people:
The Velvet Underground
Even amid the musical and cultural upheavals of the 1960s, the Velvet Underground registered as a revolutionary force, combining a raw, minimalistic musical vision with songs whose lyrical content had no precedent in popular music. At the time, chief songwriter Lou Reed's portrayals of drugs, sex and violence seemed so transgressive that it was easy to miss the humanity and compassion at their heart. Although they Velvets' immense influence is now universally acknowledged, the band barely registered on the mainstream radar during its actual existence. Reed and John Cale formed the band in New York City in 1965; the Velvets’...