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Peel Slowly and See (Box Set)

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Album Review

Does this five-CD box set feature an abundance of essential material? Certainly. It has all four of the studio albums released by the Lou Reed-led lineup, and a wealth of previously unreleased goodies. Is it an essential purchase? That depends on your level of fanaticism. Most serious Velvet fans have all four of the core studio albums already (although the third, self-titled LP is presented in its muffled, so-called "closet" mix), and will be most interested in the previously unavailable recordings, which do hold considerable fascination. The entire first disc is devoted to a drummer-less 1965 rehearsal tape in John Cale's loft, with radically different, almost folky run-throughs of most of the important songs from their classic debut, as well as a song that only made it onto Nico's first LP ("Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams"), and one which makes its first appearance anywhere (the Dylanesque "Prominent Men"). Other big bonuses include no less than seven outtakes from Loaded and other songs re-done by Reed on his early solo albums. And there are sundry other unreleased live and studio items, highlighted by a scorching live 1967 "Guess I'm Falling in Love" and the 1969 demo "Countess From Hong Kong." There are also highlights from VU and Another View, longer versions of Loaded's "Sweet Jane" and "New Age," and an 80-page booklet. The thing is, though, that virtually everyone who's interested in this material has already bought the four studio albums, sometimes several times over. A separate release of the two discs or so of truly new material would have been welcomed by the many fans who aren't interested in paying for a five-CD box of stuff when they already have well over half of it.

Customer Reviews

Shiny, Shiny

(Note: I'm reviewing the original product, not this partial album.) Peel Slowly and See is probably one of the best box sets out there. It collects the first (and probably best) four Velvet Underground albums (The Velvet Underground & Nico, White Light / White Heat, The Velvet Underground, and Loaded), plus a disc of lengthy demo versions. There are also some bonus tracks added to each of the studio albums, including outtakes, live versions, and (uh-oh) Nico songs. Disc 1 contains six (or in this case, two, since iTunes has given us a partial album) previously unreleased studio demos by The Velvet Underground. This means a fifteen-minute "Venus In Furs", a five-minute "Prominent Men", a thirteen-minute, "Heroin", a sixteen-minute, "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams", and a twenty-minute version of "All Tomorrow's Parties" (Andy Warhol's favorite). All in all, it's a little over the top and unnecessary. The other discs make up for it, however. Disc 2 has the band's first album, The Velvet Underground & Nico (A must for everyone, apparently). However, the disc takes a bad turn because of its bonus tracks, a shortened single version of "All Tomorrow's Parties", an obnoxious live version of "Melody Laughter" and two unbelievably horrible songs by Nico. Disc 3 has White Light / White Heat, probably the most disappointing studio album by the Velvets. Since there were only six songs on White Light / White Heat, it's only fair that they added demos and live cuts, as well as highlights from the later albums VU and Another View. For the most part, it's dismissable. Especially due to iTunes and their partial albums. Disc 4 has a bit of a twist. It's got the band's third album. But, it's presented in the infamous "closet mix" format, which is surprisingly a lot better than the original album (Particularly the heartwarming closet mix version of "After Hours". There's also a good live version of "What Goes On" and some unreleased stuff, but for the most part, the closet mix is the highlight. Disc 5 is fantastic. It includes Loaded in its entirety, plus nine other tracks. For some reason, I found Loaded more enjoyable than the Nico album. Maybe that's because there was no Nico at all. If you only want one disc, get this one. Fans will find Peel Slowly and See to be, in short, perfect. Every disc included on here is pleasurable. You may have to go out of pocket a bit (All box sets are like that), but it's worth it. Recommended Tracks: Disc 1: "Venus In Furs (Demo)" "Heroin (Demo)" Disc 2: "Sunday Morning" "I'm Waiting for the Man" "Heroin" Disc 3: "White Light, White Heat" "Lady Godiva's Operation" "Sister Ray" Disc 4: "What Goes On (Live)" "Pale Blue Eyes ("Closet Mix" Version)" "After Hours ("Closet Mix" Version)" Disc 5: "Who Loves the Sun" "Sweet Jane" "Rock and Roll" "Some Kinda Love (Live)"

Begin Here

Material essential to an understanding of modern (post 1960) rock. VU were advant garde, experimental, proto-punk, baladeer improvisors whose music holds up. Highlights include Sweet Jane with the missing bridge lyrics, demo versions, and live versions that were formerly found only on bootlegs.

All modern rock begins here.

The most influential music ever made--without this body of work, rock and roll might have died a horrible, flaccid death in the 1970s. The debut album remains, by itself, a giant leap forward for rock, opening up all kinds of new avenues for others to explore. Throughout the catalog, and this box set, there is pop, rock, psychedelia, avant garde noise, some of the earliest punk sounds ever captured, and everything in between. And "Sister Ray," all 17-plus minutes of it, is the greatest rock song in history. VU's impact can't be understated. If you're unfamiliar, start with the debut album, then buy this box set and give the "Velvet Underground and Nico" CD to a new acolyte. They'll thank you. And then start a band.

Biography

Formed: 1964 in New York, NY

Genre: Rock

Years Active: '60s, '70s, '90s

Few rock groups can claim to have broken so much new territory, and maintain such consistent brilliance on record, as the Velvet Underground during their brief lifespan. It was the group's lot to be ahead of, or at least out of step with, their time. The mid- to late '60s was an era of explosive growth and experimentation in rock, but the Velvets' innovations — which blended the energy of rock with the sonic adventurism of the avant-garde, and introduced a new degree of social realism and sexual...
Full Bio

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