“Only 100 people ever bought a Velvet Underground record, but every one of those people went on to form a band.” So said Brian Eno in his now famous quote describing the most influential band America ever produced. Never releasing a sub-par album, the Velvets are now viewed as the first truly experimental rock band and the first band to bring “dangerous” lyrics into rock ‘n’ roll.

Formed in late 1964 in New York City, the band gained notoriety as Andy Warhol’s house band, and were encouraged by Warhol to bring in German singer Nico as a member of the band.

In 1967 the Velvets released “The Velvet Underground and Nico” which is probably best known for its album art which features a banana with the instructions “peel slowly and see.” “The banana album,” as some call it, was recently voted as the greatest debut album in history by Q magazine.

However, it is 1970s pop masterpiece “Loaded” that would go down as being the Velvet’s most accessible and arguably most consistent release. The title, “Loaded,” was a play on Atlantic Records’ request that the band produce an album “loaded with hits.”

After a summer of self-imposed exile on Long Island, Lou Reed took all songwriting responsibilities into his own hands as he had done with all previous efforts. He wrote what is easily the band’s most coherent release.

However, Reed would quit before the album was released citing pressure and infighting and would bitterly reflect, “I left them to their album full of hits that I made.” Bassist Doug Yule would essentially finish the album, editing out many parts that Reed had considered essential.

One such song that Yule edited was “Sweet Jane,” a song that is arguably the most famous Velvet Underground song. Yule edited out the “wine and roses” segment of the song which Reed always felt hurt the song to the point that he was never happy with it. Nevertheless, “Sweet Jane” contains one of the catchiest guitar hooks in history and is still heard on classic-rock radio from time to time.

The only other Velvets song to receive airplay, “Rock and Roll” follows suit as another song with incredibly catchy guitar and lyrics. Containing one of rock’s most memorable lines, “you know her life was saved by rock and roll,” the song would later be popularized by Phish when they began to include it in their regular repertoire after a 1998 Halloween performance of the entire “Loaded” album.

Another “phan” favorite, “Cool it Down,” continues the classic-rock feel of the album with its New Orleans-style groove before segueing into the mellower ballad, “New Age.” The song is a sarcastic homage to the actress Kim Novak, and contains the first-known usage of the term “new age.”

“I Found a Reason” feels like a song from the laid-back sound of the Velvets third album, “The Velvet Underground,” with its muted guitar and softly spoken Doug Yule vocals.

“Train Round the Bend” proves to be the album’s last rocker, and leads into the album’s epic final track. “Oh! Sweet Nothin’” is a ballad reminiscent of “Hey Jude” and features a dangerously long coda that ends the album on a relatively down note.

Although The Velvets would go on to release one more album, “Squeeze,” the band never recovered from the departure of Reed and, soon after, guitarist Sterling Morrison.

History has been kind to the Velvets as they are now remembered as one of America’s greatest exports, and are religiously cited as being an influence by every hip band of the last decade.

Who knows, maybe your life will be the next that is “saved by rock and roll,” and then it will be all right. Until then, “Loaded” is good place to start.

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