Velvet Underground: Oh! Sweet Nuthin'

[happybird]

I’ve been in a mood since yesterday afternoon. All I want to hear is VU, Radiohead, or mellow reggae.

[moniss]

1. A little something

from Lou.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

2. I've always dug that track ...

But I've also always thought it overstays its welcome a little bit

[happybird]

5. I concur. :)

[happybird]

6. Check out the video I posted downthread

I know you aren’t a Phish fan but they knock this one out of the park. Loaded was their Halloween costume in 98 and lots of people were pissed/disappointed but my crew was thrilled by the choice. And those initially pissed people learned of a ‘new’ band. Win win win.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

8. Will do ... I also have a fun one for ya ...

[highplainsdem]

3. I love that studio version, with Doug Yule singing lead. But I still prefer

this live version, recorded in Amsterdam in 1971 after Reed had left the band.

I think both of those, especially the live version in Amsterdam, are better than the versions I've heard that had Lou Reed taking the lead vocal.

An early version with Lou singing:

VU live in Philly, May 1970, Lou singing lead:

I love Lou Reed, and Oh! Sweet Nuthin' is probably my favorite VU song. But Doug Yule made it work.

Pitchfork article from 2015 on Doug's contribution to the band:

https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/976-in-defense-of-the-velvet-undergrounds-doug-yule/

Exhibit D: *Loaded*

The Velvet Underground's swan song (discounting the aforementioned Squeeze) was, by most accounts, made by a splintered band, with Tucker on maternity leave and a disillusioned Morrison taking on a more muted role. That left Reed and Yule as the primary architects of the VU's "loaded with hits" stab at crossover success. And while Reed was undoubtedly still steering the ship, the demos, alternates, and outtakes included on the new, six-disc Re-Loaded box set show that the collaboration was a close one. Yule is all over the tapes, contributing bass, keyboards, drums, lead guitar, vocals, and even a dramatic string arrangement to "Ocean", which was left unreleased until 1995 (and powerful enough that it was originally credited to Cale). The songs may have been Lou's, but the sound relies heavily on Doug—and it's his voice and lead guitar that send the Velvets on their way with the album's slow, sad closer "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'". Brought in less than two years earlier as a mere replacement bassist, Yule had made himself an indispensable part of the VU saga.

[happybird]

4. Thank you for those!

Out of the bunch, I like the live in Amsterdam one best, too.

Have you heard the Phish cover from Halloween 98? It’s one of my favorite covers they ever did. Page’s voice is perfect for the song, Trey’s playing is restrained and beautiful. They did a great job with all of Loaded, imho.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

9. I totally expected them to bust into 'Can't You See' ... def. the same chord progression

and very similar tempos ... not sure about the key offhand

Great stuff tho!!!

I don't dislike phish, I've just never really 'got into them'.

[highplainsdem]

10. Other people have noticed the similarities - just google it. But AFAIK

there's never been anything to indicate the Marshall Tucker Band had even heard that Velvet Underground song.

[highplainsdem]

11. You're welcome!

That Phish cover is pretty good!

[happybird]

7. This is what got me on VU yesterday

My reggae radio threw this at me and I was humming along, thinking, “hold on, I KNOW this tune!” Then it hit me. Very similar and can’t tell if the song title is coincidental?

[highplainsdem]

12. I don't recall ever hearing of Amanaz before. From Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanaz

Amanaz was a Zamrock band founded in 1973 in Kitwe, Zambia.[1] The group released their only album, the acclaimed Africa, in 1975. Amanaz drew influences from American and British rock of the late 1960s–early 1970s, especially the music of Jimi Hendrix, and from traditional Zambian music, identifiable in Watson Lungu's drumming and Keith Kabwe's vocals.[2]