The Velvet Underground’s third album was a complete surprise to the precious few who were following the band. Without John Cale, the band expressed a completely different sound, which was surely quite deliberate on the past of Lou Reed.

Compared to their previous work, and with only a few exceptions, this album is almost miraculously gentle and introspective. The exceptions to that rule are the least successful songs; “The Murder Mystery” is a (deliberately?) schizophrenic recording that seems to find Reed trying to ‘out-Cale’ John Cale’s input on the first two albums, and it falls flat, but the balance of the record represents some of the most accessible music ever made by The Velvet Underground.

Featured tracks:

Candy Says

What Goes On

Some Kinda Love

Pale Blue Eyes

Jesus

Beginning to See the Light

I’m Set Free

That’s the Story of My Life

The Murder Mystery

After Hours