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Amazon.co.uk Review
While John Cale certainly gave the first couple of Velvet Underground albums a signature sound, his departure enabled Lou Reed to do exactly what he does best: write kick-ass, stripped-down rock songs. On Loaded his talent comes to full fruition. Who can imagine a world without "Sweet Jane" and "Rock & Roll", arguably two of the greatest rock tunes ever penned? The brilliance of those songs is so bright, it's easy to overlook a couple of other Reed masterpieces: the tender, epic discourse of "New Age" (which highlights his assured sense of poetic wordplay: "And when you kissed Robert Mitchum / Gee, but I thought you'd never catch him!", and the extended sweet blues romp of "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'." On Loaded the Velvet Underground--who before had hit the sonic ceiling experimenting with shattered chords, feedback, screeching violas and what Reed once claimed was "the fastest guitar playing ever"--eschew the dark side of noise for clarity. Check out the ringing chime that begins "Who Loves the Sun" and the sterling (no pun intended) guitar riff that drives "Rock & Roll." This is not to say that the old ragged punch of the original Velvets is completely gone. Moe Tucker still beats a mean set of skins; there's no stopping Sterling Morrison's train-wreck rhythm guitar on "Train Round the Bend"; and "Head Held High" achieves near- "Sister Ray" moments of madness. --Tod Nelson
Product Description
Sublime 1970 studio album ... their final featuring Lou Reed! Includes "Who Loves The Sun" and "Sweet Jane".
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If you're reading this, chances are that you fulfill the following criteria: 1/Bought and loved the first velvet underground and Nico album, 2/Are confused by the velvets patchy back catalogue, and are wondering what to buy next.
Well, I can safely say that if you really need more velvets then this might be the album for you. If you loved the more acessable tracks on "The VU and Nico" such as "Sunday Morning" and "There she goes again", then chances are you'll love this album too. It contains many fine examples of the Velvet's unique brand of off kilter pop music, with the pretty "Who Loves the Sun" and the essential combination of "Rock and Roll" & "Sweet Jane. If however, your tastes on the first album went toward the wackier "Venus in Furs", "Black Angel's Death Song" then you'll more than likely hate this album. Its difficult to understate just how commercial this album is. For example, Lou Reed was so upset with the results, he quit the band and washed his hands of the album. It is also worth considering that at this point in the Velvet's timeline, Lou Reed was to a large extent being phased out of the band to make way for the girl friendly Doug Yule, who's sappy rather dull influence, and will to commercialise pervades some of the weaker tracks on this album. This isn't a bad album at all, but fans of the harder music would be better off with the fantastically minimal "White Heat White Light", with its bizzare stories and brutal proto-punk.
Well, I can safely say that if you really need more velvets then this might be the album for you. If you loved the more acessable tracks on "The VU and Nico" such as "Sunday Morning" and "There she goes again", then chances are you'll love this album too. It contains many fine examples of the Velvet's unique brand of off kilter pop music, with the pretty "Who Loves the Sun" and the essential combination of "Rock and Roll" & "Sweet Jane. If however, your tastes on the first album went toward the wackier "Venus in Furs", "Black Angel's Death Song" then you'll more than likely hate this album. Its difficult to understate just how commercial this album is. For example, Lou Reed was so upset with the results, he quit the band and washed his hands of the album. It is also worth considering that at this point in the Velvet's timeline, Lou Reed was to a large extent being phased out of the band to make way for the girl friendly Doug Yule, who's sappy rather dull influence, and will to commercialise pervades some of the weaker tracks on this album. This isn't a bad album at all, but fans of the harder music would be better off with the fantastically minimal "White Heat White Light", with its bizzare stories and brutal proto-punk.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Although `Loaded' is hardly the ground-breaking music of the Velvet Underground's earlier releases and the band had virtually disintegrated by the time of its release, this record remains a clutch of great rock n roll songs.
`Who Loves the Sun', with its sweet harmonies and `Cool it Down's great honky-tonk piano are great melodic tunes, whilst `Sweet Jane' is justly renowned for its classic guitar riff. You have to love the melodrama of `New Age' with its superb organ break and the smooth, mellow melancholy of the closing track `Oh! Sweet Nuthin'.
I will commit musical heresy by saying I even enjoy `I Found a Reason' which has the most staggeringly corny lyrics delivered dead-pan by Lou Reed.
The record gets docked a star for `Train Round the Bend' and `Lonesome Cowboy Bill' which are a bit weak but if you ignore the history of the band and just concentrate on the music here there is much to enjoy.
`Who Loves the Sun', with its sweet harmonies and `Cool it Down's great honky-tonk piano are great melodic tunes, whilst `Sweet Jane' is justly renowned for its classic guitar riff. You have to love the melodrama of `New Age' with its superb organ break and the smooth, mellow melancholy of the closing track `Oh! Sweet Nuthin'.
I will commit musical heresy by saying I even enjoy `I Found a Reason' which has the most staggeringly corny lyrics delivered dead-pan by Lou Reed.
The record gets docked a star for `Train Round the Bend' and `Lonesome Cowboy Bill' which are a bit weak but if you ignore the history of the band and just concentrate on the music here there is much to enjoy.
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Not quite the definitive Velvet Underground of the first album but still a collection of high quality songs. The standout tracks for me are the seminal Sweet Jane and Rock & Roll, and despite the fact that both songs have been covered by numerous artists (for example, Mott the Hoople did a great version of the former), none equal these versions by the Velvets. The album also contains superb ballads in New Age, I Found a Reason and Oh! Sweet Nuthin', as well as some more throwaway rockers like Head Held High and Lonesome Cowboy Bill.
Still, one shouldn't complain I suppose given that we're talking here of the most influential rock band of all time!
Still, one shouldn't complain I suppose given that we're talking here of the most influential rock band of all time!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
However, you REALLY need...
Buy this by all means, but you NEED White Light/White Heat.It is the greatest rock album ever released. Full Stop.
Published on 28 Dec 2009 by Mr. David Paul Archer
Review of Loaded by Velvet Underground
My son gave me a cassette of Loaded several years ago and I loved it. Over the years the cassette got lost and then, of course, we had no means of playing cassettes. Read more
Published on 17 Nov 2009 by J. Hill
YULE REGRET THIS- never
Imagine being doug yule- at the front of an epic, yet now defunct band- and you are handed this swan-song- Cales has gone, stomped off with his viola;Reed has gone, it's going to... Read more
Published on 8 May 2007 by D. R. Baker
Who loves the sun?
There's no point at all in introducing the Velvet Underground -- really, the first edgy alt-rock band in the world doesn't need it. Read more
Published on 22 Jan 2006 by E. A Solinas
A decent final album, but far from essential
After unleashing two brutal and innovative avant-rock albums (Velvet Underground & Nico, White Light/White Heat) followed by a stunning, hushed and contemplative eponymous release,... Read more
Published on 11 Oct 2002
Contains one or two classics
Rock n' Roll is one of the greatest songs ever played; of a different texture to all its contemporaries, with an extremely rewarding guitar riff and excellent, boxy drumming. Read more
Published on 12 Oct 2000 by "555piero"
mind dazzlin' entertainment
From the drugged out music of Lou Reed to the heavy aggressive music of the Velvet Underground, this is by far one of the best examples of the combination. Read more
Published on 17 Sep 2000
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