I really enjoyed this book which is an oral history of the band the Velvet Underground told through people who were part of the band, part of the scene, and/or were heavily influenced by them. I have read other histories about the band including John Cale's autobiography, Nico's autobiography, Warhol's biography, and even a beautifully done Graphic Novel on the band (reviewed previously in my list). So coming in to the book, I felt like I knew a fair amount about the rise and fall of the band and the fall-out between Lou Reed and John Cale, but this book provided a lot of new insights and information through its comments of a variety of people, including Laurie Anderson who was married to Lou Reed. We learn about David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Bryan Ferry, Debbie Harry, the Talking Heads, Jonathan Richman, and others along the way. We also hear from Mary Harron, who directed "I Shot Andy Warhol." This is not a book you need to read in one-sitting, but I really looked forward to picking it up each time I did. This book is a must read for fans of the Velvet Underground, Andy Warhol, and the NYC music scene during the 1960's and beyond. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

Loaded: The Life (and Afterlife) of the Velvet Underground will be published on December 5, 2023. Grand Central Publishing provided an early galley for review.

Earlier this year, I read the graphic novel All Tomorrow's Parties and did my first dive into the story of the Velvet Underground. Here, with Loaded I am going to learn a lot more about the band - from those who knew them and those who were influenced by them. The six-page list of who contributed to the book reads a who's who of music and entertainment. This one is an oral history, done in the style of a chapter starting narrative followed by statements and quotes from a variety of people. I liken this style of writing to that of a documentary transcript.

Jones gives a very detailed accounting of the band - from the establishment of Andy Warhol's Factory to the creation of the band itself, through the recording of several studio albums and many live performances, to the break-up and beyond. I found myself learning a lot more about the music that came from the members, both as a group and later as solo performers.

Definitely recommended for fans of music from this period (late 1960's through 1970's).

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Grand Central Publishing for an advance copy of this new musical history on one of the greatest and most influential bands in the 20th century, a band that inspired many even as they were only together for a short time.

Shiny bits of leather. Sunglasses after dark. Breton shirts. A cacophony of sound, driving away audiences and causing promoters to drink to lost revenue. Those that stayed were changed in ways they never thought possible. A universe was ripped open by the white heat and white light the band gave off, one that burned so strong, it couldn't last long. And sadly it didn't. The Velvet Underground was the coolest band that ever was, one whose shadow influenced many from Bowie, to Iggy Pop to bands like the Strokes and more. The band was only together for a short time, shedding members as it went from everything, to nothing, but leaving a mighty wake, a mix of art, music, fashion, and the beginnings of glam, punk, and other music. Loaded: The Life (and Afterlife) of the Velvet Underground by music journalist, historian and chronicler Dylan Jones is an oral history of the band, the members, the music, and many who were swept in the wake, or sailed on to this land and to that under the band's influence.

The book begins with a look at Velvet Underground's benefactor, banker and muse Andy Warhol, discussing the artist, his idea for the Factory where he produced and made money and the night after hearing the nascent band play, thought about representing getting into music. Without Warhol, there would have been no Velvet Underground and music would have been changed in myriad ways. The began began with a meeting between Lou Reed, a middle class kid from Long Island with a gift for music and writing, and a huge chip on his shoulder, and John Cale, a Welshman, son of a miner and a teacher who was a musical prodigy, along with having good looks and charm. For various reasons Reed had written a song that needed a band, and it was here that he met Cale, who moved into together to work on more music projects. Reed met a college buddy, Sterling Morrison, who played guitar and gave Reed a sounding board to work on his unique way of playing. After one drummer left Moe Tucker was brought in as drummer, who played standing up, with one mallet and one stick, and a strong sense of what a beat should be. Warhol took the band in, for 25% of the (small) profits, and added the singer Nico, a German chanteuse with an icy manner, that made the band memorable, but caused dissention. And this was a band that had a lot of dissention. And musical history began to be made.

I have long been a fan of the band since hearing the song Heroin played on after midnight radio show called For Headphones Only years and years ago. I could not get that song out of my head, the slow build the odd lyrics, the way it built and built. As a fan I have read a lot of books on the band, Lou Reed, Nico, John Cale, and even a graphic novel or 2, and a podcast on the band. This book though gets to the heart of the band, without repeating every story ever heard. Jones does a great job of getting fresh information, archival interviews, and his own knowledge to really do this band and it's legacy justice. So many different voices describing the scene, the music, familiar stories seen through different eyes, and a lot of different perspectives. What comes across most is that a lot of this band's history was based on the whims of some of the biggest players. Warhol had a whim to get into music. Lou woke up in a bad mood and decided to make everyone else have a bad news. After the break-up many years later, Reed decides hey let's do some songs. Jones really does a very good job of capturing these moments, along with finding new stories, and trying to answer a lot of unanswerable questions. One of the best books about the band I have read.

Recommended for fans of the band, or it's members without a doubt. This is a well-written and well-researched history that tells a lot about the band, without delving into the familiar. Music fans and cultural historians will also find it interesting with the look on art, and fashion that Jones goes into. A fantastic gift for the holidays for any music lover.

Dylan Jones unloads a fantastic oral history of the greatest band of all times, the Velvet Underground.
One might wonder, what more could be said about this highly mythologized, admired, influential band of avant-garde noise pioneers? Answer: let the band and their vast network of cohorts, colleagues, and admirers tell their story.
Excerpts from band members Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Moe Tucker, and Nico are joined by their manager Andy Warhol, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Mary Woronov, Doug Yule, Danny Fields, and dozens of others who bore witness to the band's formation and rise in the late 60s, breakup and individual solo work, all the way to Reed's death in 2013 and their continued intrigue and legend.

A must for VU and music fans.

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley**

As Chris Frantz of Talking Heads said "Dylan Jones has put the WOW back into oral histories. This collection of anecdotes about the Velvet Underground is particularly revealing of the band members and their milieu. He got all the right people to tell their tales."
As a Librarian and fan of The Velvet Underground, 'Loaded' was more than a pleasure to read. Insightful, written with passion and affection that only Dylan Jones can transcend through his words, readers will no doubt learn that The Velvet Underground was much more than the sum of it's parts.