Gold (Velvet Underground album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Gold
Type = Compilation album
Artist = The Velvet Underground


Released = June 14, 2005
Recorded = 1966–1969, United States
Genre = Rock and roll
Length =
Label = Universal Music
Producer = Andy Warhol, Tom Wilson, The Velvet Underground
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kbfrxq8sldhe link]
*Pitchfork (9.3/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/22944-gold 6/21/2005] |
Last album = "The Very Best of the Velvet Underground"
(2003)
This album = "Gold"
(2005)
Next album =
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate covers
Type = Compilation album


Lower caption = "The Velvet Underground Story", European re-issue

"Gold" is a 2CD compilation album by The Velvet Underground. It was released for the North American market on June 14, 2005, by Polydor, the record label that oversees the band's Universal Music Group back catalogue.

About the album

The album is a regular best-of compilation, drawing from the band's first three albums, two outtake compilation and live album on Polydor Records and several co-owned labels (Verve, MGM and Mercury). It is notable for including four live tracks (previously available on ""), which most other compilations shied away from, but is unbalanced by the absence of "Loaded" and "Squeeze" tracks.

"Gold" does include two Nico solo tracks, co-written and played by Velvet Underground members Lou Reed, John Cale and Sterling Morrison, taken from her 1967 debut album for Polydor, "Chelsea Girl". Perhaps to lure fans who already own most of the material present, two songs off "VU" are included in their previously unavailable original 1968 mixes.

On May 29 2006, the album was re-issued in Europe as "The Velvet Underground Story" with different art work but featuring the same track listing.

Track listing

All tracks performed by The Velvet Underground except † performed by The Velvet Underground and Nico and ‡ performed by Nico. All titles written by Lou Reed except as noted.

Disc one

# "I'm Waiting for the Man"
# "Femme Fatale" †
# "Venus in Furs"
# "Run Run Run"
# "All Tomorrow's Parties" †
# "Heroin"
# "There She Goes Again"
# "I'll Be Your Mirror" †
# "Sunday Morning" (Reed, Cale) †
# "Chelsea Girls" (Reed, Morrison) ‡
# "It Was a Pleasure Then" (Reed, Cale, Päffgen) ‡
# "White Light/White Heat"
# "I Heard Her Call My Name"
# "Sister Ray" (Reed, Cale, Morrison, Tucker)

(1-9) taken from "The Velvet Underground and Nico"; (10-11) taken from "Chelsea Girl"; (12-14) taken from "White Light/White Heat".

Disc two

# "Temptation Inside Your Heart" "(alternate, original mix)"
# "Stephanie Says" "(alternate, original mix)"
# "Hey Mr. Rain" "(version one)" (Reed, Cale, Morrison, Tucker)
# "Candy Says"
# "What Goes On"
# "Some Kinda Love"
# "Pale Blue Eyes"
# "Beginning to See the Light"
# "Foggy Notion" (Reed, Morrison, Yule, Tucker, Weiss)
# "I Can't Stand It"
# "One of These Days"
# "Lisa Says"
# "New Age" "(live)"
# "Rock and Roll" "(live)"
# "Ocean" "(live)"
# "Sweet Jane" "(live)"

(1-2) first appearance, regular mixes available on "VU"; (3) taken from "Another View"; (4-8) taken from "The Velvet Underground"; (9-12) taken from "VU"; (13-16) taken from "".

Personnel

The band

* Lou Reed – vocals except as noted, guitar; piano on "Sunday Morning" and "White Light/White Heat"
* Sterling Morrison – guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals
* Maureen Tucker – percussion
* John Cale – viola, bass guitar, keyboards, celesta (disc 1; disc 2: 1-3)
* Doug Yule – bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals; lead guitar on "One of These Days" (disc 2: 4-16)

Additional musicians

* Nico – lead vocals on "Femme Fatale", "All Tomorrow's Parties", "I'll Be Your Mirror", "Chelsea Girls" and "It Was a Pleasure Then", backing vocals on "Sunday Morning"

Technical staff

* Andy Warhol – producer (disc 1: 1-8)
* Tom Wilson – producer (disc 1: 9-14)
* The Velvet Underground – producers (disc 2)