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Beyond the Velvet Underground
The story of the legendary 60s cult group in the words of Lou Reed, John Cale, Nico, and more.
- GenresMusic
96 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1989
21 people want to read
About the author
Dave Thompson
267 books42 followersEnglish author Dave Thompson has spent his entire working life writing biographies of other people, but is notoriously reluctant to write one for himself. Unlike the subjects of some of his best known books, he was neither raised by ferrets nor stolen from gypsies. He has never appeared on reality TV (although he did reach the semi finals of a UK pop quiz when he was sixteen), plays no musical instruments and he can’t dance, either.
However, he has written well over one hundred books in a career that is almost as old as U2’s… whom he saw in a club when they first moved to London, and memorably described as “okay, but they’ll never get any place.” Similar pronouncements published on the future prospects of Simply Red, Pearl Jam and Wang Chung (oh, and Curiosity Killed The Cat as well) probably explain why he has never been anointed a Pop Culture Nostradamus. Although the fact that he was around to pronounce gloomily on them in the first place might determine why he was recently described as “a veteran music journalist.”
Raised on rock, powered by punk, and still convinced that “American Pie” was written by Fanny Farmer and is best played with Meatloaf, Thompson lists his five favorite artists as old and obscure; his favorite album is whispered quietly and he would like to see Richard and Linda Thompson’s “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight” installed as the go-to song for the sad, sappy ending for every medical drama on TV.
Kurt Cobain, Phil Collins, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, David Bowie, John Travolta, Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne, Bob Marley, Roger Waters and the guy who sang that song in the jelly commercial are numbered among the myriad artists about whom Thompson has written books; he has contributed to the magazines Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Mojo and Melody Maker; and he makes regular guest appearances on WXPN’s Highs in the Seventies show.
However, he has written well over one hundred books in a career that is almost as old as U2’s… whom he saw in a club when they first moved to London, and memorably described as “okay, but they’ll never get any place.” Similar pronouncements published on the future prospects of Simply Red, Pearl Jam and Wang Chung (oh, and Curiosity Killed The Cat as well) probably explain why he has never been anointed a Pop Culture Nostradamus. Although the fact that he was around to pronounce gloomily on them in the first place might determine why he was recently described as “a veteran music journalist.”
Raised on rock, powered by punk, and still convinced that “American Pie” was written by Fanny Farmer and is best played with Meatloaf, Thompson lists his five favorite artists as old and obscure; his favorite album is whispered quietly and he would like to see Richard and Linda Thompson’s “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight” installed as the go-to song for the sad, sappy ending for every medical drama on TV.
Kurt Cobain, Phil Collins, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, David Bowie, John Travolta, Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne, Bob Marley, Roger Waters and the guy who sang that song in the jelly commercial are numbered among the myriad artists about whom Thompson has written books; he has contributed to the magazines Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Mojo and Melody Maker; and he makes regular guest appearances on WXPN’s Highs in the Seventies show.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 1, 2013
Given the number of books published since Beyond the Velvet Underground, it is little wonder that this one feels thin and rather underwhelming. For contemporary readers, this is not the book we read first about the Velvets, and everything in this book is elsewhere. So it feels pretty uninformative.
Part of the problem is that it is an oral history, similar to Bockris' Uptight: The Velvet Underground Story, yet smaller than Bockris' book and without a centralizing thesis. Oral histories obviously have the charm of direct quotes from the people involved. But the limitations are also rather apparent: why should we believe anything these people have to say? With contradictions and falsities so apparent, what is the point? Well, the lies say something too, as do the misconceptions and changing attitudes and positions. All of that can be fun. Thompson is having some fun with some of these quotes (my favorite from John Cale: "I'm not going to produce the Squeeze album. I'm growing sideburns."). But Thompson's approach also lacks a strong narrative drive. His patchwork is informative, but fairly sterile. Given his approach, it is almost to his advantage that the book is so short (you can easily read it in one or two sittings). But the shortness also works against it because there's so much he could have, should have added.
In its time, I think this would have been a reasonable introduction to the Velvets. Though to neglect the post-Velvets lives of Moe and Sterling just seems an obnoxious disservice to vital components to the VU's success. But that and it's other problems aside, this book would have been helpful. Unfortunately, it hasn't aged well.
Part of the problem is that it is an oral history, similar to Bockris' Uptight: The Velvet Underground Story, yet smaller than Bockris' book and without a centralizing thesis. Oral histories obviously have the charm of direct quotes from the people involved. But the limitations are also rather apparent: why should we believe anything these people have to say? With contradictions and falsities so apparent, what is the point? Well, the lies say something too, as do the misconceptions and changing attitudes and positions. All of that can be fun. Thompson is having some fun with some of these quotes (my favorite from John Cale: "I'm not going to produce the Squeeze album. I'm growing sideburns."). But Thompson's approach also lacks a strong narrative drive. His patchwork is informative, but fairly sterile. Given his approach, it is almost to his advantage that the book is so short (you can easily read it in one or two sittings). But the shortness also works against it because there's so much he could have, should have added.
In its time, I think this would have been a reasonable introduction to the Velvets. Though to neglect the post-Velvets lives of Moe and Sterling just seems an obnoxious disservice to vital components to the VU's success. But that and it's other problems aside, this book would have been helpful. Unfortunately, it hasn't aged well.
Displaying 1 of 1 review