The Velvet Underground - Live MCMXCIII (Full Album)

 YouTube uploader Lifeofinconsistency writes this about this contribution:


1. Venus In Furs -- 0:00
2. Sweet Jane -- 5:30
3. After Hours -- 10:53
4. All Tomorrow's Parties -- 13:36
5. Some Kinda Love -- 20:13
6. The Gift -- 29:20
7. Rock and Roll -- 39:54
8. I'm Waiting for the Man -- 46:05
9. Heroin -- 51:21
10. Pale Blue Eyes -- 1:01:02

In late 1992, the Velvet Underground 1965--1968 core line-up of Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker suddenly decided to reform. The decision was entirely unexpected because the relationship between Reed and Cale had been sour ever since the late 60s, and though it had ameliorated after back catalogue royalty renegotiations in the mid-80s, it had hit another low after their 1990 collaboration Songs for Drella.

Nevertheless, an impromptu one-song reunion in Jouy-en-Josas, France, later that year for an Andy Warhol exhibition set the scene and by 1993, the band had started to rehearse for European and American tours. Lou Reed's then-current record company, Sire Records, agreed to release a live album from the European tour, and ambitious plans were made for both an MTV Unplugged appearance with accompanying album and a subsequent studio album.

Two key people did not participate in the reunion: sometime singer Nico, who had died in 1988; and latter-day bassist/keyboard player Doug Yule, whom Sterling Morrison would have liked to participate but who was vetoed out by Reed and Cale. Yule later stated that, although he would have liked being considered at least, he would have declined anyway because of family priorities.

During the European tour, relationships quickly soured again and by the end of the tour all other plans were off, never to rematerialise. The band's latest breakup proved final when Sterling Morrison died in the summer of 1995.

Both the tour and the album met with mixed reviews. The public and the critics were split into two camps: those that did not want to spoil their vision of the image that the band had since the 60s and those that wanted to see the legendary four back together on stage and see whether they could still be relevant. Reviews reflected the views of the two camps.