Reviews (page 2 of 8)
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.
Moany and repetitive
nope. Sound like someone is singing in the kitchen to themselves, kind of amateur
She tires me pretty soon. Nice instrumentation though.
pas inéressé
J'aurais envie d'écrire une joke, mais l'album me laisse tellement indifférent que j'ai rien de drôle à dire. SKIPPPPP
lo peor que he oído en mi vida
meh, a forgettable album
Keep it with mine
Dour, herion-soaked Teutonic supermodel with no discernible musical talent atonally warbles depressing lyrics written by others in broken English accompanied by increasingly bizarre instrumentation. 5 stars.
All-timer
For 1967, she was so ahead of her time. These days is a timeless classic. So bloody cool
Definitelt a must listen its very good
My new favorite album
Nico. Her name conjures up NY, heroin, the Factory, Velvet Underground. I hear her bored voice in my head, along with a faint idea of a bunch of folks hanging at some after hours cafe. Maybe Andy is in the corner. Smoke everywhere and each person, by their interest, talks about what they have been doing. Maybe they take to an open mike. This is the age of folk, drugs and experimentation. Somehow I think of Laura Nyro. This is what I bring unbidden to the listening of this album. I have heard some of the stuff with the Velvet Underground. So, the voice isn't a surprise. The sparse recording could be more sparse in places. It was a pleasure then - could be a Magnetic Fields song and should have a better arrangement. Chelsea Girls is a standout. I can see how some Stereolab singing got its influences from the delivery here. I keep trying to find a connection between Ute Lemper, Nina Hagen and Nico. This is the problem with listening to these randomly. This is definitely an album that is part of a scene and I would love to understand what it is in conversation with. Not that Ute and Nina were part of that but there is a kind of cabaret element and humour that tie those two together that is missing from here. I just wonder who is in the conversation. Or maybe I am trying to hard. This is a great album that could definitely be improved but I'm not sure that disqualifies it from being a 5. It may end up being a 4. I am not sure that I will listen very often. And I think I am saving those 5s. This does come close...
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Despreciada como pocas (por Lou Reed especialmente, que además recibió el mismo o peor trarto por su parte). De sus romances y relaciones no procede hablar. Una artista incomprendida que con el paso de los años ha ido escalando prestigio. Referente para muchas, muchísimas cantantes y artistas (de Siouxsie a Scarlett Johansson). Deja la VU y publica este disco apenas unos meses después. Al año siguiente otra joya y así dos veces más, hasta que desaparece y tiene un trágico final. Este debut, más folkie (The Fairest of the Seasons) que sus experimentales discos posteriores, guarda algunos momentos exquisitos: Little Sister, es lógicamente sonido VU. Winter Song, también pero más caótico, sonido tabernario (Cale). Somewhere There's a Feather creo que es la más floja del lote, no es un mal tema pero el resto son mejores. Eulogy To Lenny Bruce es una canción triste, evoca el estado de ánimo de la portada. Producción de Tom Wilson, Lou Reed aporta guitarras eléctricas en «Little Sister», «It Was a Pleasure Then», «Chelsea Girls» y «Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams»; John Cale añade viola, órgano y guitarra en los temas más densos; Sterling Morrison contribuye con guitarras en «Chelsea Girls» y «Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams». Jackson Browne, por su parte, firma «The Fairest of the Seasons», «These Days» y «Somewhere There’s a Feather», y toca la guitarra en cinco temas. La presencia de Bob Dylan se siente en «I’ll Keep It With Mine», una canción que parece escrita para Nico, aunque nunca lo fue oficialmente. De lo mejor del disco, un tema excelente donde la grave voz de Nico queda perfectamente arropada por las cuerdas y ese fondo folk. (Tomado de https://tomajazz.com/web/nico-chelsea-girl-1967-reed-2023/) Una experiencia para un disco publicado en el año más importante de la música...
it may be polarizing but i love her brand of singing and this serves as a bonus Velvet Underground album of sorts to me this is an essential work and great entry into the extended Warhol (Factory) universe 5/5
a special voice, and a great collection of songs. "These Days" is especially haunting
Прекрасно под чай
today i cooked a great steak and it was truly scrumptious. tis a good day, tis a great album
#302/1001. Aaaahhhhh. Nico. We love you, although I know it didn't make you feel any bettah, so you went and did what you did. But before you went totally dark and gloomy with the organ you gave us some gems, and this along the Velvets' first is one of them. Songs for Sundays.
# ALBUM RATING GLOBAL 589 CURRENT Signing Off UB40 Reviews Wikipedia 588 Mar 04 2026 A Love Supreme (opens in new tab) John Coltrane 5 3.63 Reviews Wikipedia A top ten album for me, the blend of attractive chamber-folk and uncompromisingly Teutonic interpretation from Nico, and subtle subversiveness, is extraordinary. As much today as it was in 1966, this record has the power to polarize….always a good sign. 587 Mar 03 2026 Chelsea Girl (opens in new tab) Nico Rate
yesssss. Music doesn't get better than this
This is a weird one but I enjoyed it a lot. I didn't know this was the original version of These Days. I'm beginning to think 1967 may be the greatest year ever for albums. The generator keeps throwing me solids.
It’s cold, wet and dark. I have a stinking cold and I’m working from home. This album captured the moment. Is that what heroin addiction feels like?
