Icon

Released as part of the Universal Icon series, this mixture of the Velvet Underground's more accessible cuts are taken from their first three albums originally on Verve, with additional live versions of "I Can't Stand It," "Sweet Jane," and "Rock & Roll." While this is an enjoyable compilation, your best bet remains the original albums, all easily available. Key atonal tracks such as "European Son," "I Heard Her Call My Name," and the epic "Sister Ray" have been omitted from this set. Another problem with the VU Icon entry is that while Nico is featured on the cover, none of the tracks with her vocals from the Andy Warhol-produced first album are included. ~ Al Campbell, Rovi