Nico

[Kinetic]

I've always really dug her songs on The Velvet Underground and Nico and have a real soft spot for Chelsea Girl. The first two songs on the latter album, in particular, are total heartbreakers. I don't think I've ever made it through The Marble Index and haven't heard anything she did after that. What do my fellow TSMers think of her?

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH!]

I'm in p. much the same boat. It took a while for her VU & Nico songs to grow on me because at first I was all like "WTF is this tuneless German bitch doing here???" but she eventually wore me down and won me over.

 

I tried listening to The Marble Index once. That was enough.

[Steviekick]

I've been listening to it a lot at work lately. It's solid background music.

[Copper Feel]

I blame her for both 'Femme Fatale' and 'I'll Be Your Mirror'. What a clonn indeed.

[Kinetic]

"Femme Fatale" is a little lacking (although I don't dislike it at all), but "I'll Be Your Mirror" is pleasant enough. Clearly "All Tomorrow's Parties" is the highlight of her songs on that album.

[Henry Spencer]

Man, I really love The Marble Index. It's very soothing.

 

I used to find her similarly tuneless and ponderous, but after many listens, I've developed an emotional connection with her voice like few other singers. It's hard to describe.

[Edwin MacPhisto]

I usually starting listening to Chelsea Girl with the intent of playing only the first two tracks, but I nearly always go all the way through. Love it.

[Henry Spencer]

How good is her version of I'll Keep It With Mine? One of my favorite recordings of any song ever, probably.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

I've heard her only on VU & Nico, which gets a big nay from me.

[Guest C*Z*E*C*H]

Sporadically enjoyable in spite of herself.

[Guest C*Z*E*C*H]

I remember the last time we discussed the merits of Nico, which must have been about three years ago, when I said something like "ugh, Nico? She has a terrible voice!" and then Chave went "you idiot, you just can't grasp the idea of a chanteuse!" or something. Whatever. I like "I'll Be Your Mirror" but not the other songs she sang on VU&N, and "These Days" of course but honestly anyone could've put a vocal track over that arrangement and it would've been a fantastic song. Which is exactly what happened, I guess. Nothing else she did was any good.

 

You ever picture Lou Reed fucking her?

 

EDIT: I misremembered. It was Chave and Banky arguing over Nico.

Nico sings like she has Down's syndrome.

You post as though you do.

I've never been gotten harder than this. Whoa, Nellie. I remember being kind of sad when this happened.

[Kinetic]

You don't like "The Fairest of the Seasons," Czech? I think that one's a little better than "These Days." The guitar part is gorgeous. The only thing I'm not crazy about on that record is "It Was a Pleasure Then," which is sort of a precursor to the stuff she would subsequently do with John Cale on the The Marble Index. No tune, nine minutes of off-key wailing. No thanks.

[Guest C*Z*E*C*H]

Well, "Fairest of the Seasons" is okay, I guess, but not as memorable. The guitar part on there isn't that far from "These Days," really. I don't know. I just like that one better. Fountains of Wayne covered it adequately.

 

I like the arrangements on The Marble Index, but not the vocals. John Cale did all the work, anyway. Should've laid down a voice track while he was at it.

[Ketamine Disaster]

The only thing I'm not crazy about on that record is "It Was a Pleasure Then," which is sort of a precursor to the stuff she would subsequently do with John Cale on the The Marble Index. No tune, nine minutes of off-key wailing. No thanks.

 

I downloaded the torrent for this CD so I would know what you kids were talking about, and "It Was a Pleasure Then," scared the shit out of me from across the room. I'm digging the the first two, then "Winter Song". Not so much "Little Sister".

[Kinetic]

On a barely related note, I listened to Berlin today for the first time in years. It's a bit of a downer, huh? That's really the only characteristic the album has. It isn't good or bad. Just depressing.

[Guest C*Z*E*C*H]

I'd like to hear a more stripped-down version of Berlin. Some of that Bob Ezrin production is too over-the-top, like "How Do You Think it Feels?", but I guess the flipside is that it makes for good old sloppy excess. "Sad Song" can't be presented any other way. That's the happy ending, that smackhead Caroline finally killed herself and now he can start his life over, as if she never came into his life.