 "A final farewell to Lou Reed's group" | 2009-08-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1SD82ZAT3INZ2 |
| Although the group would go on for another 2 years at least enough to release an album named "Squeeze", and a rock group from England to use that name for their band. Reed finally had enough of being in a group as he wanted to sow his wild oats. This would be the first of 3 albums on the Atlantic label. It's definitely the best of them too. The album came together after being kicked out of Verve. The group was all set to release the material that would eventually end up on "V.U.", and "Another Veiw", but then Reed came up with this album. "Who Loves The Sun?" is without a doubt a weird love song, or at least it has the sound of one, but it's really a break-up song, and then there's "Sweet Jane" my first introduction to Lou Reed, and the Velvet Underground. I've heard the live version of this, and it's even better than this, but this is still no slouch. Reed was disgusted however as this was carelessly mixed and edited. Then there's "Rock and Roll" which is alright!!! "Cool It Down" is another nice little slice, and the first side ends with "New Age" this is another song that Reed was upset with being mixed recklessly. I have to agree with Reed here as the live version of this song is better. Side 2 kicks off with "Head Held High" a nice little rocker, "Lonesome Cowboy Bill" is a bit hokey I mean a New York group writing about cowboys it's unheard of, but not as off base as you think as some of the first cowboys came from New York State. "I've Found A Reason" is a rather weak song here, and it doesn't get any better with "Train Round The Bend", but makes up for it with the song "Oh Sweet Nuthin". This is a slow number that shows the group was starting to break up, and after a month long stay at Max's Kansas City they would. |
| |
 "Is this Really the Velvet Underground Playing?" | 2009-08-01 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1BETUG4O3AAIA |
If you are familiar with the Velvet's earlier albums your jaw will drop to the floor when you hear the first song; I know mine did. It sounds like a pretty pop song. The harmonies remind me of the Beach Boys or even the Mammas and the Pappas. Overall though this is one killer album. Now I know some rip on this record cause it doesn't sound like the Velvet Underground but in my book that is a plus.
Really do any two Velvet albums sound the same? Their first sounds like folk mixed with punk, their second is straiight up avant-garde, their third sounds like a minimalist folk album and this one sounds almost like a Beales album. This is one of the reason why I love the band so much they could do anything they wanted.
Listen to the record not expecting to hear whatever you think the Velvets should sound and you will enjoy it. |
| |
 "Slightly less then spectacular farwell in a short and tremendous run" | 2008-12-31 |
| - Reviewed By User: A8IFUOL8S9BZC |
3 1/2
Almost as brilliant as anything they released, there are just a few semi-lazy songs which derail Loaded from achieving full classic status, despite some of Reeds most classic songwriting on display. |
| |
| "Not quite weak but not quite strong." | 2008-11-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: AQC9DH6QVOCWE |
By the time Loaded came out, The Velvet Underground were essentially out of commission. Upon it's release, Lou Reed followed John Cale and split, leaving the band without it's two most important members. The story behind Loaded is one that fans know all too well. Asked to make an album "loaded with hits," they did just that and candy-coated their last real album for mass consumption. It worked, to some extent, but Loaded always felt kind of dull, and really didn't come anywhere close to the other albums.
The Velvets follow through with their promise with the first three songs, arguably their three most popular and likeable songs ever. Who Loves The Sun is a personal favorite VU track, a really nice, longing love song. The little sparkly interlude at the beginning of Sweet Jane is just as memorable and momentous as the brilliant hook itself. Rock and Roll is also an easy winner. But then things crash, really fast.
The album gets more flak than it deserves, that much I will admit. It is still, in retrospect, a really solid album, but it's pretty obvious that for VU fans, it is sort of a broken blessing. It has some of the bands most traditional, popular songs, but it also lacks any real contour or interesting twists or anything, which was essentially what the band had been known to do at that point. After making The Velvet Underground and Nico and White Light / White Heat, two of the most progressive and unique albums of their generation, it would be unreasonable to expect the trailblazing to continue. You can't win them all. By the time Loaded was released, it is pretty obvious that everyone is just tired and wants to crank out a record. Bassist Doug Yule was given some significant songwriting and vocal duties here, and to be honest, he was pretty disposable. The album dips dangerously low around the middle with the trifecta of mediocrity that is Cool Down, New Age, and Head Held High, three of the Velvets most forgettable songs ever.
