Peel Slowly and See

Infobox Album |
Name = Peel Slowly and See
Type = Box set
Artist = The Velvet Underground


Released = September 26, 1995
Recorded = July 1965-August 23, 1970
Genre = Rock
Length = 379:34 (6:19:34)
Label = Polydor
Producer = Andy Warhol, Tom Wilson, The Velvet Underground, Geoff Haslam, Shel Kagan
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:mmez97bkkrrt link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/301418/review/5942648/peelslowlyandsee link] |
Last album = "Live MCMXCIII"
(1993)
This album = "Peel Slowly and See"
(1995)
Next album = ""
(2000)

"Peel Slowly and See" is a five-disc box set of material by The Velvet Underground. It was released in September 1995 by Polydor.

About the album

The set includes all four Velvet Underground albums from the Lou Reed-era line-up. "Squeeze", nominally the band's fifth album, was recorded after Reed's departure from the band and is not included in this set. The band's third, self-titled album is presented in its infamous "closet mix", that is, Lou Reed's remixed version of the album that features a cramped, closed-in sound with more emphasis on vocals. The band's fourth album, "Loaded", is presented with "full-length versions" of two of its tracks, "Sweet Jane" and "New Age".

A number of other rarities are also included: demo recordings and live performances, some of which were bootlegged, some of which were never released.

"Rolling Stone" journalist David Fricke provided extensive liner notes in an accompanying book, which also pictured many Velvet Underground memorabilia from the collection of guitarist Sterling Morrison.

"Peel Slowly and See" has been voted the greatest compilation album of all time by users at Rate Your Music. [ [http://rateyourmusic.com/release/comp/the_velvet_underground/peel_slowly_and_see/ Peel Slowly and See by The Velvet Underground : Reviews and Ratings] at Rate Your Music]

Track listing

All tracks written by Lou Reed except as noted.

All tracks performed by The Velvet Underground except † by The Velvet Underground and Nico; and ‡ by Nico.

Disc one

# "Venus in Furs" "(demo)" – 15:33
# "Prominent Men" "(demo)" – 4:53 (Reed, Cale)
# "Heroin" "(demo)" – 13:34
# "I'm Waiting for the Man" "(demo)" – 9:50
# "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" "(demo)" – 15:50
# "All Tomorrow's Parties" "(demo)" – 18:26

(1-6) first appearance.

Disc two

# "All Tomorrow's Parties" "(single version)"† – 2:49
# "Sunday Morning" † – 2:54 (Reed, Cale)
# "I'm Waiting for the Man" – 4:38
# "Femme Fatale" † – 2:37
# "Venus in Furs" – 5:10
# "Run Run Run" – 4:19
# "All Tomorrow's Parties" † – 5:58
# "Heroin" – 7:10
# "There She Goes Again" – 2:39
# "I'll Be Your Mirror" † – 2:12
# "The Black Angel's Death Song" – 3:12 (Reed, Cale)
# "European Son" – 7:47 (Reed, Cale, Morrison, Tucker)
# "Melody Laughter" "(live edit)" † – 10:43 (Reed, Cale, Morrison, Tucker, Päffgen)
# "It Was a Pleasure Then" ‡ – 8:02 (Reed, Cale, Päffgen)
# "Chelsea Girls" ‡ – 7:24 (Reed, Morrison)

(1) taken from the "All Tomorrow's Parties" single; (2-12) taken from "The Velvet Underground and Nico" (entire album); (13) first appearance; (14-15) taken from "Chelsea Girl".

Disc three

# "There Is No Reason" "(demo)" – 2:12 (Reed, Cale)
# "Sheltered Life" "(demo)" – 2:52
# "It's All Right (the Way That You Live)" "(demo)" – 2:48 (Reed, Cale)
# "I'm Not Too Sorry (Now That You're Gone)" "(demo)" – 2:17 (Reed, Cale)
# "Here She Comes Now" "(demo)" – 2:46 (Reed, Cale, Morrison)
# "Guess I'm Falling in Love" "(live)" – 4:10 (Reed, Cale, Morrison, Tucker)
# "Booker T." "(live)" – 6:30 (Reed, Cale, Morrison, Tucker)
# "White Light/White Heat" – 2:45
# "The Gift" - 8:17 (Reed, Morrison, Cale, Tucker)
# "Lady Godiva's Operation" – 4:54
# "Here She Comes Now" – 2:02 (Reed, Cale, Morrison)
# "I Heard Her Call My Name" – 4:46
# "Sister Ray" – 17:27 (Reed, Cale, Morrison, Tucker)
# "Stephanie Says" – 2:49
# "Temptation Inside Your Heart" – 2:30
# "Hey Mr. Rain" "(version one)" – 4:40 (Reed, Cale, Morrison, Tucker)

(1-7) first appearance; (8-13) taken from "White Light/White Heat" (entire album); (14-15) taken from "VU"; (16) taken from "Another View".

