I should mention that they released two masterpieces in this year - their only two albums featuring John Cale, making them on par, or even surpassing the sum of their parts. In 1967 their connection to Andy Warhol brought them to great prominence even if their records didn't sell that well (though by today standards peaking at 182 is hardly a failure). They did that whole thing with the art freaks and then ditched them to get even weirder with White Light/White Heat. For Those reasons this incarnation is seen as the more experimental side, but I prefer to see the aggression of their experimentation as their sign of being a true rock band. While it may sound avant-garde, songs like "Run Run Run" and "Sister Ray" have been proven by the rest of rock history to be the definition of the genre. With the more conceptual and experimental pieces like "All Tomorrow's Parties" and "The Gift" being balanced out by the sweet sounds of "Sunday Morning" and "Here She Comes Now," the Velvets seem to have more in common with the Beatles than with Captain Beefheart.
Prior to their run-in with Warhol, the Velvets were just another rock band playing teen beat shows around the New York area and their maturity and bend for weirdness never detracted or even distracted from their ability to rock hard. With that, the original quartet had that raw cohesion that makes 60s punk such a special kind of music. While I will admit they still had that power with Doug Yule, few musicians can approach John Cale's level of talent and creativity - an undeniable part of this era's sound.
Though as much as one can say for Cale and Reed, I refuse to keep allowing the greatness of Sterling Morrison to be overlooked, and hey as reprehensible as her later political affiliation is, Moe Tucker was the first woman in a band outside of vocals/tambourine to not have a gimmicky element. Plus she played a weird kit.
Honorable mentions: Moby Grape, Love.
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