Ve-Vh

Martha Veléz (USA): Fiends And Angels (London SH-K 8395, 1969)
Blues/Rock
Martha Veléz (lead vocals)
Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Brian Auger, Christine Perfect, Jim Capaldi, Mitch Mitchell, Stan Webb, Chris Wood, Johnny Almond, Duster Bennett, Paul Kossoff, Rick Hayward, Blue Weaver – the list of musicians on this visiting American’s debut reads like a Who’s Who of late sixties blues/rock greats. So it’s no surprise to find that it’s a superb heavy blues/rock set, with Veléz’s powerful voice backed by outstanding arrangements. GRADE: B.

Vellamo (Finland): Vellamo (No label SOICD01, CD, with digibook, 2013)
Folk/Rock
Pia Leinonen (lead vocals)
This duo of a female singer and a male multi-instrumentalist, helped out by another multi-instrumentalist, managed a lovely folk/rock album mixing original and traditional songs. Sweet, gentle and uplifting, this isn’t the most significant LP in the world, but it’s certainly very accomplished and enjoyable. GRADE: C+.

Velvet Mist (UK): First Time Round (CRS COUN 243, 7", 1971?)
Folk
This sleeveless folk EP – featuring versions of the Bee Gees’ ‘In The Morning’, Tim Hardin’s ‘If I Were A Carpenter’, Ralph McTell’s ‘Bright And Beautiful Things’ and Fairport Convention’s ‘Meet On The Ledge’ – was issued on a later iteration of the private County label, which also released the Levee Camp Moan LPs. Given the Mecolico stamp on the label, it must have been a tiny pressing, presumably of 99 or fewer copies. Whilst the simple acoustic guitar backing is not unusual for a private release, the sophisticated vocal arrangements add a definite pop edge to proceedings and the whole thing sounds more like Tudor Lodge (though better, to my ears) than anything you’d encounter in a folk club. GRADE: C+.

Velvet Night (USA): Velvet Night (Metromedia MD 1026, 1970)
Rock
Lynn Boccumini (joint lead vocals)
Fans of crude early hard rock might like some tracks on this LP, but it's an odd effort through and through, meandering aimlessly across the early seventies musical landscape. Half the numbers are cover versions, mostly of a mediocre standard, although I quite like the languid opening version of ‘Season Of The Witch’, with its incongruous lengthy solo sections of recorder and piano. Equally, a couple of the original songs (only one of which was penned by a band member) are fairly lively and punchy, but the actual writing is pretty rudimentary and the Cream medley is both pointless and inept. Nor do I like the male singer, who appears to have based his vocal style on Elvis Presley, and who would be more appropriate in a nightclub setting than on a rock LP. GRADE: C.

