As a fan, I rate this higher than your average listener probably would. For me it's essential although VU, their other compilation of non-album tracks, is much more so. I can understand why someone might accuse the Velvet's instrumentation of being rudimentary or why they might dislike Lou Reed's occasionally (and gleefully) overextended voice. But the Velvet Underground is loved for being raw, unflinchingly real, positively fearless and sometimes even darkly humorous. Lou Reed wrote about whatever he wanted including the drug life and other subjects that guaranteed alienation from the mainstream of the 60s. Today, the world has finally caught up with them and they've even been inducted into the Rock n Roll hall of fame.

"We're Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together" - a perfect opener, this one is very upbeat and straight to the point. Spirited strumming, hand claps and "Na, na, nas" all add to the fun. *****

"I'm Gonna Move Right In" - a laid-back and groovy shuffle, this instrumental track showcases Sterling Morrison's ample improvisational skills. Someone pointed out to my initial surprise that VU were occasionally similar to their perceived musical opposites The Grateful Dead. I dare say it's true, the main justification for that comparison being Mr. Morrison's playing. *****

"Hey Mr. Rain (version 1)" - If New York City art-punks were prone to rain dancing during times of draught, this is what they might play: a strange loping tune with trippy viola from original Velvet John Cale. ***1/2

"Ride Into The Sun" - This track is simplicity itself and exquisitely pretty. Quite different from the song it would later become with vocals by Doug Yule who became Cale's replacement. The version with the Yule vocal appears on the PEEL SLOWLY AND SEE box set and is very good as well. At this stage, "Ride" is an instrumental sounding a bit like a variation of the classic "Sweet Jane" which shares some of the same chords. ****1/2

"Coney Island Steeple Chase" - a decent rocker, but far from their best. I have a strange suspicion that majorly altered states of some kind were involved in this recording due to the general lazy feeling about it. But for all I know "altered states" were an integral part of all their records . . . ***

"Guess I'm Falling In Love" - one of their hardest rockers. Too bad they never laid down the original vocals with this recording, but it's still great. ****1/2

"Hey Mr. Rain (version 2)" - similar to version one but better due to a quicker pace, more insistent vocals, additional guitar flourishes and a more intense stab at viola from Cale. ****

"Ferryboat Bill" - A thumping little keyboard driven oddity that churns along until it's repeatedly interrupted by a couple bars of doo-wop style "do-n-do-dos." As a curiosity I like it, but can't objectively rate it too high. **1/2

"Rock n Roll" - a worthy alternate version from the one that appeared on LOADED featuring a crystalline guitar despite the rather poor recording quality found on this song as well as most others on ANOTHER VIEW -- but the Velvets were avid experimenters and that often extended to the recording process itself. You gotta accept the occasional shortcomings in their quest for sonic genius which they accomplished more often than not. ****1/2

An aside: as an obsessive Velvethead, I like to mull over the "Great Lost Velvet Album" that might have been. The band has a great wealth of non-album tracks to choose from. I think my version of the ultimate "Lost Album" could have/would have been as good as any official album they released! Just for the fun of it, here it is:

Love's Labour's Lost VU

Side 1

We're Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together

Guess I'm Falling In Love (instrumental version)

I Can't Stand It (PEEL SLOWLY AND SEE remaster)

Lisa Says (PSAS remaster)

Sad Song

Foggy Notion (PSAS remaster)

Ride Into The Sun (PSAS version)

Side 2

One Of These Days (PSAS remaster)

Hey Mr. Rain (version 2)

Walk It, Talk It

She's My Best Friend

Satellite Of Love (PSAS version)

Stephanie Says (PSAS remaster)

Ocean (PSAS version)

I Love You

Even the leftover cuts (from the material I'm considering) would provide a rewarding and fun collection of B-tracks and alternate takes that would tickle any Velvethead pink:

Rock n Roll -> Ride Into The Sun

Side 1

Rock n Roll (ANOTHER VIEW version)

Hey Mr. Rain (version 1 - PSAS remaster)

I'm Gonna Move Right In

Temptation Inside Your Heart (PSAS remaster)

I'm Sticking With You (PSAS remaster)

Side 2

Ocean (VU version)

Oh Gin

Coney Island Steeple Chase

Ferryboat Bill

Andy's Chest (VU version)

Ride Into The Sun (ANOTHER VIEW version)

Only one of these tracks "Hey Mr. Rain (version 1)" made the box set, so do yourself a favor and add these essential tracks to your collection. On top of its musical benefits, it shows even more that Moe Tucker might just be the coolest person in the universe.

After VU justly became one of the group's most beloved albums, Verve took another scoop into the vaults. But it was clear they had exhausted all the best material on VU, so here we're left with an admirably planned, but gratuitously executed collection of scraps. The psychedelic-Arabic blend "Hey Mr. Rain" (presented in two different versions - the second is slightly weaker, with heavy guitar blasts that break the mood) is a fine song, featuring one of John Cale's most eerie viola performances; "We're Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together" is a lightweight but fun burst of rock energy; and the vocal-free demo of "Guess I'm Falling in Love" at least has a good guitar track. But in other cases they dig too deep. I mean, does the world really need instrumental demos of "I'm Gonna Move Right In" or "Ride Into the Sun"? The reason why "Guess I'm Falling in Love" works, even as an instrumental demo, is because it looks to be the start of a good song. "Move Right In" and "Ride Into the Sun," on the other hand, look to be the start of mediocre songs. "Ferryboat Bill" is one of the group's most annoying songs, and "Coney Island Steeplechase" is only slightly better. And the alternate version of "Rock and Roll" is kind of boring - stick to the original, which absolutely rules. Unlike VU, this is inessential, but it does have great cover art and a few good songs.

ANOTHER VIEW is the sequel to VU, the first set of previously unreleased songs by the influential New York group. While not as consistently strong as VU, some of the pieces here, like both versions of the vague, unsettling "Hey Mr. Rain" and the silly "Ferryboat Bill" are undeniably essential to a Velvet Underground fan's collection.

I started listening to the Velvet Undeground right around the time this collection was issued, so when I heard these songs I didn't think of them as a collection of extras for the completist, just another album from a band I liked. 85 years later I still feel that way. And that's the short and long of it.