The Velvet Underground Peel Slowly and See
CD Original Release Date: September 26, 1995
Label: Polydor
Format:[email protected]
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 kinkiness into rock lyrics -- were too abrasive for the mainstream to handle. During their time, the group experienced little commercial success; though they were hugely appreciated by a cult audience and some critics, the larger public treated them with indifference or, occasionally, scorn. The Velvets' music was too important to languish in obscurity, though; their cult only grew larger and larger in the years following their demise, and continued to mushroom through the years. By the 1980s, they were acknowledged not just as one of the most important rock bands of the '60s, but one of the best of all time, and one whose immense significance cannot be measured by their relatively modest sales.
Tracklist - Disc One: 1965
01. Venus In Furs (Demo)
02. Prominent Men (Demo)
03. Heroin (Demo)
04. I'm Waiting For The Man (Demo)
05. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (Demo)
06. All Tomorrow's Parties (Demo)
All Tracks prev unreleased
Tracklist - Disc Two: 1966-67
01. All Tomorrow's Parties (Single Version)
02. Sunday Morning
04. Femme Fatale
05. Venus In Furs
06. Run Run Run
07. All Tomorrow's Parties
08. Heroin
09. There She Goes Again
10. I'll Be Your
11. The Black Angel's Death Song
12. European Son
13. Melody Laughter (Live)
14. It Was A Pleasure Then
15. Chelsea Girls
Track 1 from the "All Tomorrow's Parties" single;
Tracks 2-12 from The Velvet Underground & Nico (complete album);
Tracks 13 prev unreleased
Tracks 14-15 from Chelsea Girl.
Tracklist - Disc Three: 1967-68
01. There Is No Reason (demo)
02. Sheltered Life (demo)
03. It's All Right (The Way That You Live) (demo)
04. I'm Not Too Sorry (Now That You're Gone) (demo)
05. Here She Comes Now (demo)
06. Guess I'm Falling In Love (live)
07. Booker T. (live)
08. White Light/White Heat
09. The Gift
10. Lady Godiva's Operation
11. Here She Comes Now
12. I Heard Her Call My Name
13. Sister Ray
14. Stephanie Says
15. Temptation Inside Your Heart
16. Hey Mr. Rain (Version One)
Tracks 1-7 prev unreleased
Tracks 8-13 from White Light/White Heat (complete album)
Tracks 14–15 from VU
Track 16 from Another View.
Tracklist - Disc Four: 1968-69
01. What Goes On (Live)
02. Candy Says (Closet Mix)
03. What Goes On (Closet Mix)
04. Some Kinda Love (Closet Mix)
05. Pale Blue Eyes (Closet Mix)
06. Jesus (Closet Mix)
07. Beginning To See The Light (Closet Mix)
08. I'm Set Free (Closet Mix)
09. That's The Story Of My Life (Closet Mix)
10. The Murder Mystery (Closet Mix)
11. After Hours (Closet Mix)
12. Foggy Notion
13. I Can't Stand It
14. I'm Sticking With You
15. One Of These Days
16. Lisa Says
17. It's Just Too Much (Live)
18. Countess From Hong Kong (Demo)
Tracks1, 17–18 prev unreleased
Tracks 2–11 from The Velvet Underground (complete album);
Tracks 12–16 from VU.
Tracklist - Disc Five: 1970
01. Who Loves The Sun
02. Sweet Jane (Full Length Version)
03. Rock And Roll
04. Cool It Down
05. New Age (Full Length Version)
06. Head Held High
07. Lonesome Cowboy Bill
08. I Found A Reason
09. Train Round The Bend
10. Oh! Sweet Nuthin'
11. Satellite Of Love
12. Walk And Talk
13. Oh Gin
14. Sad Song
15. Ocean
16. Ride Into The Sun
17. Some Kinda Love (Live)
18. I'll Be Your Mirror (Live)
19. I Love You
Tracks 1–10) from Loaded (complete album )
Tracks 2, 5 prev unreleased "original" versions
Tracks 11–17, 19 prev unreleased
Track 18 from Live at Max's Kansas City.
The Velvet Underground:
- John Cale – bass guitar, viola, keyboards (discs 1–3); lead vocal on "The Gift" and "Lady Godiva's Operation"; organ and viola on disc 5, track 15
- Sterling Morrison – guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals, co-vocal on "The Murder Mystery"
- Lou Reed – vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica
- Maureen Tucker – percussion (discs 2–5), lead vocal on "After Hours" and "I'm Sticking with You", co-vocal on The Murder Mystery.
- Doug Yule – bass guitar, keyboards, guitars, drums (disc 4–5); lead vocal on "Candy Says", "Who Loves the Sun", "New Age", "Lonesome Cowboy Bill", "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'", "Ride into the Sun" and "I'll Be Your Mirror" (live).
Additional musicians:
- Nico – lead vocal on "All Tomorrow's Parties" (both single and LP versions), "Femme Fatale", "I'll Be Your Mirror", "Melody Laughter", "It Was a Pleasure Then" and "Chelsea Girls"; backing vocals on "Sunday Morning"
- Adrian Barber – drums on "Who Loves the Sun" and "I Found a Reason"
- Tommy Castanaro – drums on "Cool It Down" and "Head Held High"
- Billy Yule – drums on "Lonesome Cowboy Bill", "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'", "Ocean", "Some Kinda Love" (live) and "I'll Be Your Mirror" (live).
