The Great Banana — The Velvet Underground (1994)
Release type: Album.
Track list (12 tracks):
1. Ocean (5:15)
2. Too Much (4:40)
3. Waiting for My Man (5:38)
4. Lisa Says (5:55)
5. What Goes On (8:58)
6. Sweet Jane (4:04)
7. We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together (3:18)
8. Femme Fatale (3:08)
9. New Age (6:40)
10. Rock and Roll (6:09)
11. Beginning to See the Light (5:33)
12. Heroin (8:14)
Total running time: 67 minutes.
The two outlets gave the record vastly different scores: one 9.3 and one 4.5, out of 10 and 5, respectively. Reviewers largely agreed the album split listeners when it first came out, though it eventually earned its reputation as a defining work of art-rock, shaping punk, garage rock, krautrock, and related genres.
Opening With “Ocean”
The record opens with “Ocean,” a slow, droning track built on a repetitive guitar line that feels like it is sinking into the water. Noise piles upon noise as the song builds gradually, threatening to collapse in on itself. It does not offer a warm welcome. It offers a warning instead.
This record opens with “Ocean”, which grabs your full attention right away. The guitar stays restrained, nearly skeletal, while the singing sits low in the mix, barely heard at all. Nothing resolves here. The song simply continues, much like the sea, repeating its motion without end. It states its intent clearly, and the intent succeeds.
“Too Much” and “Waiting for My Man”
“Too Much” follows, and it is a sharp contrast. The track is faster, more aggressive, and it features a driving bassline that propels the song forward. The lyrics are about excess, about wanting too much of something that can never be satisfied. The song has a punk energy, even though it predates punk by a decade. It is a reminder that the Velvet Underground were doing things their own way long before anyone else caught on.
“Waiting for My Man” is the classic heroin anthem, and it is as potent here as it ever was. The song is built on a simple riff, but the arrangement is dense and layered. The organ work is particularly striking, providing a thick carpet of sound beneath the guitars and drums. The lyrics are direct, speaking about waiting for a fix, and the song never loses its tension. It is a masterpiece of restraint, a song that could have been a mess but instead becomes a tight, controlled burst of energy.
“Lisa Says” and “What Goes On”
Another standout moment is “Lisa Says”, a track that leans on melody rather than noise, with a chorus that sticks and a vocal delivery that is at once warm and detached. The song deals with being alone, with feeling shut away from a world that cannot grasp what you are going through. This band had a talent for turning private suffering into something anyone could feel, and this particular track stands as one of their clearest examples. It is a song about solitude, but it refuses to wallow in self-pity. It keeps its dignity intact.
“What Goes On” is a longer track, and it shows off the band’s compositional range. The song is built on a shifting rhythm, with the tempo changing throughout. It is a song about relationships, about the ways we hurt each other and try to make amends. The lyrics are specific, but the music is abstract, creating a tension between the concrete and the surreal. It is a song that rewards repeated listens, revealing new details each time.
“Sweet Jane” Through “We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together”
The song that stands out most is “Sweet Jane”, which is the Velvet Underground’s signature track. It still sounds as good here as it did on the original. The riff is instantly recognizable, and the melody sticks to you. The song is about a girl who is both a savior and a tormentor, and the band captures that duality perfectly. It is a pop song, but a pop song with teeth. It was the track that made the Velvet Underground famous, and it remains their most beloved composition.
The cover “We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together” comes across as a strange choice for the band. Upbeat and catchy, the song is, yet the group performs it with a deadpan delivery that turns it into something that feels like a parody. A fun track it remains, though it carries an unsettling edge. The song celebrates having fun, yet the performance hints that the enjoyment on display could be a fabrication. It serves as a reminder that the Velvet Underground were never truly a fun band, even when they attempted to be.
“Femme Fatale” and “New Age”
The album’s “Femme Fatale”, a shorter track, turns back toward the darker material of the earlier songs. It deals with a dangerous woman, and the arrangement stays sparse to capture her menace. Guitars cut sharply, and drums push insistently beneath them. This is a song about fear, and it stands among the record’s best.
