Brian Eno is MORE DARK THAN SHARK

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BBC OCTOBER 15, 2021 - by Emma Jones

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: THE BAND THAT MADE AN ART OF BEING OBSCURE

A quote often attributed to music producer Brian Eno is: "The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band."

The saying summarises the profound influence of The Velvet Underground, which included songwriter Lou Reed, guitarist Sterling Morrison, Welsh musician John Cale and drummer Moe Tucker. Along with German singer Nico, they are credited with inspiring generations of other artists, from David Bowie to Nirvana, Arctic Monkeys and U2.

Now Todd Haynes, the director of Oscar-nominated films including Carol and I'm Not There (about the life of Bob Dylan) has made a documentary about the music of the 1960s New York-based group.

Often shown in split screen, the film focuses heavily on the band's sound - their musical experimentation, their provocative lyrics - and how they were influenced by avant-garde cinema and contemporary art.

But although pop artist Andy Warhol was their manager and patron, Haynes agrees the band didn't win commercial success or critical acclaim at the time.

"They didn't sell records then," he agrees

"I think we've learned though to re-evaluate the value of art outside of market success. Often the thing that was lost in the shadows has the most endurance, and the thing that shone brightest and made the most money loses its meaning over time. I don't think you'll get a stronger example of that in rock 'n' roll than The Velvet Underground."