Loaded represents the breakdown and demise of a once promising and innovative group of players, although on the surface of listening to the album, one would never suspect this notion. Essentially, this record would prove to be a springboard for Lou Reed's solo career and the majority of material presented would be the most commercially driven music ever to grace under the Velvet Underground moniker. 

 

By the time sessions began for this album, drummer, Maureen Tucker took a leave of absence due to being pregnant and guitarist Sterling Morrison was focusing more on continuing his education in English Literature and drama studies which had been put on hold 5 years previously in opting for the formation of the group. Although Sterling still made time to turn up at the sessions and provide guitar work, the majority of responsibility lie at the feet of Lou Reed and Doug Yule and the songs offered revealed Lou's most crucial and commercially viable material up to that point in time with such numbers as "Sweet Jane", "Rock and Roll" and the underrated anthem, "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'", emerging on the album's eventual issue. The absence of Maureen Tucker's drumming was largely filled by Doug Yule and his brother Billy with some help from recording engineer, Adrian Barber("Who Loves the Sun") and Tommy Castagnaro("Cool It Down" and "Head Held High") and while Maureen was originally credited on the album's back cover, her presence is only noted on this particular reissue with the songs, "I'm Sticking With You"(an outtake) and a demo version of "I Found a Reason". 

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The first disc of this double set includes the original tracking sequence of the album with the addition of 6 songs, four of which are outtakes and demos of numbers such as "I Love You", "Ocean" and "Ride Into the Sun" and alternate mixes of "Rock and Roll" and "Head Held High". Disc two features an alternate take of the finished record and it's an interesting aural glimpse into early demo forms of material like "Sweet Jane", "Lonesome Cowboy Bill", "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" and "I Found a Reason" where these versions differ from their finished editions. For example, the demo form of "I Found a Reason" offers a Dylan-esque influence with harmonica and a country shuffle rhythm as its basis, whereas the officially released version is of a more doo-wop/soul homage. "Oh! Sweet Nuthin" has, what sounds like a pump organ(most likely played by Doug) as its main driving rhythm backing with the basic guitar groundwork laid down for the magical take to be included on the finished album. I really enjoy hearing Lou's unfettered vocals on these early demo versions too, which adds authenticity to the desired raw effect of these numbers' additions.

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As with Disc One, there are 7 extra songs added to the second disc which rounds out the time length and is an added incentive for the buyer/collector. Two demo outtakes in "Love Makes You Feel Ten Feet Tall" and "Walk and Talk" are included with a few selected titles that later showed up on future Lou Reed solo albums in the forms of "Sad Song", "Satellite of Love" and "Oh Gin"(aka "Oh Jim"). Again, it's enlightening to hear these songs in their raw forms as they would later be developed and recognized as early Lou Reed classics, especially "Satellite of Love", which would be enhanced by the production quality and talents of David Bowie and Mick Ronson for Lou's sophomore release, Transformer.

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Within the liner notes of the "Fully Loaded" edition, per Rolling Stone writer David Fricke, he quotes Doug Yule as maintaining that the primary focus of "Loaded"'s writing approach was that the songs were to be treated as if each one were a hit, hence the album's title, but part of the reason for this philosophy was the simple fact that the band known as Velvet Underground, had failed to make a significant impact within the popular music world and Lou, in particular, was possibly clutching at creative straws to latch onto something so that he could maintain a career. And yet, unfortunately, as the sessions began winding down for this release, so did Lou's confidence and creative drive within himself unravel and he left the band as well as the music world for a brief period. "Loaded" was released a few months after his final shows with the group, much to his dismay with the album's final mix, album art and songwriting credits. "Fully Loaded" however corrects Lou's misgivings and is quite the release to own for Lou/Velvet Underground fans abroad. Excellent reissue. 

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Rating Grade- A+