Drone Theater

I don't think Andy Warhol really knew how to work a camera, but he sure knew what to point it at. Hat tip to Open Culture. This most verite of documentaries is called A Symphony of Sound, an absurdly redundant (& very Warholian) title. Below that is VU's "Nothing Song" used as a soundtrack to another Warhol film.




Here's some more rare early Velvet Underground. I'm reminded of why The Velvet Underground & Nico is my favorite of their albums (and in my top 5 all time, probably). Lou Reed and John Cale are both geniuses and while Nico is far from a technically good singer, she has a strange sort of beauty- I can't think of a good word to describe it. It's like some ancient crag covered with mist.  No one band could hold these volatile elements together for long. I love all the other albums, but while it lasted the Reed/Cale collaboration was pure magic. The demo version of "Venus in Furs" is gorgeous. Cale sings it in a folk style not far removed from Simon & Garfunkel (musically, not lyrically; I'd love to hear S&G sing "taste the whip, now bleed for me"). The last piece, "Loop," is credited to VU, but I believe it's just John Cale.