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