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Title: This is THE V.U. album to own and love
Review: Forget "...& Nico." Yeah, VU's first album was retrospectively groundbreaking, but "The Velvet Underground" was the band at its peak. It has plenty of edge, but with plenty of pop moments, too. After "White Light, White Heat," this may sound like mellowing out. It is. But it's no mellowing out at the expense of great songwriting and almost singable (!) sounds. It isn't perfect: "The Murder Mystery" doesn't hold up to more than one listening, and "After Hours" works OK as an album closer but is otherwise mostly fluff. Beyond that, there is not a weak link on the album. The lead break on "What Goes On" alone is enough to justify owning it.
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