Album: The Velvet Underground by the Velvet Underground
It was a loss, but with Long Islander Doug Yule taking the bass chair, they were still around. The band's self-titled third album drew more from folk and a little from country. The black and white cover, showing a ridiculously wholesome-looking Reed leaning forward on a couch while the other three look ready to nod off. If that's a little weird in itself, the album does have at least one track - the nine-minute "The Murder Mystery" - easily strange enough to appear on their previous albums.
Following that one was the closer, "After Hours," which was another story again. A song of elementary simplicity, just guitar and voice, it sounds like a demo. Maybe a thirty-year-old demo they'd found in a steamer trunk.
According to Wikipedia, Reed, the author of the song, gave it to drummer Maureen Tucker to sing because he himself couldn't sing a song "so innocent and pure." In his weary gravel "people look well in the dark" would have more of a lewd ambiance, and "I'd never have to see the day again" could be read as a declaration of imminent suicide.
Tucker, the VU's boyish, street urchin girl drummer, was just what the song needed. Hers didn't sound like a trained voice. What it sounded like was a sincere voice. She sounds like someone in a new place, thrilled to be invited finally.
On The Velvet Underground & Nico there'd been a song called "All Tomorrow's Parties," in which Nico looked upon a "poor girl" dragging her thrift shop dresses to Factory-type bashes with a not entirely nice kind of pity. That song is beautiful and mesmerizing, but also somewhat cruel. In "After Hours" the same girl seems to be speaking for herself, and turns out to be pretty charming.
This new edition of the Velvet Underground might have been a little less adventurous than they had been, but they were still learning.
One, two, threeIt was no small loss to the Velvet Underground when Lou Reed fired cerebral Welshman John Cale. Musically Cale had been both a virtuoso and a chaos factor within the band. It was reportedly because of the latter that he was dismissed, his eccentric ideas clashing with Reed's desire to swim at least a little closer to the mainstream.
If you close the door
The night could last forever
Leave the sunshine out
And say hello to never
All the people are dancing
And they're having such fun
I wish it could happen to me
But if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again
If you close the door
The night could last forever
Leave the wine-glass out
And drink a toast to never
Oh, someday I know
Someone will look into my eyes
And say hello
You're my very special one
But if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again
Dark party bars, shiny Cadillac cars
And the people on subways and trains
Looking gray in the rain,
As they stand disarrayed
Oh, but people look well in the dark
And if you close the door
The night could last forever
Leave the sunshine out
And say hello to never
All the people are dancing
And they're having such fun
I wish it could happen to me
Cause if you close the door
I'd never have to see the day again
I'd never have to see the day again,
Once more
I'd never have to see the day again
It was a loss, but with Long Islander Doug Yule taking the bass chair, they were still around. The band's self-titled third album drew more from folk and a little from country. The black and white cover, showing a ridiculously wholesome-looking Reed leaning forward on a couch while the other three look ready to nod off. If that's a little weird in itself, the album does have at least one track - the nine-minute "The Murder Mystery" - easily strange enough to appear on their previous albums.
Following that one was the closer, "After Hours," which was another story again. A song of elementary simplicity, just guitar and voice, it sounds like a demo. Maybe a thirty-year-old demo they'd found in a steamer trunk.
According to Wikipedia, Reed, the author of the song, gave it to drummer Maureen Tucker to sing because he himself couldn't sing a song "so innocent and pure." In his weary gravel "people look well in the dark" would have more of a lewd ambiance, and "I'd never have to see the day again" could be read as a declaration of imminent suicide.
Tucker, the VU's boyish, street urchin girl drummer, was just what the song needed. Hers didn't sound like a trained voice. What it sounded like was a sincere voice. She sounds like someone in a new place, thrilled to be invited finally.
On The Velvet Underground & Nico there'd been a song called "All Tomorrow's Parties," in which Nico looked upon a "poor girl" dragging her thrift shop dresses to Factory-type bashes with a not entirely nice kind of pity. That song is beautiful and mesmerizing, but also somewhat cruel. In "After Hours" the same girl seems to be speaking for herself, and turns out to be pretty charming.
This new edition of the Velvet Underground might have been a little less adventurous than they had been, but they were still learning.
2 comments:
a sweet, wistful song to end an album with, & one which also (unsurprisingly) has a very 'on the nod' feeling to it (a state of consciousness wherein thoughts like 'if you close the door, i'd never have to see the day again' aren't so much death wishes as they are just simple, straight-forward observations :) )...
reed's often come across to me as consciously, insistently naive, & this song's certainly a prime example. it's probably as valid & effective a way of dealing with something as monstrous & complicated as new york city as any other - certainly seems to've worked for him, anyway...
been a while since i'd heard this. good choice :) ...
I didn't mention it before but there is one, rather simple sound effect in the song. That bit of reverb/echo when Mo sings "Hello, you're my very special one." Which gives it the feel of dreamland coming on, sort of tying into what you said.
How many people would call Lou Reed "innocent"? I don't know, but I think you're onto something. The Velvets' music was made - mostly - by people who were pretty well-trained, but did have a certain playtime quality.
Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed this installment. :)
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