Only 15 people ever saw the VU, but ..feh bladda yah...

As for which band did the VU best...definitely the original Modern Lovers as heard on Precise Modern Lovers order.

He also thought Duran Duran made a better version of Perfect Day.

Hrmf. Reading backwards into Fargo Rock City from his more recent stuff makes him seem ever more like a *really* bitter nerd.

Did he really? BAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahahahahahahahaha....there's his opinion rendered moot, then.

BUT - the first line of his email is QUOTE:
"Bwahahahahaaaaa! (Evil laugh generated by knowledge that friends will drive themselves to the edge to figure out how this works.... ;-)"

..No laughter from me. Paranoia only... fuckin' hell.

that is definitely one of my top 10 couplets in rock but the Stooges Metallic KO "Louie Louie" is equally acceptable in my book.

My first ever exposure to Lou Reed was seeing the Artists Against Apartheid "(We Ain't Gonna Play) Sun City" video.. and he was just that cool dude with the sunglasses. I think this automatically disqualifies me from being able to wax metaphilosophical about the Reed/V.U. legacy.

Didn't the Velvets refuse to play NYC from 1967-1970?

YO LA TENGO

Lou Reed was the first person I ever heard mention Run DMC, many many years ago on 'The Old Grey Whistle Test'. If you look at Lou's 'heroes' - Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Don Cherry, Doc Pomus etc. - I don't think he actually has much interest in, or knowledge of, loud gtr rock bands (AFAIK, he's never 'jammed' w/, or even much acknowledged, yr Sonic Youths, Yo La Tengos, Lunas, Galaxie 500s etc. etc.) He's a 'Soul Man' (hence his duet w/ Sam Moore).

Oh, he did stick up for the Boss on 'Take No Prisoners' and dissed Patti Smith, so hey ho...

VU invented motorik with Sister Ray!
(Not totally sure about this. Please correct me if I'm wrong)
Neu! and Can both expanded and psychedelicised it. 'Mother Sky' is Can's best example. Then Can added a huge dose of James Brown, with some Miles Davis too. 'Soundtracks' is the album where you can hear the funkification/fusion process occurring.

btw someone should mention Spacemen 3

I hope he said something like "That 'Because the Night' song is fucking awful, typical bad Smith poetry".

Also, let Ned's Strokes reference be this thread's last (save THAT namedrop for the "is there anyone who sounds like the Jam nowadays?" thread).

I only brought the damn band up because of the Julian thing! Jeez!

I don't think you mean in terms of MUSICAL ethic here, so what exactly do you see as the VU ethic? Thats not to criticise this thread, but I have never (in my reasonably short exposure to them) seen the VU as having much of an ethic or aesthetic to begin with - that whole idea of music having purpose besides just the sound of it seemed to come later on. I could be wrong, as I said I don't know much about the Velvets really - but I'd be interested to know what people see as the aesthetic of the Velvet Underground.

Oh, and as far as Lou Reed endorsing Velvets-inspired bands, at the Grammys the other night he said something to Dave Grohl during their pre-award-presenting patter like "You've been in some pretty good bands too, Dave". It was monotone and he was obviously reading of the autocue though, so god knows if he meant it.

I DO mean musical .. but as a philosophy, not necessarily a sound. I mean pushing the envelope of what people are comfortable with.. and lyrics that get you to view ideas from a different angle (or view things you never wanted to view in the first place.)

I'm starting to think the Electric Eels were worthy.. They don't sound like the velvets really .. but they made a magnificent noise. ...and maybe Gang of Four, in terms of lyrics (5:45 being a good example.)