There's a certain amount of disagreement among
Velvet Underground scholars regarding whether or not this album, recorded by
Andy Warhol associate and longtime fan
Brigid Polk on a portable cassette recorder on August 23, 1970, does in fact document
Lou Reed's final appearance with
the VU. If this wasn't his last stand with the group, it was certainly close to the end of the line, and while the performance is technically strong, it isn't especially inspired, with
Reed sounding more than a bit weary. (At this point, the band was near the end of a three-month residency at
Max's, doing recording sessions for
Loaded during the day, a schedule that would tax most performers.) The absence of
Maureen Tucker on drums (who was pregnant and sitting out the
Max's shows) makes an even bigger difference; the replacement of her steady, tribal pulse in favor of
Billy Yule's busy, sometimes sloppy style does these songs no favors. But there are a few lovely moments, including rare live performances of
"After Hours" and
"Sunday Morning," and
Reed and
Sterling Morrison lock guitars with their usual authority on
"Waiting for the Man" and
"Beginning to See the Light." The audio quality isn't great, but given the circumstances it's better than you might expect (it's OK by the standards of an early-'70s bootleg), though historical merit seems to be more the issue than high fidelity. And yes, that really is
Jim Carroll ordering double Pernods and asking about the availability of Tuinal between songs. Fun for fans, but
1969: Velvet Underground Live is a much stronger document of this band's on-stage prowess. ~ Mark Deming
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