Needs an injection of The Velvet Underground. It's nice, but a bit boring. The kind of thing Iris Law listens to on the tube I'd imagine. 𩱠Chelsea rent girl, Chelsea rent girl, whoooaaa whooooaaa
We all piled on Rebecca black for having no talent but Nico makes the list of albums You Must Listen To Or Else You'll Die? At least RB's song was catchy and she paid for being famous with money rather than blow jobs. A goat being vivisectioned would be more melodic and in key. If I could give this zero stars I would, Nico is the fucking worst.
Great album. Love her voice and the instrumentation is beautiful. Like getting a Velvet Underground record with just Nico vocals!
Alright, I'll say it. I'm a sucker for this dark, pretentious, avant bullshit. I like the instruments, I like the vocals, I like the production. This is fanfuckingtastic.
This album was interesting for several reasons. Nico's deep and untrained voice has a way of cutting through the often lush instrumentation that lends it an air of mystery and sadness. This is truly an enigmatic album, songs written by men sung by a woman who nobody really seemed to know. I was a bit tired of it by the end, but I believe this album deserves a few more listens.
I love Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground so much that I have an automatic soft spot for Nico, but I'm not sure it quite carries a full album for me. I kind of liked the flutey compositions that I take it she hated. Sort of interested to hear some of the later stuff she had more control on.
This was going to be 2 stars, but I recognized that some of these songs have been in Wes Anderson movies. Giving them some context, and associating them with a time and place really allowed me to appreciate these songs more. They are certainly 'of an era'. They're the kind of thing you'd put on when someone broke up with you, or if you were having a very specifically-themed party.
Et bien moi j'ai beaucoup apprecié cet album, et d'ailleurs j'en profite pour dire à rob que je l'emmerde.
Honestly just... dull. The arrangements were okay, even interesting sometimes. The songwriting was passable. But man, Nico herself just does absolutely nothing for me. She was bearable on that Velvet Underground record, but here she has nothing to support her. Also, apparently she is super duper racist, so I am glad I didn't care for her music lol.
First Listen. At first, I didn't like it much. But, as the day went on I started enjoying it more and more. This is definitely different than what I was expecting. I like her when she sang with the Velvet Underground - and that was what I was expecting. This album definitely sound like the 1967, flower-power, peace-and-love scene, and I thought she would have more of that Berlin rock sound. After getting used to the sound, I started liking it more and found myself singing along a couple of times. I'll give it a strong 2/5 for now. It might be a 3/5 next time I hear it.
Absolute shit. Production is awful - guitars quiet and muddy with terrible tone. Would have been better without strings and flutes. Bad lyrics, worked into even worse melodies. Not as smart as it thinks it is. Ended up skipping through a lot as I couldn't take it any more. Pretentious wank.
It is rare that I can't make it through a full album even it's not my thing. Nico's voice makes me want to cut my ears off.
This was horrible. Not my genre, awful voice, weird sounding pieces in between. Never again please.
Fucking horrible. I turned it off after 20 minutes cause it was too boring. These Days is still a jam tho
It sounds medieval and boring. In addition to being grating, the singer's voice doesn't fit the backing instruments at all, and the audio tracks sound like they were unmixed or at the very least mixed extremely poorly. Nothing in this album meshes, and I don't understand why this would be on this list.
Well friends, that was painful. Vocals are flat, monotone and boring. Some of the instrumentals would have been good as background music, but then Nico starts singing again. And what was that noise about 2/3 of the way through "It Was A Pleasure Then"? I've tried to avoid giving out 1's as a rule, but I think this one deserves it.