There is a bounceback. I'll admit to liking Lonesome Cowboy Bill, even though I know it's cheesy. The same goes for I Found A Reason. It falls into the much sought after It's So Cheesy It's Good category. At the very least, it's fairly unique. I'll also give it to them, they made one hell of a last song, Oh! Sweet Nuthin'. It has a really classic, tired, conclusive, slow groove to it that is really fitting. Both Sweet Nuthin' and Who Loves The Sun were included on the High Fidelity soundtrack, and rightfully so, because they are both classic VU.
It's alright. I'll give it one thing. I have never seen an album more shockingly broken than this. It's high points are sheer brilliance and it's low points are almost embarassing. What is in between feels like it should be leaning towards one direction but can't convince the listener either way. It's definitely a good album. But there is not much here that is challenging or pushes any of the bands limits like the other albums did. My favorite thing about the Velvets, and what makes VU&N one of my absolute favorites, is how individual all of their songs are, but this album has a style that is easy to pin and rather forgettable. For a last album, it's respectable, though. |
| |
| "So, so completely different" | 2008-09-05 |
| - Reviewed By singingdude |
All the noise of "White Light/White Heat" is gone, but from the beginning of "Who Loves The Sun" it's easy to see that worse things could happen. Then you have the back to back genius of "Sweet Jane" and "Rock and Roll", and it's hard to see how this album could go wrong.
"Cool It Down" does not disappoint, and along with the laid back "New Age" they show how great of a songwriter Lou Reed is. "Head Held High" is Lou Reed having a blast, complete with background handclaps. "Lonesome Cowboy Bill" reminds me of southern rock and roll, while "I Found A Reason" is as beautiful as The Beatles "Because". "Train Around The Bend" is decent rock and roll, while "Oh Sweet Nuthin" is an epic closing song similar to the Rolling Stones.
While "Loaded" is not their most experimental album (White Light/White Heat), their most beautiful album (Velvet Underground), or their best album (Velvet Underground and Nico), it is their most fun, and that's good enough. |
| |
| "Their worst, but better than most bands' best albums....." | 2008-04-21 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2UYAFQ40U2PHS |
If this was an album by any other band, it would be considered a masterpiece. But it is a Velvet Underground album, and when you compare it to their first three albums, it's not as good as they are. But on its own terms, it's still has many wonderful tracks in it, and it's a classic album. Just because it's not as good as the other three doesn't mean it should be dismissed, like some Velvet fans have done (and even Lou Reed has had mixed feelings about it). True, the band was disintegrating by this time. Maureen Mo Tucker wasn't on this album (even though she's listed in the credits), and she's missed. Billy Yule, Doug Yule's brother, plays on this album. He is a decent drummer, but he's no Maureen Tucker. Reed left just as they finished this album, and the back cover is really kind of an insult, only featuring Doug Yule at a piano in the studio. Reed said that the songs were remixed and restructured without his permission, etc., etc..
The album has some great material. Aside from the genuinely great Sweet Jane (finally in its uncut version) and the anthem Rock and Roll, there's also the opener Who Loves the Sun. It's one of my favorite Velvet songs, and Doug's vocal is wonderful. Yule gets a lot of flak from Velvet fans, but he had a lovely voice. This is a great rock record despite the turbulent production and debate over whether it's a real Velvet Underground album. I believe it is, despite it being their weakest, but then all of their albums were masterpieces prior to this, so that's a hell of a legacy to top. |
| |
International Available
![Lou Reed - Transformer [Expanded Edition]](product_images/163000/163031_thumb.jpg)
