Rock History on the Block

Four years ago Warren Hill of Montreal bought three albums at a Chelsea, New York, street sale: a Leadbelly 10", a water-damaged Modern Lovers LP, and a piece of acetate-covered aluminum with the words "Velvet Underground. 4-25-66. Att N Dolph" written on the label. While the first two may have been a fair deal, the acetate -- which turned out to be the Velvet Underground's first recordings of songs that would appear in alternate versions or mixes on the band's 1967 debut, "The Velvet Underground & Nico" -- is a wee bit more valuable than the seventy five cents Hill Paid for it. Now up for sale on eBay, the current bid is $130,100, with two days left in the auction. Detailed song descriptions, photos, and a written account of the mysterious saga are up on the eBay page.