All four of the band's original studio albums are musts, but The Velvet Underground and Nico is the mustest. A sexy New York sociopath in a motorcycle jacket, schooled in surf music and doo-wop but inspired by the decadent Warhol Factory demimonde, Lou Reed led his band of art punks as they ... 

 White Light/White Heat turns up the guitar fuzz to obsessive levels, climaxing with “Sister Ray,” 17 blissful minutes of amps screaming in ecstasy. “Here She Comes Now” is the flip side, a two-minute acoustic incantation falling softly on your ears, almost all rhythm. “Lady Godiva’s O... 

 The Velvet Underground, on the other hand, is all sweetness. After John Cale's exit, the Velvets became acoustic folkie balladeers, with a surprisingly warm Lou Reed warbling the sad doo-wop melodies of "Pale Blue Eyes," "I'm Set Free," and "Jesus," as well as the urgent rave-ups "Begin... 

 Loaded is even mellower, with new bassist Doug Yule taking over too many of the lead vocals. It’s the Velvets’ most conventional album, but when you’re in the mood for the glistening guitar shimmer of “I Found a Reason” or “Sweet Jane,” nothing else will do. This record was designed... 

 Reed quit the band during the Loaded sessions. Yule went on to make Squeeze under the Velvet Underground name; it’s the sort of pricey collector’s item you really shouldn’t ever pay money for, lest you get laughed at by whomever you’re trying to impress.  

 1969 Live shows off the Reed-Morrison-Tucker-Yule lineup on one frantic rave-up after another, catching your breath with quiet interludes such as "Over You" and "Sweet Jane." Listen to "Sweet Bonnie Brown/It's Just Too Much"—the lyrics are hardly there at all, the vocal is a callow Oti... 

 On the other hand, so many people have been willing to shell out for Velvets’ bootlegs (Sweet Sister Ray! Live ’68 !) that the band has been repackaged archivally ever since. VU and Another View collect great outtakes such as “Foggy Notion,” “Stephanie Says,” “Hey Mr. Rain,” and �... 

 On the other hand, so many people have been willing to shell out for Velvets’ bootlegs (Sweet Sister Ray! Live ’68 !) that the band has been repackaged archivally ever since. VU and Another View collect great outtakes such as “Foggy Notion,” “Stephanie Says,” “Hey Mr. Rain,” and �... 

 Best of is a well-selected sampler that's still beside the point. Live MCMXCIII documents the Velvets' brief 1993 European reunion tour, and you had to be there, though John Cale sounds great bellowing "All Tomorrow's Parties." 

 The Peel Slowly and See box collects this arcana (inexplicably leaving out VU’s “She’s My Best Friend”), adds more (“Guess I’m Falling in Love”! “Satellite of Love”!), throws in the four original albums, and restores the full-length version of “Sweet Jane” to Loaded. Essenti... 

 The Quine Tapes collects dim-sounding but fierce live performances, with some looong versions of “Sister Ray.” Despite rotten sound quality, Live at Max’s Kansas City rocks, with Reed in a hilariously Santa-like mood (“Wow, it’s really fun to be able to play all these for you!”) as th...