Velvet Underground (USA/UK/West Germany): The Velvet Underground And Nico (Verve V / V6 5008, USA, 1967)
Rock/Garage/Avant-Garde
Nico (joint lead vocals), Maureen Tucker (drums, percussion)
This has so often been rated as one of the ten greatest albums of all time, so long been considered the most influential rock record ever made, that it’s extremely difficult to reappraise. Nonetheless, the lofty claims made on its behalf are justifiable: even today, much of it sounds fresh and contemporary, and when it was cut in 1966 it was truly without precedent. Further, it’s the only album I can think of that can claim responsibility for influencing both progressive rock (the more minimalist, avant-garde end, needless to say) and punk. It’s a varied record indeed, from lo-fi, off-kilter ballads (‘Sunday Morning’, ‘Femme Fatale’, ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’) to louche garage rockers (‘I’m Waiting For The Man’, ‘Run, Run, Run’) to feedback-laden experimental rock (the closing double whammy of ‘The Black Angel’s Death Song’ and ‘European Son’). But the two most remarkable performances are ‘Venus In Furs’ and ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’ – dark, foreboding and minimalist, with John Cale providing the neoclassical elements and Lou Reed supplying the eerie, disturbing lyrics. As a footnote, despite her star billing in the title, Nico doesn’t do much on the album, and despite his prominent credit on the cover, Andy Warhol didn’t produce it. GRADE: B.
Velvet Underground (USA/UK): White Light/White Heat (Verve V / V6 5046, USA, 1968)
Rock/Garage/Avant-Garde
Maureen Tucker (drums, percussion)
As remarkable as its predecessor, this focuses on the more experimental side of the band’s repertoire. The 17-minute jam ‘Sister Ray’, which takes up the bulk of the second side, is its best-remembered track – and directly inspired Siouxsie & The Banshees (my favourite band of the late seventies and early eighties) to become musicians. But its finest moment is perhaps ‘The Gift’, which features a powerful rock jam in one stereo channel and a deadpan John Cale recitation of a macabre Lou Reed short story (owing a heavy debt to Edgar Allan Poe) in the other. GRADE: B.
Velvet Underground (USA): The Velvet Underground (MGM SE 4617, 1969)
Folk/Rock
Maureen Tucker (occasional vocals, drums, percussion)
Self-consciously abandoning the howling feedback of their first two albums, the band concentrated on melodic, accessible songs for their third. The result is another classic, and another extremely influential LP: this time, every kind of eighties indie-pop group can claim lineage. The standard of writing and performance is outstanding throughout, but I particularly love the warm, rich ‘What Goes On’ (one of the catchiest songs I’ve ever heard), the lengthy ‘The Murder Mystery’ (the album’s sole experimental cut, with all the band contributing multi-layered vocals to concoct a strange tale) and the delightfully naïve ‘After Hours’, perfectly sung by Maureen Tucker. As a footnote, the album was released in two alternate mixes, although they’re not as different as some reports would have you believe. GRADE: B.
Velvet Underground (USA): 1969: The Velvet Underground Live With Lou Reed (Mercury SRM 27504, double, 1974, recorded 1969)
Rock/Garage
Maureen Tucker (drums, percussion)
Offering a good cross-section of material from their first three albums (plus some new songs that would later appear on Loaded and Lou Reed’s solo debut), this is both a fine live LP and an important historical document. Two things stand out: the band’s surprisingly engaging and cheerful onstage demeanour, utterly at odds with their dark and mysterious reputation, and how much cleaner and more mannered songs like ‘Heroin’ and ‘White Light/White Heat’ sound when played by this line-up. GRADE: B.
Velvet Underground (USA/UK): VU (Verve 823 721-1 Y-1, with inner, USA, 1984, recorded 1968 & 1969)
Rock
Maureen Tucker (occasional vocals, drums, percussion)
Featuring eight songs intended for the band’s second album on MGM (abandoned when the label dropped them) and two earlier recordings with John Cale, this is a lovely collection of outtakes. Highpoints include the very ‘Sunday Morning’-like ‘Stephanie Says’ and the charmingly naïve ‘I’m Stcking With You’, sung by Maureen Tucker. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is mostly very much in their style of their of their third album, although not quite as good. GRADE: B–.
Velvet Underground (USA/UK): Another View (Verve 829 405-2, CD, USA, 1986, recorded 1967-1969)
Rock
Maureen Tucker (drums, percussion, backing vocals)
Featuring the final nine recordings from the same sessions that spawned VU, this could easily have been a turgid barrel-scraping exercise. In some ways, it does feel like they’re scrabbling for material: there are two different takes of ‘Hey Mr Rain’ and three instrumentals. Nonetheless, the instrumentals are the best thing on offer, whilst the songs are mostly pretty good as well. GRADE: B–.
Velvet Underground (USA): Bootleg Series Volume 1 – The Quine Tapes (Polydor 314 589 067-2, triple CD, with minisleeves, booklet and box, 2001, recorded 1969)
Rock
Maureen Tucker (occasional vocals, drums)
Despite the title, and the fact that these shows were taped on a primitive cassette recorder, the sound quality is surprisingly good throughout. Musically, this reflects the more laid-back nature of the Velvets in 1969; it’s particularly odd to hear ‘Sister Ray’ (which appears no fewer than three times) performed in a relaxed and reflective mood. Overall, this is a fine set and a useful complement to the earlier 1969 set. GRADE: B.

