The Velvet Underground
Scepter Studio Sessions
(Universal)

Flangy, guitar pop provides background to Lou Reed’s talking vocals on “European Son,” the opener on The Velvet Underground’s Scepter Studio Sessions. It’s certainly not much of a tune, what with a plinky, fast lead and just basically rangy noise making up most of it. But then again, these nine tunes are the acetate cut of the first Velvet Underground recordings, all alternative mixes featuring different solos and rhythms, than what surfaced as their infamous first album with that banana cover.