Anyway, there's some great news today for us Velvets fans: the release of a new boxed set called "The Velvet Underground Singles 1966-1969."
Known for their dark, offbeat music that had created a deep if not huge fan base, the Velvets recorded a bunch of singles during this time that they hoped would meet with some commercial success. None did, but the Velvets' impact went far beyond merely charting the tops: almost every great band and singer of the last forty years was influenced by them (think U2, New York Dolls, REM, David Bowie, Talking Heads, The Stipes, and on and on). It's often been said, "A lot of people didn't buy a Velvet Underground album but everyone who did started a rock'n'roll band."
One of their greatest songs was "Sweet Jane." I'm not sure if it's on this new boxed set but, if not, you can find it on their last album Loaded as well as other boxed sets. This version is from the Velvets' legendary run at Max's Kansas City here in NYC in 1970. This was just before they broke up. This song has been covered by man bands over the decades, most famously by the Cowboy Junkies (it was featured in the movie Natural Born Killers in 1994). But nothing, and I mean nothing, tops hearing the Velvet Underground do it live before an audience -- it's everything that makes this band and rock'n'roll great.
Known for their dark, offbeat music that had created a deep if not huge fan base, the Velvets recorded a bunch of singles during this time that they hoped would meet with some commercial success. None did, but the Velvets' impact went far beyond merely charting the tops: almost every great band and singer of the last forty years was influenced by them (think U2, New York Dolls, REM, David Bowie, Talking Heads, The Stipes, and on and on). It's often been said, "A lot of people didn't buy a Velvet Underground album but everyone who did started a rock'n'roll band."
One of their greatest songs was "Sweet Jane." I'm not sure if it's on this new boxed set but, if not, you can find it on their last album Loaded as well as other boxed sets. This version is from the Velvets' legendary run at Max's Kansas City here in NYC in 1970. This was just before they broke up. This song has been covered by man bands over the decades, most famously by the Cowboy Junkies (it was featured in the movie Natural Born Killers in 1994). But nothing, and I mean nothing, tops hearing the Velvet Underground do it live before an audience -- it's everything that makes this band and rock'n'roll great.
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