Notes

---

Recorded in Ohio on November 4th 1966, Down For You Is Up is one of the few Velvet Underground bootlegs that can accurately be ascribed to 'The Velvet Underground And Nico' because it actually does feature the legendary short-lived line-up of Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker, and Nico.

Wondering what the title means? Here's Lou, once more with feeling:

REED: The definition of a manic depressive is: "As high as you go is as low as you go; therefore, you've experienced energy and beauty." One of the peripheral effects is that as high as you go is as low as you go.

MORGAN: And when you hit the bottom, you know that you can look up.

REED: You know what up is.

On Down For You Is Up, Nico provides the beauty when she sings "All Tomorrow's Parties" and "Femme Fatale." The energy part of the set comes when the rest of the band performs "I'm Waiting For The Man," "Venus In Furs," "The Black Angel's Death Song," "Heroin," and an extended nine minute version of "Run Run Run" that at one point eerily foreshadows the as-yet-to-be-recorded "The Gift."

For a 1966 mono audience recording of a notoriously distortion-laden band, the sound is surprisingly unmuffled with the vocals being especially clear. And although there's a certain amount of tape crackle present, that's a small price to pay to hear an actual live performance by 'The Velvet Underground And Nico' shortly before her enforced exile.

I'm certainly not complaining—and I'm willing to bet that Robert Quine would second that emotion.