"These Days" har jeg loopet mange ganger uten å vite at det var Jackson Browne som skrev den. Før jeg gikk videre med Nico måtte jeg høre Brownes egen versjon fra 1973. En fin Eagles-aktig countrylåt, og jeg tror jeg definitivt må høre mer på Browne. Men det Nico har fått til med den låta er såklart mye mer minneverdig. Det er faktisk Browne som spiller fingerspillet på den, og det er litt skittent spilt opp mot de flotte strykerne. Stemmen til Nico blender det perfekt med sin ikke klokkerene, men nydelig særpregete stemme. Plata er også produsert av Tom Wilson, som jo har jobbet med både VU og Bob Dylan, for å nevne noen. Nico har visst på et tidspunkt mislikt albumet selv, fordi hun egentlig ville ha mer bass og trommer, men hvor da? Det hadde vært interessant å høre hennes egentlige visjon for albumet, men jeg må si at selv savner jeg ingen instrumenter. Det er minimalistisk og de få instrumentene som brukes er brukt på en så kløktig måte. "It Was A Pleasure Then" kunne godt vært en VU-outtake. "Nico gjør også "I'll Keep It With Mine" bedre enn Dylan selv. Plata er litt seig til tider, men det er egentlig bare deilig. Angrer på at jeg ikke har hørt mer på den før.
5/5
I love her voice and the calm but eerie atmosphere on this record.
Perfect
Quite lovely
So this has my last.fm #8 listened song of all time (that is, since 2017), and I'm tempted to give the album five stars for These Days on its own. But I've listened to the rest of the album very little (in some ways this makes "These Days"' last.fm performance particularly impressive: every other song in my top 50 is on an album that contributes a lot of support) Listening notes: -Fairest of the Seasons--this hits that perfect melancholy-sad-reflective vibe so perfectly. Perfect intro for one of the greatest 3:30 of music ever. -These Days is a perfect song. One of my favorite of all time. I've cried while this played many times. The way it describes the sort of clipping of her own ambitions in response to her losses. There's no better song when you're on a losing streak and you want some therapeutic pity party jams. I wish I could justice to this in my writing. "Please don't confront me with my failures/I have not forgotten them" Yeah me too Nico. "But Tom, These Days isn't even her song! You can't seriously give such high praise to a cover" Yeah reasonable point but doesn't change my emotional connection to this recording. Also she has the first recording. I will not elaborate further. -Little Sister & Winter song a very nice, reflective songs. Good but meaningfully overshadowed. -It Was a Pleasure Then--Sometimes (Especially late 60s/early 70s) experimental artists like the velvet underground and their crew do these long drawn out dissonant tracks that must have some purpose. but drive me up the wall. My first listen on this was rougher than the second, and I can sort of see how this theme fits the broader tone of the album, as our leading lady fades into incomprehensibility -Chelsea Girls: a really sad story of how the industry (and Warhol) find these people, build them up as monuments, and abandon them and discard them like trash when they've had their "fifteen minutes of fame" (central to Warhol's world). Prescient in wys Nico surely had no understanding of. -I'll Keep it With Mine: Bob Dylan! Review: In the end, the rest of this album does not live up to its first two tracks, and yet is quite good. I feel I must be true to myself and give this 5 stars. What starts as this youthful reflection on missed opportunities ends up with a jumble of ideas on the back half, as she describes the beauty she finds (I'll keep it with mine) which juxtaposes harshly with the callousness of an industry and world. To quote another artist, "Sure it could look like dew, but they're laughing at you/And they'll send in the clowns when you're lost". And sadly, Nico would fade in the same way. I have since looked up Nico's later life and woof, the later years are bleaker than hell here. Heroin was not kind to her, but it's clear there was a lot of ugliness down there even beyond the drugs. In ways, it makes the tracks here, with the wistful youthfulness, all the more melancholic, as the woman herself fades into incomprehensibility as her kindest attributes fade away, leaving racism and cruelty as the most prominent remainders.
Lots of interesting ideas. Execution is spotty, and it does drag at times. Can't say i especially enjoy listening to it has a whole, but it has its moments. It is a fascinating and evocative artifact from one of the most important art scenes in history. I'm gonna rate it 5 to help offset all the 1 star reviews from people who refused to engage with it. I don't think it's great, but it's definitely worth hearing and diving into at least once
Absolutely beautiful and devastating. A perfect album for early mornings or late nights.
Pretty good.
Melancholic, sad, dramatic, mellow and experimental. Right up my alley, I love this. 5 stars
Absolutely captivating. Gorgeous melodies and instrumentation. Played 3 times today. Strangely comforting. Iconic and singular voice. 5/5
Why does everyone hate this album? It's so good and that flute, my goooooooooooooooooooood.
I heard she wasn’t into the orchestration. Sorry I know it was her record but I feel like she was wrong. The sparse guitar backing, Nico’s haunting vocals and the orchestration all work perfectly together.
Good artist
such a classic, love nico so muchh!! her voice and her music is so unique, i’m so happy to have the chance to listen to this album since, i didn’t have the chance to do so. i love how individual the instrumentals are compared to the melody, apart from the strings.
Breathtaking album. The strings are exquisite and I adore Nico's voice
Songs that reach the heart
I love it! I will marry this album!
LOVELY BEST ALBUM EVER I LOVE THIS SHIT
YES. Love Nico. She managed to bottle some real feelings. Captures ups and downs, melancholy yet hopeful. I really dig the strings.. pretty interesting that Nico was opposed, haha. Feels like such a pure sound. Maybe this album could be considered a gumbo, since she was just surrounded by talented folks and contributors. All those cool New York cats. Just feels like so many layers of style and juice. I love everything about this album.
An absolutely beautiful album. The Fairest of the Seasons, Somewhere There's a Feather and Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams are all highlights, but These Days is truly in a league of its own. Just an unbelievably deep song that really makes you confront the passage of time and where you are in life. I loved how instrumental the album was (the strings!! the flutes!!) combined with the ghostly, ethereal quality of Nico's voice. Such a singular sound.