Oof. I hated this. Some pretty instrumentation on some songs, but not all, and her voice was terrible. Songs were also slow and sad. Not a fan. Song I didnât hate as much: âSomewhere Thereâs a Feather.â
Ć ta reÄi o ovom albumu osim da je blizu savrĆĄenstva? ZvuÄi jednostavno, ali je ovaj album mi puno znaÄi i definitivno mi je top 5 albuma koje si moram, al moram pustiti kada doÄe jesensko vrijeme. ZanemarivĆĄi njen privatni ĆŸivot, bila je vrsna umjetnica. Dakle ovo je album koji mi je jako blizu Äiste petice, i zato vjerujem da Äe dobiti peticu jer ono, 90% albuma je odliÄan. OdliÄne stvari na ovom albumu od 10 pjesama: "The Fairest of the Seasons, These Days, Little Sister, Winter Song, Chelsea Girls, I'll Keep It With Mine (mislim da je ovo cover od gospodina Dylana koji je oooodliÄno izvrĆĄen), Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams, Somewhere There's a Feather, a pjesme poput It Was a Pleasure Then i Eulogy to Lenny Bruce su groweri, i dobre stvari, ali ako veÄ moram neke slabije malo izabrati, to bi bile te.
Nico's vocals are absolutely splendid! This album is so gorgeous, I could listen to it 100 times over.
Chelsea Girls is an album that shows it's beauty in a subtle way. It captures the intimacy of somebody playing music for you (and you specifically) in a small room. This Aussie gives it four bags of Freddo Frogs out of five.
Sheâs got a unique voice, and the strings pair really well with it. A little like Joanna Newsom. Second half of the album didnât do much for me though
I'm kind of a sucker for anything related to sixties counterculture/New York/Warhol/Greenwich Village. This isn't up to the standards of the debut Velvet Underground album, but it's interesting and never dull. I can see why Nico wasn't happy with the production. In some songs the strings and flutes add a nice feel, but the album could use some drums as well. 4 stars.
Look, I like violins as much as the next person--maybe even more--but damn these overdubs (like they're trying to make every song sound like "Eleanor Motherfucking Rigby"). They're so tacked on, not matching Nico's voice at all, which sounds like she's pulling her jaw back into her throat. And then just listen to "Winter Song": the power is right there in the (rather frightening) lyrics. We don't need a flute to tell us "this is a pastoral song, in case you couldn't figure it out". RYM ranks "It Was a Pleasure Then" as the worst track on the album, but I think it's the best because it's not got those damn overdubs. Everything is more real--the music, the vocals. It's pretty VU at its heart, too, what with the short bursts of howling feedback and the minimalist experimental vibe threatening to explode into a welcome cacophony that never comes. Nope. Bring the flautist and string quartet back in. Break's over!
Have not listened to much of her solo stuff. What stands out is her haunting voice, it adds a mystical quality to the music. Unfortunately the same voice that charms me, grates on me before the end of the album.
This album is a total mood, and I quite enjoyed it. It has a couple of songs on it that I listen to frequently, but this is the first time I heard it all the way through. Had I known it was a part baroque folk, part stealth Velvet Underground album, I would have gotten around to it sooner. I see why Nico disapproved of the string and flute overdubs, because the arrangements aren't particularly well timed to her vocals. I quite agree when it comes to the flute, which is superfluous and doesn't really add anything to the album. I do think the strings in particular are suited to Nico's voice though. John Cale's viola, as always, is a gift. The rambling, noisy distortions of "It Was a Pleasure Then" were jarring, but actually really welcome. That song really cuts through the softer aspect of some of the other songs and it perfectly showcases the great musical chemistry of Reed-Cale-Morrison. "These Days" and "I'll Keep It With Mine" are pure perfection. Fave Songs: These Days, I'll Keep It With Mine, The Fairest of the Seasons, Somewhere There's a Feather, It Was a Pleasure Then
Lovely voice - lovely songs - itâs very side A heavy - the most obviously beautiful songs lie there - it just had a little distribution problem - the sunnier songs are early and gets progressively darker so it feels like it tapers off towards the end. But all in all a wonderful record.
Nico is like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket on a brisk morning while having a cup of tea.
This is my first time listening to this record and I liked it. Any album that has songs written by Jackson Browne on it is most likely to be good.
I feel like this is a really well-put together album, and I especially liked "Chelsea Girls", and "These Days", but I don't think I'd seek it out to listen to it again.
What a shame she turned out to be a racist and also fucking hated this album. And also that you lot hated it. I have been enjoying Nico for years and this experience has somewhat spoiled it. I maintain however, there are great songs on this album.
