The Velvet Underground- Loaded (1970)
The Velvet Underground- Loaded (1970)
“I think life is far
too short to concentrate on your past. I rather look into the future.”
Lou Reed
By: Ghost Writer
I never mention this record as one of my
favorite Velvet Underground recordings, perhaps because is hard for me to look
at it as a pure VU record, is kind of a transition from the VU to Lou Reed as a
solo artist, Lou is changing here once again but he is more detached here from
the rest of the band, or what’s left of it, in some way it is a duo recording
from Lou Reed and his mini-me, Doug Yule, who joined the band as a substitute
for the departed John Cale, but ended up as a sound changing factor closer to
the world of classic rock and folk, than to the noise and avant garde that
characterized Cale input in the band.
In Loaded, Lou Reed sounds tired, he is less hyperactive instrumentally an vocally, he gives more space to Yule, who is not shy when he takes the spotlight on opener Who Loves the Sun, for the casual listener Yule's voice sound uncanny similar to Lou's, although Yule results spectacular when approaching this little psychedelic numbers, a stellar execution that he repeats effortlessly on the outstanding theme named New Age, a low key ballad that seems like a nostalgic ride thru Hollywood in a Sunset Blvd. film kind of way, here Yule steals the spotlight completely and becomes a really important part of the sound the band tries to create in the record, a mix of desolation and heartache at the notion that the band although their artistic greatness, is finally falling apart and Lou is finally concentrating in something else.
Loaded is not all about despair, as it contains two if the band all time classics where Lou puts experimentation to one side, and goes full on rock n roll transcendence with the tremendous Sweet Jane, a true rock n roll anthem containing legendary lyrics that remind me of the Beatles' Obladi Oblada with Lou dark and sarcastic twist on it, not satisfied with that Lou launches the terrific Rock n Roll, full of another amazing string of words about Rock n Roll as savior of souls, a classic in its own right and an all-time cover requirement for early "alternative" bands.
Although people like David Bowie, Ian Hunter and the New York Dolls had already spotted Lou's take on street vibes and dramatic approach to rock, themes like Head Held High hinted directly to soon to the about to be born Glam Rock and even more futuristic Punk Rock with its defiantly attitude, and again then it takes a strange detour to country rock on Lonesome Cowboy Bill, not a surprise if we are aware of Lou's affinity to the Byrds (especially Roger McGuinn guitar playing) country tinged stuff started after the great Gram Parsons joined that band.
I Found a Reason is a beautiful piece of music and it surprises me that here Lou didn't let Yule sing on it, and although we are quite aware of Lou's limited vocal delivery, here he manages to gives us a prophetic sample of the most tender and introspective music he will create in his future solo career, baring his soul once and twice and opening the door to his heart, demonstrating that he wasn’t just another cold anarchist, but a man with a warm and human heart, I guess in Loaded discover how fragile he could be, and he took the risk of letting it all out, it meant the end of a great band, and something close to the end of his career, but like the phoenix, it also meant the end of the Velvet Underground and the chance for Lou to fly on a solo career, years latter thanks to the support of big fans Bowie and Mick Ronson, after all, Loaded is a great classic rock record, in a major label, from a band that wasn’t supposed to be “classic” and that wasn’t conceived, definitely to be a part of the mainstream, Loaded is a singular recording that meant that at the time, Lou was already into something else, and that the existence of the legendary Velvet Underground was about to end on a singular high note.
In Loaded, Lou Reed sounds tired, he is less hyperactive instrumentally an vocally, he gives more space to Yule, who is not shy when he takes the spotlight on opener Who Loves the Sun, for the casual listener Yule's voice sound uncanny similar to Lou's, although Yule results spectacular when approaching this little psychedelic numbers, a stellar execution that he repeats effortlessly on the outstanding theme named New Age, a low key ballad that seems like a nostalgic ride thru Hollywood in a Sunset Blvd. film kind of way, here Yule steals the spotlight completely and becomes a really important part of the sound the band tries to create in the record, a mix of desolation and heartache at the notion that the band although their artistic greatness, is finally falling apart and Lou is finally concentrating in something else.
Loaded is not all about despair, as it contains two if the band all time classics where Lou puts experimentation to one side, and goes full on rock n roll transcendence with the tremendous Sweet Jane, a true rock n roll anthem containing legendary lyrics that remind me of the Beatles' Obladi Oblada with Lou dark and sarcastic twist on it, not satisfied with that Lou launches the terrific Rock n Roll, full of another amazing string of words about Rock n Roll as savior of souls, a classic in its own right and an all-time cover requirement for early "alternative" bands.
Although people like David Bowie, Ian Hunter and the New York Dolls had already spotted Lou's take on street vibes and dramatic approach to rock, themes like Head Held High hinted directly to soon to the about to be born Glam Rock and even more futuristic Punk Rock with its defiantly attitude, and again then it takes a strange detour to country rock on Lonesome Cowboy Bill, not a surprise if we are aware of Lou's affinity to the Byrds (especially Roger McGuinn guitar playing) country tinged stuff started after the great Gram Parsons joined that band.
I Found a Reason is a beautiful piece of music and it surprises me that here Lou didn't let Yule sing on it, and although we are quite aware of Lou's limited vocal delivery, here he manages to gives us a prophetic sample of the most tender and introspective music he will create in his future solo career, baring his soul once and twice and opening the door to his heart, demonstrating that he wasn’t just another cold anarchist, but a man with a warm and human heart, I guess in Loaded discover how fragile he could be, and he took the risk of letting it all out, it meant the end of a great band, and something close to the end of his career, but like the phoenix, it also meant the end of the Velvet Underground and the chance for Lou to fly on a solo career, years latter thanks to the support of big fans Bowie and Mick Ronson, after all, Loaded is a great classic rock record, in a major label, from a band that wasn’t supposed to be “classic” and that wasn’t conceived, definitely to be a part of the mainstream, Loaded is a singular recording that meant that at the time, Lou was already into something else, and that the existence of the legendary Velvet Underground was about to end on a singular high note.
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