Velvet Underground fans will be in hog heaven with this 3 disc set. Each disc is over 70 minutes long, each concludes with a marathon version of "Sister Ray."

If you've heard the long available "Live 1969" Vols 1 and 2, you have an idea what kind of audio quality to expect. These are not soundboard recordings. The Velvets were an obscure band and we're lucky there were fans like Robert Quine with the presence of mind to record them at clubs.

This is certainly NOT the way to become acquainted with the band if you are new to them. Get all their studio albums (they only released four) first. But if you're already a fan and are contemplating whether to spring for this set, fear not.

Highlights for me: Maureen doing back-to-back renditions of her showcase songs, "Afterhours" and "I'm sticking with You"... A previously unheard song, "Follow the Leader"... A terrific 11 minute rendition of "Ride into the Sun" that may be the definitive version... A smoking take on "White Light"... Of course, the aforementioned marathon takes of "Sister Ray" (one lasts 38 minutes!)...

But I'll stop rambling... Suffice it to say, this is great music from a band that sounded like no other. This is the first in a proposed 3 volume set, so BUY IT-- I would hate to see the rest of the series cancelled due to poor sales!

The Quine Tapes showcases the Velvet Underground's beautiful noise and improvisatory music in a way that that the previous best official live record, "1969 Live," only hints at.

Here we have three versions of Sister Ray of varying lengths and styles, as the VU improvises upon the central riff of the "White Light/White Heat" recording. Only one version, recorded in early 1969 in St. Louis, resembles the studio version in a significant way.

Here we have a wicked version of "White Light/White Heat" with guitar work by Reed to rival the explosive chaos of "I Heard Her Call My Name." This version is infinitely better than the recording on "1969 Live." Here we have oustanding versions of songs from "The Velvet Underground & Nico," including "Black Angel's Death Song," "Heroin," and "Venus in Furs."

Having said all of this, the recordings made at The Matrix (CDs 2 and 3) are better than those made at The Family Dog (CD 1). The latter suffer from too much bass and from tepid songs sung by Mo Tucker. The magesterial 1969 Live version of "What Goes On" is superior to the Family Dog version as well.

Finally, there are many quotidian moments that bring pleasure. Lou and Sterling discussing who should play solo on "White Light/White Heat." Lou reciting the opening lyrics for "Black Angel's Death Song." A female voice asking "What time is it?" during the opening bars of one of the best, if not the best, live version of Heroin ever recorded.

Play CDs 2 and 3 LOUD. You will experience the same blissful combination of joy, headache, and stupor that results from listening to "I Heard Her Call My Name." The unbelievable guitar work by Lou and Sterling will make you forget that Cale's Viola parts are absent, substituted by Yule's hammond organ.

This is a must own.

Like Mr. Quine, I am also an obsessive fan of the VU. There is almost nothing recorded by them that I do not love (except stuff from the Doug Yule-lead version of the band that existed following the years after Lou's departure, and the problematic 1993 "reunion" album). Though I have always been enamored with the groundbreaking material from the "Cale Period", I often find myself gravitating towards the later stuff. If I had to choose my "desert island" VU disc, it would definitely be "1969: Live with Lou Reed" (an inappropriate and unfortunate marketing title, just as ridiculous now as it was when it was released in the mid-70s). Quite simply, this captures the band at their improvisational best. For years, I have sought out VU bootlegs. Almost all of them date from this same era (late '69), and almost all of them have wretched sound quality.

The good news is that "The Quine Tapes" sound a little better than these, though sometimes not by much . Most of the tracks were recorded at either the Family Dog or the Matrix in SF. The tracks from the latter seem to fare the best sound-wise, though there are definitely exceptions. A note to those with cheap speakers: turn your bass down before starting Disc 1! There are two songs, "Waiting for the Man" and "Sister Ray" (one of three epic-length versions included) that were recorded in a gymnasium at Washington U., where Quine was enrolled as a student at the time. I'm sad to say that these tracks sound as if they were recorded in, well, a gymnasium. At first it's hard to listen to some of these tracks; you really have to train your ears to listen through all the muck for the subtle nuances of Reed's vocals (if only he still SANG like that!) and telepathic instrumental interplay that made the band so great. But once you do this... oh boy! Fasten your seat belts!

After listening to this set I revisited the "Peel Slowly and See" boxed set, which surprisingly, I hadn't heard in a long time. In glancing through the liner notes I noticed a quip that Sterling Morrison had about the "1969" LP. Though he liked the set, he didn't feel that it captured the pure ferocity and intensity of their live sound. He insisted that the band was at its best and "most insane" in the big rooms, and lamented the fact that there was no documentation to prove this. Well, if only the late, great Mr. Morrison was still around today. If there is an afterlife, wherever ol' Sterl is, he probably has a big smile on his face right about now!

This release would get a five star review be it not for the inconsistent and spotty sound quality. Also, I truly believe, despite Sterling Morrison's statement, that some of the tracks on "1969" are of better overall artistic quality; they seem more focused and compressed than some of the meandering and overlong tracks included here. As far as the packaging goes, I'm divided. On the one hand, it's nice to have packaging that appears to be completely made out of recycled paper. On the other hand, it seems cheaply made, and the little "envelopes" don't hold the CD's well at all. Worst of all, the liner notes are skimpy and reveal very little. But these are minor quibbles in the grand scheme of things.

So, should this be in every VU fan's collection? Absolutely. However, neophytes should proceed with caution. You'd do best to start with any of the original studio albums, and the "1969" (both volumes) live album of which I speak; the latter is still the best legally available document of the live VU. If you're not immediately drawn in to any of these, then this band probably ain't for you.

I agree with some of the other reviewers out there. There's too much stuff from the Reed-Yule period and not enough from the Reed-Cale period. Until more stuff is unearthed, we'll have to be content with this set, "1969", the bonus stuff included on "Peel Slowly...", and the sketchy bootlegs out there. But here's hoping there's more on the way (it IS called "Volume 1", after all) and lets hope it gets released VERY, VERY SOON!

Interesting. The Velvet Underground helped inspire all the great punk bands who wanted to get back to basics and eschew solos. Except, as evidenced on this great new live set, the Velvets were a live act akin to the Dead and Jefferson Airplane. Which is a good thing. Creepy songs are even more sinister with the intense guitar interplay between Lou Reed and the late, underrated Sterling Morrison. Reed plays in the vein of Neil Young, just this screaming attack of cacaphony, whereas Morrison is from the Steve Cropper school of soulful fingerpicking. There's 3 versions of "Sister Ray", the longest stretching to 40 minutes. Don't worry, it's not pointless noodling. In fact, for a band that focused more on lyrics and ambience, most of these songs really rock. The only flaw is that since this is a bootleg, the quality isn't so great. However, the flawed sound only adds to that unique Velvet atmosphere. In particular, "Venus In Furs." So if you enjoy rocking out, good poetry, and phantasmagoric songs that can border on beautiful, pick this up. It's the perfect recording for this time of year. Although from the sound and look of them, every day was Halloween. And thanks to Robert Quine for sharing this with everyone. Can't wait for the other voulmes.

but for everyone who loves the Velvet Underground, this is an absolute revelation. We hear classic V.U. songs performed in ways never heard before. We understand that the band could play them differently every night, that they in fact were accomplished improvisors. The "Sister Ray" songs are great, one lasting 38 minutes! Sometimes "Sister Ray" is pretty laid back, but she can sure rage. Anyone from the casual to the rabid fan who can handle the extremely crude sound quality will want to get a hold of this and explore rock n' roll history.