Provocative, Unorthodox, and Ultimately Transgressive: How the Antinomian Spirit of the Velvet Underground’s White Light/White Heat Shaped Heavy Music

Presentation Type

Presentation

Full Name of Faculty Mentor

Steven Hamelman, English

Major

English

Presentation Abstract

As 1960s America found widespread anti-establishment sentiment amongst its post-World War II youth, a secular antinomian spirit formed around the many blossoming artists and musical groups of the era. One such group, the iconic Velvet Underground, played a pivotal role in the evolution of rock music as art. Their 1968 sophomore effort, White Light/White Heat, came after the departure of German singer Nico and creative collaborator Andy Warhol from their eponymous debut. Although initially dismissed, the record sparked the rise of countless subgenres of rock--through punk, metal, and experimental--expanding the breadth and complexity of the genre. White Light's sound defied popular music of the era, innovating with piercing, dissonant, and distortion-filled noise. Pairing perfectly with such an unapologetic sound are lyrics that shed light on deliberately taboo themes. White Light/White Heat was a confluence of modern art sensibilities, avant-garde experimentation, and boundary-pushing literature. Its influences are wide-ranging, from the improvisational jazz of saxophonist Ornette Coleman, to the wild, deranged novels of William S. Burroughs; not to mention the group's prior involvement with Warhol. Such a diverse palate of inspirations created an album that was startlingly antinomian for the time and far-reaching in its influence. This paper will examine the ingredients that came together to make such a transgressive work of art and explore the greater impact the record has had on heavy music. Abhorrent by design, provocative in its symbolism, and downright distasteful to many, White Light nonetheless stands the test of time as an essential milestone in music history.

Start Date

13-4-2023 2:20 PM

End Date

13-4-2023 2:40 PM

Disciplines

English Language and Literature

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Apr 13th, 2:20 PM Apr 13th, 2:40 PM

Provocative, Unorthodox, and Ultimately Transgressive: How the Antinomian Spirit of the Velvet Underground’s White Light/White Heat Shaped Heavy Music

As 1960s America found widespread anti-establishment sentiment amongst its post-World War II youth, a secular antinomian spirit formed around the many blossoming artists and musical groups of the era. One such group, the iconic Velvet Underground, played a pivotal role in the evolution of rock music as art. Their 1968 sophomore effort, White Light/White Heat, came after the departure of German singer Nico and creative collaborator Andy Warhol from their eponymous debut. Although initially dismissed, the record sparked the rise of countless subgenres of rock--through punk, metal, and experimental--expanding the breadth and complexity of the genre. White Light's sound defied popular music of the era, innovating with piercing, dissonant, and distortion-filled noise. Pairing perfectly with such an unapologetic sound are lyrics that shed light on deliberately taboo themes. White Light/White Heat was a confluence of modern art sensibilities, avant-garde experimentation, and boundary-pushing literature. Its influences are wide-ranging, from the improvisational jazz of saxophonist Ornette Coleman, to the wild, deranged novels of William S. Burroughs; not to mention the group's prior involvement with Warhol. Such a diverse palate of inspirations created an album that was startlingly antinomian for the time and far-reaching in its influence. This paper will examine the ingredients that came together to make such a transgressive work of art and explore the greater impact the record has had on heavy music. Abhorrent by design, provocative in its symbolism, and downright distasteful to many, White Light nonetheless stands the test of time as an essential milestone in music history.