The Velvet Underground, the group's self-titled third album, was the set where they most strongly diverged from the sound and style for which they were known, and its final track, "After Hours," was unlike anything they had recorded before or since. From a band known for raw, noisy paeans to drugs and decadence, The Velvet Underground was a quiet contemplation of love, faith, and where one fits into the grand scheme of things, and "After Hours" was spare, witty, and utterly charming. With only Lou Reed's acoustic guitar for accompaniment, drummer Maureen Tucker sang the song, and her sweet, homey voice displayed a marked contrast to the minimalist authority of her percussion. A tribute to the joys of after-hours joints, coming from Lou Reed, "After Hours" might have sounded like yet another hymn to life in the demimonde, but Tucker's girl-next-door voice lent the song something different; as she sings it, it sounds like the words of a shy kid who finally got invited to a party and is having such a lovely time she never wants to go home. It is an unexpectedly sweet moment from the Velvet Underground, a band not always known for the compassion of their music.
(Mark Deming, allmusic.com) |
