The Velvet Underground were in many ways a distillation of 60s counter-culture, while also being immensely ahead of their time. They went from experimental, to noisy, to surprisingly sobering all over the course of 3 years. But how does a band so ingrained in the 60s adapt to a new decade? Well, they make Loaded. There’s no two Velvet Underground albums that are the same, but Loaded manages to have elements of all of them. There’s soft moments like “I Found a Reason”. Inspiration from early garage with “Head Held High”. Even tension building masterpieces like “Oh! Sweet Nothing”. If it feels like they’re referencing a lot of what they’ve done in the past, that’s because in general, that’s what this album is. They do what they do best, but tone down the experimentation. It’s less likely to scare a normie, but more likely to offend everyone who loves “White Light/White Heat”. Now, I’m a defender of both, but I think VU’s ability to craft a cohesive, varied, and just completely enjoyable record is a great accomplishment. Some consider this their worst album, but I think it’s just a pleasant window into what VU could have become.