“The Complete Matrix Tapes” is not an album meant to be played from start to finish. It is a box of artifacts, forty-three songs recorded live in San Francisco, and released in 2019. The Velvet Underground did not play these shows for an audience. They played them for themselves, and for the tape machine. That distance is the whole point.
The set runs 275 minutes across 43 tracks. It includes three full takes of “Heroin,” two of “Sweet Jane,” and two of “Sister Ray.” It also includes tracks that never made their way onto studio records, like “Sweet Bonnie Brown / Too Much,” and late-period favorites like “Ocean,” “Lisa Says,” and “New Age.” What it does not include is a single song repeated twice just because it fits the count.
Opening With “I’m Waiting for the Man”
The record opens with “I’m Waiting for the Man (version 1),” a 13-minute version that stretches out the band’s drug references further than any studio take. It is the longest track here, and it sets the tone: this is not a radio-friendly set. The song is followed by “What Goes On (version 1),” “Some Kinda Love (version 1),” and “Heroin (version 1),” the last of which runs 8:07 and sounds like a band still finding its footing with the material.
“Black Angel’s Death Song” and “Venus in Furs (version 1)” follow, both shorter and tighter than their counterparts later in the set. “There She Goes Again (version 1)” and “We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together (version 1)” keep the pace moving before “Over You (version 1)” and “Sweet Jane (version 1)” round out the first stretch. “Pale Blue Eyes” and “After Hours (version 1)” close the initial run of tracks, and they sound loose, unfinished, and alive.
The Second Half of the First Side
“I’m Waiting for the Man (version 2)” runs 6:33, a shorter take that still holds the drug references intact. “Venus in Furs (version 2)” and “Some Kinda Love (version 2)” follow, then “Over You (version 2).” “I Can’t Stand It (version 1)” is the longest of the bunch at 7:54, and it shows the band working through arrangements in real time.
“There She Goes Again (version 2)” and “After Hours (version 2)” are shorter, tighter versions of tracks heard earlier. “Sweet Bonnie Brown / Too Much” closes the first half of the record at 7:50, a track that never appeared on a studio release, and it stands as one of the set’s strongest moments.
The Long Takes
“Heroin (version 2)” runs 10:05, the longest take of the song here, and it shows the band fully comfortable with the material. “White Light/White Heat (version 1)” follows at 9:27, another long take that captures the song’s raw energy. “I’m Set Free” is a 4:48 breather before the set turns toward its longest pieces.
“We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together (version 3),” “Some Kinda Love (version 3),” and “There She Goes Again (version 3)” are shorter, tighter versions of familiar material. “Heroin (version 3)” runs 8:28, a solid middle-length take. Then comes “Ocean,” the 10:59 track that stands as one of the set’s high points, a long instrumental piece that shows the band at their most exploratory.
The Sister Ray Stretch
“Sister Ray (Part 1)” runs 19:40, and “Sister Ray (Part 2)” runs 17:34, together making up nearly a third of the total running time. These are the songs that defined the band’s reputation, and these takes are the fullest, most complete versions of them available anywhere.
“I’m Waiting for the Man (version 3)” closes the Sister Ray stretch at 5:31, a shorter take that still carries the drug references. “What Goes On (version 2)” and “Some Kinda Love (version 4)” follow, both shorter than their counterparts earlier in the set. “We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together (version 4)” rounds out this section, and “Beginning to See the Light” closes it at 5:30.
The Late Period
“Lisa Says,” “New Age,” and “Rock & Roll” carry the late-period material, each around six minutes long. “I Can’t Stand It (version 2)” runs 6:52, and “Heroin (version 4)” runs 8:18. “White Light/White Heat (version 2)” follows at 8:43, another long take of the band’s signature noise track. “Sweet Jane (version 2)” closes the record at 4:20, a shorter take of a song that had already been well established.
| Track | Length |
|---|---|
| I’m Waiting for the Man (version 1) | 13:07 |
| Heroin (version 2) | 10:05 |
| Sister Ray (Part 1) | 19:40 |
| Sister Ray (Part 2) | 17:34 |
| Ocean | 10:59 |
| White Light/White Heat (version 1) | 9:27 |
What Works and What Doesn’t
The best moments on “The Complete Matrix Tapes” are the ones where the band sounds unguarded, playing through material without a studio deadline pressing down on them. “Ocean,” “Sweet Bonnie Brown / Too Much,” and the Sister Ray stretch are the clearest examples of that freedom. The weaker moments are the tracks that repeat themselves, like the multiple versions of “We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together” and “Some Kinda Love.”
A comparison of the versions shows how the band worked through arrangements over time:
| Track | Version 1 | Version 2 | Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I’m Waiting for the Man | 13:07 | 6:33 | 5:31 | — |
| Venus in Furs | 4:38 | 5:11 | — | — |
| Some Kinda Love | 4:58 | 4:04 | 4:38 | — |
| Over You | 2:24 | 3:02 | — | — |
| I Can’t Stand It | 7:54 | — | — | 6:52 |
| Heroin | 8:07 | 10:05 | 8:28 | 8:18 |
| Sweet Jane | 5:12 | 4:38 | — | 4:20 |
The Verdict
“The Complete Matrix Tapes” is not for casual listeners. It is for fans who want to hear the Velvet Underground’s development unfold across dozens of takes, and for those who want the full versions of songs that were cut down in the studio. The record is uneven, but its peaks are higher than anything else in the band’s catalog.
It earns a score of 8 of 10.
- I’m Waiting for the Man (version 1)13:07
- What Goes On (version 1)8:53
- Some Kinda Love (version 1)4:58
- Heroin (version 1)8:07
- The Black Angel’s Death Song6:20
- Venus in Furs (version 1)4:38
- There She Goes Again (version 1)3:13
- We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together (version 1)3:20
- Over You (version 1)2:24
- Sweet Jane (version 1)5:12
- Pale Blue Eyes6:05
- After Hours (version 1)2:58
- I’m Waiting for the Man (version 2)6:33
- Venus in Furs (version 2)5:11
- Some Kinda Love (version 2)4:04
- Over You (version 2)3:02
- I Can’t Stand It (version 1)7:54
- There She Goes Again (version 2)2:50
- After Hours (version 2)2:30
- We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together (version 2)3:40
- Sweet Bonnie Brown / Too Much7:50
- Heroin (version 2)10:05
- White Light/White Heat (version 1)9:27
- I’m Set Free4:48
- We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together (version 3)3:15
- Some Kinda Love (version 3)4:38
- There She Goes Again (version 3)2:59
- Heroin (version 3)8:28
- Ocean10:59
- Sister Ray (Part 1)19:40
- Sister Ray (Part 2)17:34
- I’m Waiting for the Man (version 3)5:31
- What Goes On (version 2)4:31
- Some Kinda Love (version 4)4:03
- We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together (version 4)3:24
- Beginning to See the Light5:30
- Lisa Says6:00
- New Age6:28
- Rock & Roll6:54
- I Can’t Stand It (version 2)6:52
- Heroin (version 4)8:18
- White Light/White Heat (version 2)8:43
- Sweet Jane (version 2)4:20
