AMG Review of Velvet Underground & Nico

William Ruhlmann
All Music Guide

Many of the songs are melodic pop tunes, and the lyrics can be charming, but they also take on the experience of shooting heroin and other hard-edged subjects, and some of the music reflects Cale's taste for avant-garde music. All together, a remarkable document for 1967, and far more provocative than any debut album released since.