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At this point in music history, it's become a given that the Velvet Underground were one of the most important and innovative rock bands of their era, and that the four albums they released during their lifespan rank with the most challenging and satisfying work in the rock canon. For beginners and dabblers, though, this invites the question of where to start exploring the group's catalog, an especially vexing question since each of the Velvets' albums has a very distinct musical personality, from the approachable and upbeat surfaces of Loaded to the all-out assault of White Light/White Heat. While Gold, an installment in Universal's ongoing series of "best-of" albums, was doubtless intended as "the Velvet Underground's Greatest Hits Writ Large" (an ironic approach, since the group never had anything even approaching a hit when they were around), it's also one of the best introductions to the group's repertoire that's been released to date. Universal opted not to license any material from Loaded (the VU's final album, released by the Atlantic offshoot Cotillion) for this collection, but short of that, Gold offers a healthy overview of their first three albums, and doesn't shy away from the band's more abrasive material (including all 17 howling minutes of "Sister Ray" from White Light/White Heat). Some of the Loaded-era music is represented by live performances from the epochal 1969: Velvet Underground Live set, the key tracks from the so-called "lost album" (previously unearthed on the historical anthology VU) are present and accounted for, previously unheard versions of John Cale's last session with the group appear here for the first time, and Lou Reed's and Sterling Morrison's contributions to Nico's Chelsea Girl can also be found. The mastering is crisp and well detailed, and the booklet includes a handful of rare photos along with a well-considered history of the group by Scott Schinder.
Condition:NEW. Brand New Factory Sealed
TRACK LISTINGS
Disc 1
1 I'm Waiting for the Man 4:39
2 Femme Fatale 2:39
3 Venus in Furs 5:12
4 Run Run Run 4:22
5 All Tomorrow's Parties 5:59
6 Heroin 7:12
7 There She Goes Again 2:41
8 I'll Be Your Mirror 2:14
9 Sunday Morning 2:56
10 Chelsea Girls / Nico 7:26
11 It Was a Pleasure Then / Nico 8:02
12 White Light/White Heat 2:48
13 I Heard Her Call My Name 4:38
14 Sister Ray 17:27
Disc 2
1 Temptation Inside Your Heart 2:32
2 Stephanie Says 2:50
3 Hey Mr. Rain Version One 4:41
4 Candy Says 4:04
5 What Goes On 4:55
6 Some Kinda Love 4:03
7 Pale Blue Eyes 5:41
8 Beginning to See the Light 4:39
9 Foggy Notion 6:47
10 I Can't Stand It 3:22
11 One of These Days 3:58
12 Lisa Says 2:59
13 New Age Live 6:36
14 Rock and Roll Live 6:07
15 Ocean Live 10:59
16 Sweet Jane Live 4:00
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