The Velvet Underground: Loaded Vinyl LP

The Velvet’s fourth and most commercially targeted release. It’s the final one to feature Lou Reed (RIP) and its title references that their label, Atlantic subsidiary Cotillion, wanted a record “loaded with hits.” And in a way it is. From the opener “Who Loves the Sun” pretty much straight on through, the album is stuffed with some of VU’s most memorable material. The two biggest tracks on the record are “Sweet Jane” and “Rock & Roll” but there is a lot more to Loaded than that. The twangy “Cool It Down” and the Doug Yule fronted “New Age” are both classics in their own right. If you’re just getting into the Velvet Underground Loaded is a great entry point.

• black vinyl pressing
• music label: Cotillion 2008

reviewed by Michu Meszaros 11/2013