Disc four

# "What Goes On" "(live)" – 5:34
# "Candy Says" – 4:04
# "What Goes On" – 4:35
# "Some Kinda Love" – 3:39
# "Pale Blue Eyes" – 5:42
# "Jesus" – 3:24
# "Beginning to See the Light" – 4:47
# "I'm Set Free" – 4:04
# "That's the Story of My Life" – 2:02
# "The Murder Mystery" – 8:55
# "After Hours" – 2:09
# "Foggy Notion" – 6:47 (Reed, Morrison, Yule, Tucker, Weiss)
# "I Can't Stand It" – 3:22
# "I'm Sticking with You" – 2:28
# "One of These Days" – 4:00
# "Lisa Says" – 2:57
# "It's Just Too Much" "(live)" – 2:59
# "Countess from Hong Kong" "(demo)" – 3:17 (Reed, Cale)

(1, 17-18) first appearance; (2-11) taken from "The Velvet Underground" (entire album, alternate closet-mix); (12-16) taken from "VU".

Disc five

# "Who Loves the Sun" – 2:45
# "Sweet Jane" "(full-length version)" – 4:06
# "Rock and Roll" – 4:43
# "Cool It Down" – 3:04
# "New Age" "(long version)" – 5:07
# "Head Held High" – 2:56
# "Lonesome Cowboy Bill" – 2:43
# "I Found a Reason" – 4:15
# "Train Round the Bend" – 3:21
# "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" – 7:25
# "Satellite of Love" – 2:58
# "Walk and Talk It" – 2:23
# "Oh Gin" – 2:44
# "Sad Song" – 3:30
# "Ocean" – 5:43
# "Ride into the Sun" – 3:20 (Reed, Cale, Morrison, Tucker)
# "Some Kinda Love" "(live)" – 10:22
# "I'll Be Your Mirror" "(live)" – 2:06
# "I Love You" – 2:03

(1-10) taken from "Loaded" (entire album; first appearance of 2, 5 in "original" versions); (11-17, 19) first appearance; (18) taken from "Live at Max's Kansas City".

Personnel

The band

* Lou Reed - voice, guitar, piano, harmonica
* John Cale - bass guitar, viola, keyboard instruments (discs 1-3); lead vocal on "The Gift" and "Lady Godiva's Operation"; organ and viola on disc 5, track 15
* Sterling Morrison - guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals, co-vocal on "The Murder Mystery"
* Maureen Tucker - percussion (discs 2-5), lead vocal on "After Hours" and "I'm Sticking with You"
* Doug Yule - bass guitar, keyboards, guitars, drums (disc 4-5); lead vocal on "Candy Says", "Who Loves the Sun", "New Age", "Lonesome Cowboy Bill", "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'", "Ride into the Sun" and "I'll Be Your Mirror" "(live)".

Additional musicians

* Nico - lead vocal on "All Tomorrow's Parties" (both single and LP versions), "Femme Fatale", "I'll Be Your Mirror", "Melody Laughter", "It Was a Pleasure Then" and "Chelsea Girls"; backing vocals on "Sunday Morning"
* Adrian Barber - drums on "Who Loves the Sun" and "I Found a Reason"
* Tommy Castanaro - drums on "Cool It Down" and "Head Held High"
* Billy Yule - drums on "Lonesome Cowboy Bill", "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'", "Ocean", "Some Kinda Love" "(live)" and "I'll Be Your Mirror" (live).

Technical staff

* The Velvet Underground - producers (disc 1; disc 3: 1-7, 14-16, disc 4, disc 5: 17-18)
* Andy Warhol - producer (disc 2: 1-12)
* The Velvet Underground and Nico - producers (disc 2: 13)
* Tom Wilson - producer (disc 2: 14-15, disc 3: 8-13)
* Geoff Haslam, Shel Kagan and The Velvet Underground - producers (disc 5: 1-10, 15-16)
* Adrian Barber - producer (disc 5: 11-14, 19)
* Brigid Polk - engineer (disc 5: 17-18)

References