I'll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to the Velvet Underground & Nico
by Various Artists
  • Record Label: Verve
  • Release Date: Sep 24, 2021
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
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  1. Uncut
    Sep 22, 2021
    90
    It begins with Michael Stipe's stunning interpretation of "Sunday Morning." ... The tracks that fly highest here are in fact the least faithful, more subversive. [Oct 2021, p.22]
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  2. The Line of Best Fit
    Sep 23, 2021
    80
    With only the most faithful replications of the original performances falling in any way flat, the contributors' ability to balance reverential respect with an ethos of printing their own identity on these indelible songs is what makes I'll Be Your Mirror succeed where so many similar tributes nosedive into dull irrelevance.
  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    Sep 22, 2021
    80
    What’s most pleasing about this ‘…Mirror’ is that it reflects the original’s dark, experimental essence. It’s heartening to hear that, more than 50 years on, ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’ has similarly venturous and intrepid descendants who still nurture its spirit.
  5. Rolling Stone
    Sep 22, 2021
    80
    I’ll Be Your Mirror reaffirms the weight of the Velvets’ importance, which countless artists reflect every day, whether they acknowledge it or not.
  6. AllMusic
    Oct 4, 2021
    70
    More than 50 years after its release, it seems there isn't much new to be said about The Velvet Underground & Nico, and I'll Be Your Mirror doesn't challenge that notion. But it does allow a number of worthy artists a chance to see themselves reflected in these songs, and it's a labor of love that's engaging and from the heart.
  7. Pitchfork
    Sep 27, 2021
    70
    While it’s hard to imagine how anyone involved with the VU’s album would feel about this tasteful tribute, its very existence still speaks to the force of the original vision. After all this time, artists are still peeling back layers of the banana.
  8. Classic Rock Magazine
    Sep 22, 2021
    70
    While nothing here is wrong, very little - unlike the VU themselves - is unexpected or thrilling. [Oct 2021, p.74]
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User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Ricko
    Jan 5, 2022
    7
    While this was always going to be a tough one to pull off, looking at the list of contributors this had so much potential. Ultimately this isWhile this was always going to be a tough one to pull off, looking at the list of contributors this had so much potential. Ultimately this is a mixed bag. There are a few ideas that come off well and the classic material is given a contemporary feel. There are a few misguided attempts and the material bares no resemblance to the brilliance of the original songs. Then there are a few covers that are plodding and the kind of covers you'd find on bsides and rarities compilations. I liked enough of the tracks and appreciate the overall take on the album to give this a decent score and I would see myself revisiting these again. In terms of the full album listen, I will always be heading back to the original in future.… Full Review »
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