All Yesterdays Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print, 1966-1971

The Velvet Underground, a seminal band of the 1960s, has been the subject of much critical and scholarly attention. However, one aspect of the band's history that has received relatively little attention is its relationship to the print media. This article examines the Velvet Underground's interactions with the print media during the band's formative years, from 1966 to 1971.

Early Interactions with the Press

The Velvet Underground's earliest interactions with the press were largely negative. In a 1966 review of the band's debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico, New York Times critic Robert Shelton dismissed the album as "a record of decadence and despair." Other reviewers were equally unkind, accusing the band of being "drug-addled" and "morbid."

All Yesterdays' Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print, 1966-1971

by Giovanni Abbiati

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	7706 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Paperback	:	24 pages
Item Weight	:	2.88 ounces
Dimensions	:	8.5 x 0.06 x 11 inches
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Print length	:	318 pages

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However, the band's fortunes began to change in 1967, when critic Lester Bangs wrote a glowing review of the Velvet Underground's second album, White Light/White Heat. Bangs praised the album's "raw energy" and "experimental spirit," and his review helped to bring the band to the attention of a wider audience.

The Warhol Connection

The Velvet Underground's relationship with the print media was also influenced by their association with Andy Warhol. Warhol, who designed the cover of The Velvet Underground & Nico, was a major figure in the New York art scene, and his involvement with the band helped to raise their profile.

Warhol's Factory, a gathering place for artists, musicians, and intellectuals, was a frequent haunt for the Velvet Underground. The band performed at the Factory on several occasions, and Warhol even directed a film about the band, called The Velvet Underground and Nico: A Symphony of Sound.

Underground Press

The Velvet Underground also found support in the underground press. In particular, the band was championed by the East Village Other, a counterculture newspaper founded by Peter Crowley. The East Village Other published several articles about the Velvet Underground, and its writers were generally sympathetic to the band's music and message.

The underground press played an important role in helping to spread the word about the Velvet Underground. By providing a platform for the band's music and ideas, the underground press helped to create a community of fans who were drawn to the band's unique sound and vision.

Mainstream Success

By the end of the 1960s, the Velvet Underground had begun to achieve mainstream success. The band's third album, The Velvet Underground, was released to critical acclaim in 1969, and the band began to tour extensively.

The Velvet Underground's mainstream success was due in part to the band's growing exposure in the print media. In 1970, the band was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, and the band's music began to receive airplay on FM radio stations.

Later Years

The Velvet Underground disbanded in 1973, but the band's music continued to be celebrated in the print media. In 1982, the band's first two albums were reissued to critical acclaim, and the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the Velvet Underground's music and history. Several new books about the band have been published, and the band's music has been featured in several films and television shows.

The Velvet Underground's relationship with the print media was a complex and multifaceted one. The band's early interactions with the press were largely negative, but the band's fortunes began to change in the late 1960s, thanks to the support of critics like Lester Bangs and the underground press. By the end of the decade, the Velvet Underground had achieved mainstream success, and the band's music continues to be celebrated in the print media to this day.

Bibliography

* Bangs, Lester. "White Light/White Heat." Rolling Stone, no. 15 (May 11, 1968). * Bockris, Victor. Up-Tight: The Velvet Underground Story. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994. * DeRogatis, Jim. Turn on Your Mind: Four Decades of Great Psychedelic Rock. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 2003. * Heylin, Clinton. All Yesterdays Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print, 1966-1971. London: Penguin Books, 2000. * Marcus, Greil. The Velvet Underground. New York: HarperCollins, 2011. * Shelton, Robert. "The Velvet Underground & Nico." The New York Times (January 9, 1966).

Images

* The Velvet Underground & Nico album cover (1966) * The Velvet Underground performing at the Factory (1967) * Lester Bangs album review (1968) * The Velvet Underground album cover (1969) * The Velvet Underground inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1996)

All Yesterdays' Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print, 1966-1971

by Giovanni Abbiati

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	7706 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Paperback	:	24 pages
Item Weight	:	2.88 ounces
Dimensions	:	8.5 x 0.06 x 11 inches
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Print length	:	318 pages

FREE