Song of the Day 6/12: The Velvet Underground, “Rock & Roll”
The LP was named “Loaded” because the band’s new record company wanted an album “loaded with hits.” The result was the most pop-oriented set of Lou Reed’s career. Of course, none were actual Top 40 hits, but this one should have been.
On the notes of interest front, that’s Doug Yule, not Mo Tucker, on drums, because she was in late pregnancy at the time it was recorded.
The first cover came in 1971 with Mitch Ryder’s band Detroit, and it remains the best.
Once upon a time, kidz, your life could be saved by rock and roll, because despite all the computations you could just dance to a rock and roll station. He meant it, too.
This is closer to my favorite version –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsf_6-bXk4k
I like it too, but this full-length album version is IMO Lou’s best vocal performance since “Heroin.”