10 Great Albums You Didn't Understand The First Time
4. White Light/White Heat - The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground holds the award for the Best Band That People Got After The Fact. From their ramshackle debut to their more introspective later works, the band's experimentation with the song format shaped rock and roll in a way that not many other bands could.
Out of all the records of the band's early period, White Light/ White Heat remains the most chaotic recording the group had ever put to tape. At first listen, one wouldn't think that this is from a premier rock band, with its subpar sounding production and its lack of potent melodies throughout. At the same time, the record's strengths lie in its more experimental moments. Tracks like "The Gift" show Lou Reed's dark humor when conveying a story while songs like "Lady Godiva's Operation" shows John Cale using avant-garde techniques to provide an insane collage of sound.
While most listeners would be turned off by the 17 minute finale "Sister Ray," the song's journey through Hellish soundscapes remains one of the most influential moments of the 60's rock movement. Even if it wasn't greeted with praise, the right people were listening, with artists like David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Julian Casablancas showing it love for decades. It may not be the most pleasant listen at first, but without this album, rock's more ferocious subsects like punk and noise rock would look very different.