“Anybody who needs Bob Dylan to tell him which way the wind is blowing is a serious mental defective.” – Sterling Morrison

If you’ve delved into the past of the Velvet Underground and learned anything at all, the fact that the band fell apart really shouldn’t be too confusing. With four different, quick minds anticipating and experimenting in every way they could figure, an implosion was really inevitable at some point. But even beyond the creative forces at work in the classic quartet, the disparate personalities and egos were probably enough to bring things to a close.

And thanks to the folks at Arthur Magazine, fans have the pleasure of reading a Sterling Morrison interview from roughly a decade after the band called it quits.

Morrison, being the only Velvet’s member to refrain from a solo career, remained silent for a great deal of time subsequent to the break up of his band. He moved away from the lime light and apparently re-enrolled in school. His interview, with Nick Modern, delves into Morrison’s perception of then current music and why he would give up the life that a musician lives.

The verbal back and forth doesn’t ever become contentious, although, it’s pretty plain to see that there’s some remaining displeasure with his former band mates. Morrison doesn’t exactly lay into Lou Reed, but the guitarist does figure that the reason for Reed’s stalled solo career had a great deal to do with the fact that he and John Cale weren’t involved in it. Some how, though, Moe Tucker isn’t mentioned at all. And while her contributions to the group didn’t factor in lyrically or melodically – except on the few occasions she took the mic – her drumming should not be dismissed.

Continuing on, Morrison basically cites his displeasure with whatever ‘scene’ gets mentioned and repeatedly refers to his ‘do whatever’ attitude. That’s a pretty ballsy stance to take for him, at the time. But I suppose that it accurately points to his lackadaisical perspective on exerting effort where none is needed.

A quick condemnation comes from Morrison regarding folk singers and its tie to the then current new wave explosion. It is curious though, that nowhere does Morrison conclude that punk and new wave were in some small way an extension of what the Velvets achieved in their all too brief tenure.

Amidst all of the one liners, there’s no shortage of disdain thrown at everyone from Frank Zappa to Jackson Browne. And oddly enough, the later played guitar on Nico’s first long player. Certainly, that fact didn’t escape Morrison, who makes the following comment:

S: Did you ever consider pursuing a solo career? SM: And what - be Jackson Browne? I can write about lost love and “desuetude.” It’s tedious. Who wants to listen to that stuff?

The entire interview pretty much goes that way. But who knew that the least visible Velvet Underground member would end up being the most quotable. And if you’ve seen John Cale interviewed lately, you’d have no real problem agreeing with that.