Books
There are tons of books about The Velvet Undergound. Most of them are a waste of paper. The ones listed on this page are good to excellent.
The Velvet Undergound
UP-TIGHT: The Velvet Underground Story
Victor Bockris & Gerard Malanga
Omnibus Press, 1983
ISBN: 0 7119 0168 6
Lavishly illustrated. Essential reading for anyone who is into the Velvet Underground. Updated in 1995, including a new section about the 1993 Velvets reunion.
The Complete Guide to Music of The Velvet Underground
Peter Hogan
Omnibus Press, 1997
ISBN: 0-7119-5596-4
Song-by-song album review. Includes photos of the 1993 reunion tour.
Beyond The Velvet Underground
Dave Thompson
Omnibus Press, 1989
ISBN: 0711916918
Consists of quotes and interview excerpts. Includes VU/solo discographies, including session appearances.
The Velvet Underground Companion
Albin Zak III
Schirmer Books, 1997
ISBN: 0825672422
Four decades of commentary. Essays, interviews and more. Contains an extensive discography and filmography.
33 1/3 - The Velvet Underground and Nico
Joe Harvard
Continuum International Publishing Group, 2004
ISBN-10: 0826415504
ISBN-13: 978-0826415509
152 p. paperback, USA/UK
Each track of the album is discussed extensively. Interesting information from engineer Norman Dolph.
The Velvet Underground
Richard Witts
Equinox Publishing, 2006
ISBN-10: 190476827X
ISBN-13: 9781904768272
In/depth musical study by a teacher at Goldsmiths College. Transcriptions of major songs galore. Includes suprisingly good information about Cale's stint with The Dream Syndicate.
The Rough Guide The Velvet Underground
Peter Hogan
Rough Guides, 2007
ISBN: 1843535882
Sporting shades and a feedback-heavy sounds, the Velvets straddled art and rock, changing popular music forever, and sowing the seeds for punk, grunge and thousands of countercultural four-chord wonders. The Rough Guide to The Velvet Underground explores: The Velvet Story: How Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, John Cale and the others emerged from the New York scene, their successes and excesses and what happened to each in their solo years. Velvet Music: From their 1967 debut with Nico to their 1993 reunion with all the tales behind the tunes. Velvet Universe: Everybody who was anybody in the Velvet’s world, taking in Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgwick, David Bowie, Delmore, Schwaretsz and Brian Eno. Velvet Goldmine: The “Underground” on screen, the Velvets’ New York, clubs, influences, covers, websites and more.
White Light/White Heat: The Velvet Underground Day-By-Day
Richie Unterberger
Jawbone Press
(London), 2009
367 pages
ISBN: 978-1-906002-22-0