The Velvet Underground's 1967 debut, The Velvet Underground & Nico, was a commercially underwhelming effort. However, its influence, and by and large, the band's, was significant; in a 1982 interview, Brian Eno famously said that "everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band." While the group's artistic & experimental approach to rock & roll presented a "new definition" of the genre, the attitude & lifestyle it embraced was undoubtedly punk, almost a decade before punk would become a thing. Velvet Underground: Collected is a thorough survey of the New York art rock outfit's career, and it contains classics from the aforementioned full-length—"I'm Waiting For The Man," "Venus In Furs," "Heroin," and more—in addition to other selections from later works, such as White Light/White Heat, and The Velvet Underground. If you don't already own any albums from the band, the 23-song collection will definitely cover the gap, and even for ardent fans, the convenience of having the band's career-defining tracks spread over 2 discs is very appealing. In addition, the comp is pressed on 180-gram audiophile vinyl, and it includes a 4-page booklet with liner notes and photos. Other songs to check out: "What Goes On," "Pale Blue Eyes," and "Femme Fatale."

• banana peel yellow vinyl
• 180g audiophile pressing
• includes booklet w/ liner notes
• music label: Music On Vinyl 2017

reviewed by nakaveli 11/2017