Sealed 1974 2LP Gatefold Original, Small COH. "Sadly, Outside Of A Handful Of Audience Tapes Of Extremely Variable Fidelity, No One Thought To Make A Live Recording Of The Velvet Underground During Their 1967-68 Peak Period With John Cale Prodding Lou Reed Into Remarkable Flights Of Noise Rock Fancy. However, In 1969 A VU Fan Who Was A Recording Engineer Brought A Reel-To-Reel Tape Machine To Two Shows The Band Played During An Engagement At A Club In Dallas Called The End Of Cole Avenue; A Few Months Later, The Band Played The Matrix In San Francisco, Where A Tape Machine Had Been Installed Into The Hall's Sound System, And The Band Was Allowed To Record Their Set. Five Years Later, Long After The Velvet Underground Had Collapsed And Lou Reed's Solo Career Was On The Rise, Mercury Records Compiled Highlights Of The Dallas And San Francisco Tapes Into A Two-Record Set, 1969: Velvet Underground Live, And It Is Without Question The Best (Legally-Released) Document Of This Band's Considerable Strengths As A Live Act. From The Delicacy Of "New Age" And "I'll Be Your Mirror" To The Rave-Up Energy Of "What Goes On" And "White Light/White Heat," 1969: Velvet Underground Live Captures The Many Sides Of Their Musical Personality With Commendable Skill, And While It Isn't Their Best Album, It's One Of The Best Places For A Beginner To Explore Their Body Of Work." - Mark Deming, AMG