The Velvet Underground - White Light / White Heat (LP)
- LP
- 1 piece(s)
- 1968
- 6 tracks
- 40 min
- proto-punk
White Light / White HeatCheapest atimusic.uk
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4.0
Average of 53 reviews
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This album often gets a lot of criticism on Discogs, but honestly, I don't think it's any worse than the early Verve copy I owned way back in the day, around 1970. It's never been known for its high-fidelity sound, as the Velvets pretty much produced it themselves while Tom Wilson was focused on other things. Sure, it's distorted—all the needles were in the red as the Velvets aimed to recreate the sound of a live performance. They didn't really know what they were doing, but they definitely captured something unique. I might be wrong, but I don't recall the original sounding much better than this. Maybe one day I'll get an old pressing, compare them, and then update this review. Until then, I'm more than satisfied with this version. Just so you know, I'm playing it on a Rega Planar 3 turntable with a Goldring black cartridge.
I've got this particular pressing, and it's got a unique Matrix / Runout code that's a bit different: Side A shows 2353024 A//1▽420 I1 19 04, and Side B has 2353024 B//1▽420 I1 91 04. After the 420, there's a line that looks like a flipped 1 on my record. I've seen a similar Matrix / Runout code mentioned for this release, like on "White Light/White Heat" by The Velvet Underground.
My East Coast version is identical in every aspect, with ONE difference - there's a Skull Tattoo on the front cover.
The bonus clips are awesome and offer a fun, personal glimpse into the band's dynamic, even catching them chuckling during a track. The shade of the blue vinyl is stunning. The pressing quality is solid, though I did need to give it a thorough cleaning to get rid of some dust. The audio mastering sounds well-balanced and warm.
This reissue is absolutely fantastic. It's likely the best this album will ever sound. Plus, the extra disc has some amazing tracks on it.
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| Date | Lowest price | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2025 | £24.49 | €24.49 |
| 31 Jan 2026 | £24.49 | €24.49 |
| 28 Feb 2026 | £22.49 | €22.49 |
| 7 Mar 2026 | £22.49 | €22.49 |