Attention chef-d'oeuvre, mais pas n'importe lequel. Pas le genre de chef-d'oeuvre qui vous saute à la gueule avec des guitares hurlantes ou des refrains que vous braillez sous la douche. Non, ici, on est dans une autre dimension. On est dans le genre de chef-d'oeuvre qui vous susurre des horreurs à l'oreille, qui vous glace le sang tout en vous caressant la joue. "Chelsea Girl", le premier véritable album solo de Nico, est un piège. Un piège magnifique, mais un piège quand même. À première vue, tout semble normal pour l'époque. 1967. La pochette, avec ce portrait de Nico, pourrait presque passer pour celle d'une énième chanteuse folk de Greenwich Village. On s'attend à de la douceur, à des fleurs dans les cheveux, à des chansons sur la paix et l'amour. Grave erreur. C'est tout le génie de ce disque : il se présente comme une brebis pour mieux vous dévorer comme un loup. Je me souviens, à la boutique, ce disque traînait souvent dans les bacs, juste à côté du Velvet Underground. Les clients le prenaient, le retournaient, intrigués. "Ah, c'est la chanteuse du Velvet ?". Oui et non. C'est bien elle, la déesse teutonne imposée par Warhol, mais ce qu'elle propose ici est à des années-lumière du chaos électrique de "White Light/White Heat". C'est la descente, le lendemain de la fête la plus déglinguée de l'histoire. C'est le silence pesant après les larsens. L'arme secrète, l'instrument principal, le venin et l'antidote de cet album, c'est la voix de Nico. Une voix sépulcrale, un chant funèbre qui semble venir d'outre-tombe. Elle ne chante pas, elle psalmodie. Elle ne vibre pas, elle constate. Chaque mot est pesé, détaché, prononcé avec un accent germanique qui transforme la moindre ballade en une messe noire. Elle chante l'amour perdu comme on lirait un rapport d'autopsie. C'est d'une froideur polaire, et pourtant, ça vous transperce le coeur. C'est là toute la dualité de ce disque. Et puis, il y a la musique. Et là, attention, c'est du lourd. Pensez donc : les chansons sont écrites par le gratin de la contre-culture de l'époque. On a du Lou Reed, du John Cale, et même un tout jeune Jackson Browne qui n'avait pas encore la moustache. On pourrait croire à une compilation de démos de luxe, mais Nico s'approprie chaque morceau avec une autorité déconcertante. Elle prend leurs chansons, souvent déjà bien plombées, et les aspire dans son propre trou noir. Les arrangements de Larry Fallon sont la deuxième clé du mystère. Oubliez la guitare saturée et la batterie tribale du Velvet. Ici, c'est un écrin de velours : des cordes baroques, une flûte mélancolique, des guitares acoustiques cristallines. C'est beau, c'est léché, c'est presque trop joli. Et c'est justement ce contraste qui est génialement pervers. Sur cette musique de chambre qui inviterait à la rêverie, la voix de Nico vient poser son linceul. C'est comme regarder un film d'Ingmar Bergman avec une bande-son de François de Roubaix. C'est déstabilisant, unique. Des titres comme "The Fairest of the Seasons" ou "These Days" (signés Jackson Browne) sont des merveilles de folk dépressif. On sent la solitude, la nostalgie d'un truc qui n'a peut-être jamais vraiment existé. "I'll Keep It with Mine", un cadeau de Dylan, devient sous sa langue une promesse glaciale. Et que dire de "Chelsea Girls", le morceau-titre écrit par Reed et Sterling Morrison ? C'est une visite guidée des bas-fonds chics de la Factory de Warhol, un poème sur la vacuité et la beauté vénéneuse de ces vies consumées par l'art et la drogue. On a souvent dit que Nico détestait cet album, trouvant les arrangements de cordes et de flûte trop "jolis", trop commerciaux. Elle aurait voulu un son plus brut, plus aride. Peut-être. Mais c'est justement cette tension entre la forme (la pop orchestrale) et le fond (le désespoir existentiel chanté sans le moindre pathos) qui fait de "Chelsea Girl" un disque si fascinant. C'est un album malade dans un corps de mannequin. Pendant que les hippies se roulaient des pelles à San Francisco en chantant l'avènement d'une ère nouvelle, Nico, elle, officiait seule dans sa crypte. Elle ne célébrait rien, elle constatait la fin. La fin de l'innocence, la fin des illusions. C'est un disque d'une maturité et d'une lucidité effrayantes. Aujourd'hui, "Chelsea Girl" n'a pas pris une ride. Il flotte hors du temps, hors des modes. C'est un diamant noir, parfaitement taillé, dont la beauté froide continue de fasciner. C'est un disque qu'on n'écoute pas pour se remonter le moral, mais pour se faire du bien en se faisant un peu de mal. Pour toucher du doigt une forme de beauté pure, intransigeante et terriblement humaine. Une pépite. Un indispensable pour quiconque s'intéresse à l'univers étendu du Velvet Underground et à la face sombre du "flower power". Un 5 sur 5 évident, pour l'un des plus beaux disques de chevet pour nuits blanches
An excellent album. It's a shame Nico disliked it so much.
Nico is for sure an aquired taste. High school Kit was a huge Velvet Underground fan, but I skipped all the Nico songs for years. I'm not sure why or when I started to appreciate Nico's singing, but it came eventually I've come to love the imperfection in it. She's a good contrast to Emmylou Harris. Emmylou's voice was so clean and perfect, and it left me a little cold. I like all the warble and weirdness in Nico's singing. I love how many Velvet Underground people worked on this with her. It feels like her own album seperate from VU, but with their influence still very clear throughout. Also going back to my earlier flute hate, the flutes on Winter Song are way too much. Far be it from me to question John Cale, but dial back the flutes my guy. These Days is an all time great song. 10/10 on the Mt Olympus of good tunes. Album Cover: (A) Nico was a 6ft tall model who hung out with some of the coolest artists of all time. Of course its gonna look cool.
