Recording and manufacturing

Throughout 1969, the Velvet Underground toured the US and Canada, enjoying nicely over 70 dates.^[8] By this time, the band had picked up a sizeable fan base and every so often a fan would carry alongside, with consent of the band, recording gear to document a set.

More often than not, this could imply comparatively easy hand-held recorders leading to lo-fi viewers recordings. On two events, nonetheless, skilled gear was used. On October 19, 1969, within the Finish of Cole Ave. membership, Dallas, a fan who occurred to be a recording engineer introduced alongside his skilled gear; and in November at The Matrix in San Francisco, the band was given permission to make use of the in-house four-track recording desk.

The band got two-track mixdown tapes from the recordings for reference, however nothing was performed with them till 1974, after the band had dissolved and Lou Reed had change into nicely referred to as a solo artist. In response to bassist Doug Yuletide, “The discharge of 1969 Reside… was began by Steve Sesnick [former band manager], who had the tapes and was attempting to promote them to get cash for himself claiming that he owned the [band] identify and the rights to the album… Someway someone else acquired concerned and contacted different folks within the group and principally Sesnick acquired performed. [Lou Reed’s management] took the tapes and mentioned ‘It is not yours’ and launched it”.^[9]

The mixdown tapes had been submitted to Mercury Information, who agreed to launch a compilation of the perfect performances as a double album. The compiling was performed by music critic Paul Nelson, who on the time was working in A&R (artists and repertoire) at Mercury. When 1969 was launched, it instantly turned topic of a lawsuit as The Matrix’s administration had by no means given permission for his or her materials for use on a industrial launch. The matter was settled out of court docket.

The tracks on 1969 are for essentially the most a part of good sound high quality, ensuing from four-track recording gear getting used. A number of the tracks function gentle crackling, nonetheless, as they had been sourced from acetates, the unique tapes having been misplaced. The CD launch is worse on this regard, as it seems that some tracks had been sourced from a vinyl copy of the album. There may be little atmosphere or viewers sound, nonetheless, as a result of no viewers mic was used and so the one atmosphere the listener will get is what little the vocal and drum mics picked up. This makes the document sound comparatively flat and small and makes it appear that solely a handful of individuals had been current.

On the time of the album’s launch, three of its songs (“We’re Gonna Have a Actual Good Time Collectively”, “Over You” and “Candy Bonnie Brown”/”It is Simply Too A lot”) had by no means been launched in any type, two (“Lisa Says” and “Ocean”) had been beforehand solely recognized from the variations on Reed’s debut solo album, and “New Age” and “Candy Jane” had been radically completely different from the eventual Loaded studio variations. As well as, a lot of the remainder of the album lends credence to a well-liked saying in regards to the band—that they’d not (or couldn’t) play a tune the identical approach twice. Particularly, “I am Ready for the Man” (right here referred to as “Ready For My Man”) is carried out in a country-rock method; “Femme Fatale” is louder and extra aggressive, and “White Gentle/White Warmth” is prolonged from two-and-a-half minutes to over eight minutes of avant-garde guitar improvisation. The album can also be notable for that includes songs sung by completely different singers from the album variations: Reed sings “New Age” (later sung by Yuletide on Loaded) and “Femme Fatale” (initially sung by Nico) and Yuletide sings “I am going to Be Your Mirror” (additionally initially by Nico).

The album contained liner notes by Paul Nelson and by singer/songwriter Elliott Murphy. Regardless of being current within the gatefold photograph with Reed, Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker at The Manufacturing facility, John Cale doesn’t function on the album.

Observe itemizing

Unique LP

All tracks written by Lou Reed.

Compact disc

Notes on CD releases

When issued on CD by PolyGram in 1988, the double album (which all the time bought for the value of a single album) was cut up into two budget-priced CDs. As denoted in daring above, every CD accommodates one beforehand unreleased bonus observe not on the unique launch. Many tracks, particularly “Starting to See the Gentle” and “Over You”, seem like recorded straight from a vinyl version of the album (versus being from the identical unique sources used to compile the preliminary LP launch).^{[citation needed]}

The whole grasp tapes for the Matrix reveals had been rediscovered within the 2010s and have been remixed and remastered as 2015’s The Full Matrix Tapes, which, as implied by the title, options the unexpurgated Matrix recordings over 4 compact discs.

Personnel

The Velvet Underground

• Sterling Morrison – guitar, vocals
• Lou Reed – vocals, guitar
• Maureen Tucker – percussion
• Doug Yuletide – bass guitar, organ, vocals