Andy Warhol, the Velvet Underground, Nico, Edie Sedgwick, and the rest of The Factory gang are held in high regard by those who consider them ground zero for cooler than cool. Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips understand this and are the right choice to produce original music for a selection of Warhol’s 1960s black-and-white filmed screen tests.
After presenting this as a multimedia event live for the past year, they’re releasing the songs as a special double CD. The cover tunes they’ve included are appropriate and executed spot-on, like “I’ll Keep It With Mine,” the song Bob Dylan wrote for Nico’s Chelsea Girl album, on which Britta’s clear but detached vocals shine. The second disc contains remixes and alternate mixes by Scott Hardkiss, Sonic Boom (of Space-men 3), and My Robot Friend. This collection is a must, not only for all Warhol and Velvet aficionados but also for anyone who simply likes great music. If Warhol were alive to hear this album, he’d probably change the name to 15 Most Beautiful, because he’d no doubt add Dean & Britta to the list.
