The pioneering New York rock band The Velvet Underground were amongst a handful of the most influential groups in popular music history. They seem to be a bit out of fashion these days so it would be nice to think that Todd Haynes new documentary, that can be found in cinemas and on Apple+, would go some way to changing that. However, I expect, the vast majority of the audience would be already committed fans.
It goes into great detail about the early days of the band and the time around the release of the incredible The Velvet Underground and Nico. The influence of Andy Warhol is put into its proper context, when compared to the real creative spark between Lou Reed and John Cale.
The later albums and Cale’s leaving are given a lot less time. Whilst the quality of the music deteriorated a bit, the story of that time is probably worthy of more scrutiny. But, this remains a good overview of the band and the remaining original members, Cale and Mo Tucker, are amongst an engaging array of talking heads that compensate for the lack of much archive footage.
Available in some cinemas and on Apple+
Rating: 7.5 out of 10