Everybody That You Knew Was Wrong

The Velvet Underground - Squeeze (1973)



Okay, I really think this record gets a bad rap. I guess the most obvious complaint is that it is not the Velvet Underground, or more specifically, Lou Reed isn't anywhere near this thing. There's no getting around that. But it does have Doug Yule. I happen to love the post-Yule Velvets, love the live bootlegs with him in the band, and love what he brought to the sound. If this was labeled fairly and released as a Doug Yule solo record, I think people would talk about it more. But they don't. So he released an album under the name of one of the most critically lionized bands in pop culture history, so what? (Eh...well, that IS pretty lame, but that isn't Yule's issue, that was manager Steve Sesnick's issue) So anyway, is there anything salvageable on here? I'm hearing some streetwise country rock, some ruff 'n' ready pub-rock. But it's soft, yet wiry version of these things with a heavy '50s influence. It's not authentic, it's weary and very much the sound of a city band. And some songs are pretty lightweight, but "Friends" could have easily been a song off of Loaded and "Jack and Jane" is a bit stilted at first, but the chorus is great. Just try to think of them as a cousin to Hackamore Brick, not a cash-in on the VU name.

Friends


Jack and Jane