简介：Inlate1992,theVelvetUnderground1965-1968coreline-upofLouReed,JohnCale,SterlingMorrisonandMaureenTuckersuddenlydecidedtoreform.ThedecisionwasallthemoreunexpectedbecausetherelationshipbetweenReedandMorrisonhadbeensoureversincethelateSixties,onlytoameliorateafterbackcatalogueroyaltyrenegotiationsinthemid-Eighties,andthetumultuousrelationshipbetweenReedandCalehadhitalowaftertheir1990collaborationSongsforDrella. Nevertheless,animpromptuone-songreunioninJouy-en-Josas,France,laterthatyearforanAndyWarholexhibitionsetthesceneandby1993,thebandhadstartedtorehearseforEuropeanandAmericantours.LouReed'sthen-currentrecordcompany,SireRecords,agreedtoreleasealivealbumfromtheEuropeantour,andambitiousplansweremadeforbothanMTVUnpluggedappearancewithaccompanyingalbumandasubsequentstudioalbum. Twokeypeopledidnotparticipateinthereunion:sometimesingerNico,whohaddiedin1988;andlatter-daybassist/keyboardplayerDougYule,whomSterlingMorrisonwouldhavelikedtoparticipatebutwhowasvetoedoutbyReedandCale.Yulelaterstatedthat,althoughhewouldhavelikedbeingconsideredatleast,hewouldhavedeclinedanywaybecauseoffamilypriorities. Thealbumwasrecordedduringathree-nightresidenceintheParisianvenueL'Olympia.JohnCalelatersaid,"Duringthesecondnightwehitthehomerun",anditisofthisnightthatmostoftheLiveⅯⅭⅯⅩⅭⅢtracksweretaken.Therestweretakenfromthethirdnight. LiveⅯⅭⅯⅩⅭⅢmainlyisatrawlthroughthebackcatalogue,withemphasisonthe"regular",morestructuredsongs.Thereareonlytwomajorimprovisations("SomeKindaLove"and"HeyMr.Rain")andtwonewsongs:"VelvetNurseryRhyme",ashortandlightweightreunion-themesong,and"Coyote",aReed/Calecollaboration.Emphasisisontheband'sfirstandthirdrecordsandthe"lostfourthalbum"(seeVUandAnotherView),withonlytwosongsfromLoadedbeingincluded. DuringtheEuropeantour,relationshipsquicklysouredagainandbytheendofthetourallotherplanswereoff,nevertorematerialise.Theband'slatestbreakupprovedfinalwhenSterlingMorrisondiedinthesummerof1995. Boththetourandthealbummetwithmixedreviews.Thepublicandthecriticsweresplitintotwocamps:thosethatdidnotwanttospoiltheirvisionoftheimagethatthebandhadsincetheSixtiesandthosethatwantedtoseethelegendaryfourbacktogetheronstageandseewhethertheycouldstillberelevant.Reviewsreflectedtheviewsofthetwocamps.…