The guitarists who inspired the signature sound of The Velvet Underground
Many speak of bands who transcended musical boundaries of the time, but very few came as close to doing so as The Velvet Underground. Despite their relatively short existence and delayed commercial success, the New York-formed rock band are credited for exploring new sonic territories never before touched.
The combinational elements of avant-garde and drone music often feature dynamic blends of electric guitars, driving bass lines, distinctive drum patterns, and atmospheric keyboards. Their influence has often been likened to that of The Beatles – and many alternative and indie bands continue to hold tropes of The Velvet Underground and directly credit their mastery when asked about influences.
The wave of alternative music wasn’t really a mass movement until many years after the band formed, and so not only were they ahead of their time, but it also accrued delayed widespread critical acclaim of albums that have since gone down in history, like The Velvet Underground & Nico and White Light/White Heat.
Now, however, the band’s sound has become iconic. The use of guitar sounds, in particular, has become intrinsic to studying their musicianship. There were a handful of talented guitarists during the 1960s that gleaned the attention of many rising artists: they certainly caught the attention of the band’s singer Lou Reed, who quickly developed a lifelong fascination with guitar gear. Some found that odd, though, because how could the Godfather of Punk and an icon of the avant-garde have such an interest in guitarists of the past? It made sense, though, because it only added to the mystique and boundary-pushing nature of his artistic persona. After all, Lou Reed was never one to conform to expectations.
In the ’60s, Reed’s musical influences ranged from avant-garde artists like Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman to guitar players like James Burton and Steve Cropper. This eclectic mix of inspirations speaks to his ambition and willingness to reach for something powerful. Burton, in particular, played with some of the biggest names in the business – Elvis Presley being one – and created a sound that was well sought after. He had a fluidity and precision that pricked up the ears of people like Lou Reed.
Reed himself never proclaimed himself to be an expert in reading or writing music. In fact, he openly admitted that he couldn’t, but what he did have was an ear for it. He had an intuitive understanding of sound and a keen ear for experimentation. And then, recognising the power of all the moving parts working together in tandem, these players formed a huge basis of Reed’s – and The Velvet Underground’s – foundations.
The band’s sound was about how it all comes together, and the guitarists he admired symbolised just that. “It’s not all about soloing,” Reed said in a 1998 interview with Guitar World. “It’s about those parts that guys like Burton and Cropper played. And the Velvet Underground, we were about parts. Although some of the solo work grew out of having discovered feedback on electric guitar and liking that.”
The Velvet Underground’s sound is all about creating something that’s holistically gritty and distorted. It’s rare that guitars are singled out in their music as the sole centrepiece. In one of their most renowned masterpieces, ‘Heroin’, the hearty Gretsch guitar sounds come through in rich tones and heated rhythms. Even the more upbeat tracks like ‘Run Run Run’ showcase a sound entrenched in the grooves of a guitar, but not entirely led by it.
