The one hundred fourth album: #104 The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat
While we've previously listened to the Velvet Underground when paired with Nico, this album is them on their own, taking their own direction. The absence of Nico creates a rougher sound, and the longer songs have a looser feel to them. The second song already takes an unexpected turn - an eight minute long short story read out over a rock track. It's an interesting idea, certainly fitting with the art scene they were in, but it starts to drag halfway through, not giving anything extra. After that, the album falls into a more predictable rhythm, a wall of rock music with the same raw vocals and distortion that comes out stronger in the 17 minute long Sister Ray, a part improvised single take piece of music that drones on in a constant and consistent tone. It's noise, but in a way that sounds good, at least for the genre this is in.