conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What could be a title for a book about Highlights, Lester, Bangs-penned with the genre: Arts & Photography, Music?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: A title for this book could be 'All Yesterdays' Parties'
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What is the first five paragraphs for this book?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: All Yesterdays' Parties
  The only song on the third album which has been called a failure, "The Murder Mystery," was conceived as a very ambitious experiment. Though it finally doesn't work, the song is still interesting, as is Lou's explanation: "'The Murder Mystery' was intended as a kind of application of modern literary techniques to rock 'n' roll. Like Burroughs and his fold-ins—I figured it'd have to work better here than on the printed page because here you've got a whole different dimension to work with in stereo sound, so the two verbal tracks overlap yet remain separate. Only the reproduction got kind of messed up so you can't even really understand the words if you separate the channels."
  But the song I remember most particularly was one they did at a strange San Diego concert in 1968. They were on with Quicksilver Messenger Service, and much of the audience was apathetic or put off; they wanted those California acid-vibes instead of what they took for cold New York negativism. Lou Reed, himself, came out from the dressing room and walked around in the audience with his hands in his pockets, a slight, calm figure with a noncommittal expression on his face. Seemingly, nobody noticed him, because nobody said anything to him—although almost everybody in that place was so busy being cool they could barely get up the gumption to dance, so it probably doesn't matter. My girl and I wanted to go up and say something to Lou, shake his hand and tell him how much we dug his music, but I was afraid. I thought he would be some maniac with rusty eyeballs or something, the image made me nervous so we didn't approach him, even though she said: "It seems to me like that was all they really wanted, for someone to just come up and tell them they appreciate what they're doing." And as usual she was right, as Lou confirmed when I talked to him.
  That was quite a night, though. In a way it was the ultimate Velvet Underground concert. The audience was terrible; those that weren't downright hostile kept interrupting the announcements between songs to yell out what they wanted to hear, like "How about 'Heroin'!" and even "Play 'Searchin' for My Mainline'!" But right in the middle of all these bad vibes, the Velvets launched into a new song that was one of the most incredible musical experiences of my concert career. Lou announced it as "Sister Ray, Part Two," but it sounded nothing like the previous song. It was built on the most dolorous riff imaginable, just a few scales rising and falling mournfully, somewhat like "Venus in Furs" but less creaky, more deliberate and eloquent. The lyrics, many of which Lou made up as he went along, seemed like some fantasy from an urban inferno: "Sweet Sister Ray went to a movie / The floor was painted red and the walls were green / 'Ooohh,' she cried / 'This is the strangest movie I've ever seen.'... " But it was the chorus that was the most moving: "Ohhhh, sweet rock and roll—it'll cleanse your soul...."
  That's classic, and no other group in America could have (or would have) written and sung those words. In a way, there are some very old-fashioned emotions in the Velvets' music. There is a strain of reverence that recurs, from "Heroin" to the song just described to "Jesus" to "Ohh! Sweet Nuthin's." The yearning, hymnlike quality is the same— it's just that the focus has shifted over the years. As Lou said recently: "I think a lot of our music is about growing up, in a way. It's nice to be mature, to be able to meet things rationally sometimes instead of with all this nervous sort of emotionalism."
  The MGM girl went on, "The lead singer is the most absolutely spaced person I have ever met in my entire life. I think he was on speed all the time they were here. And on top of all that, he had the nerve to tell me what a fucked-up company MGM is, how much he hates the way we're handling 'em, and why don't we give 'em any promotion— he's sitting there running down the people who are giving me a paycheck every week! What am I supposed to do, agree with him?.. They got a manager in New York that thinks they're the greatest thing in history. I'll give you his number, call him up, he'll talk your ear off about 'em for five hours...."
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What is five more paragraphs?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Official studio recording: VU&N Official live recordings: October 19, 1969 (1969); November 7, 1969 (TQT); August 23, 1970 (LAM)
  Rumored recordings/performances: Copyrighted on April 22, 1966, the only known recording is from an as-yet-uncirculated rehearsal tape at the Factory on March 7, 1966.
  Unofficial live recordings: June 23, 1966; November 4, 1966; April 28, 1968; October 4–6, 1968; November 1968(?); December 12, 1968; January 10, 1969; March 13, 1969; March 15, 1969; August 2, 1969; October 18, 1969; October 19, 1969; April 17, 1970
  Rumored recordings/performances: April 28, 1968 (This song was certainly performed live in 1968. According to legend, it preceded the performance of "Sweet Sister Ray" at La Cave in April, but was accidentally erased at a later date.)
  Unofficial live recordings: October 4–6, 1968; January 10, 1969; March 13, 1969; March 15, 1969; October 18, 1969
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What is the last five paragraphs?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Unofficial live recordings: June 23, 1966; November 4, 1966; April 30, 1967; October 4–6, 1968; October 18, 1969
  Demo/rehearsal recording: One of the songs (co-)written by Lou during his time at Pickwick, "Walk Alone" appears to have survived the transition into the Velvets. It is featured on the Factory rehearsal from January 3, 1966.
  Unofficial live recordings: October 4–6, 1968, two versions; November 1968(?); January 10, 1969; January 31, 1969(?); March 13, 1969; March 15, 1969; August 2, 1969; October 18, 1969; October 19, 1969; May 1970
  Official live recordings: November 12–December 3, 1969 (1969); December 1, 1969 (TQT); July 26, 1970 (LAM+)
  Unofficial live recordings: December 12, 1968; January 10, 1969; March 13, 1969; March 15, 1969; July 11, 1969; January 3, 1970