The Velvet Underground 1969 album receives premium vinyl reissue

The Velvet Underground’s self-titled 1969 album is being reissued as part of Universal Music Group’s Vinylphyle series. This premium edition features Lou Reed’s original ‘Closet Mix,’ an intimate stereo mix that appeared on the album’s earliest 1969 pressings.

Designed as an audiophile release, the edition utilizes all-analog mastering from the original source and will be pressed on 180-gram black vinyl at RTI’s plant in California. The physical package includes a tip-on wrapped gatefold jacket with a satin matte finish, an archival poly sleeve, and a four-panel insert containing source tape scans and newly commissioned liner notes by rock historian Scott B. Bomar.

The 1969 album represented a stylistic shift for the band, moving from experimental sounds toward more melodic songwriting found in tracks such as ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ and ‘Candy Says.’ The reissue is available for order through uDiscover Music, with shipping expected in late September.