Reviews

In recent years, Rhino has aggressively courted the audiophile market with such series as the four-channel Quadio Blu-rays, and the audiophile-quality vinyl lines Rhino Reserves and Rhino High Fidelity.  Two of Rhino High Fidelity’s recent releases underscore how the label has gone the extra mile in presentation, supplementing the stellar analog mastering by Kevin Gray and 180-gram vinyl pressing at Optimal Media with classic “tip-on” packaging and even liner notes in the best Rhino tradition.  The RHF reissues of The Velvet Underground’s Loaded and The Stooges’ Fun House look as good as they sound.

In The Velvet Underground’s small but influential catalogue, 1970’s Loaded occupies its own place.  The VU’s first and only album on Atlantic Records’ Cotillion imprint, it’s not as experimental or avant-garde as the group’s 1967 debut.  Nor is it as sharply abrasive as 1968’s White Light/White Heat.  1969’s self-titled set found John Cale out and Doug Yule in, joining remaining members Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen Tucker.  Loaded hewed to the more straightforward path of The Velvet Underground but added an even more accessible sheen courtesy both Reed as lone songwriter and Geoffrey Haslam and Shel Kagan as the group’s co-producers.  The path to the album’s release was a tumultuous one, culminating in Reed’s departure before Loaded ever hit stores.  But with the increased participation of Doug Yule (including the lead vocals on four songs) and without the credited Maureen Tucker, who was pregnant at the time of the album’s recording, Loaded has its own, endearing charms.  (Guest drummers subbing for Tucker included Doug Yule’s brother Billy, British musician Adrian Barber, and New Yorker Tommy Castagnaro.)

Loaded has been reissued numerous times in various formats, including the Fully Loaded 2-CD expansion (1997), the 5CD/1DVD box set (2015), the 9LP vinyl set based on the earlier box (2023), and 45 RPM vinyl and SACD pressings (2024).  The new High Fidelity pressing, as mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearant Audio, brings out the inherent warmth in the album’s production.

Doug Yule’s voice opens Loaded with one of its strongest melodic pop-rock nuggets, “Who Loves the Sun.”  Though clearly an attempt to give Atlantic the hit single it craved, Reed’s bittersweet song of heartbreak is nonetheless a delight, with its breezy melody and shimmering harmonies.  Reed then anticipates both glam and punk with, respectively, “Sweet Jane” and “Rock and Roll,” two of his most indelible (and oft-covered) compositions.  As the album’s sole songwriter and most frequent lead singer, Reed still dominates Loaded though Yule also laid down lead vocals to three additional songs: “New Age” (sung by Reed with very different lyrics alluding to bisexuality on 1969: The Velvet Underground Live), the light country pastiche “Lonesome Cowboy Bill,” and the majestic closer “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” on which he also supplies the lithe lead guitar.

The imploring “Cool It Down” has a hazy garage vibe with a strong hook, some rollicking piano, and a double-tracked Reed vocal.  He’s positively unhinged on the irreverent “Head Held High” but mellow on the pretty, doo-wop-influenced “I Found a Reason.”  The bluesy “Train Round the Bend” adds further colors to a varied album that often plays like a collection of singles.  David Fricke puts it all into perspective with his new liner notes, which can be found on the insert within the sturdy tip-on jacket.

Like Loaded, The Stooges’ Fun House failed to make much of a commercial impression upon its debut on Elektra Records in 1970.  Recorded with producer Don Gallucci at Elektra Sound Recorders in Los Angeles in May of that year as the Michigan band’s sophomore effort, Fun House ultimately proved influential as a key building block in the punk revolution.  Also like Loaded, it’s been reissued many times over the years including a 7CD box in 2000, a 2CD edition in 2005, and a 15LP 50th anniversary box in 2020.

With seven tracks composed by bandmates Iggy Pop, Dave Alexander, Ron Asheton, and Scott Asheton, Fun House blended fast and furious hard rock with improvisation and even a jazz element thanks to Steve Mackay’s tenor saxophone.  Elektra head Jac Holzman enlisted The Kingsmen’s Don Gallucci to produce the LP, and Gallucci reportedly struggled with how to best capture the band’s primal energy in a studio setting.  Ultimately the decision was made to record the LP as if capturing a live show, leading to its disarmingly raw, even primitive sound.

55 years on, Fun House remains an aggressive, in-your-face record.  Whereas producer and Velvets alumnus John Cale brought a sculpted sensibility to the rock-and-roll of The Stooges’ first album, Gallucci let ‘em rip fully on Fun House.  In Kevin Gray’s remaster, there’s good definition to Dave Alexander’s low, rumbling, thunderous bass as well as to Scott Asheton’s throbbing drums.  Ron Asheton’s spiky guitar complements Iggy’s yelping, yowling, screaming vocals, though those wails are somewhat less gutsy in Gray’s remaster than on previous editions.  (Note that this is a remaster, and not a remix, and Gray is typically subtle as well as astute in his mastering choices.)  Even today, no record sounds quite like Fun House – whether it’s the unconventional structure (or lack thereof) of “L.A. Blues,” the hellish paranoia of “TV Eye,” or the wild, ravaged “1970.”  There’s a gleeful lack of abandon as the band creates its own caveman stomp with dashes of blues and psychedelia.  It’s dark and furious and hypnotic, and though

Though The Stooges’ next album would be called Raw Power, that title befits Fun House.  Raw Power, which introduced new guitarist and co-writer James Williamson and featured production by Iggy and David Bowie, made the band’s hard rock somewhat more palatable for a broad audience.  Fun House is, simply, uncompromising.  Iggy shares his recollections of Fun House in the engaging liner notes, and the heavyweight packaging (including, as on Loaded, an OBI strip) is up to Rhino High Fidelity’s typical high standard.

The Rhino High Fidelity pressings of Loaded and Fun House are available now as direct-to-consumer exclusives from Rhino’s online storefront.  You’ll find the track listings and order links for both titles below.

The Velvet Underground, Loaded (Cotillion SD 9034, 1970 – reissued Rhino, 2026)

Side One

1. “Who Loves The Sun”
2. “Sweet Jane”
3. “Rock & Roll”
4. “Cool It Down”
5. “New Age”

Side Two

1. “Head Held High”
2. “Lonesome Cowboy Bill”
3. “I Found A Reason”
4. “Train Round The Bend”
5. “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’”

The Stooges, Fun House (Elektra EKS 74071, 1970 – reissued Rhino, 2026)

Side One

1. “Down On The Street”
2. “Loose”
3. “T.V. Eye”
4. “Dirt”

Side Two

1. “1970”
2. “Fun House”
3. “L.A. Blues”