The Very Best of The Velvet Underground
2003 greatest hits album by the Velvet Underground
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The Very Best of The Velvet Underground is a compilation album by the Velvet Underground. It was released in Europe on March 31, 2003, by Polydor, the record label that oversees the band's Universal Music Group back catalog.
- There are Velvet Underground compilation albums with similar titles: The Best of The Velvet Underground: Words and Music of Lou Reed (1989) and The Best of The Velvet Underground: The Millennium Collection (2000).
| The Very Best of The Velvet Underground | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | March 31, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | 1966–1970, New York City and Hollywood, US | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 74:29 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producers |
| |||
| The Velvet Underground chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [2] |
The album was released following a Hyundai television commercial, which featured the band's 1970 recording "I'm Sticking with You" from the "Fully Loaded" edition of Loaded. The version included in this compilation is from the VU album (recorded in 1969, released in 1985), despite a sticker's claim to the contrary on the front cover.
Track listing
All tracks performed by the Velvet Underground except † The Velvet Underground & Nico. All titles written by Lou Reed except as noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sweet Jane" | Loaded (1970) | 3:55 | |
| 2. | "I'm Sticking with You" (1969 version) | VU (1985) | 3:21 | |
| 3. | "I'm Waiting for the Man" | The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) | 4:37 | |
| 4. | "What Goes On" | The Velvet Underground (1969) | 4:55 | |
| 5. | "White Light/White Heat" | White Light/White Heat (1968) | 2:47 | |
| 6. | "All Tomorrow's Parties†" | The Velvet Underground & Nico | 5:55 | |
| 7. | "Pale Blue Eyes" | The Velvet Underground | 5:41 | |
| 8. | "Femme Fatale†" | The Velvet Underground & Nico | 2:35 | |
| 9. | "Heroin" | The Velvet Underground & Nico | 7:05 | |
| 10. | "Here She Comes Now" |
| White Light/White Heat | 2:04 |
| 11. | "Stephanie Says" | VU | 2:49 | |
| 12. | "Venus in Furs" | The Velvet Underground & Nico | 5:07 | |
| 13. | "Beginning to See the Light" | The Velvet Underground | 4:41 | |
| 14. | "I Heard Her Call My Name" | White Light/White Heat | 4:38 | |
| 15. | "Some Kinda Love" (alternate take) | The Velvet Underground | 3:39 | |
| 16. | "I Can't Stand It" | VU | 3:21 | |
| 17. | "Sunday Morning†" |
| The Velvet Underground & Nico | 2:53 |
| 18. | "Rock & Roll" | Loaded | 4:47 | |
| Total length: | 75:11 | |||
Personnel
- The Velvet Underground
- John Cale – viola, bass guitar, keyboards, celesta (3, 5–6, 8–12, 14, 17)
- Sterling Morrison – guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals
- Lou Reed – vocals except as noted, guitar, piano
- Maureen Tucker – percussion (2–17), vocals on "I'm Sticking with You"
- Doug Yule – bass guitar, keyboards, guitar, drums, backing vocals (1–2, 4, 7, 13, 15–16, 18)
- Additional musicians
- Nico – lead vocals on "All Tomorrow's Parties" and "Femme Fatale", backing vocals on "Sunday Morning"
- Technical staff
- Andy Warhol – producer
- Tom Wilson – producer
- The Velvet Underground – producers
- Geoff Haslam, Shel Kagan and The Velvet Underground – producers