"And if I seem to be afraid To live the life that I have made in song It's just that I've been losing so long" (These days) "The river shall flow through hollow green faces Of caricature's resentment etched out of the tongues. Both reluctant princess asleep before birth The classical sensitive failures. The worshipping wicked cling to the dark of your heart Lying there and wait with your angels Moan and ravish from dawn to dusk The avaricious young lovers." (Winter song) "I can't help it if you might think I am odd If I say I'm not loving you for what you are But for what you're not." (I'll keep it with me) Menos mal que nadie me pidiĂł que adivinase el gĂ©nero de este disco antes de escucharlo, porque "juglaresa mĂstica folklĂłrica" ni siquiera habrĂa estado en la lista.
I found it difficult to connect to this album at points. It made me feel mornfull and reflective though, which I think is the idea. I thought I didn't like 'Eulogy to Lenny Bruce' then right near the end I suddenly liked something about it. I think it's maybe the thing about his mother, I dunno.
Very sad. Her voice sets the mood. I don't even know what any of the lyrics are, just sounds sad.
Started off not liking it and almost thought it was a joke. But by mid-way it started to catch on. I'll definitely give it another spin.
solid 3 stars. Not really my style but definitely worth a listen. Her voice is nice and the songwriting and instrumentation is interesting. Easy to listen to - reminds me of a relaxing summer afternoon. Also interesting is her connection to other artists and musicians in the late 60s - Jim Morrison, Velvet Underground and Warhol.
Nico on tuttu nimi Velvet Undergroundin toisena laulajana, mutta tÀmÀ soolotuotanto osoittautui aika erityyliseksi. Levyn alku herÀtti mielenkiinnon heti ensisÀvelistÀ lÀhtien. PÀÀosin levy olikin oikein kiinnostava tuttavuus. It Was A Pleasure Then on valitettavasti muuten niin miellyttÀvÀn kokonaisuuden rikkova melusaastekappale. Positiivisesti mieleen jÀi erityisesti Somewhere There's A Feather. Peruskolmonen.
Okei taustamusaa siivoillessa, mutta en minÀ tÀtÀ asioikseni kuuntelisi. Jossain kohtaa tuli Beatlesit mieleen ÀÀnimaisemasta ja toisinaan oli aika folkahtavaakin menoa. Alakuloisia biisejÀ.
Distinctive voice for sure, but a hard one to love. Certainly evocative and laid-back, but also too avant-garde for me.
I will always associate Nico, and especially this album, with "The Royal Tenenbaums". And that's a good thing.
Nico, perhaps best known for her collaboration with the Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol, went on to make some very sweet-sounding folk with a symphonic edge. Things take a left turn on It Was A Pleasure Then, with feedback from an electric guitar being used. Truthfully, the album never quite hits the same level of quality after the first two songs, but the overall product is a generally enjoyable listen.
I could read around this and the music of the era for days. But just listening to this purely for the music it's clear, crisp, and interesting: in small doses. The entire album in one sitting is tough - borderline dull.
Appreciate the country and baroque bits (flute!) there but no drum, or say, no clear rhythm is a harm. Her voice has some premitive sense there, sounding like some old-aged chanting. Perhaps that's why the procucer made it towards the country folk spectrum.
A album that stylistically might have been a bit ahead of its time but for today's standards lacks highlights and is rather boring
A very interesting voice that sounds mystic and mysterious, which really captures you. The issue is that the songs canât come to life with the production that plagues them. Itâs limiting their ability to stand out and removes dynamics from the albumâs experience.
I want to give it a 4/5, I really enjoy it, but by the end I am a little tired of her voice and tone. 3.5/5.
Never listened to solo Nico, definitely think I prefer her stuff with The Velvet Underground. It's not bad. Interestingly on Wikipedia she says she can't listen to this album because they wouldn't do what she wanted, they made it more orchestral/flute-y which she apparently hates. I can see why.
