The Velvet Underground & Nico - Quiz
The Velvet Underground Nico
  • 1. When did The Velvet Underground & Nico begin to attract wide praise from rock critics?
A) In the year 2000
B) Immediately upon its release
C) A decade after its release
D) Twenty years after its release
  • 2. Who wrote a 1977 retrospective review for the Village Voice regarding the album?
A) Philip Sherburne
B) Colin Larkin
C) Christgau
D) Tom Hibbert
  • 3. Which publication included the album in its 'Basic Record Library' of 1950s and 1960s recordings?
A) Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies
B) The Perfect Collection
C) Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums
D) The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
  • 4. How has The Velvet Underground & Nico been characterized in terms of musical genre?
A) The definitive punk rock album
B) The original art-rock record
C) The first heavy metal record
D) A classic jazz fusion masterpiece
  • 5. Who described the album as a 'powerful collection' in The Encyclopedia of Popular Music?
A) Tom Hibbert
B) Philip Sherburne
C) Colin Larkin
D) Robert Christgau
  • 6. In April 2003, which magazine listed this album at the top of their 'Top Fifteen Most Influential Albums of All Time' list?
A) Q magazine
B) Spin
C) Rolling Stone
D) The Guardian
  • 7. NPR included the album in their 2000 series identifying what?
A) The most important American musical works of the 20th century
B) The 100 best selling albums of all time
C) The most controversial rock albums ever
D) The 100 albums that defined the 1970s
  • 8. What did Rolling Stone call the album in their 2003 and 2012 lists?
A) The first modern art-rock record
B) The most prophetic rock album ever made
C) The greatest album of the 1960s
D) The most underrated rock album of the century
  • 9. What rank did the album receive in the 2020 reboot of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums list?
A) 23
B) 42
C) 1
D) 13
  • 10. Tom Hibbert's book 'The Perfect Collection' (1982) selected the album as one of how many significant US albums of the 1960s?
A) 500
B) 100
C) 24
D) 13
  • 11. In 1997, what was the album's ranking in the 'Music of the Millennium' poll?
A) 13th
B) 42nd
C) 1st
D) 22nd
  • 12. Which publication placed the album at number 1 in a list of '50 Albums That Changed Music' in 2006?
A) The Observer
B) Time magazine
C) Q magazine
D) Pitchfork
  • 13. In 2017, which publication placed the album at the top of its list of 'The 200 Best Albums of the 1960s'?
A) Pitchfork
B) Rolling Stone
C) Spin
D) The Guardian
  • 14. Who wrote that it is easy to see the album as a 'solipsistic record'?
A) Colin Larkin
B) Philip Sherburne
C) Robert Christgau
D) Tom Hibbert
  • 15. When was the album inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress?
A) 2008
B) 2006
C) 2000
D) 1997
  • 16. In what year was the album inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame?
A) 2025
B) 2006
C) 2003
D) 2008
  • 17. According to the text, which organization named the album one of the 100 best albums in 2025?
A) Apple
B) The Library of Congress
C) NPR
D) Time magazine
  • 18. In what year did the Velvet Underground business partnership sue the Andy Warhol Foundation?
A) 2013
B) 2010
C) 2011
D) 2012
  • 19. Who were the general partners of the Velvet Underground business partnership mentioned in the text?
A) Andy Warhol and John Cale
B) Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison
C) John Cale and Lou Reed
D) Nico and Lou Reed
  • 20. What product line led the partnership to sue the Andy Warhol Foundation?
A) iPhone and iPad cases
B) Vinyl record reissues
C) Posters and art prints
D) Clothing merchandise
  • 21. Which company licensed the banana design from the Foundation for mobile accessories?
A) Velvet Records
B) Warhol Enterprises
C) Apple Inc.
D) Incase Designs
  • 22. What is a 'Covenant Not to Sue'?
A) A settlement payment agreement
B) A license transfer agreement
C) A binding promise not to take legal action over copyright
D) A public apology statement
  • 23. Who was the judge that presided over the lawsuit?
A) Ruth Bader Ginsburg
B) Sonia Sotomayor
C) John Roberts
D) Alison J. Nathan
  • 24. Why did the court dismiss the partnership's copyright claim?
