<p>^
Not so, onegoodgirl - here in silicon valley, where I have worked for 20+ years, brown is well known as having excellent science and engineering departments....</p>
<p>brown? I visited and took a tour, but I wasn't very impressed with the campus. It seemed really small, and to me it felt almost like high-school sized. I've heard great things about student life and the kinds of people that go there though. Just out of curiosity, what made you think I would fit in there?</p>
<p>Indiejimmy, you do have an "overly romantic view of college". Hell, so what? Enthusiasm, idealism, optimism. That' rare. Keep it up! </p>
<p>See you at Harvard (there's hope, right?)! Moi = guitarrista, toi = percusionista, serious at work and play?</p>
<p>Hey, you need to consider The VU (without "Reloaded", goes without saying), the New York Dolls, MC 5 ("Kick out the Jams", a classic), the Heartbreakers, TELEVISION, Buzzcocks, The Talking Heads.</p>
<p>What the heck is Reloaded? Are you talking about "Loaded"? If so, there's no way you should leave that one out - yes, The VU was over their experimental stage by that time and it was basically the Lou Reed show, but that albumhas some of their best rock songs - "Sweet Jane", "Cool it Down", "Rock N Roll", etc.</p>
<p>Otherwise, good recommendations for the whole seventies scene. I've been studying Seventies rock intensively for the last 2 years (I'm a high school senior). 'Marquee Moon' and 'Remain in Light' are classics, of course. :D</p>
<p>According to Lou Reed, it should have been "Reloaded" since most of the songs were ancient, there right from the beginning. And too banal to get published. "Loaded" is the worst record he has ever made. His words, man. The poor soul must have been ashamed, bust his lust for life was prevalent. He needed money and heroin. So "Loaded" came out. </p>
<p>"Sweet Jane", "Cool it down" etc. - lots of fun, I admit. But this is Lou Reed, the man who, in a narcissistic daze, planned to become the next Fyodor M. Dostoevsky, Hunter S. Thompson, William S. Burroughs - with a guitar. On "The VU & Nico" and "White Light/White Heat" maybe, on "The VU" not really and on "Loaded" not at all. </p>
<p>At least Nico got it all right. Some guy in the Factory had doubts about her qualities. She broke his nose. I bet Drella was proud.</p>
<p>Just because Lou Reed says so doesn't make it so. Ever heard "Metal Machine Music"? hahah. I think you're listening to Loaded in the wrong context - i.e., knowing too much about it before listening. All history aside, it is a great rock record, and to discredit it for its purposeful accessibility in favor of doped out experiments like White Light/White Heat is borderline pretentious. Sure, John Cale wasn't around to give it a lot of edge,
but Lou Reed's talent was a great as ever - he just took a tongue-in-cheek approach to writing his album full of "hits" - rather than trying to be as serious as he was in VU & Nico for example. Besides the fact that Reed was never in his element with Nico and despised her necessity, I think Loaded found him more in his element; </p>
<p>I'll leave some words which describe the greatness of Loaded better than I can:</p>
<p>"The album is staggering not for its consistency, diversity, or technical proficiency-- something the band came to stylize-- but for the ardor and joie de vivre with which it explores the capacious boundaries of its form. Sadly, Loaded often comes recommended with one glaring stipulation: 'It's a good starting point, if you're looking to get into them.' But the album is too good to be relegated to sub-intellectual standing; from the dripping tongue-in-cheek melancholy of "Who Loves the Sun", to the sultry narrative swagger of "Sweet Jane" and "Rock & Roll", to the maudlin-but-oh-so-irresistible "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'", Loaded proves the Velvets top-shelf geniuses with a vocabulary fit for the hoi polloi. It's here that they finally chose to break the din of their histrionic, often difficult 60s triumvirate, striking the hot iron of rock in a transitory period-- and what a way to do it. "</p>
<p>"Doped out experiments"? Do you even like music? Calling a record "borderline pretentious" just because it's not accessible right away and lacks the recommended number of "hits" - rather bold, don't you think? The Velvets, especially Reed, dreaded becoming too popular with people. "Transformer" (huge hit record) was followed by "Berlin" (despised by practically everyone) and "Metal Machine Music" was released just one year after the soft "Sally Can't Dance".
He was consciously sabotaging general approval and he LOVED it! </p>
<p>If you want accessibility and classic Rock'n'Roll, go buy yourself a Led Zep record. </p>
<p>"Loaded" is banal (in comparison to prior records), an estrangement from the Velvets' original sound, fun and freedom. "White Light/White Heat" is laughter in the dark. It's wild and beautiful - a future accountant won't like it, I guess.</p>
<p>You're completely misconstruing my statements. The Velvet Underground's early work was, in fact, a lot of highly successful, doped-out experiments. Heroine was both a blessing and a bane to Lou Reed's creativity and musicianship. I wasn't calling the record "borderline pretentious", I was calling your disapproval of Loaded "borderline pretentious" because the genius of The VU & Nico or White Light/White Heat does little to disqualify the quality of Loaded.</p>
<p>You are also incorrect that "The Velvets, especially Reed, dreaded becoming too popular with people." You may assume this would be true because it would please you that a band would purposefully stick their nose up to mainstream. The fact is, Lou Reed walked out on the band in part because of frustration with the dismal sales of "Loaded". They actually DID want a hit.</p>
<p>Anyway, your dismissal of Loaded came in light of recommendations to the OP. I don't know that they are going to find Loaded too "banal" in light of their comments: i.e., favorite bands being Muse and Tool, consider Radiohead too "experimental". </p>
<p>Anyway, I'll put my defense of Loaded to rest. History has done much more to venerate the record than I can, and to the extent that one student's opinion can do little to demote the classic record to abject standing. Plus I don't want to keep hijacking the OP's thread with our debate. Whose records CAN we agree to love unconditionally? Bowie? The Clash? Joy Division? F***in Wire? hahah</p>
<p>You're sooooo right about the hijacking part. Indiejimmy, are you a vindictive fellow?</p>
<p>Peace, padfoot (you softy, just kidding)!</p>
<p>nah I'm pretty much done here anyway</p>