It worked for me until it got to "It Was A Pleasure Then." Had to skip that one. Definitely has some beautiful moments, but also has its share of painful ones. Wouldn't put on for my own pleasure but wouldn't leave the room if someone put this on. I know she didn't like the string arrangements but I honestly can't imagine it working without them - it'd be too spare. The flutes are a different story though - I feel like they are a bit too ornamental and out of place. Definitely uncool those arrangements were added without her permission, but it still ended up being a halfway decent album.
God I already know I love "These Days" The first riff is awesome. Damn "Little Sister" is dull. The way she holds the tones for the full duration of the bar really grinds my gears. Ok when it really gets to it, this sounds really horrible. But a 3 for the cover. Maybe this really has to grow on you idk.
It starts aiming for the stars but I think the rest of the record is an overstatement, I listened to it while cocking and was enjoying myself but then it went on and on with the same, âThese Daysâ is worth all of it
Nico was a fascinating mess of a person who would not fit with todays world. Don't share her views...she died in a sad and depressing manner...but...she was not right about one thing. That flute does not belong on this album. And if she had been able to get Maureen Tucker on drums for a couple of tracks this album might hold up more as a listening experience and less as a time piece. However, Chelsea Girls, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams and These Days still end up on my list that listen and revisit some days.
Did her accent have some sort of weird Cold War resonance with fans? She sounds flat most of the time. Ok in an ensemble but on her own? Monotonous.
Not bad.... but too repetitive for me. I like Chelsea Girls, but that's all. Not a big fan of the genre.
She couldnât have gone up an octave? Had to skip some of the songs because I couldnât stand her voice.
Druids. Rivers. Flutes. Today, this music sounds like a joke. She is cute, she hung with VU, and like her voice so Iâll give it a 2
Two stars, for the first two songs from the Royal Tenenbaums which I actually like. Her schtick got old real fast after that.
Quand jâai entendu la premiĂšre chanson jâai dit Ouff, impossible jâĂ©coute cet album lĂ au complet. Mais jâai persĂ©vĂ©rĂ© et finalement changer mon avis avec mon progrĂšs entre les chansons. Jâaime bien la guitare, les violons sans percussion . Par contre ce qui me ne me permet pas dâapprĂ©cier cet album lĂ comme faut câest les criss de flĂ»tes et la colice de voix de pingouins !! Rajoute une voix plus grave dâun homme et enlĂšve les flĂ»tes enchantĂ©s et je suis convaincus que ça mĂ©rite un 3. Je lâĂ©vite; je vous ai parler des flĂ»tes et de la voix !!?? La pochette est laide en asti aussi Je lĂ©vite these days, le violon Ă et la guitare trĂšs bien agencĂ©, et mĂȘme la voix est mieux sur cette track la, wrap your troubles on a dream
Beautiful writing, lyrically and and musically. I find myself wishing it were someone like Stevie Nicks singing instead. Is that mean?
De strijkers en fluit passen niet bij de donkere stem van Nico. Tegen het 4e nummer had ik al moeite met verder luisteren. Ook niet direct mijn genre.
Went in with low expectations thinking it would be Yokoesque, so was pleasantly surprised.
Some music requires a completely flat emotionless delivery: gregorian chant for example, so perhaps she should have tried that. Apparently she was unhappy about having flute added to the production, but I bet the flautist was unhappier to have a mad german nihilist droning all over his lovely musings. Occasionally she lights upon suitable material - her versions of All Tomorrow's Parties and My Funny Valentine are both great, but this album is terrible. Music archeologists and Jackson Browne fans can find some interest in his early songwriting here, but this criminal version of These Days shouldn't have been allowed to go unpunished. Nico was culturally important because of those who she moved amongst and this album is similarly important because of its historical context and those involved with it, but on its own merits alone is utterly forgettable.
Nope. I didn't like the music. I didn't like the quality of the vocals. The melodies as they are sung are uneventful and droning, to the point that the whole album feels sad and flat. I was unfamiliar with Nico, and the music. One listen seems like it was enough.
A lack of affect isnât necessarily fatal for a vocalist â David Byrne built a hugely successful band around it â but this isnât the right material for Ms. Pfaffgen.
Not...sure what this is, but it's not enjoyable. Atonal and folky, but not the good kind of folk.
