Loaded (album)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Loaded
Studio album by The Velvet Underground
Released	September 1970
Recorded	April-August 1970, Atlantic Recording Studios, New York City
Genre	Rock and roll, pop
Length	40:35
Label	Cotillion Records
Producer	Geoff Haslam, Shel Kagan and The Velvet Underground
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (A) link Rolling Stone 12/24/1970 Pitchfork (10.0/10) 4/1/1997
The Velvet Underground chronology
The Velvet Underground (1969) Loaded (1970) Live at Max's Kansas City (1972)

Loaded is the fourth album released by American rock band The Velvet Underground. The album was released in September, 1970, one month after Lou Reed had left the band, by Atlantic Records' sub-label Cotillion Records.

Contents 1 Background 2 Track listing 2.1 Side one 2.2 Side two 2.3 Fully Loaded edition 2.3.1 Disc One (Original Album) 2.3.2 Disc Two (Alternate Album) 3 Reissues 3.1 Compact Disc 3.2 Peel Slowly and See 3.3 Fully Loaded Edition 4 Personnel 4.1 The band 4.2 Additional musicians 4.3 Technical staff

[edit] Background

Loaded is a commercial effort aimed at radio play, another step away from the Warhol-influenced days. The album's title refers to Atlantic's request that the band produce an album "loaded with hits". After its release, Reed complained that the record had been edited and resequenced without his consent. Reed's claims are somewhat dubious, as the generally accepted date that he left the Velvets is August 23, 1970; with Loaded having been released in September 1970, it is very likely that the album's final mix and master had already been completed when Reed left the group, making him well aware of the edits.

Reed states that one of his sore points was that the "heavenly wine and roses" melody was cut out of "Sweet Jane." Interestingly, Reed's later solo performances of the songs left out the verse, while the post-Reed, Doug Yule-led Velvets performed the songs with the verse. This is confirmed by Reed's 1974 live album Rock n Roll Animal and the box set Final V.U., a collection of post-Reed Velvets bootleg recordings.

Reed was also initially irked by being listed third in the credits on the album; the large photo of Yule playing piano; and all the songwriting credits going to the band, rather than Reed himself. Reed was also critical of the album's mix. Newer releases have satisfied many of Reed's concerns--he now has sole songwriting credit for the album; he is listed at the top of the band line-up, and since the 1995 box set Peel Slowly and See, another mix is available, restoring "Sweet Jane," "Rock and Roll" and "New Age" to their full-length versions.

The album holds two of the best-known Velvet Underground songs, the aforementioned "Sweet Jane" and "Rock and Roll." These are two of the few Velvets songs that appear regularly on Classic Rock FM radio stations still to this day.

The album does not feature Velvets stalwart, drummer Maureen Tucker, as she was pregnant at the time (she is still credited on the album sleeve, however). Drumming duties were performed mainly by bassist Doug Yule and a number of stand-ins, including recording engineer Adrian Barber and Doug Yule's brother Billy.

The album was covered live in its entirety by rock band Phish as one of their "Halloween musical costume" concerts on October 31, 1998.

In 2005, Loaded was #109 on Rolling Stone's reissue of their 500 greatest albums of all time.

The computer game Civilization IV uses a quote from "Rock & Roll" when the Rock & Roll world wonder is built.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Lou Reed.

[edit] Side one

1. "Who Loves the Sun" – 2:50
2. "Sweet Jane" – 3:55
3. "Rock & Roll" – 4:47
4. "Cool It Down" – 3:05
5. "New Age" – 5:20

[edit] Side two

6. "Head Held High" – 2:52
7. "Lonesome Cowboy Bill" – 2:48
8. "I Found a Reason" – 4:15
9. "Train Round the Bend" – 3:20
10. "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" – 7:23

[edit] Fully Loaded edition

[edit] Disc One (Original Album)

1. "Who Loves the Sun" – 2:50
2. "Sweet Jane" – 3:55
3. "Rock & Roll" – 4:47
4. "Cool It Down" – 3:05
5. "New Age" – 5:20
6. "Head Held High" – 2:52
7. "Lonesome Cowboy Bill" – 2:48
8. "I Found a Reason" – 4:15
9. "Train Round the Bend" – 3:20
10. "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" – 7:23
11. "Ride Into The Sun (demo)" - 3:24
12. "Ocean (outtake)" - 5:46
13. "I'm Sticking With You (outtake)" - 2:31
14. "I Love You (demo)"
15. "Rock & Roll (Alternate Mix)"
16. "Head Held High (Alternate Mix)"

