.  There is an energy and electricity to their music.  The music is at times tense and discordant and in other places melodic and beautiful.  Both extremes manage to lay bare the emotions, leaving the listener feeling raw.  There is a frission between Reed and Cale on stage, as if their personal conflict is part of the performance.  It’s hard to tell if they are collaborating or trying to one-up the other.  The 1.78 x 1 image is letterboxed and has some color limitations, but not HD of course, because it had not been invented yet.  The sound is solid PCM 16bit/48kHz 2.0 Stereo and is pretty good.

 

Unfortunately the conflict between Reed and Cale led to the bands dissolution once more, this time before they embarked on a planned tour of the United States. Sadly, Sterling Morrison died not long after.  The CD that was released of the Paris show, and now this DVD, are the only chance the American audience has to see this legendary band.

 

 

-   Wayne Wise

 

 

Wayne Wise saw Lou Reed solo in 1986, and was lucky enough to attend a performance by Cale, Morrison and Tucker at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh shortly before Morrison’s death.  Both were memorable concert experiences.  In 2002 his first novel, King of Summer, was published.  You can go to www.wayne-wise.com and learn more.


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