A) It lacked a 'case or controversy' because no actual harm was imminent
B) The statute of limitations had expired
C) The partnership failed to pay filing fees
D) The Foundation proved they owned the copyright
  • 25. What did the court call a legal decision that has no practical consequences?
A) A summary judgment
B) An advisory opinion
C) A bench trial
D) A preliminary injunction
  • 26. When was the partnership's suit finally dismissed?
A) March 2013
B) December 2012
C) Late May 2013
D) January 2012
  • 27. Which song describes a protagonist's efforts to obtain heroin?
A) All Tomorrow's Parties
B) Venus in Furs
C) I'm Waiting for the Man
D) Femme Fatale
  • 28. The song 'Venus in Furs' is a literal interpretation of a novella by which author?
A) Raymond Chandler
B) Leopold von Sacher-Masoch
C) William S. Burroughs
D) Hubert Selby, Jr.
  • 29. Where did Lou Reed study as an English major?
A) Syracuse University
B) New York University
C) The Factory
D) Columbia University
  • 30. For whom was the song 'Femme Fatale' written?
A) La Monte Young
B) Edie Sedgwick
C) Nico
D) Andy Warhol
  • 31. When did Lou Reed record the demo for 'All Tomorrow's Parties'?
A) July 1965
B) January 1966
C) March 1967
D) December 1964
  • 32. John Cale was influenced by his work with which minimalist composer?
A) Andy Warhol
B) John Cage
C) Richard Goldstein
D) La Monte Young
  • 33. Which guitar tuning consists of all strings being tuned to the same pitch class?
A) Standard tuning
B) Open G tuning
C) Ostrich guitar tuning
D) Drop D tuning
  • 34. What instrument did John Cale play on 'The Black Angel's Death Song'?
A) Tambourine
B) Viola
C) Bass drum
D) Guitar
  • 35. Who described Nico's vocal as 'something like a cello getting up in the morning'?
A) Robert Christgau
B) Lou Reed
C) Richard Goldstein
D) Adam Budofsky
  • 36. How did Moe Tucker play the drums on the album?
A) Sitting on a high stool
B) Lying down
C) Sitting on the floor
D) Standing up
  • 37. Which author is NOT mentioned as a literary influence on Lou Reed?
A) Allen Ginsberg
B) Victor Bockris
C) Nelson Algren
D) Raymond Chandler
  • 38. Who informed Moe Tucker's drumming style?
A) John Cale
B) Lou Reed
C) Sterling Morrison
D) Angus MacLise
  • 39. In what year was The Velvet Underground & Nico released?
A) 1968
B) 1967
C) 1966
D) 1965
  • 40. Who served as co-producer of the album alongside Tom Wilson?
A) Paul Morrissey
B) Norman Dolph
C) John Cale
D) Andy Warhol
  • 41. Which record label released the album?
A) Elektra Records
B) Verve Records
C) Columbia Records
D) Atlantic Records
  • 42. Which singer was featured on the album alongside the Velvet Underground?
A) Lou Reed
B) Sterling Morrison
C) Nico
D) Maureen Tucker
  • 43. On which street in New York was the album recorded?
A) Broadway
B) Ludlow Street
C) Fifth Avenue
D) Wall Street
  • 44. Which of these themes is explicitly mentioned in Lou Reed's lyrics on the album?
A) Religious conflict
B) Drug abuse
C) Environmentalism
D) Political revolution
  • 45. Who did Billboard rank as having the #1 'Best Album Cover of All Time' in 2023?
A) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
B) Abbey Road
C) Dark Side of the Moon
D) The Velvet Underground & Nico
  • 46. How many tracks did Nico sing lead on?
A) Five
B) Two
C) Three
D) Four
  • 47. Which song did Nico provide back-up vocals for?
A) Sunday Morning
B) I'm Waiting for the Man
C) Heroin
D) Venus in Furs
  • 48. Who was the Columbia Records sales executive that helped finance the recording session?
A) Paul Morrissey
B) Tom Wilson
C) Norman Dolph
D) John Licata
  • 49. What did Norman Dolph accept as payment instead of a cash fee?
A) A custom guitar
B) Stock in the record label
C) Royalties
D) A Warhol painting
  • 50. Why did Atlantic Records decline to distribute the album?