Velvet Underground (USA): The Complete Matrix Tapes (Universal Music Enterprises 00602547549013, quadruple CD, with minisleeves, booklet and box, 2015, recorded 1969)
Rock/Garage
Maureen Tucker (occasional vocals, drums)
Compiling four sets over two nights, this fascinating archive document captures the Velvets at their late sixties peak. As with earlier live releases, it indicates how much more relaxed they were on stage than in the studio, with the fearsomely intense ‘Sister Ray’ reinterpreted as a lazy, trippy 37-minute jam. That amazing piece is the highpoint of a consistently superb release, including one or more versions of most of my favourite numbers. GRADE: B.
Velvet Underground (USA): Final VU 1971-1973 (Captain Trip CTCD-350-353, quadruple CD, with booklet and box, 2001, recorded 1971-1973)
Rock
Maureen Tucker (occasional vocals, drums)
Compiling two late period shows with Tucker and two even later performances without her, this is an interesting boxed set. The sound quality is fairly mediocre, as is some of the new material, but it’s certainly a historical document of some import. GRADE: C+.
See also Kropotkins, Nico, Maureen Tucker

Velvet Voyage (Switzerland): Moonstone (No label ap 77704, CD, 1993)
Progressive/Folk/Metal
Baba O’ Riley (joint lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, flute)
This interesting progressive album by a duo of multi-instrumentalists is decidedly low-budget, with programmed drums and rather average sound quality, but the music is virtuosic and creative. Ranging from gentle folk through symphonic rock to metal, the disc covers a broad spectrum of music but always remains coherent and enjoyable. The two musicians involved then went on to form the folk/rock-oriented Liars Dance. GRADE: C+.
See also Liars Dance

Venetian Power (Italy): The Arid Land (CBS 64796, 1971)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Daniela Ambrosini (occasional vocals), Eva Ferro (occasional vocals), Gloria Ferro (occasional vocals), Rosanna Mavian (occasional vocals)
Housed in a beautiful gatefold sleeve, this very rare album has a strong environmental theme. Venetian Power was a seven-piece vocal group, led by one Claudio Ambrosini, and they offer lovely dreamy folk/rock with strong progressive edges and some quite heavy and psychedelic lead guitar work. GRADE: B–.

Joanne Vent (USA): The Black And White Of It Is Blues (A&M SP 4615, 1969)
Soul/Jazz/Blues
Despite the title, this has more jazz and soul than blues, with rock band backing but also prominent horns and occasionally strings. Largely consisting of well-known cover versions (including ‘God Bless The Child’, ‘It’s A Man’s World’, ‘Stormy Monday’ and ‘Gloomy Sunday’) it’s a pleasant if not particularly distinctive set that could appeal to people enjoying Cold Blood or some of Elkie Brooks’s solo work. Vent later went on to the country/rock band White Cloud. GRADE: C.
See also White Cloud

Venus (Argentina): Venus (DBN CD 51.649, CD, 1999)
Garage/Psychedelic
Marina Olmi (backing vocals)
Unusually for an Argentine release, this is a mixture of garage psychedelia and indie rock – modern, spiky and playful. Bolstered by an excellent production, it’s not the most substantial album in the world, but it’s lively and fun and ultimately sounds like its cover looks (an electric blue ferris wheel, complemented by a sparkly blue CD tray). GRADE: C+.

Verdun (USA): Verdun (RCI 829757-81682-1, CD, 2004)
Progressive/Metal/World Music/Avant-Garde
Martha Roebuck (joint lead vocals), Ngoc Hoàng (joint lead vocals)
Crossing experimental rock with Vietnamese music and some electronic elements, this is a thoroughly modern prog album – there are no 10-minute tracks, ostentatious tempo changes or spidery solos here. There is, however, an agreeable level of variety, from hard-riffing passages with off-kilter rhythms to almost ambient sections; they even throw in covers (or, perhaps more accurately, deconstructioms) of ‘Purple Haze’ and ‘Stand By Your Man’ to keep us guessing. GRADE: B–.

