Recent decades have witnessed the release of far more albums related to the Velvet Underground than the band itself issued during its too-brief existence. First came a career-spanning box and vastly expanded editions of each of the Lou Reed–led group’s four studio albums; and in just the past couple of years, we’ve seen the soundtrack from Hal Willner’s film, The Velvet Underground; I’ll Be Your Mirror, a multi-artist tribute; and Reed’s Words & Music, May 1965. Now there’s another must-hear collection, this one from The Feelies, a quintet that toured with Reed in 1989 and that—like Yo La Tengo, Galaxie 500 and countless other bands—was heavily influenced by his groundbreaking group.
The Feelies performing live in Brooklyn in 2019 (Photo from Wikipedia)
Recorded live in New Jersey in 2018 in conjunction with the opening of a Velvet Underground exhibition in the East Village, the 18-song, 72-minute set is called Some Kinda Love: Performing the Music of the Velvet Underground. The album, released on Nov. 10, 2023, draws on all four of the Velvets’ classic studio LPs and spotlights both its guitar-driven rockers and its sweet folky ballads.
From the group’s stunning debut come “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” “Sunday Morning,” “I’m Waiting for the Man,” “Run Run Run” and “There She Goes Again.” From White Light/White Heat, the Feelies deliver the title cut and “I Heard Her Call My Name.” The Velvets’ eponymous third LP is the source for “What Goes On,” “After Hours” and “That’s the Story of My Life,” while Loaded contributes “Sweet Jane,” “Rock & Roll” “New Age,” “Head Held High,” “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” and “Who Loves the Sun.” The remaining two cuts, “We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together” and “I Can’t Stand It,” first surfaced on the Velvets’ Live 1969 and Reed’s solo debut, respectively. Surprisingly, the set does not include “Some Kinda Love,” the 1969 track that gives this tribute album its title.
Granted, the Velvets’ original recordings are definitive, but this CD manages to be the next best thing to the impossible: a new live album from the original band. While retaining the spirit of the Velvets, the Feelies don’t hesitate to inject the music with a bit of their own personality—not to mention their high energy. The results are so good that you’re bound to wonder what they could have done with the many great Velvet Underground numbers that this set doesn’t include. How about a sequel, folks?
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