Andy Warhol Lou Reed Screen Test 1966

First it was the 50's brand of doo-wop rock, with the counter culture of the beatnics. Then came the Beatles and hippies along with the counter culture that would not have any part of those scenes. This was the pre-punk era or aka, "The Happening" or simply avant garde. Lou Reed and John Cale where credited for getting the Velvet Underground to move more towards avant-garde. Then along came Andy Warhol and became manager of the Velvet Underground and taught them to never compromise! This was more then music, it was art and we will no way let record companies tell us how to create our art or change it in any way. That's all they needed to become one of the most influencial bands of all time. The Doors were influenced by Velvet. Ironically, Lou Reed was originally influenced by Bob Dylan but the folk scene was considered too commercial and boring and with the direction of John Cale talked Reed in to going electric. Dylan after hearing what the Velvet was accomplishing also eventually decided to hang his folk guatar up and plug in. Other bands were influenced by the Velvet, too many to list here.