Dylan Jones' definitive oral history of The Velvet Underground draws on contributions from
remaining members contemporaneous musicians critics film-makers and the generation of
artists who emerged in their wake to celebrate not only their impact but their legacy which
burns brighter than ever into the 21st century. Rebellion always starts somewhere and in the
music world of the transgressive teen whether it be the 1960s of the 2020s The Velvet
Underground represent ground zero. Crystallizing the idea of the bohemian urban narcissistic
art school gang around a psychedelic rock and roll band - a stylistic idea that evolved in the
rarefied environs of Andy Warhol's Factory - The Velvets were the first major American rock
group with a mixed gender line-up they never smiled in photographs wore sunglasses indoors
and in the process invented the archetype that would be copied by everyone from Sid Vicious to
Bobby Gillespie. They were avant-garde nihilists writing about drug abuse prostitution
paranoia and sado-masochistic sex at a time when the rest of the world was singing about peace
and love. In that sense they invented punk. It could even be argued they invented modern New
York. And then some. Drawing on interviews and material relating to all major players from Lou
Reed John Cale Mo Tucker Andy Warhol Jon Savage Nico David Bowie Mary Harron and many
more award-winning journalist Dylan Jones breaks down the band's whirlwind of subversion and
in a narrative rich in drama and detail with an irresistible narrative pull proves why The
Velvets remain the original kings and queens of edge.
