# VU (album)

VU is an album by the American rock band the Velvet Underground, recorded in 1968 and 1969 and released sixteen years later in February 1985 by Verve Records. Some sources refer to VU as a compilation album, while music critic Robert Christgau called it an unofficial Velvets' studio album. Most avoid both of these labels, as well as other terms occasionally used when discussing the album such as archival album or collection of outtakes.
VU has been critically acclaimed both in contemporary and retrospective reviews.

## Background

When the Velvet Underground moved from Verve Records (which had released their first two albums) to parent company MGM Records, they signed a two-album deal, releasing their third album The Velvet Underground in March 1969. This was their first record with multi-instrumentalist Doug Yule, who replaced previous member John Cale. Later that same year there was a management change and MGM Records' new CEO, Mike Curb, was brought in to try to rescue the financially struggling label. He decided to purge the record company of its unprofitable acts. The Velvet Underground were already inclined to leave the label by then and would later sign with Atlantic Records, which released their fourth studio album Loaded.
The band had in the meantime recorded 14 tracks for possible release as their second MGM album. All of these were shelved and forgotten by their record company until the early 1980s. The band's drummer Moe Tucker later said:
   We didn't say we'll just go in and lay down anything and screw 'em. There was a sense that it probably wouldn't be released by them. I think I figured it would just get picked up by the next record company, not realizing that MGM would own it. But when we switched labels, MGM wouldn't give up the tapes.

## Release and contents

In the early 1980s, as Verve (by then an imprint of Polygram) prepared to re-release the band's three Verve/MGM albums on vinyl and CD, they found nineteen previously unreleased tracks: five Cale-era tracks and the 14 "lost album" tracks, some of them in two-track mixdown format, some of them even on multitracks. The cream of the nineteen tracks was released in 1985 as VU; the rest was released as Another View in 1986.
VU is a selection from the 1969 tracks as well as two previously unreleased Cale-era songs—"Temptation Inside Your Heart" and "Stephanie Says". Since most of the material was available on multitrack (only "Ocean" is included in its original 1969 mix), engineers were able to clean up and remix the tracks.
As the Velvet Underground moved from MGM to Atlantic, they re-recorded two of the songs on VU, "Ocean" and "I'm Sticking with You", for possible inclusion on Loaded. Neither made the cut, but six of the VU songs were recycled by the band's lead musician Lou Reed during his solo career: "I Can't Stand It", "Lisa Says" and "Ocean" on his debut album Lou Reed (1972); "Andy's Chest" on Transformer (1972); "Stephanie Says" (as "Caroline Says II") on Berlin (1973), and "She's My Best Friend" (which was originally sung by Doug Yule) on Coney Island Baby (1976).
VU is called a compilation album by some sources, an archival album by other, and a Velvets' unofficial studio album ("A Basement Tapes for the '80s") by Robert Christgau. Most avoid classifying the album in any of the mentioned categories. Mark Denning of AllMusic wrote:
   No one seems to know if the Velvet Underground were making an album or just cutting demos when they went into the studio in 1969 not long before their contract with MGM Records ran out -- even the members of the band didn't agree on the particulars years after the fact -- but when the tapes were rediscovered in Polygram's vaults in the early '80s, it led to the first major archival release from the Velvets since 1969: Velvet Underground Live, and one that was every bit as important.
VU peaked in the US at number 85, the band's best placing. As of October 2013, it had sold 90,000 copies according to Nielsen Soundscan.

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| All Music Guide: The Definitive Guide to Popular Music | |
| Christgau's Record Guide | A |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | |
| Rolling Stone | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 9/10 |
VU was ranked number 3 among the "Albums of the Year" for 1985 by New Musical Express. In the Pazz & Jop year-end critics poll, it was ranked the 12th best album of 1985. Robert Christgau placed it at number 6 on his "Dean's list" of the best albums of that year.
Village Voice rock critic Robert Christgau wrote, "It's goofy, relaxed, simultaneously conversational and obscure, an effect accentuated by the unfinished feel of takes the band never prepared for public consumption. As a result, especially given PolyGram's state-of-the-art remix, it's their most listenable record." Rolling Stone's David Fricke claimed that "V.U. captures the band at the height of its powers, refining the edginess of the early records with a polished, accessible sound that doesn't compromise its spirit of adventure."
In a minority opinion, Mick Farren of Spin wrote of the recordings, "As a piece of rock archeology, they are clearly invaluable, filling a crucial gap in the Velvet Underground canon. As a piece of entertainment — even a period piece — they provoke the feeling that, if it had been released in sequence, the album probably would have been greeted as an almost unqualified dog."
In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Mark Demming wrote, "The 1969 recordings on VU rank with some of the most accessible but potent rock & roll the Velvet Underground ever recorded; [...] 'I Can't Stand It,' 'Foggy Notion,' and 'One of These Days' are memorable, punchy rock tunes," and claimed that the music in this album "is a reminder that this band wasn't as alienating as many writers like to suggest; [...] they could also play tough but joyous rock & roll that made people want to dance." Richie Unterberger opined, "Many of the tracks were re-recorded by Reed on his early solo albums, and in every instance, The Velvets' versions are better."

## Track listing

All songs written by Lou Reed, except "Foggy Notion" by Reed, Sterling Morrison, Doug Yule, Maureen Tucker and Hy Weiss.
*The CD issue of VU omits the first few seconds of "Foggy Notion", which includes a practice guitar lick and the band members talking.
* All tracks appear on the box set Peel Slowly and See, except "She's My Best Friend", "Ocean" and "Andy's Chest". "Ocean" on Peel Slowly and See is a later version, recorded during the Loaded sessions April – June 1970.

## Personnel
### The Velvet Underground

* John Cale – viola, celesta and backing vocals on "Stephanie Says", bass guitar and backing vocals on "Temptation Inside Your Heart"
* Sterling Morrison – guitar, backing vocals
* Lou Reed – vocals, guitar
* Maureen Tucker – percussion, lead vocals on "I'm Sticking with You"
* Doug Yule – bass guitar, keyboards, lead vocals on "She's My Best Friend", backing vocals on "I Can't Stand It", "Lisa Says", "Foggy Notion", "One of These Days", "Andy's Chest", piano and backing vocals on "I'm Sticking with You", lead guitar on "One of These Days"

### Technical staff

* The Velvet Underground – producers
* Gary Kellgren – engineer
* Bill Levenson – compilation executive producer
* J. C. Convertino – compilation engineer

## Charts

VU is The Velvet Underground's highest charting album in the US, peaking at number 85 in the US Billboard charts on April 13, 1985. It remained in the Charts for 13 weeks. In the UK album charts, VU peaked at number 47 and stayed on the Top 100 for 4 weeks.