Rock and Roll: an Introduction to The Velvet Underground

Rock and Roll: an Introduction to The Velvet Underground is a compilation album by The Velvet Underground. It was released for the European market by Polydor on July 2, 2001 as part of their "An Introduction To" series of budget compilations.

About the album

Rock and Roll, named after one of the band's best-known songs, is a regular best-of album that consists mainly of songs off their three albums for Verve/M·G·M. Additionally, it features tracks from the 1985 outtakes compilation VU and two live tracks from the 1974 Mercury release 1969: The Velvet Underground Live. The two live tracks, "Sweet Jane" and "Rock and Roll" itself, stand in for their corresponding Loaded studio counterparts. These tracks could not be included since that album was released by another, non-Universal Music Group company, Atlantic Records, and the budget approach did not allow for licensing.

Apart from the fact that Loaded tracks could not be used, the compilation is a balanced affair that includes tracks both of the heavier avant-garde and the more accessible folk-pop sides that The Velvet Underground is known for, and includes tracks sung by Nico, Doug Yule and even John Cale.

Track listing

All tracks performed by The Velvet Underground except "I'll Be Your Mirror" performed by The Velvet Underground and Nico. All tracks written by Lou Reed except as noted.

1. "Temptation Inside Your Heart" – 2:30
2. "Rock and Roll" (live) – 6:03
3. "Lady Godiva's Operation" – 4:54
4. "Candy Says" – 4:03
5. "I'll Be Your Mirror" – 2:08
6. "Foggy Notion" – 6:38 (Reed, Morrison, Yule, Tucker, Weiss)
7. "Pale Blue Eyes" – 5:41
8. "White Light/White Heat" – 2:46
9. "Sweet Jane" (live) – 3:57
10. "Here She Comes Now" – 2:03 (Reed, Cale, Morrison)
11. "Some Kinda Love" – 3:38
12. "Stephanie Says" – 2:48
13. "There She Goes Again" – 2:37
14. "Run Run Run" – 4:20
15. "What Goes On" – 4:33
16. "Venus In Furs" – 5:11

(1, 6, 12) taken from VU; (2, 9) taken from 1969: The Velvet Underground Live; (3, 8, 10) taken from White Light/White Heat; (4, 7, 11, 15) taken from The Velvet Underground; (5, 13-14, 16) taken from The Velvet Underground and Nico.

Personnel

The band

• Lou Reed – vocals, guitar, piano
• Sterling Morrison – guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals
• Maureen Tucker – percussion
• John Cale – viola, bass guitar, backing vocals, celesta, lead vocal on "Lady Godiva's Operation" (1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12-14, 16)
• Doug Yule – bass guitar, organ, backing vocals, lead vocal on "Candy Says" (2, 4, 6-7, 9, 11, 15)

Additional musicians

• Nico – lead vocal on "I'll Be Your Mirror"

Technical staff

• Andy Warhol – producer (5, 13-14, 16)
• Tom Wilson – producer (3, 8, 10)
• The Velvet Underground – producers (1-2, 4, 6-7, 9, 11-12, 15)

External links

• The Velvet Underground Web Page
• Foggy Notion - a Velvet Underground Web Corner