The Velvet Underground were easily one of the greatest rock bands of the 1960s, though unlike the Beatles or the Stones they labored in relative obscurity. They weren't just ahead of the times, they helped create the future of rock music with their mix of primitive rock 'n' roll, complex avant-garde leanings, downtown narratives, and pure pop songcraft. They even wanted to top the charts, but they wanted to do it their way. Lou Reed may have been a Brill Building-esque tunesmith, bu...  [+]