Doom & Gloom From the Tomb

Move Right In: The Velvet Underground at the Boston Tea Party, 1968-1969

Since I mentioned these shows in the Modern Lovers post, I thought I’d share this homemade comp of my favorite VU performances at the Boston club that served as their home away from home in the late 1960s. These tapes have circulated for years, but a few months ago, the master reels were made available, and — though they’re far from an audiophile experience — they’re much more listenable now. The music here more than makes up for the 40+ year old tape hiss, trust me. You can get all the shows (in FLAC, no less) over here, but if you just want to dip your toes in the water, this comp will suffice. For the most part, the 80 minutes worth of tunes I’ve selected here showcase the raucous, guitar-heavy side of the Velvets, partly because that’s the side I’ve been digging more lately, and partly because I think the recording quality is a little better on the loud songs. You’ve got killer versions of “Foggy Notion,” “Waiting For The Man,” “Run Run Run,” “I Can’t Stand It,” and, of course, an epic, utterly demonic “Sister Ray,” along with lesser-played tracks like “Ferryboat Bill,” and “I’m Gonna Move Right In.” The exception to the loud/fast vibe here is the morphine-drip “Pale Blue Eyes,” which features a truly remarkable Lou Reed vocal and an equally perfect Sterling Morrison guitar solo. It’s a gem. This is of course, the Doug Yule era of the VU, and while they may not have been making music quite as bold and revolutionary as during the John Cale days, there’s an argument to be made that they were a better rock ‘n’ roll band with Doug in the group. So settle back, turn it way up, and get ready for a wild ride through the underground.

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