Early in the pandemic, at the beginning of the first lockdown.. These Days came on the radio. I stared out of the window and saw a red balloon floating out of a garden across the road. I followed the balloon as it blew further away across the river and eventually out of sight. At the lowest moment of a dark time, a true moment of absolute beauty.
a really great album when you’re in the mood, with two fantastic songs
This was Nico’s first solo album after her work with The Velvet Underground, and it took me a little time to get into it, but it’s really grown on me. The album is deeply rooted in folk, but what makes it so special is the strong influences of baroque pop and chamber pop throughout. It has that melancholic, dreamy atmosphere, filled with lush arrangements. Although the songs were written by other artists, with Lou Reed, Jackson Browne, and Bob Dylan contributing, Nico’s haunting, almost ethereal vocals really bring the whole album together. It’s like listening to a folk tale sung by a mysterious witch in the woods, her voice has that deep, haunting quality that sticks with you long after the album ends.
Overall: 9/10 This album really surprised me. I only know of Nico from her collaboration with The Velvet Undeground but I haven't actually listened to that album so I didn't know what to expect. I'm glad I had no idea cause this is so cool. Nico's vocals are haunting and beautiful and I adore the sparse, minimal instrumentation. I didn't think it was perfect and a couple of tracks seemed to drag on, but I love this style overall and I'm so glad to have had it recommended to me! Fav Song: These Days Least Fav Song: It Was a Pleasure Then
yes
Anyone who gave this a one has their ears literally busted. Don't review music anymore because you're physically not capable of listening to music properly. That's not a bad thing. Not everybody can do everything, but know your limits. You wouldn't be a food critic if you had no taste buds.
Loved it, very good stuff.
This album is great. Nico's voice is both beautiful and haunting at the same time. I know many of her collaborators wrote these songs for her to sing, and the arrangements are just beautiful. This is a singular work for a unique artist. Really great early morning listen.
I have a lot of time for this. I’m so surprised the average rating is as low as it is?
Melancólico. Voz oscura.
It blows my mind that this album is from 1967, it could easily have been a new release it still sounds so fresh and relevant. Something about Nico just grabs my attention. From the first moments of The Fairest Of The Seasons I'm hooked. Other faves: These Dats, Chelsea Girls
I love the way she drifts in and out of tune, especially on Little Sister and Eulogy to Lenny Bruce. Something hypnotic and tidal about it. The standout track is It Was A Pleasure Then.
Nico really made the velvet underground special.
Melancólico. Voz oscura.
4.5 - Loved this album, the music accompanied Nico's voice perfectly and I found it really unique. Only ever heard These Days and was happy that most of the album was more of that. Will definitely go into my rotation
Really, really atmospheric and beautiful songs. I love her voice.
Melancholic and beautiful to its core. I rarely cry to any song, but this whole album wells up my eyes between Nico's voice and the instrumentation. I really love the more experimental side of the instrumentation.
I've been properly obsessed with "These Days" since I first heard it in The Royal Tenenbaums years and years ago. Just remembered, too, that Drake (yes, that Drake) released a cover of "These Days," thought I dreamed that for a second. Anyway, I love Nico. I only know her for that track and her work with the Velvet Underground, but she's got this great spooky '60s voice that's just unmistakeable. She sounds like a ghost or something, she'd fit right in in Night Gallery (doesn't hurt that she looks a bit like frequent star Joanna Pettet). But I don't know what else to say, I'm totally on board with her frequency. I think some people hate her, I guess that comes with being singular. I had this explanation prepared about how it was just shy of five stars but maybe would grow on me more with time, but then I listened a second time and it was already growing on me, and that's from a place of loving it already. This one's a tenner. Favorite tracks: These Days, The Fairest of the Seasons, It Was a Pleasure Then, Chelsea Girls, I'll Keep It With Mine, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams. Album art: Fits right in with my theory that she's a ghost. Huddled in the corner, haunted by her own visage. This is an iconic cover for sure. 5/5
so unbelievably good Nico is such a one-of-a-kind artist - 10/10
Thin soundtrack to a Sunday at a museum.
it's great
cool
Melancólico. Voz oscura.
Vitonen, koska haluaisin olla Nico. Levy on haikea, tyylikäs, nostalginen, ja kyllä, vähän tylsä - mutta sen on tarkoituskin olla, eli tässä tapauksesssa tylsyys on vain plussaa. Kuvastaa jotain yleistä inhimillistä apatian kokemusta.
Could not have listened to this on a more perfect day
I listened to this a LOT in the early 2000s, it was one of my friends favourites - so I'm really familiar with it, it's lovely to hear it again. beautiful guitars, lovely wistful production and an unmistakable voice.
Uniquely beautiful, occasionally disturbing
Nico's vocals are absolutely splendid! This album is so gorgeous, I could listen to it 100 times over.
Šta reći o ovom albumu osim da je blizu savršenstva? Zvuči jednostavno, ali je ovaj album mi puno znači i definitivno mi je top 5 albuma koje si moram, al moram pustiti kada dođe jesensko vrijeme. Zanemarivši njen privatni život, bila je vrsna umjetnica. Dakle ovo je album koji mi je jako blizu čiste petice, i zato vjerujem da će dobiti peticu jer ono, 90% albuma je odličan. Odlične 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 oooodlično izvršen), 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 već moram neke slabije malo izabrati, to bi bile te.
🦇
4.7 + Love.
such an easy listen. very nice.
C’est cool!
Melancholic, Orchestra,
Strangely beautiful, lighter than with VU but still alien at times
I’m very curious to see other people’s reviews of this album. I’m sure it’s not for everyone. But I personally think Nico is great. I just don’t think you’ll ever hear another album that sounds like this one.
Beautifully melancholic. I really enjoyed listening to this today.
Although I had heard her with the Velvet Underground (and knew about her from reading books about them, Dylan, and The Doors,) I was properly introduced to this album through the fantastic Royal Tenenbaums soundtrack. This really takes me back about 25 years.
