The Velvet Underground's White Light/White Heat is a rock masterpiece that sounds as if it were recorded in a machine shop, surrounded by speakers that were on the verge of blowing out. WL/WH, along with other Velvet Underground classics such as The Velvet Underground and Nico, is an album that many people say had a small following at first, but everyone who did listen to them went on to start bands of their own. VU has influenced a wide range of generations of loud and noisy rock bands -- from bands of the late 80's such as Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and Butthole Surfers, to virtually every "indie rock" band of today like the Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. \nThe Velvet Underground's fame appropriately began and grew during the underground art-rock scene of New York City in the late 1960's with its glamorous club kids, drugs and sexual experimentation. The pioneers of this era were visual artists like Andy Warhol, who produced The Velvet Underground and Nico, and Lou Reed, lead vocalist and guitarist for the Velvet Underground. \nWhite Light/White Heat was recorded in a span of only two days, which isn't too hard to believe if you've never heard it. It's raw and piercing, and one of the most persistent elements on the album is the feedback from the guitars. What made this album so special, along with many other Velvet Underground releases, was that it was revolutionary. It was punk, not in the traditional sense of imagery and style, but in the band's boorish lyrics and unconventional approach towards rock music. They laid down the foundation for noise rock, and it was unlike what other experimental bands did. Other bands of the 1960's may have experimented with sounds and music, but the Velvet Underground did so with things like distortion, frivolous sexual themes, spoken word and combinations of rock, blues, soul, and noise. Through the use of various instruments and sometimes things like everyday appliances, they produced sounds that were previously unheard. On the track "The Gift," John Cale recites a tale about the hardships of a long- distance relationship, making strong references to the sexual revolution of that time. Another track, titled "Sister Ray," is over 15 minutes long and features guitar parts that sound almost like police sirens. The opening track, "White Light/White Heat," is melodic at first and gets noisier as it progresses, and like the rest of the music on the album, Lou Reed's voice is raspy, but calm and cool.
\n--Will Hernandez
