Velvet Underground reunites? Yes, as the video below reveals, three members of the legendary 1960s-70s art-rock band took part in a discussion of their legacy on stage at the New York Public Library “Live From the NYPL” series on Dec. 8.
Of the original members, frontman Lou Reed (picture above), bassist Doug Yule, and drummer Maureen Tucker all appeared at the event which sold out in four minutes, but courtesy of NPR radio station WNYC can be heard in its entirety for the untold millions of fans and admirers who were unable to attend. The VU members spoke with journalist David Fricke of Rolling Stone magazine. The fourth surviving member of the group, John Cale, was not present at the event. (Guitarist Sterling Morrison, who was also part of the original lineup, died in 1995.)
Arguably the New York City-based band, which was co-founded by Lou Reed and John Cale, was one of the most influential bands in rock music history. The iconic band rose to prominence in the mid-1960s when they were touted by the legendary artist Andy Warhol and performed at his landmark multidisciplinary artistic events. Their debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico was released in 1967, so named, as the band collaborated with a German singer, Nico. They are known for such signature songs as Heroin and Venus in Furs.
Additionally, as LimeWire Music blog notes, VU has released a new book entitled, The Velvet Underground: New York Art. It was published by Rizzoli and edited by Johan Kugelberg. It features photographs of the band taken by Andy Warhol, along with reproductions of handwritten lyrics by Lou Reed, press clippings, flyers and posters.
A photo of VU in their heyday can be seen here. A detailed synopsis of the events along with more pictures can be seen here.
The full audio of the Live From the NYPL event can be heard here. A video excerpt of the Velvet Underground reunion is below.
Photos: Rui M Leal / WENN, www.wenn.com