Thursday, 2 July, 2026 Great vibe of ‘67 NYC. “These Days” is obviously famous and for good reason. I enjoyed much of this album and would re listen.
Folky, raw, imperfect, with great instrumental support. “These days” is timeless.
Liked this a lot!
I’m not the biggest Nico fan but have always loved this album. Such a unique voice with haunting pretty melodies to accompany. These Days especially is one of my favorites of the decade. What a talented cast of songwriters as well. Rating: 4.5
Cozy. 7/10
Nick Drake vibes. I wonder if he took any inspiration from her.
Альбом начинается как фолк-баллады, довольно типичные для своей эпохи, но к середине постепенно уходит в сложные, авангардные аранжировки, с флейтами, саксофонами и фуззовыми шумами, а к концу переходит в меланхоличные, кинематографичные мелодии. Все это сопровождается чарующим вокалом Нико. Я точно переслушаю это все еще раз.
First two tracks are really beautiful, but the rest will probably need a little while to grow on me. I love the voice and the strings - sounds fantastic. Favourites: The Fairest Of The Seasons These Days Chelsea Girls
This one's just such a lonely folk album; Nico famously hated the strings and flutes but as a fan of orchestrated folk, I think they're what make this album good. Her voice isn't the traditionally beautiful kind you'd expect on an album like this, but it really works well here (and dare I say, better than with the Velvet Underground?) Hearing her vision for the album could be an interesting change of pace in the future if anyone ever does that, but it's certainly not going to be a better album than what we've got.
ho fatto un ascolto un po’ superficiale, però che bell’album e che bella voce
Very beautiful tbh. Would Belle and Sebastian exist without this?
the lenny bruce song makes me laugh everytime but goddamn it I love this psycho nazi and her astoundingly beautiful music
Det va omtrent som forventa, men æ like stemmen til Nico, den e fin.
Really nice vocal and instrumentals. The imperfections of Nico's vocals add this extremely human and relatable quality to it. Quite a nice listen overall.
quite nice but i like nico when shes scarier 4/5
This album feels so delicate and beautiful.
Soy de los progres a los que este disco les mola, pese a la voz de Nico y resultar en algunos momentos aburrido.
Нормикс, дальше у нее хуже и муторнее будет
приятно звучит, такое люблю, 4
Really lovely and nice and good! :) Maybe too much syrup added by the strings, but the songs and vibe was great! I wonder if there's a version of it how Nico wanted it to sound?
I like this one! I knew that one song from somewhere. Wasn't so aweinspiring I could give it a 5 though
4/5
Un solido 4. Canciones lentas pero muy buenas. Me agregue casi todas
beautiful.
Nico’s voice is very beautiful to me
Ik vond het heel tof!! Rustgevend en mooi
There’s a haunting, melancholic beauty in this baroquey art avant-folk type thing. Nico’s deep, semi-monotone, cold emotion German-tinged English vocals over somewhat jovial and hopefully fingerpicked guitars, along with some string and flute arrangements to fill it out. It almost doesn’t fit together, but at the same time it works. Hints at her experimental future directions with the drony feedbacky moments. I could see why people would hate this, but I find a lot of beauty and originality here. Hard to find anything that scratches the same itch.
Sådan et vill album. Alle sangene lyder som om de er skrevet til hende. These Days 10/10, en af mine yndlingssange nogensinde. Bedre end VU&N imho. Stor 4
Føles ret meget som Velvet Underground & Nicos mindre kendte kusine (meget positivt!)
Oh, sweet Nico. Although I prefer her darker more experimental work (Marble Index and Desertshore, specifically), I will always have a soft spot for this one in there. Somewhat of an interesting but predictable pivot after her work with the Velvets, nestling her in this sweet spot between esoterica and darkness.
Beautiful, haunting. Perfect in it's way, but drags at points. The 2-3 best songs are some of the best ever written
Great tunes, enjoying the Dylan one.
I've never listened to this full album, I just knew a couple songs. I was always very taken by the contrast of her voice and the very sparse instruments behind it, and very lofi production. The Fairest of the Seasons is a beautiful song and still my favourite, along with These Days, I think they really captured the best of her potential. It gets a little weird and experimental on It Was A Pleasure Then with the feedback, random guitar and noise, and scatty vocals. I appreciate it though and see how this is deeply influential to many who came after. Incredibly ahead of its time.
I like Nico's flat slightly emotionless voice - and in particular the two openers (fairest of Seasons/ These Days) - which already knew very well thanks to Wes Anderson. Less keen when it goes a bit avant garde as think Nico's lack of emotion works best when signing love songs.
Not much says sadness like an emotionless Tueton exploring the very nature of existence over ten tracks. I've always had a soft spot for the naive delivery of Nico; it has a very unabashed direct quality, but can't exactly be said to be tuneful. Yet set to these melancholic tunes it becomes effectively doleful. There is an obvious comparison with Marianne Faithful, although I feel that 'Chelsea Girl' has an understated beauty that 'Broken English' doesn't. Overall this is a journey through the velvet underground, stripped down to its bare bones, delivered in sinister fashion under the cover of baroque pop. Quite the idiosyncratic album.
albums starts with straight bangers, but as it goes on, it sounds the same. beautiful lady still love these timeless songs
I quite like some of the songs in this album, and i suppose im biased because a few of them have been in my playlists before. I've never listened to the full album and it was good fun to listen to.
More great music to file taxes to!
Pretty good! I love Nico's voice and am surprised I haven't heard this before given how much I love her tunes with the VU. The arrangements are great, not surprised Nico didn't like them but glad they exist despite her - reminds me of Nick Drake and Van Morrison in some bits. Definite relisten.
неплохо.
