Rock's Most unheralded Influential Band

There is an old adage in rock-n-roll that the Velvet Underground only had about 200 fans but everyone of them started their own band. VU didn't sell very many in their heyday but they altered the course of rock-n-roll with their unique blend of rock and poetry. Everyone from David Bowie to REM to the Talking Heads has cited the Vu influence.

This band consisted of Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker. There blend of high brow low brow sensibility was a revelation. They managed to be raw and gruff while still being poetic. They did their mentor Andy Warhol proud.

Peel Slowly and See is a five disc box set that features all five VU albums as well as alternate takes. There is also a disc full of demos. Since this really covers their entire song, everything is here. There's "I'm Waiting for the Man", "Pale Blue Eyes", "All Tomorrow's Parties", "Venus in Furs" and "After Hours".

The list goes on and on. It even features a few songs like "Satellite of Love" that would later be utilized by Lou Reed in his long, storied solo career. There's an 18 minute version of "All Tomorrow's Parties" from an early demo. There are also several live tracks thrown in just for good measure.

This box set gets an A+ for its comprehensiveness. It also has great liner notes that reveal a lot of the underworkings of the band. Velvet Underground had a relatively short career but they managed to produce some amazing music that has lasted the test of time. This set is valuable for the timeless music and the historical value. If you like raw, poetic rock music you should plunk down the bucks for this package.