"The Matrix Tapes" - The Velvet Underground [Sendspace Download]

In 1969 The Velvet Underground played a residency at The Matrix, a small club in San Francisco and performances from these shows were recorded on a tape deck by guitarist Robert Quine. Some of these have already seen the light of day as "The Quine Tapes" and on tVU's Live 1969 collection, but according to tVU historian Richie Unterberger, Peter Abrams (who owned the Matrix) has four hours worth of half inch, 4-track, stereo live recordings of the band.

Abrams isn't releasing the tapes just yet, but we do have this sampler of the four hours, and it's some pretty unbelievably good material. The band was basically at the height of their powers when they disbanded, and this tape is further proof of that. Abrams told Unterberger, "“They’re beautiful tapes, we listened to some playback of a little bit of the tapes about a year ago at some studio in Berkeley and they just sounded great. One of their fans who was there said ‘Oh, these are the holy grail of Velvet Underground tapes.’”

The holy grail of Velvet Underground tapes. Intrigued yet? Download the sampler for free here, and let's keep our fingers crossed that Mr. Abrams releases the rest soon.

Via Aquarium Drunkard