The record’s longest track, “New Age”, is its most experimental piece. Built on a drone, the band piles on layers of noise and feedback throughout. The song deals with the future, with the notion of a new age that never shows up. It asks the listener to endure discomfort and uncertainty rather than fleeing from it. Not an easy listen, but a rewarding one.
“Rock and Roll” and “Beginning to See the Light”
“Rock and Roll” is a cover, and it is a tribute to the genre that the Velvet Underground helped redefine. The song is fast and loose, with the band playing with energy and abandon. It is a reminder that the band could be playful, even when their subject matter was dark. The track is a joyous romp, and it is a welcome break from the heavier material.
The song “Beginning to See the Light” moves at a slower pace than usual, and it carries a message of hope. It speaks to finding purpose amid disorder, to perceiving light following a prolonged stretch of darkness. The band performs with a warmth seldom heard in their recorded output, and the piece comes across as truly uplifting. This track proves that the Velvet Underground did not confine themselves to despair alone; they possessed a gentler side, and this composition reveals it.
The Closer — “Heroin”
“Heroin” is the closer, and it is the most intense track on the record. The song is about addiction, and it is a brutally honest depiction of the experience. The track is built on a repetitive riff, and the band plays it with a relentless intensity. It is a song that demands attention, and it gets it. It is the track that made the Velvet Underground infamous, and it remains their most powerful composition.
The Record As A Whole
This is a strong album. It is not without its flaws, yet it remains a great one. The lesser tracks are merely modest rather than poor. However, the standout songs are genuinely excellent, and they ensure the record holds up across repeated listens. A band that pushed boundaries created it, and this release demonstrates precisely why that was the case. It stands as proof of a group unwilling to bend, and it captures a moment that permanently altered music.
This album stands as a touchstone of art-rock, shaping punk, garage rock, and krautrock alike. Critics agree it split audiences when it first appeared, yet it has since come to be seen as a landmark work. The music holds up to repeated listens, and it earns every bit of its reputation.
| Track | Length |
|---|---|
| Ocean | 5:15 |
| Too Much | 4:40 |
| Waiting for My Man | 5:38 |
| Lisa Says | 5:55 |
| What Goes On | 8:58 |
| Sweet Jane | 4:04 |
| We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together | 3:18 |
| Femme Fatale | 3:08 |
| New Age | 6:40 |
| Rock and Roll | 6:09 |
| Beginning to See the Light | 5:33 |
| Heroin | 8:14 |
This record stretches to 67 minutes, and every second of it is earned. It is a marathon rather than a sprint, demanding commitment from the listener. The payoff is real. The Velvet Underground were a band that demanded attention, and this record gives it to them.
This album repays careful, repeated listening. It demands attention, and it earns it. It changed music forever, and it stands as a document of a singular moment in time. It is not for everyone, but it is essential for anyone who cares about rock music’s history.
This record refuses ugliness and beauty alike, embracing both without shame. It is a work that fears nothing, choosing instead to be whatever it pleases. It is a record that is not afraid to be ugly, beautiful, or both at once, just as the Velvet Underground were never afraid to be themselves.
This is a great record, and it lives up to its reputation. It takes patience and repeated listens to fully appreciate it. It changed music forever, standing as a document of a moment that was entirely unique. Not everyone will be drawn to it, but anyone who cares about rock music’s history should consider it essential.
This album stands as proof of a band that would not bend to convention. The Velvet Underground refused to settle, and this recording captures a moment that altered music for good. It earns its renown, and it repays the effort spent listening to it again and again.
- Ocean5:15
- Too Much4:40
- Waiting for My Man5:38
- Lisa Says5:55
- What Goes On8:58
- Sweet Jane4:04
- We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together3:18
- Femme Fatale3:08
- New Age6:40
- Rock and Roll6:09
- Beginning to See the Light5:33
- Heroin8:14