The combination of her voice and the instrumentals was really something. I’ve given a lot of 4s lately which always feels boring but also surely these albums are on the list for a reason! Also love anytime this process adds another name i can look for in the record collection 🙏
This is the kind of album I never would’ve found on my own and am glad to have heard it. I’m sure there are many comparisons others could make but for me, this album was really quite unique. I loved the moments where her accent really poked through and Eulogy to Lenny Bruce was really something (for me, in particular, a graduate of AMST2606: Stand Up USA)
I thought this was lovely, and enjoyed it more than expected. This is probably offensive to say but I thought some of it sounded like bridgerton music, and other bits were really interesting and kinda experimental
She’s not a great vocalist but I don’t think that precludes her from being a great singer. She’s emotive and expressive and there’s something about her harsh German accent that blends so well with this beautiful folk backdrop. Also the Royal Tenenbaum’s is a great movie.
Really liked this album. Quite slow but managed to stay interesting. I know this version of These Days was the first one recorded, but I'm more familiar with Jackson Browne's own recording of it which is on the playlist my dad made for my mum for her birthday one year. Really liked this version though. I loved the strings throughout despite Nico not wanting them on the album - tbh I quite liked the flute too (even if it was a little much at times) but it does seem crazy to add flute against someone's wishes. Fav song: These Days - also liked The Fairest Of The Seasons and I'll Keep It With Mine Least Fav: It Was A Pleasure Then
These days I really like, also the cover art, but the rest don’t really do it for me. Chelsea girls is fine but just goes on too long. Specific rating - 3.9 Fav song - these days Least fav- it was a pleasure then
really enjoyed
I haven’t heard this before, but I’ve heard almost all of the songs on this album before. At least half of these are on a reissue of the first velvet underground album i own and several others were on some mixtapes I’ve had over the years, and at least one other one was on a soundtrack album. So listening to this feels kind of like listening to a greatest hits album with a few bonus tracks. And it also feels like listening to a velvet underground album since they were playing in the backing band. Needless to say, I really like this.
interesting listening to this now that im older, experimental and bold at the time, that would later lead it to become infamous. Not to mention Nico's personal life that drove her to more fame. In terms of what it means contextually in music history its an album filled with a lot of artistic choices.
Only really familiar with Nico from the Velvet Underground before but I really enjoyed this. These Days especially very good
i’ve known nico but only by her vocals on the velvet underground and nico album. i loved that album and her voice on it especially on femme fatale. but on this album i get more of her vocals and i love it. it’s hauntingly beautiful, this album is great. i just saw that bob dylan wrote i’ll keep it mine and for some reason this reminds me of some of bob dylan’s work. it sukcs that some of the strings arrangement wasn’t part of nico’s plan and her team just ignored nico’s ideas. she was dissatisfied with th flutes and strings but they still went ahead and kept it on some of the songs which sucks . but i would say that the songs are still good, it’s a very folksy vibe that i like to hear. i have a special interest in these type of music and im glad i got the opportunity to listen to this album.
So fucking good. Though more so the first half which is near pitch perfect. Nico is the closest thing there is to a female Dylan, unusual-vocals wise (though Cohen might be a more apt comparison). Some might see that as an insult but it's the highest possuble praise coming from me.
Nico har intressant röst, skönt att lyssna på
Kändes bara väldigt behagligt. Svag 4a.
These Days is a stupendous song and they're are a handful of other gems here. Having said that there's some middling stuff too and some interesting experimental stuff that's not really for me
Perfect album om om 7:45 naar werk te gaan en weer terug te komen!!! Aan het eind een beetje langdradig
Been listening to this between rounds at EUIC to refocus, and really enjoyed it. A little bit overly cursive sometimes, but otherwise great!
i liked this a lot!
All those one star reviews and this is her most approachable record, haha. I think this is a strange beautiful and intriguing if apparently unhappy experiment. You can feel Nico, the musicians and Tom Wilson all pulling in different directions. I like those big heavy Germanic vowels in her voice. I suppose she is a bit flat in places. I forget how much that can upset people. I think you can make a case that without Nico's heavy clang of a voice the likes of Ian Curtis, Siouxsie, Robert Smith, Marc Almond, Morrissey, (all fans) don't have the confidence to sing in their own instantly recognisable and unique ways. Anyway it is a bit daft and dismissive to include this and not at least one of either The Marble Index or Desertshore, both of which are much fuller expressions of Nico as an artist and I would argue far more influential. The Industrial scene and all of post punk are thoroughly indebted to those two records.
Surprisingly good. It’s anachronistic in a pleasant way, and I’m not sure in which direction. Some parts of instrumentation feel at home in the easy listening listening of the 40s and 50s. But some of the chord choices and mixing feels remarkably modern.
I knew "These Days" because a part of it was quite popular on tiktok a few years back but I really like it ! It's quite slow but I love the mix of instrument especially on "Little Sister", I feel like this album could be a part of a Frederic Wiseman documentary.
Nico l’originale gotica culona
I'm a sucker for Nico, whatever that means. I just dig her sound. Was already familiar with this album, but it's really good. 4/5
A beautiful eerie album I've loved for years. I like the flutes even if Nico didn't
Unique voice
These Days may be a top 10 song of all time.
