I remember the first time I heard The Velvet Underground, Oliver Stone’s biopic of The Doors had just come out and one of the other kids I was on holiday at the time with had the soundtrack on casette.

Thankfully even aged 13 I like to think I could spot a hack and despite having Morrison’s ‘genius’ thrust upon me at regular intervals over the years I’ve somehow managed to remain immune to his charms.

Still there was one track on that soundtrack that did instantly hook me in, the dissonant, screeching ‘Heroin’. Dark, sexy and unbelievably cool sounding, it was everything I wasn’t and so began my love of The Velvet Underground.

This month sees the release of The Velvet Underground: A New York Art, a hefty 320 page visual history of the band, that comes complete with contributions from all four members of the band, plus rock critics such as Jon Savage and even former Czech president Vaclav Havel.

Featuring never before seen photos from throughout the bands career, plus posters, flyers, scraps of lyric sheets and reviews, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more comprehensive picture of a band responsible for not only some of rock’s finest musical moments but also provided some of its richest imagery.

All images: ©The Velvet Underground: A New York Art by Johan Kugelberg, Rizzoli New York, 2009.