[edit] Disc Two (Alternate Album)

1. "Who Loves The Sun (Alternate Mix)"
2. "Sweet Jane (Early Version)"
3. "Rock & Roll (demo)"
4. "Cool It Down (Early Version)"
5. "New Age (Full-Length Version)" - 5:10
6. "Head Held High (Early Version)"
7. "Lonesome Cowboy Bill (Early Version)"
8. "I Found A Reason (demo)"
9. "Train Round The Bend (Alternate Mix)"
10. "Oh! Sweet Nuthin' (Early Version)"
11. "Ocean (demo)"
12. "I Love You (outtake)" - 2:03
13. "Satellite Of Love (Alternate demo)"
14. "Oh Gin (demo)"
15. "Walk And Talk (demo)" - 2:22
16. "Sad Song (demo)" - 3:33
17. "Love Makes You Feel Ten Feet Tall (demo)"

[edit] Reissues

[edit] Compact Disc

The album was officially released on CD on July 7, 1987 by Warner Special Products. It is of note that some of the running times located on the back of the CD case are incorrect. For instance, "Sweet Jane" is marked 3:55 while it is in fact about 3:18; "New Age" is marked 5:20 while it is closer to 4:39.

[edit] Peel Slowly and See

Main article: Peel Slowly and See

Loaded was compiled on the fifth disc of the comprehensive, five-year spanning box set Peel Slowly and See, which was released on September 26, 1995 by Polydor Records. The disc features longer running versions of "Sweet Jane" and "New Age" as well as demos, outtakes and live performances.

[edit] Fully Loaded Edition

On February 18, 1997, Rhino Records released a "Fully Loaded" 2-CD reissue of Loaded, which contained numerous alternate takes, alternate mixes and demo versions of Loaded songs and outtakes. Two of these also include performances by Maureen Tucker ("I'm Sticking with You" demo, vocals; "I Found a Reason" demo, drums) and one of these is even said to feature a cameo appearance by band member John Cale ("Ocean" demo, organ).

[edit] Personnel

[edit] The band

• Lou Reed – vocals, guitar, piano
• Doug Yule – keyboards, guitar, bass guitar, drums, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Who Loves the Sun", "New Age", "Lonesome Cowboy Bill" and "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'"
• Sterling Morrison – guitar

[edit] Additional musicians

• Adrian Barber – drums on "Who Loves the Sun"
• Tommy Castanero – drums on "Cool It Down" and "Head Held High"
• Billy Yule – drums on "Lonesome Cowboy Bill" and "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'"

[edit] Technical staff

• Geoff Haslam, Shel Kagan and The Velvet Underground – producers
• Adrian Barber – engineer

v • d • e The Velvet Underground John Cale · Sterling Morrison · Lou Reed · Maureen Tucker · Doug Yule Willie Alexander · Angus MacLise · Walter Powers Studio albums The Velvet Underground and Nico · White Light/White Heat · The Velvet Underground · Loaded · Squeeze Live albums Live at Max's Kansas City · 1969 · Live MCMXCIII · Final V.U. · The Quine Tapes Compilations VU · Another View · What Goes On · Peel Slowly and See Songs After Hours · All Tomorrow's Parties · European Son · Femme Fatale · Here She Comes Now · Heroin · I Heard Her Call My Name · I'll Be Your Mirror · I'm Waiting for the Man · Lady Godiva's Operation · New Age · Pale Blue Eyes · Run Run Run · Satellite of Love · Sister Ray · Stephanie Says · Sunday Morning · Sweet Jane · The Black Angel's Death Song · The Gift · There She Goes Again · Venus in Furs · White Light/White Heat Related articles Discography · Songs · Chelsea Girl · Walter De Maria · Exploding Plastic Inevitable · Lou Reed · Nico · Steve Sesnick · Songs for Drella · Andy Warhol · Tom Wilson · Billy Yule