‘I’m Waiting For The Man’: The ultimate entry point for The Velvet Underground
There are few things in music fandom more intimidating than getting into a legendary artists discography. Especially when that artist has a discography as large and varied as The Velvet Underground. It should be a lot easier than this. One should be able to just put on a record and see what all the fuss is about. That’s not always the case, though.
With The Velvets, an unsuspecting music fan just testing the waters has no idea what they’re in for. Let’s say a discerning 1975 fan spotted their debut record’s recent appearance on Matt Healy’s list of his favourite albums of all time. They pick a track at random and suddenly find themselves being blasted by ‘Heroin’ and its viola-assisted cacophonous noise breakdown.
I know that if I’d been assaulted by that particular aural nightmare when I was a budding indie kid, who felt that Crystal Castles were a bit too edgy for my tastes, I would have been scarred for life. So no, with a band like The Velvets, you’ve got to be introduced by someone in the know. Which presents its own set of problems.
You suddenly find yourself surrounded by highly opinionated anoraks like me. Suddenly, we’re strolling into your living room saying, “No, you should actually start with Loaded, cos the mix on self-titled is weaker than the locks on your front door-wait, why are you running?!” You need to find the right balance between an accessible entry point and something that genuinely presents the band as authentically as possible.
What is the best starting point for The Velvet Underground?
Personally, I think there’s only one song for this. The second track on The Velvet Underground And Nico, ‘I’m Waiting For The Man’. Everything that makes The Velvets so radical, so compelling and so important is here. What’s more, it’s wrapped up in a fairly standard driving rock song so any budding rock fan can turn it on and not be immediately put off by the depths of their avant-garde noise music.
Where other Velvets tracks present the band at their most aggressive and progressive, ‘I’m Waiting for the Man’ is seductive. John Cale’s pounding piano line combines with Sterling Morrison’s deliciously distorted rhythm guitar line to create a take on classic rock ‘n’ roll that’s simultaneously familiar yet shot through with a fresh, edgy energy.
Speaking of that edgy energy, this is also a song that (at the time of writing) will be 60 years old in two years that’s about rocking up to the dangerous parts of New York City to score some heroin. In frontman Lou Reed’s typically witty style, he said in a Rolling Stone interview regarding ‘I’m Waiting for the Man’ “Everything about that song holds true, except the price.”
Speaking of Reed, it’s also the song that portrays his cracked, idiosyncratic voice arguably better than any other on the album. Reed’s always been at his best when he’s acting as the leatherboy Artful Dodger. A mysterious figure from the streets, taking you by the hand on a trip through the seediest, most exciting and most alternative parts of the NYC underbelly.
The sly, conversational tilt of his delivery on ‘I’m Waiting for the Man’, with a mirthless smile playing on his lips at all times, can compel any listener no matter how familiar with The Velvets they are. Everything comes together for a ridiculously exciting listen, one that presents the best of both sides of the Velvets. The pop kids who worshipped The Stones and 1950s doo-wop, and the brash, cutting-edge artists who were decades ahead of their time.
So, if you’ve been looking for a way into The Velvet Underground but have been put off by the promises of 17-minute avant-garde noise freak-outs, ‘I’m Waiting for the Man’ is your best place to start. Give it a few spins and, sooner or later, you’ll find yourself turning on one of those aforementioned noise-rock masterpieces like ‘Sister Ray’. You may be shocked to find that despite everything, this time, you get it entirely.
