So, it would have been easy to think, “Well, it’s all over but the tears.” Piece by piece, the Velvet Underground fell apart and by 1970, it seemed as though the band and its members had run their course.

Part Nine in our series captures points in time when the various solo iterations of the band seemed to be struggling for an identity of their own, but they could never be more than a lukewarm version of what they achieved as a team. This is a low point for the Velvet Underground legacy, and yet it still contains some very interesting moments. Here, we focus on Lou Reed’s lukewarm solo debut, John Cale’s fragmented but interesting second release as a soloist, and the completely odd fifth ‘Velvet Underground’ album which really never amounted to anything more than Doug Yule’s poorly received solo exit from the limelight.

Featured tracks include:

Little Jack – “The Velvet Underground” 

Caroline – “The Velvet Underground”

She’ll Make You Cry – “The Velvet Underground”

I Can’t Stand It – Lou Reed

Lisa Says – Lou Reed

Wild Child – Lou Reed

Ocean – Lou Reed

Intro – John Cale

Days of Steam – John Cale

John Milton – John Cale

Over You (live) – The Velvet Underground

We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time – The Velvet Underground