A) Drug references
B) Lack of commercial appeal
C) Too short
D) Poor production quality
  • 51. Where were three of the songs re-recorded in May 1966?
A) Scepter Studios
B) Mayfair Recording Studios
C) Abbey Road Studios
D) TTG Studios
  • 52. What sales status does the album hold in the United Kingdom?
A) Platinum
B) Diamond
C) Silver
D) Gold
  • 53. According to the text, how much influence did Warhol have on the recording sessions beyond paying for them?
A) Little influence
B) He was the primary arranger
C) Complete technical direction
D) Total control
  • 54. Who did John Cale claim produced nearly all of the tracks?
A) Tom Wilson
B) Andy Warhol
C) John Licata
D) Norman Dolph
  • 55. According to Lou Reed, who decided to bring in Tom Wilson to produce?
A) Andy Warhol
B) Sterling Morrison
C) John Cale
D) MGM
  • 56. What did Warhol famously say to the engineers during recording sessions?
A) Change the tempo
B) That is not good enough
C) Make it louder
D) Oooh, that's fantastic
  • 57. What color was the banana revealed beneath the peelable sticker?
A) Flesh-colored
B) White
C) Bright yellow
D) Black
  • 58. Where is the peeled banana image located on the 1996 CD reissue?
A) Inside the jewel case, beneath the CD
B) On the front cover
C) On the back cover
D) In the booklet
  • 59. According to the text, what do some sources cite the banana cover art as?
A) An ode to pop art
B) A symbol of the music industry
C) A political statement
D) A phallic symbol
  • 60. Who compared the act of peeling the banana to the peeling back of a foreskin?
A) Andy Warhol
B) Lou Reed
C) Eric Emerson
D) Blake Gopnik
  • 61. What event was the back cover photo of the band taken at?
A) The Exploding Plastic Inevitable
B) An erotic art show
C) A recording session
D) The Factory opening
  • 62. Whose image appeared upside-down on the wall in the original back cover photo?
A) Lou Reed
B) Eric Emerson
C) Andy Warhol
D) Nico
  • 63. How was the image of Eric Emerson hidden on existing printed copies of the album?
A) It was cropped out
B) It was painted over
C) A white label was placed over it
D) A large black sticker
  • 64. Which publication ranked the album as the best album cover of all time in 2023?
A) Rolling Stone
B) Billboard
C) Pitchfork
D) NME
  • 65. According to Richie Unterberger, when was the album likely out by at the latest?
A) March 31
B) March 4
C) March 12
D) April 1
  • 66. What was the album's peak position on the Billboard charts?
A) 199
B) 182
C) 171
D) 195
  • 67. How many copies of the album did Brian Eno claim were sold in the first five years?
A) 200,000
B) 58,476
C) 30,000
D) 10,000
  • 68. What was the actual number of copies sold as of February 1969 according to an MGM royalty statement?
A) 200,000
B) 58,476
C) 30,000
D) 10,000
  • 69. Who claimed that the album had sold 200,000 copies by 1970?
A) Brian Eno
B) Richie Unterberger
C) Jeff Gold
D) Sterling Morrison
  • 70. What did Brian Eno famously say about the people who bought the first 30,000 copies?
A) Everyone who bought one started a band
B) They were all fans of Warhol
C) They regretted their purchase
D) They were part of the underground radio scene
  • 71. When did the album finally leave the charts after its re-entry?
A) November 18, 1967
B) January 6, 1968
C) December 16, 1967
D) June 10, 1967
  • 72. Which magazine called the music 'a full-fledged attack on the ears and on the brain'?
A) Vibrations
B) Village Voice
C) Billboard
D) Jazz & Pop
  • 73. How did Dave Donelly describe the album's cover?
A) A depressing image
B) A conversation piece
C) A masterpiece of art
D) The wildest front cover yet
  • 74. To which artist did the anonymous American Record Guide reviewer compare Lou Reed's lyrics?
A) Dylan
B) Nico
C) Andy Warhol
D) The Rolling Stones
  • 75. What did Vance Johnston claim Warhol aficionados would declare the album to be?
A) A failed experiment
B) His best
C) His most commercial work
D) His worst
  • 76. Which Billboard review term was used to describe the album's style?
