rather interesting longish review of a new book on the velvet underground.

it juxtaposes the velvet underground with grateful dead. they both started at the same time with first releases in 1967, they were both from a coast (from fringes of the usa), both had a penchant for long improvisational pieces, both were into drugs (gd into lsd, vu into amphetamines and heroin), both had an art background (gd with kesey, vu with warhol) and they even shared the same name in the beginning, something i didn't know. they called themselves warlocks. and they were! but there was a third band already in existence with this name and they had to choose different ones.

grateful dead were the ultimate hippie band, velvet underground the ultimate rock'n' roll meets avantgarde group. whereas in the 60s the dead were clearly more influential, it changed later on (think punk). the dead were more about nature, about being on the road, the velvets more about being stuck inside your flat, more about the dark side of the city/the human nature. the dead (i relistened to live/dead) had this folky way of singing in inoffensive, high-pitch voice about fairy taleish subjects in a florid language. it always turned me off. and still does. prog is looming in there. the style i loved to death in my adolescence. but i can suddenly totally understand that the jamming was so attractive in the late 60s. and had this communal (i think i mean collective but i hate that word) appeal. if i had been there i would have been a deadhead myself, i guess. if only to meet neal cassady. even totally bummed out.