Album of the Day

Years before anyone had ever heard of CBGB, Max's was THE place in New York City to mingle with Manhattan scenesters and see cutting-edge rock acts. Near the top of the latter list was The Velvet Underground, whose final show with leader Lou Reed (until a brief '90s reunion) is documented on LIVE AT MAX'S KANSAS CITY. The quartet mixed such older favorites as “I'll Be Your Mirror,” “Femme Fatale” and “I'm Waiting For The Man” with new songs like “Sweet Jane” and “New Age” from their soon-to-be-released LOADED, with plenty of venue atmosphere heard throughout (like an audience conversation where Jim Carroll hits someone up for pills). An essential chapter in the VU story, LIVE AT MAX'S KANSAS CITY is part of Rhino's Start Your Ear Off Right campaign in January.