I had heard of the Velvet Underground but did not know Nico and her interconnectedness with them and their whole scene (thank you, Wikipedia article about the album!). I didn't really like her voice at first, but it kind of grew on my as the album played on. The music is not bad, but because I've heard a lot of music in that 60's folk-baroque-pop sound, it doesn't really stand out for me. I'm sure it was more noticeably distinct when it was first released.
i really like the velvet underground. The worst bit about velvet underground is usually nicos bits. so taking all of what the velvet underground has and removing it to be just nico leaves you with this. its just some 60s waffling. there's ocassionally some good music in the background so hats off to john cale but her voice is well annoying.
Some good tracks and some pretty terrible, not a huge fan of how poor Nico got drowned out by the instrumentation sometimes.
I get it... I like this music in Wes Anderson movies and there are standout tracks in These Days and Chelsea Girls but overall this was not my style. 2.5.
Absolutely beautiful when it allows Nico to juxtapose her vocals against simple guitar melodies, but too often opts for crowded arrangements that squeeze her vocal range uncomfortably.
Ooh, I do not like Nicoâs tone. The worst aspect of Velvet Underground without much to redeem it.
Thought I would like this with the Velvet Underground / Lou Reed connection but found this pretty slow and difficult to get through. I like the general style/vibe of the music here, but it's a little dull for me.
Kind of sounds like the b side of a good record. I enjoy her voice but it is just that and strings. Very samey
Intro to the first track had me thinking I was going to love this, and often the actual music was really my thing but the vocal doesn't sit well with my ear at all.
I feel like I hate, but also like it? Like some of these songs have this real fucking Coffee and cigarettes' on a rainy morning vibe. But in the same vein, it's also just is so fucking pretentious. Which I mean feels like the entire deal with the Velvet underground.
Wikipedian mukaan Nico vihasi sitÀ, miten paljon huiluja tÀhÀn levyyn oli tuotannossa laitettu. Chelsea Girl koettelee oikeasti munkin kÀrsivÀllisyyttÀ (ja tÀÀ biisi on vasta puolessa vÀlissÀ D:), joten yhdyn mielipiteeseen. 2/5
Satuin kuuntelee salilla ja kyÀ lÀhti rauta liikkeelle. Eiku. NÀitÀ 60-luvun folk-ihmeitÀ, joista en ihan saa kiinni. TiedÀn kyllÀ, ettÀ cool tyyppi ja nÀin poispÀin. EhkÀ vielÀ joskus.
Very 60s sounding whimsical folk. Not a fan of Nicoâs voice - I find it a little cold and soulless. Musically I hear elements of Ruby Tuesday, but without the charm. Humdrum.
I got the point of this album by its second track. From then on, it was smooth boring.
I'll keep it with mine (written by dylan) and the eulogy to lenny bruce are the standouts, the first for the song the second for the content, however overall the album feels both too much of the same and inconsistent
J'aurais envie d'écrire une joke, mais l'album me laisse tellement indifférent que j'ai rien de drÎle à dire. SKIPPPPP
Speciale stem, maar in combinatie met de muziek niet noodzakelijk aangenaam om naar te luisteren. Halverwege gestopt.
Heel erg zagerig en klagerig. Ik kan normaal echt wel naar zo'n muziek luisteren, maar dit is me net iets te klagerig
You call it âartisticâ...I call it âdog in painâ. Not gonna lie. This was one tough listen. It literally could be used as a form of torture. I could just imagine a Russian spy opting to spill the beans in preference to being subjected to another tune from Nico. Someone please tell this woman she cannot sing, for everyone elseâs sake. The out of tune droning with the comical flute playing in the background had me Googling if this album was in fact a parody. Unfortunately it is not and it is very real. Apparently real enough to be selected into this list and thatâs embarrassing. The only reason anyone would ever choose this album is because they are insecure and think selecting the shameful piece of noise would somehow elevate their coolness by the âinâ crowd. Hopefully Nico was locked up and institutionalised after this and they threw away her key. -100 Stars!