Mariska Veres & Shocking Jazz Quintet (Holland): Shocking You! (Red Bullet RB 66.62, CD, 1993)
Jazz
Mariska Veres (lead vocals)
This isn’t shocking jazz, but it’s completely traditional jazz, featuring tinkly, supper club reinterpretations of several Shocking Blue tunes plus ‘Radar Love’, ‘Somebody To Love’ and others. It’s all well played and sung, but my reaction can be summed up in a single word: why?

GRADE: C.
Mariska Veres & Ensemble Andrei Serban (Holland): Gipsy Heart (Red Bullet RB 66.229, CD, 2003)
Folk/Jazz
Mariska Veres (lead vocals)
The good news is that Mariska Veres’s second and final solo album isn’t trad jazz. The bad news is that it’s gypsy music. GRADE: C.

Vermilion Sands (Japan): Water Blue (Made In Japan MIJ-1016, with insert, 1987)
Progressive
Yoko Royama (lead vocals)
This Japanese band take most of their cues from A Song For All Seasons-era Renaissance (right down to a remarkably faithful pastiche of ‘Northern Lights’ on ‘Living In The Shiny Days’). As such, this isn’t what you’d call an original or challenging LP, but it’s charming, mellifluous and very well put together. Oddly, the 1989 CD (Made In Japan MCD-2913) substitutes re-recordings of ‘My Lagan Love’ and ‘Ashes Of The Time’, whilst the later French version (Musea FGBG 4293.AR, 1999) adds four bonus tracks but not the original takes of the two cuts from the LP. GRADE: C+.
Vermilion Sands (Japan): Spirits Of The Sun (Muséa FGBG 4917, CD, France, 2013, recorded 1996?-2013?)
Progressive
Yoko Royama (principal vocals, flute), Miku (occasional vocals), VY1v3 (occasional vocals)
Released nine years after Yoko Royama’s untimely death, this retrospective set features three live cuts apparently taped in 1996 plus seven undated studio demos: three fronted by Royama, two instrumentals, and one apiece with different singers (rather oddly credited as ‘Miku’ and ‘VY1v3’). With keyboardist Masahiro Yamada playing all the instruments on the demos, and with the live numbers having adequate (but no better) sound quality, this isn’t an essential album, but it’s enjoyable throughout. In particular, the lovely, folky ‘Innisfree’ and an incendiary live version of ‘Streets Of Derry’ (clearly influenced by Trees’ interpretation) are excellent. GRADE: C+.
See also Yoko Royama, Theta

Vermonster (USA): Spirit Of Yma (Twisted Village TW-1004, 1990)
Garage/Psychedelic/Avant-Garde
Kate Biggar (guitar)
This offshoot project by Wayne Rogers and Kate Biggar of Crystalized Movements is both similar to, and different from, their earlier band. Like their other group, this offers heavy guitar rock, but whereas Crystalized Movements concentrated on short songs, this offers long, freeform jams drenched in slashing fuzz guitar and interspersed with weird sound effects. The effect is comparable to a cross between Amon Düül (though without the mantric edges) and the Velvet Underground at their wildest, though with tinges of seventies punk and heavy metal thrown in. In short, it’s uncompromising stuff, and may be too relentless and formless for many ears. The band demonstrate their sense of humour (and their knowledge as renowned record collectors) via the title’s dedication to Yma Sumac, the spoken introduction about Wendy & Bonnie’s Genesis album, and the back cover notes, which hilariously parody American rare record lists of the time; the band name was also apparently a play on the nickname given to a notoriously ornery dealer. GRADE: C+.
Vermonster (USA): Instinctively Inhuman (Twisted Village TW-1009, 1991)
Garage/Psychedelic
Kate Biggar (guitar)
This is even more tripped-out and minimalist than Spirit Of Yma: dropping the sound effects, it consists of just two freeform side-long jams, ‘Black Sally’ and the appropriately named ‘Stoned Guitar’. With nothing approaching a melody or structure, and with some sections being complete chaos, this isn’t the most significant or accessible album, but it’s certainly possessed of single-minded intent and power.