A) Savage sound
B) Electric viola experimentation
C) 12-tone rock 'n' roll
D) Sophisticated folk-rock
  • 77. Which band may have recorded the first cover of "There She Goes Again" in April 1967?
A) The Electrical Banana
B) Thee Oh Sees
C) Melvins
D) The Riats
  • 78. Where did Dean Kohler claim the Electrical Banana recorded their cover version?
A) In a club in The Hague
B) In a tent in Vietnam
C) In a basement in Buenos Aires
D) In a studio in California
  • 79. Which band released a single featuring "Run, Run, Run" and "Sunday Morning" in 1967?
A) The Melvins
B) Castle Face and Friends
C) The Riats
D) The Electrical Banana
  • 80. Where were The Riats from?
A) Vietnam
B) The Hague
C) California
D) Argentina
  • 81. Which band covered "Venus in Furs" on a 1991 split single?
A) Thee Oh Sees
B) Melvins
C) Nirvana
D) The Electrical Banana
  • 82. Which song did Nirvana record for their 1991 split single?
A) Sunday Morning
B) Here She Comes Now
C) Run, Run, Run
D) Venus in Furs
  • 83. Which actor participated in Beck's 2009 Record Club project?
A) Bobby Gillespie
B) Giovanni Ribisi
C) Iggy Pop
D) Ty Segall
  • 84. Where were the artists from who produced a track-for-track cover of the album in 2009?
A) Vietnam
B) The Netherlands
C) Argentina
D) United States
  • 85. Which artist was involved in the 2012 "Castle Face and Friends" project?
A) Nigel Godrich
B) Sharon Van Etten
C) Ty Segall
D) St. Vincent
  • 86. Which artist performed on the 2021 tribute album I'll Be Your Mirror?
A) Iggy Pop
B) Dean Kohler
C) Kelley Stoltz
D) Beck
  • 87. How was Beck's 2009 cover album released?
A) Online in video form
B) As a vinyl 45 RPM record
C) Exclusively at concerts in Buenos Aires
D) On a split 7" single
  • 88. In what year was the tribute album I'll Be Your Mirror released?
A) 2012
B) 1991
C) 2009
D) 2021
  • 89. Who replaced Andy Warhol as the manager of The Velvet Underground?
A) Tom Wilson
B) Norman Dolph
C) Steve Sesnick
D) Bill Levenson
  • 90. What was the title of Nico's debut solo album?
A) White Light/White Heat
B) Chelsea Girl
C) Melody Laughter
D) Ludlow Street
  • 91. Which instrument did John Cale play on the song 'Sunday Morning'?
A) Lead guitar
B) Electric viola
C) Percussion
D) Celeste
  • 92. When was the first CD edition of the album released?
A) 1995
B) 1967
C) 1986
D) 1996
  • 93. What song on the 1986 CD featured an alternative mix compared to the original LP?
A) All Tomorrow's Parties
B) Venus in Furs
C) Heroin
D) Sunday Morning
  • 94. Who oversaw the initial CD issues of the Verve/MGM catalog?
A) John Licata
B) Steve Sesnick
C) Bill Levenson
D) Norman Dolph
  • 95. Which performance excerpt was included on the Peel Slowly and See box set?
A) Heroin
B) Venus in Furs
C) Melody Laughter
D) I'm Waiting for the Man
  • 96. What was the duration of the 'Melody Laughter' performance excerpt included in the box set?
A) Five minutes
B) One hour
C) Thirty minutes
D) Ten minutes
  • 97. In what year did Universal release the two-disc Deluxe Edition of the album?
A) 2012
B) 2010
C) 2004
D) 2002
  • 98. Which unreleased track was initially planned for the 2002 Deluxe Edition but canceled due to a royalty dispute?
A) Femme Fatale
B) All Tomorrow's Parties
C) European Son
D) Miss Joanie Lee
  • 99. In which re-release was the track 'Miss Joanie Lee' eventually included?
A) Vinyl re-issue
B) Rarities Edition
C) 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition
D) Original 2002 Deluxe Edition
  • 100. What is featured on discs 5 and 6 of the 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition?
A) Remastered mono mixes
B) Demo versions of Nico's songs
C) A previously unreleased live performance from 1966
D) An interview with the band
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