10 Best Experimental Rock Albums Of All Time
9. White Light/White Heat - The Velvet Underground
Most of the rock crowd had washed their hands of the Velvet Underground long before their debut album got its just due. Before being heralded as the classic precursor to everything from punk rock to alternative music, The Velvet Underground and Nico was one of the most unpolished and dangerous sounding recordings that didn't seem to have any place in rock and roll. Little did we know that The Velvets had not yet begun sounding unprofessional.
Compared to their first record, White Light/White Heat makes the Velvets early work look like it could have been made by Queen, complete with songs where everything is mixed horribly. You'd swear on some of these songs the lead instrument is distortion, especially when you hear Lou Reed sounding like he's barging in on the song Lady Godiva's Operation. Outside of the casual listen though, this was paving the way for what we would see later on.
As much as a tune like Sister Ray might seem like a lot to take in all at once, the brutal assault that you have to deal with over its 17 minutes definitely left an impression on the noise rock just a few years down the road. In that respect, White Light/White Heat isn't meant for your average house party. This is the kind of creepy music that you listen when you're in that pissed off mood and want to break something.