GRADE: C+.
Vermonster (USA): The Holy Sound Of American Pipe (Twisted Village TW-1024, double, 1993)
Garage/Psychedelic
Kate Biggar (guitar)
The final Vermonster album is a double, giving the band plenty of scope to indulge its predilection for jamming. Rogers and Biggar subsequently teamed up with Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang of Galaxie 500 to form the slightly more varied Magic Hour. As a footnote, Kate Biggar is credited with vocals on ‘Ecstatic State Of Human Elevation’, but I couldn’t discern any. GRADE: C+.
See also BORB, Crystalized Movements, Heathen Shame, Magic Hour, Major Stars, Various ‘Deep Funnels Of Entry – A Twisted Village Compilation’, Various ‘Marvelous Sound Forms’, Kate Village & Wayne Rogers, Wormdoom

Vertú (USA): Vertú (Epic ESCA 7780, CD, with obi, Japan, 1999)
Jazz/Rock/Progressive
Rachel Nicolazzo (keyboards), Karen Briggs (violin)
Led by famous funk bassist Stanley Clarke, this excellent jazz-fusion album strikes just the right balance between complexity, atmosphere and all-out rocking energy. Whilst it doesn’t really break any new ground, it’s easily as good as anything in the genre, and it’s a great shame that Vertú was a one-off project whose album was only released in Japan. GRADE: B–.

Veslefrikk (Norway): Veslefrikk (Mai 7808, with booklet, 1978)
Rock
Anne Grete Preus (principal vocals, guitar, piano)
This political rock album covers a variety of styles, from folk/rock to boogie-ish hard rock and borderline prog. All these variants are performed competently, but there’s nothing really original or exciting on offer here. GRADE: C.

Vestenvinden (Denmark): Gummimasker (Polydor 2380 011, with booklet, 1971)
Folk/Progressive
Britt Rasmussen (joint lead vocals)
Mixing acoustic and electric instrumentation, this is an excellent album of progressive hippie folk with occasional jazz edges. Whilst there are similarities at times with Pentangle, the feel of the music is completely different: raw, spontaneous and joyous, with rich arrangements, psychedelic touches and lots of shifts of mood and tempo. The thirteen-minute ‘Det’ is especially impressive, but there are no really weak moments. Savage Rose’s Nils Tuxen helps out on guitars, bass and piano. GRADE: B.

Veto (Isle of Man): Broadway (Small Bear, white vinyl, 2013)
Rock/Psychedelic
Mariel Norton (backing vocals)
This is essentially old-school indie rock, but with sufficient trippy edges to keep it interesting over its 28 minutes. It never quite reaches the next level, but as an essentially local project from a local band it’s rather good. GRADE: C+.

Vhol (USA): Vhol (Profound Lore PFL.113, CD, with digipak, 2013)
Metal
Sigrid Sheie (bass)
This band has an impressive pedigree, including members from Hammers Of Misfortune and Ludicra among others, but I don’t favour the wall-of-noise production style they’ve chosen here. Aside from making it impossible to play the album at a respectable volume, it makes the whole thing sound like a pummelling drone without nuance – whilst careful listening suggests there’s some relatively interesting music here. GRADE: C.
Vhol (USA): Deeper Than Sky (Profound Lore PFL-158, CD, with digipak, 2015)
Metal
Sigrid Sheie (bass, piano, flute)
They must have been listening to me: the production here is dynamic and crystal-clear, revealing Vhol to be a powerful and accomplished traditional metal band with thrash leanings and a few slight jazzy and progressive diversions. For sure, I prefer my metal more experimental or symphonic, but this is nonetheless a very solid set. GRADE: C+.
See also Amber Asylum, Hammers Of Misfortune, Menstrual Tramps