The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground were formed in 1966 and in their short career, released four wildly different LPs, The Velvet Underground and Nico, White Light/White Heat, The Velvet Underground and Loaded.

The original line-up will arguably never be bettered in rock music. Songwriter Lou Reed's raw talent and unerring sense of melody, combined with the imperious musicality of the Welsh avant-garde classical musician John Cale, added up to a unique melodic frontline. Sterling Morrison's rattling guitar and the legendarily compelling mono-backbeat provided by Mo Tucker made it a rock'n'roll band, but nothing like one heard before or since.

The debut LP featured the German chanteuse and Warhol Factory superstar Nico, but it is the Lou Reed-sung I'm Waiting For The Man which remains arguably the pick of the bunch, although it is a whole album of highlights. Post-Andy Warhol involvement meltdown LP White Light/White Heat became the template for punk and post-punk.

After these two LPs, mounting tension between Cale and Reed led to Cale leaving the band to pursue a solo career. He was replaced by bassist Doug Yule for the third LP, The Velvet Underground, which is a masterpiece of understatement and a direct inspiration to the nascent REM. With Cale went the white noise, but by fourth LP Loaded, Mo Tucker was absent too and a lot of the magic had gone. This LP is still worth the effort, however, featuring as it does the quintessential Reed songs Sweet Jane and Rock and Roll.

• John Cale - Bass, Piano, Keyboards, Viola
• Nico - Vocals
• Lou Reed - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
• Maureen 'Mo' Tucker - Bass, Percussion, Drums, Vocals
• Sterling Morrison - Guitar, Vocals
• Doug Yule - Organ, Bass, Guitar, Drums, Keyboards, Vocals