Místico. A instrumentalização parece medieval, com suas flautas e cordas dramáticas. A voz de Nico é notoriamente monótona e rasa de alcance, mas eu vejo charme nisso. A forma com que ele canta algumas dessas canções é infinitamente charmoso, a meu ver. Algumas das composições são simplórias, mas com a ajuda de alguns membros do Velvet Underground, as canções conseguem atiçar a atenção do ouvinte. E acredito que isso seja o aspecto mais importante desse disco. Ele realmente chama sua atenção, com seus arranjos discretos e o emprego vocal de Nico inusual. Não é um álbum perfeito, e como a pletora de avaliações aqui do site vão dizer, ele acaba sendo dissonante para um grande número de pessoas, às vezes até mesmo pelos relatos controversos à respeito da cantora, mas eu particularmente vejo o valor desse álbum na lista e no escopo da música popular. Inegavelmente, Nico foi uma artista influente. Ouvindo as canções desse disco, que não é nem perto de ser considerado o melhor de sua carreira solo, é fácil perceber como ele teve um efeito em artistas como Siouxsie Sioux, Robert Smith, Kate Bush… A estilização Folk, os arranjos minimalistas, e o estilo não-ortodoxo da cantora. Enfim, gostei do álbum, mas não o considerei perfeito. Achei a produção estagnada e unidimensional, pobre. A sonoridade perde bastante com isso. Mas de resto, as composições são legais e eu curto esse estilo vocal dela. 4/5
This is a great little folk rock album out of the 60s that could've just as easily nestled right into the folk revival of the 2010s. Something about her German accent really makes my ears happy. Steeped in the cultural zitgiest of the 60s, this is a keeper for sure.
I loved the flute so much, but reading about how the producers didn't listen to her at all and how much Nico hated it broke my heart!
Had no idea this was so controversial. I honestly love this album. I adore her voice and I could listen to her sing a shopping list. I do wish I hadn’t read her wiki page though.
Despite being released the same hear as Nico's iconic collaboration with The Velvet Underground, Chelsea Girl is its' own unique sound and style that showcases the more tragic sides of Nico and her soul-crushing songwriting. I know Nico is a bit of a dicey figure on a more personal level, but when it comes to her music she truly never gets enough appreciation for just how able she is to hold her own ground even with her one of a kind vocal deliveries. The instrumentation that is backing Nico helps to see this tragedy of a project and make it all the more emotionally impactful. I won't lie the pacing is a bit all over the place as having It Was A Pleasure Then and the title track (15+ minutes combined) side by side is definitely a choice of all time, but even with that said it doesn't ruin this album by any means. This is a beautiful album I believe is deserving of much more praise and love especially from Velvet Underground fans and music fans alike. Chelsea Girl is a stunning album showing a more initimate side to Nico I didn't expect to see so soon after her cheery music on The Velvet Underground & Nico self titled. Definitely will be giving this stoic German some more diving in due time. Nuff said!
I really liked this one. After hearing her work with the Velvet Underground, this album felt like a natural continuation of that world, especially knowing how much they contributed to it. The atmosphere is soft, moody, and very much of that late 60s art rock space. Her contralto voice is the real star here. It is haunting and beautiful in a way that sticks with you long after the album ends. There is a calm sadness running through the whole thing that really works. It is not flashy, but it is quietly powerful. Definitely an album I could see myself coming back to.
Extremely atmospheric baroque pop with unique vocals that makes for a fascinating listening experience.
This is #day489 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to one of those "lowest" records on the list, the kind I usually end up liking the most. Chelsea Girl isn't an exception. There's something about Nico as a character that I can't quite put into words. The music on this record is weird, bleak, and melancholic, and I'm all for it. I only wish I'd bought that original Marble Index blue-colored vinyl five years ago when I worked at a record store here in Lviv... Still kicking myself for that. Otherwise, this is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day490.
Pretty cool, not really my type of genre but I can see why it's definitely popular.
So many great songs
I genuinely enjoyed it and thought it had a whimsy magical outsider music vibe and then I opened the reviews and everyone is claiming she is a nazi with a terrible voice. I will still go with my initial impression and hope the nazi thing is not true
700 up today and what a challenging album this is to mark that occasion. Nico’s voice is very much of the marmite variety. I can listen to her in small bits but it does become jarring after a while. Think a modern day auto tune device in the studio would do wonders. Her voice belies her undoubted beautiful looks. Leaving her voice aside I do very much like the music. Most of the songs are very tuneful with orchestration to complement. I even like to flute parts! The song It Was A Pleasure Then is the exception. Teaspoons scorched black come to mind. This album is likely to end up under the ‘Love more than most’ category featuring in the new excellent summary page devised by the head 1001’er. But hesitate to give it 5 stars as it’s labelled folk and folk is currently showing has my favourite genre, which it isn’t! 4/5 2/12/25
Just the kind of old interesting music that I LOVE. I’m completely unable to rate objectively
Solid album. Nice voice and interesting overall. Listened a couple times.
the original sad autumn girl
Her voice is unique, and I like that. Her lyrics deadpan - they certainly don’t sell the lifestyle of Warhol and company as attractive. 4/5
Nico was a German who learnt to speak English, Spanish, and French during her travels through Europe. By the time she started her music career in 1960s New York City, her gifted voice and mixed European accent made her sound totally distinct to her British and American contemporaries. There are only so many singers who have an instantly recognisable voice, and Nico is one of them. Her voice has an ethereal quality which vacillates between sounding mysterious and, when called for, haunted. Recorded immediately following her debut with The Velvet Underground, on this solo debut she surrounds herself with gorgeous chamber instrumentation and warm guitar picking. This typically acts as a whimsical backdrop for her vocals to take centre stage, but the music goes to a wide range of places. She provides cutting edge folk rock performances but also shows that she is suited to more mysterious, medieval style baroque pop songs. Daringly she adds into this pleasant mix some more experimental and uncompromising moments too - music as modern art. Had the internet existed in the 1960s Nico could have garnered a huge audience of people who love slightly off-beat, forward thinking music. But in an age where music was limited the radio and physical record sales, you can see why this would have struggled to find purchase. Of course, thanks to albums like this, as time went on she became a star.
Another solid 4 from me, could possibly rise, I enjoy this more than the velvet album with her, I’m a huge fan of baroque folk instrumentation and unique voices (see Joanna newsom’s middle era material with van dyke parks) and I think this is an early example of that working really well
Monotonous
According to Nico, her requests for drums and more guitar were refused, and she disliked the orchestrations: "I didn't like [the strings], but I could live with them. But the flute! The first time I heard the album, I cried and it was all because of the flute." She was spot on...why oh why do "rock" musicians insist on f'ing up their albums with orchestration: Paul McCartney, I'm staring at you. Even so, Nico singing! 4 stars
It's good, but is her worst album.
