THE VELVET UNDERGROUND Art Rock / Avant-Garde Country

The Velvet Underground is a legendary American rock band that emerged in the 1960s, during the height of the countercultural movement in New York City. The band's music was characterized by its experimentalism, confrontational themes, and avant-garde sensibility, and it had a profound influence on subsequent generations of musicians, artists, and cultural critics.

The Velvet Underground was formed in 1964 by Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen Tucker. Initially, the band played a mix of rock, folk, and blues, but soon began to experiment with new sounds and styles. In 1967, the band released their debut album, "The Velvet Underground & Nico," which was produced by Andy Warhol and featured the iconic banana cover art. The album was a critical and commercial failure at the time of its release, but it has since come to be regarded as one of the most influential and groundbreaking albums of all time.

The Velvet Underground's music was characterized by its unconventional instrumentation, dissonant harmonies, and bleak, often controversial themes. The band explored topics such as drug addiction, prostitution, sadomasochism, and homosexuality in their lyrics, which were often delivered in Reed's deadpan style. The band's music was also notable for its use of experimental techniques such as distortion, feedback, and non-traditional song structures.

Despite their lack of commercial success during their active years, The Velvet Underground's influence on subsequent generations of musicians has been profound. The band's uncompromising artistic vision and willingness to experiment with new sounds and themes has inspired countless musicians across a variety of genres, from punk rock to shoegaze to experimental music.  

Live at Max's Kansas City were recorded on August 23, 1970, by Andy Warhol associate Brigid Polk on a portable cassette recorder.

The Velvet Undergroun is aka The Velvets and featured Lou Reed and John Cale

This is the self-titled "The Velvet Underground" compilation album re-issue from May 1986 ( originally released in 1969 ).