Loaded: The Life (and Afterlife) of The Velvet Underground

Rebellion always has a starting point, and for the transgressive teenagers of any era, from the 1960s to the 2020s, The Velvet Underground represent ground zero in the music world. They crystallised the idea of the bohemian, urban, narcissistic art school gang, centred around a psychedelic rock and roll band – a stylistic concept that evolved in the rarefied environment of Andy Warhol's Factory. The Velvets were the first major American rock group with a mixed-gender line-up; they never smiled in photographs, wore sunglasses indoors, and in doing so, invented an archetype.

They were avant-garde nihilists, writing about drug abuse, prostitution, paranoia, and sadomasochistic sex at a time when much of the rest of the world was singing about peace and love. Dylan Jones' definitive oral history of The Velvet Underground draws on contributions from remaining members, musicians of the era, critics, filmmakers, and the generation of artists who emerged in their wake. This book celebrates not only their initial impact but also their enduring legacy, which continues to burn brighter than ever into the 21st century.