7. The Velvet Underground & NicoThe Velvet Underground and Nico

I listened to this a lot, what I found interesting about The Velvet Underground, like with Andy Warhol’s cover, was that they felt more like an art group than a band. It perhaps wasn’t as radical in its production, but felt a bit more organic. During this period, I was listening to a lot of improvised music too, like free jazz – there was a big East German free jazz scene, for whatever reason. I found free jazz really interesting in that it didn’t re-create a song, but created something new, live. I felt like I could hear this kind of approach on this record in the way different people reacted and responded to one another. Along with the viola, which I think John Cale played, they probably looked more like a folk band. I liked this atmosphere, and of course now it’s become a classic.