"The Velvet Underground" is an astonishing assembly of rare objects and artworks and the first book of its scale to document the formative years of the band "Time Out" magazine named the greatest New York musicians of all time. From never-before-seen photographs of the band's first live show in New York to Andy Warhol's cover and poster designs, Lou Reed's handwritten music and lyrics, underground press clippings and controversial reviews, flyers, handbills, and posters, the materials here comprise a uniquely comprehensive survey of the first rock group ever to transcend the genre and embrace underground popular culture. Including a conversation recorded especially for the book between founding members Lou Reed and Maureen Tucker, this beautifully illustrated book is the first to present a definitive picture of the band's genesis and development in the extraordinary New York scene of the mid- to late-1960s.