David Bowie has been praised by The Velvet Underground fans for his “great version” of one of the band’s very best songs.
The Starman and Life on Mars songwriter covered many of his favourite artists over the years, with Cream, Neil Young, and John Lennon also covered by Bowie. His version of The Velvet Underground‘s White Light, White Heat, has been hailed as an all-time great experience from those listening to the Bowie at the Beeb compilation. An upload of the cover to YouTube has seen fans of both Bowie and the Lou Reed-featuring band hail the Ashes to Ashes songwriter for his take on The Velvet Underground’s track. The song served as the title track of their 1968 release, and has since garnered deserved praise from critics and the public alike.
A description of Bowie’s cover reads: “Bowie at the Beeb is a compilation album by David Bowie, first released in 2000. Originally, it came in a three-CD set, the third, bonus CD being a recording on 27 June 2000 at the Portland BBC Radio Theatre. Later editions contain only the first two CDs.”
Fans were quick to point out how great a version Bowie had provided for the song. One person wrote: “Great version of the song.” Another added: “Oh wow! David’s vocals and Mick’s guitar playing on this. Wow! What a combination!” A third shared: “Only missing John Cale’s rapturous bass thunders.”
Further covers of the band’s work had been hailed in the past. The unlikely pairing of Elvis Costello and Neil Young tackled Oh Sweet Nuthin’. The pair’s take on the song was praised by fans as a “special” interpretation of the Loaded hit.
Both Costello and Young received praise for their performance, with those at the show hearing the news of Reed’s death just hours before, according to one person who says they attended the event. Comments left by fans in a YouTube video of the performance had many share their love of Costello and “musical Terminator” Young, whose ability to adapt from genre to genre was praised by some. One person wrote: “I was at this show. It was the day Lou Reed died and we all fell the fuck apart.”
Another added: “Neil Young is like some kind of a musical terminator, he just keeps plodding mercilessly along.” A third wrote: “It always amazes me how whenever I feel that I haven’t had a particularly good day or I’m just feeling rather uninspired, that it can all turn completely around in a wholly different, positive sort of way.
“By just truly listening to wonderful music performed by musicians who care tremendously for their craft. And to enjoy this moment in time in the company of a delightful new friend is why I will forget the dull feelings of when the day started and instead focus on the peace and contentment of how I am feeling right now.”
You can hear Bowie’s cover of White Light / White Heat below.
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