Comments:

I've always had trouble seeing the great thing about The Velvet Underground's second album. There just aren’t the good tunes like on the first album; and on the third and fourth for that matter. The sound can best be described as lo-fi; to what extent this was a conscious choice on the part of the group there are divided opinions about. That the album achieved cult status is indisputable and could be described as a landmark in noise rock. Textually, it revolves around the same themes as on the debut; drugs and sex, spiced with a good portion of cynicism and dark humour. About the individual numbers (there are actually only six):

"White Light, White Heat" is a lo-fi piano driven rocker that textually deals with drugs. Quite chaotic ending and musically not very exciting. "The Gift" is a story told by John Cale. It's actually a little well-written short story with bite, satire and black humor. Cale does it really well and his voice does not sound distorted like much else on the album. The music works as a backdrop, and is really not very exciting - lo-fi like most of the album. A mysterious tale is also "Lady Godiva's Operation". What it's really about is not unambiguous - could be something connected to lobotomy and gender reassignment surgery. Musically perhaps the album's best. John Cale's vocals remind me a bit of Syd Barrett. In the second part of the song, Lou Reed appears vocally and the mood and character of the song become even more bizarre.

"Here She Comes Now" is the album's shortest and most melodic. Fine melodic guitar accompaniment and casually sung by Lou Reed. Could have deserved better production / sound. "I Heard here Call my Name" is noise rock or almost punk. It gradually develops towards pure noise and is practically unlistenable towards the end. "Sister Ray" is a long poem sung by Lou Reed. Musically, it may well be a bit reminiscent of some of Bob Dylan's early rockers on "Bringing it all Back Home" and "Highway 61 Revisited". With its 17 minutes and minimal variation in the music, it quickly becomes tiring.