Dreary, one-note. The only reason itâs not forgettable is because of how annoying Nicoâs voice is over 10 songs.
not a fan of her voice. I'm guessing this is held in high regard due to her Warhol / Velvet Underground association? First one in awhile I opened Spotify to see how much was left...
An album that really hits all the notes on boring music from the sixties. An album that drags on for an eternity that has absolutely nothing to say.
I think this algorithm is fucking with me. They gave me this after I went about panning Velvet Underground. This is a slight improvement altho the German accent makes it seem almost satirical. Getting some nice Beatles vibes off the melodies and chord progressions but generally I found it a painful process trying to just get thru it. Had to listen to it one song at a time with breaks in between.
Rubbish lyrics, terrible vocals, horrible instrumentation, and no drums at all! The worst album I have ever listened to, and I never will again. Virtually a crime against humanity, and I can only assume that some reviewers (who likes it) have no ears, or taste, or were afraid to admit it should be nowhere near this list
Really hard to listen to this. "These Days" is good, but I had to listen to it like 20 times before I started to like it. Maybe the same thing would happen with the rest of them, but I'm not going to do that. "It Was A Pleasure Then" was a miserable experience that I wouldn't wish on anyone, and this album was not a pleasure.
It's so bad that even Nico herself refuses to listen to it. Wondering if this album was included in the 1001 as an example of good intentions gone horribly wrong?
She sounds bunged up and posh. I sound bunged up and posh sometimes too, but I'm not sure it's something to aspire to.
Baroque folk/ chamber pop is a genre I normally quite like, but thanks to Nico's awful singing, this is frankly terrible. I don't understand why it is on the list. There are far better albums in this vein (Judy Collins' Wildflowers being one that springs to mind). I can only assume it's here due to Velvet Underground connections). I can imagine her vocals being used on a comedy German album, that might actually work!
She was better with the Velvet Underground. Interesting voice but a bit of a dull album.
Si on met de cÎté le fait que Nico chante comme une casserole et que sa voix ressemble à un vomissement de morse, celle-ci n'a pas été trÚs aidée par son producteur et compagnon Jim Morrisson (non crédité mais bel et bien aux manettes) qui a tout fait pour la pousser à bout. D'aprÚs plusieurs sources, alors que Nico avait réclamé pour ce projet des percussions et des guitares, Jim Morrisson fit semblant d'accepter la proposition pour finalement se faire livrer différents portails rouillés ainsi qu'un flûtiste totalement novice. Sa façon d'opérer était ensuite la suivante : il demandait à Nico de commencer son couplet en lui assurant que les percussions et les guitares allaient arriver d'un moment à l'autre, puis au bout de quelques secondes, faisait discrÚtement entrer dans le studio le flûtiste et les portails. Jim rùpait alors ces derniers sur le sol et les murs dans un son d'une stridence des plus absolues et faisait signe au flûtiste de répéter chacun des phrasés de la chanteuse jusqu'à ce que des larmes apparaissent sur ses joues. Nico s'effondrait alors de désespoir devant une paire Jim-flûtiste au septiÚme ciel, arborant chacun un sourire de satisfaction.
Nico has talent... if talent is defined as an ability to sing every other note flat. Awful to listen to.
It was a folk album. I did not care for Velvet Underground and I did not care this album even though it is a solo album. Lyrically unnoteworthy. Nothing about it was good. I ending up skipping through some of the songs because I just wanted it to end.
Manages boredom and irritation. "It was a pleasure then" is a collection of cacophony. Did those great songwriters (Dylan, Jackson, Hardin) write bad songs, or did she wreck them? After listening to some other versions, the answer is that Nico can't sing
I was never a fan of her work with the Velvet Underground. I always felt theyâd have been better with a singer⊠I forgot she had this record. I would like to go to there again.
This could have been a great album, but it ends up a pretty embarrassing one. Let's face it: Nico couldn't sing. At all. So all what could have been a collection of beautiful songs with haunting arrangements is utterly ruined as soon as she begins to what obiously passed as singing back then. I gave up after the first half, but spot checked the second one. Same result. 1/5
meh, a forgettable album