Chronicles (Velvet Underground album)

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


Released = 1991
Recorded = 1966–1969, New York City, Hollywood and San Francisco, United States
Genre = Rock and roll
Length =
Label = Mercury Records
Producer = Andy Warhol, Tom Wilson, The Velvet Underground
Reviews = |
Last album = ""
(1989)
This album = "Chronicles"
(1991)
Next album = "What Goes On"
(1993)

"Chronicles" is a compilation album by The Velvet Underground. It was initially released for the Australian market by Mercury Records in 1991 as part of their "Startrax" series of budget compilations. The album was also made available in Europe.

About the album

"Chronicles" is a straightforward, budget-priced compilation drawn from the studio albums the band recorded for Verve Records and MGM Records and their one live album for Mercury Records (all of which by the time of compilation resided under the Polygram umbrella). The budget series approach left no scope for licensing tracks off the band's fourth studio album, "Loaded", which was recorded for Atlantic Records. The live versions of "Sweet Jane" and "Rock and Roll" were used instead.

In the early Nineties, demand was high for Velvet Underground compilations thanks to Lou Reed's creative renascence. Because of the budget pricing of the compilation, "Chronicles" was more popular than the contemporary full-price American/European Verve compilation "" (1989).

Track listing

All tracks performed by The Velvet Underground except † performed by The Velvet Underground and Nico. All tracks written by Lou Reed except "Sunday Morning" written by Lou Reed and John Cale.

# "Pale Blue Eyes" – 5:39
# "Beginning to See the Light" – 4:37
# "What Goes On" – 4:51
# "White Light/White Heat" – 2:45
# "Sunday Morning" – 2:50 †
# "I'm Waiting for the Man" – 4:45
# "Femme Fatale" – 2:36 †
# "Venus in Furs" – 5:05
# "Run Run Run" – 4:19
# "All Tomorrow's Parties" – 5:57 †
# "Heroin" – 7:09
# "I Can't Stand It" – 3:22
# "Stephanie Says' – 2:50
# "She's My Best Friend" – 2:45
# "Andy's Chest" – 2:48
# "Sweet Jane" "(live)" – 3:59
# "Rock and Roll" "(live)" – 6:04

(1-3) taken from "The Velvet Underground"; (4) taken from "White Light/White Heat"; (5-11) taken from "The Velvet Underground and Nico"; (12-15) taken from "VU"; (16-17) taken from "".

Personnel

The band

* Lou Reed – vocals, 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, piano, celesta, backing vocals (4-11, 13)
* Doug Yule – bass guitar, backing vocals, organ on "What Goes On", lead vocals on "She's My Best Friend" (1-3, 12, 14-17)

Additional musicians

* Nico – lead vocals on "Femme Fatale" and "All Tomorrow's Parties", backing vocals on "Sunday Morning"

Technical staff

* Andy Warhol – producer (6-11)
* Tom Wilson – producer (4-5)
* The Velvet Underground – producers (1-3, 12-17)

External links

* [http://members.aol.com/olandem/vu.html The Velvet Underground Web Page]
* [http://home.hetnet.nl/~macplurkis/vu/index.html Foggy Notion - a Velvet Underground Web Corner]