The Velvet Underground Peeled

by Rob Jovanovic

The definitive story of one of the most influential groups in rock 'n' rolll history includes exclusive input from John Cale, Moe Tucker, and Doug Yule, and the first ever interview with Sterling Morrison’s widow  Perhaps no other band can claim such scant chart success and so enduring a musical legacy as The Velvet Underground. Artists including David Bowie, the Sex Pistols, Joy Division, Roxy Music, Nirvana, U2, R.E.M., and dissident Czech playwright and eventual president, Vaclav Havel have cited the Velvets as a major influence. Yet only two of their albums even scraped Billboard's Top 200. Formed by the mercurial Lou Reed and classically-trained Welshman John Cale, the band first achieved notoriety after being adopted by Andy Warhol, who set himself up as manager and producer and included the Velvets in his Exploding Plastic Inevitable multimedia roadshow. The freedom Warhol's patronage brought enabled the group to chart hitherto unexplored regions of the rock n' roll soundscape, producing unforgettable and unsettling music that veered from droning, avant-garde experimentalism to folk-infused pop, taking in taboo-busting tales of drug addiction, prostitution, and sexual deviance along the way. Creative tensions and frustrated ambition eventually saw both Cale and Reed leave the band, with Doug Yule taking over on lead vocals before an entirely unoriginal lineup came to an ignominious end in Europe. In the decades since and several abortive reunions later, VU's music has attained classic status, revered alongside The Beatles and The Beach Boys as one of the wellsprings of modern pop. Now Rob Jovanovic peels back the mystique to tell the story of one of the most important bands in rock history.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music

294 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2010

Reviews

[Justin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Without a doubt this is the worst written and most poorly edited book I have ever read. "The Velvet Underground: Peeled" is very disorganized at the paragraph level, and Jovanovic struggles to create coherent, clear sentences throughout; sadly, these are the more minor problems with this book. Jovanovic does not seem to know where he wants to take this biography, evident even in the first chapter (which begins with a jejune lesson on the struggles of being homosexual in the mid 20th century before sharply turning his narrative to a different story). Irritatingly, Jovanovic repeatedly begins one paragraph with a thought before abruptly switching to another in the next paragraph. He is also very sloppy with his facts. For instance, at one point he misnames one time VU manager David Cezanne as Paul Cezanne.

There is no depth to this biography and I would not recommend it to anyone interested in the VU and Lou Reed. I should have been tipped off that something was amiss about this book just by the cover; the banana "art" on the cover is not an Andy Warhol. I know that you can't always judge a book by its cover, but in this one instance, the dictum proves false.

The only thing about this book that I found useful was Jovanovic's pinning an exact date for a Lou Reed live album that was released on Selecta Records in 2000 ("Lou Reed / Velvet Underground Live: 1969/1972"). The solo Reed performance was given on December 26, 1972 at "WLIR-FM in Hempstead on Long Island" (Jovanovic, 200).

Unless you have read all other biographies about the VU, and need just one more for a fix, I would skip this one completely. The Velvet Underground deserve a much better recorded history. This book is insulting to their legacy.

[Malcolm Frawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable history of the Velvets. While I'm glad I never had to work with Lou Reed it was intriguing to learn more about his band mates, particularly drummer Maureen Tucker. Great insight also into the considerable influence that Andy Warhol had over the fledgeling outfit. His best piece of advice? "Always leave them wanting less"!

[Nicolas Slunsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing content, yet not that well written and VERY poorly edited. Not to mention the cover... Andy Warhol must be turning in his grave. Still, the history of the Velvets is so interesting, I enjoyed reading the book despite its shortcomings.

[Ed Wagemann · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

I wish there was more about the VU's lost album, aka the greatest album never made:
https://edthemiddleagedhipster.substa...

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinda disappointed. It was kinda all over the place and the editing was pretty bad.

[Pouya Karahrodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life is not linear

[Can · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a fan text, chronicling the life and times of the Velvet Underground and its members. It seems well-researched, but it would definitely benefit from further editing.