The Velvet Underground and Nico - 1968 Verve Repress V6-5008 - VG/VG - Banana

$

150

The Velvet Underground & Nico is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Velvet Underground and German singer Nico, released in March 1967 through Verve Records. It was recorded in 1966 while the band were featured on Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable tour. The album features experimental performance sensibilities and explicit lyrical topics, including drug abuse, prostitution, sadomasochism and sexual deviancy.

The Velvet Underground & Nico underperformed in sales and polarized critics on release due to its abrasive, unconventional sound and controversial lyrical content, but later became regarded as one of the most influential albums in rock and pop music and one of the greatest albums of all time. Described as "the original art-rock record", it was a major influence on many subgenres of rock music and alternative music, including punk, garage, krautrock, post-punk, noise rock, shoegaze, goth, and indie. In 1982, English musician Brian Eno quipped that while the album only sold approximately 30,000 copies in its first five years, "everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band". ;-) The album was ranked number 13 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2003, re-ranked to number 23 on the 2020 updated list. In 2006, it was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

For sale here is a 1968 East Coast Repress of Verve V6-5008 (Variant 1, see notes, below).  The still shiny vinyl is in Very Good [VG] condition, with some visible marks.  Per a test listen, the do not affect play, with the exception of on side two, track 3 and at the beginning of track four, on both of which you can hear a scratch although it is a minor distraction from the music.  The original gatefold cover is in Very Good [VG] condition. The banana sticker, which is torn thru the stem at the top (as can be seen in the photos), is otherwise intact.  The inner sleeve (also shown in the photos) I believe is NOT the original inner sleeve, which I believe advertised other Verve recordings (as mentioned in the notes, below).

All in all, this record is in great shape considering it is going on 56 years old!

·      Notes

Gatefold cover with banana sticker. Third pressing with airbrushed Emerson torso image on the back cover.

MGM Record Manufacturing Division, Bloomfield, New Jersey pressing identified by the "block-shaped 'S'" stamped in the runouts, and also by the label typesetting.

Labels for this version have a 1.25" diameter pressing ring.

- "Side 1" and "Side 2" instead of "Side A" and "Side B".
- Song credits for 'European Son' are shown as "Reed - Cale - Morrison - Tucker" instead of "L. Reed - J. Cale - S. Morrison - M. Tucker".
- "Three Prong Music. All Selections BMI" instead of "All Selections Three Prong Music, Inc. BMI"

Issued with Verve company inner sleeve.
®© Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc./Printed in U.S.A.

"MGM RECORDS - A DIVISION OF METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER, INC. - Made in U.S.A."

Barcode and Other Identifiers

Pressing Plant ID (MGM Record Manufacturing "block-shaped S", stamped in runouts): S

Matrix / Runout (Side A Label): (MGS-558)

Matrix / Runout (Side B Label): (MGS-559)

Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched, variant 1): V6-5008 SIDE.1 MGS-558 REV

Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched, variant 1): V6-5008 SIDE-2 MGS-559-RE-1

Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched, variant 2): V6-5008 SIDE.1 MGS-558 REV 13 Block-shaped "S"

Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched, variant 2): V6-5008 SIDE-2 MGS-559-RE-1 31 Block-shaped "S"

Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched, variant 3): V6-5008 SIDE-1 MGS-558 REV

Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched, variant 3): V6-5008 SIDE-2 MGS-559

Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched, variant 4): V6 - 5008 SIDE-1 MGS-558 REV. 14 Block-shaped 'S'

Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched, variant 4): V6 - 5008 SIDE-2 MGS-559 - RE - 1 21 Block-shaped 'S'

Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched, variant 5): V6-5008 SIDE-1 MGS-558 REV. 22 Block-shaped 'S'

Matrix / Runout (Side b, etched, variant 5): V6-5008 SIDE-1 MGS-558 21 Block-shaped 'S'

Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched, variant 6): V6-5008 SIDE-1 MGS-558 REV Block-shaped 'S'

Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched, variant 6): V6-5008 SIDE-2 MGS-559 22

Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched / stamped, variant 7 ): V6 - 5008 SIDE-1 MGS-558 REV. 24 Block-shaped 'S'

Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched / stamped, variant 7 ): V6 - 5008 SIDE-2 MGS-559-RE-1 21 Block-shaped 'S'

Rights Society (On Label): BMI

Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched / stamped, variant 8): V6-5008 SIDE-1 MGS-558 REV. 21 Block-shaped 'S'

Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched / stamped, variant 8): V6 - 5008 SIDE-2 MGS-559 21 Block-shaped 'S'

ENJOY!