This is another Winter 2006 release from Nothing Songs Limted and their 6th volume of the Velvet Underground series they are stringing out.  This, a remaster of one of the best live recordings of the band from The Boston Tea Party on January 15, 1969.  A remaster of a 1996 Japanese bootleg in a limited edition of 500 copies, the first 200 also feature the bonus CDR of the January 10th, 1969 audience tape. Although mine is stamped with "#/150" but who's counting.  And yes, as it was originally issued in Japan as "Legendaly..." why would the Japanese change it now?  Another thing about bootleg collecting is that there's a good dose of humor along the way, whether intentional or not!

If you're a Velvet Underground collector, you have a copy of this recording in some fashion as it's the must-have of the lot. If you aren't a Velvet Underground afficianado this is a good story and may pique your curiosity to check it out.  This show has been called the "blow outs of blow outs" and is attributed as such because of this tape, primarily.  The unique tape was procured when an enterprising and bold fan was allowed to record the show directly through Lou Reed's guitar amp that evening.  Obviously the results provide Reed's guitar out front of everything else and vocals you can hardly discern - but it doesn't really matter.  You can follow along wonderfully and Lou Reed is leading the band on a wild ride that culminates with a couple of the most intense versions of both "Heroin" and "Sister Ray" to 'ever be recorded'...as I've read in several places. 

This is a very interesting and unique experience to sit through and Nothing Songs has done a wonderful job of presenting a critical recording of an important band in classy and classic fashion.  They utilize the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab sleeve art format with some black and white shots of the band on the inside insert sas well as a funny cassette tape j-card from what I would guess was the original tape(?) that states:  Sound: a crazy VG- (must play LOUDLY!)...along with a reprint of the original Japanese CD release on Ultra Sonic! on the back panel.

While the entire set on January 15th was recorded by the fan who is referred to as "The Professor", Disc 2 is rounded out by a few tracks from other nights at the same venue and not in comparible quality - 2 of them from an appearance at the Tea Party a month earier on December 12, 1968.  These are mostly mono audience sources of varying degree.  The bonus disc from January 10th at the same venue is another energetic performance and the recording here, like the others teeters from G-VG of mono quality.  A nice bonus for the cause though and I really like that aspect of the program that Nothing Songs and other labels like IMP and SODD are presenting.  Needless to say, but this is a must-have as it is actually QUITE legendaly!