The Complete Matrix Tapes

Not another review for this five-star release – Bradx and Freewheeling Frankie have already done an excellent job on that – but a full tracklisting with original sources given after the song lengths. Hope this is helpful.Disc One:1. I'm Waiting For The Man (Version 1) (13:07) [The Quine Tapes]2. What Goes On (Version 1) (8:58) [1969: The Velvet Underground Live]3. Some Kinda Love (Version 1) (4:59) [••PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED••]4. Heroin (Version 1) (8:13) [The Quine Tapes]5. The Black Angel's Death Song (6:20) [The Quine Tapes]6. Venus In Furs (Version 1) (4:38) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition]7. There She Goes Again (Version 1) (3:08) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition]8. We're Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 1) (3:16) [1969: The Velvet Underground Live]9. Over You (Version 1) (2:24) [1969: The Velvet Underground Live]10. Sweet Jane (Version 1) (5:12) [••PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED••]11. Pale Blue Eyes (6:08) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition]12. After Hours (Version 1) (2:58) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition]Disc Two:1. I'm Waiting For The Man (Version 2) (6:38) [marked in the notes as being from 1969: The Velvet Underground Live, but in his Amazon review “Freewheeling Frankie” suggests this is not from that set, making it not 9 but 10 ••PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED•• tracks in total]2. Venus In Furs (Version 2) (5:16) [The Quine Tapes]3. Some Kinda Love (Version 2) (4:12) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition] / [1969: The Velvet Underground Live]4. Over You (Version 2) (3:07) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition]5. I Can't Stand It (Version 1) (7:54) [1969: The Velvet Underground Live]6. There She Goes Again (Version 2) (2:54) [••PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED••]7. After Hours (Version 2) (2:37) [••PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED••]8. We're Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 2) (3:42) [••PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED••]9. Sweet Bonnie Brown/Too Much (7:54) [1969: The Velvet Underground Live]10. Heroin (Version 2) (10:08) [1969: The Velvet Underground Live]11. White Light/White Heat (Version 1) (9:30) [The Quine Tapes]12. I'm Set Free (4.48) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition]Disc Three:1. We're Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 3) (3:18) [••PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED••]2. Some Kinda Love (Version 3) (4:40) [••PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED••]3. There She Goes Again (Version 3) (3:02) [••PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED••]4. Heroin (Version 3) (8:34) [1969: The Velvet Underground Live]5. Ocean (11:03) [1969: The Velvet Underground Live]6. Sister Ray (36:54) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition] / [The Quine Tapes]Disc Four:1. I'm Waiting For The Man (Version 3) (5:31) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition]2. What Goes On (Version 2) (4:34) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition]3. Some Kinda Love (Version 4) (4:46) [••PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED••]4. We're Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 4) (3:26) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition]5. Beginning To See The Light (5:30) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition] / [1969: The Velvet Underground Live]6. Lisa Says (6:05) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition] / [1969: The Velvet Underground Live]7. New Age (6:28) [1969: The Velvet Underground Live]8. Rock & Roll (6.58) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition] / [1969: The Velvet Underground Live] / [The Quine Tapes]9. I Can't Stand It (Version 2) (6:54) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition]10. Heroin (Version 4) (8:18) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition]11. White Light/White Heat (Version 2) (8:45) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition] / [1969: The Velvet Underground Live]12. Sweet Jane (Version 2) (4:20) [3rd album Super Deluxe Edition] / [1969: The Velvet Underground Live]

It's almost criminal this hasn't been released before. Given the poor quality of the handful of tapes that have existed, and the 'racket in a bucket' of the officially released 'Live At Max's Kansas City' and 'Live 1969', the Velvets fierce old live reputaion might seem at best baffling.At last, I see what the point might actually have been. Over these four discs, the Velvets live reputation becomes obvious. The sound is crisp and clear, and you can hear everything in precise detail. Sure. By modern standards this might not be amazing, and by Velvets standards these probably werent the best shows the band ever played, but … imagine. After 46 years hiding in a box, finally, the Velvet Underground live can be heard as clearly as they were if you were actually there.Firstly, junk all your other Velvets live recordings, - or more correctly, if you only have the studio albums, get this and – at a push – the MCMXVIII live reunion release. Most of the performances on “Live 1969” are on this set ; and on “Live 1969” they were recorded using a cheap tape player as a bootleg : these are the professionally mixed sound coming out direct from the venue speakers, not a shoddy four generation 50 year old bootleg.The whole set features four full shows and over four hours of live Velvets recorded in pristine condition, - and whilst most of the shows have been released over the years on “Live 1969” and the “Quine Tapes” - put simply they are all absolutely redundant and useless when you hear this. Everything else sounds dreadful, and you only need these four shows.

The double album 1969: The Velvet Underground Live is the apex of live recorded rock n' roll for many (certainly for me anyway) ... one of the greatest live albums ever made. Unbelievably this new set makes most of it more or less redundant. This is the VU recorded live at the Matrix in San Francisco across two fine nights in November '69. A lot of the same tracks as on 1969 Live but superior mixes in better quality. The club had its own built-in recording studio and the sound reproduction is far, far better than 1969 Live. If you're familiar with 1969 then this will blow your mind.Lou is so droll on his introductions, he really makes me chuckle. You can tell he's having fun.... extemporising lyrics as he goes along and taking well-known songs into new areas. The band are super tight but also kind of confidently loose at the same time. I'm listening to it now and can't really believe the thing exists.I wish there was more live VU from 1967 and 1968 in this quality when the band were a bit more wild and jagged. I believe some tapes exist but the owners are reluctant to part with them for various reasons. Well - no matter, this is tremendous stuff and will more than satisfy for now. Pity 2 full cds of it came out as part of last year's Super Deluxe 3rd album but I guess that's how recordland operates nowadays.Stellar release anyway - highly recommended.>edit< Just noticed the price has dropped to £29.99 today - and I paid £44.99 just yesterday... bit of a buzzkiller. Oh well, just my tuff luck I guess :(