Over the past century, the recorded music industry has evolved tremendously in response to advancements in technology. As recorded music became more accessible to consumers, the way artists created music subsequently changed as well. Rock and Roll as a genre has seen arguably the most growth with an incredibly diverse range of styles that ranges from classic rock bands like The Eagles to heavy metal groups such as Slayer or Megadeth. A lot of experimentation happened between those two poles however, and among the most iconic bands to ever experiment with the genre is The Velvet Underground. They came up with a rather interesting crowd to say the least and led an equally intriguing career, and now that career will be explored further in the new self-titled documentary The Velvet Underground with Apple releasing the official trailer for the project this week.
Releasing their first album The Velvet Underground & Nico in 1967, the band led by the iconic Lou Reed existed in a rather niche space in rock and roll. Coming up with pop-art legend Andy Warhol as part of his traveling art show, they didn’t meet the mold of your typical rock and roll band of the time period and subsequently struggled to find commercial success initially. Their music has aged like fine wine however, with the bright yellow banana on the cover of the aforementioned album being recognizable by many who have never even heard of The Velvet Underground. While their path to notoriety wasn’t the smoothest, Apple will be exploring it further in the upcoming documentary The Velvet Underground which they have just released the official trailer for. Said trailer includes former members of The Velvet Underground as well as many others faces that also played an integral role in shaping rock and roll as they reflect on the legacy of The Velvet Underground, and the project is set to debut on Apple TV+ October 15th.
Andy Warhol is notorious for his vibrant and unique style, thus making it no surprise that those around him are equally unique. The Velvet Underground are among the most unique bands rock and roll ever produced, starkly contrasting with the more successful bands of the time period. Their legacy is indisputable however, and now that legacy will be honored in the upcoming documentary. Die-hard fans can begin counting down th days until The Velvet Underground hits Apple TV+ in a few short weeks.