Fans of the Velvet Underground will rejoice at the news that some formerly unheard, early demos of Reed’s work will come to light after nearly 60 years. The recordings were some of the first to see Reed join up with his long-time collaborator John Cale, who lent his distinctive violin drones to numerous VU tracks. Recorded on a 5” reel and mailed to himself in a notarized parcel (to ensure the copyright of the recordings was assured without having to file the official paperwork) the recordings remained sealed and are set to give tremendous insight into the minds behind one of the most influential bands that have ever been.
The release of such sacred artefacts has been taken on by the US record label Light in the Attic, in partnership with Reed’s widow Laurie Anderson. Titled; Words & Music, May 1965, one can expect to hear versions of songs like “I’m Waiting for the Man” and “Heroin” with subtle differences in lyrical choices that were yet to be solidified in their ground-breaking 1967 debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico. Yet “Pale Blue Eyes” would change dramatically from its humble origins on this archival record for its arrival in 1969 in their self-titled album. To see a teaser video for what to expect in this rare find, take a look at the video below;
In the liner notes for the record, the US rock music critic Greil Marcus states; “The poverty in these songs – the bathtub-in-the-kitchen you hear in their clumsiness, the fifth-floor-walkup you can hear in their defiance – lets you hear them, now, as chalk on a wall, not the markings that wash away in the next rain but inscriptions that somehow become part of the brick, even if in a year or two no one will be able to read them.”
This latest reissue will feature 100% bonafide originals that never made it to the studio. Such as; “the doo-wop-tinged Too Late, and the R&B track Buzz Buzz Buzz. Another folk-tinged song, Men of Good Fortune, shares a title with a track from Reed’s solo album Berlin but is completely different. Included with some versions of the reissue are unheard Reed songs from home recording sessions in 1963 or 1964, plus doo-wop number Gee Whiz, recorded by Reed in 1958 when he was 16 years old.”
You can hear clips of the new songs via the Light in the Attic website, as well as to assess the numerous buying options available for the LP.
