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.