These Days… verdens beste sømdags-låt, bedre enn selv Sunday Morning. Lo-fi folk viben fra de beste låtene er ofte imitert, men sjeldent forbigått.
Jeg har virkelig ikke noe til overs for Andy Warhol og gjengen. Bevegelsen forfekter en nihilistisk holdning til kunst. En holdning hvor innholdet i verket til syvende og sist ikke betyr noe. Det eneste som betyr noe er din egen posisjon i kulhetshiearkiet og kunsten er til for å markere posisjonen i dette hiearkiet. Denne triste holdningen kommer også til uttrykk i kunsten til disse folka, og resultatet er kjedelig poseringskunst som har som mål å ikke si noe, ikke føle noe. Bare penger og status betyr noe, og de som mener at det fins viktigere ting å brenne for, er enten dølle, eller posører selv. Heldigvis kommer ingenting av dette til uttrykk hos musikken til disse folka. Chelsea girl er vakker, fin og det høres ut som at hun vil si noe. Jeg er dog enig med Nico, og tror denne skiva hadde vært bedre med mindre orkester arrangementer
- [ ] Chelsea Girl - Nico - 1967 - [ ] chamber folk and baroque pop, with elements of folk rock, art rock, and avant-pop - [ ] Standout lyric: “the bitter is hard and warmth of your skin, Is diseased with familiar caresses”, “Drop out, she’s in a fix, amphetamine has made her sick” - [ ] Standout track: Chelsea girls - [ ] Review: love the strings on the intro track, flute solos in winter song, warps on it was a pleasure then - [ ] I liked listening all the way through, the production feels so varied and unique, 6.5/10 (I don't know how to compare my scores, will come up with a good system soon)
Nico's voice is very recognisable and probably divisive - I love it. Beautiful melodies, spare but effective instrumentation, great psychedelic songs (admittedly mostly written not by herself but by the likes of Jackson Browne). The production is a bit annoying with e.g. all guitar left and all vocal right sometimes but they like to have "as much stereo as possible" in the 60's I suppose. Not a 5 because what would I then give the The Velvet Underground & Nico?
A breath of fresh air into the late 60s vibes.
Really do love this album, such a voice and so many songs that just make you yearn, it’s a real yearning album. 4.5/5.0 Best Song: These Days obvs
Its a very nice album, she has such a bizarre and haunting voice. Its a iconic album from the maddest/ coolest time and place to be a musician. These days is one of the most affecting songs of all time as well. I do feel its quite a samey album as well so it doesn't get full marks.
Very chill, quiet and pretty and also weird. I actually really like the electric guitar quietly driving the folk sound. It’s very timeless. The strings are very of the era and clearly inspired by what was happening at that time (beatles stuff) but still pretty and enjoyable.
There is something very charming to me with this album. But also an overall weird vibe. Kind of like meeting someone at a party who is fascinating but your spidey-sense says to not trust them.
Yeah, I like this. Sweet and autumnal and not as bleak as other Nico’s.
Haunting vocals. All the songs are interesting although not exactly sing along. Songwriting credits go to the likes of Jackson Browne, John Cale, Dylan and Lou Reed
Great album. Icy instrumentation and very cool vocals. 8/10
Es ist ein Debütalbum, das zwischen Folk, Barock-Pop und melancholischer Poesie pendelt. Mit Songs wie „These Days“ und „The Fairest of the Seasons“ zeigt Nico eine verletzliche, fast entrückte Seite, die durch orchestrale Arrangements unterstrichen wird – allerdings wurden diese ohne ihr Wissen hinzugefügt und überdecken stellenweise ihre künstlerische Intention
I really don’t understand the overwhelming number of negative reviews for this album. The instrumentals are beautiful and Nico has an enchanting voice even if she isn’t the best singer out there. This kind of baroque chamber pop is really cool and there isn’t enough of it out there
I liked this a lot. Precursor to many talented gifted women to come.
These Days is a song that Spotify, very annoyingly, correctly identified as up my alley a few years ago, and it quickly became everywhere I turned. It was therefore a total pleasure to get a bit more context to that song, and to find out that the whole album is very listenable. She is officially not just the name at the end of the Velvets' masterpiece.
Of course this album gets hated on...
What a great album to listen to as the weather transitions to cooler temperatures. It’s very autumnal music. I love the opening two tracks, “The Fairest of the Seasons” and “These Days.” Especially “These Days.” What a gorgeous song. “It Was a Pleasure Then” is stunning. It’s sparse and sort of ugly but also breathtaking and one-of-a-kind. Lou Reed and John Cale of the Velvet Underground are songwriters and performers on this track (and a few other songs here). I love their visionary, boundary-pushing attitude toward music. They really made music that had never been made before. It’s bold and exciting. It still sounds strange and jarring. Oh yeah… and Nico’s voice! What a unique singer. Beautiful and expressive and sad. Her deep tone is unmistakable. I really connected with this today. It’s got a special energy.
I was late on "Nico", "The Velvet Underground", "Lou Reed", and this whole crew of artists, so when their names pop up on this list I'm always pretty keen to pay a little more attention and to give the records a really good focused listen because they still feel new to me. "These Days" is one of my favorite folk / singer-songwriter / fingerpicked acoustic guitar songs of all time. I love the Jackson Browne version (I'm making sure to credit him as the original songwriter even though this is the first time it was released), and it's a song that I've always kept in my back pocket to bust out and play whenever I have an acoustic guitar in the room with me. Although I think my favorite version is by "The Tallest Man on Earth"... this version is truly beautiful and a pleasure to listen to. This music is really pretty. I do feel sometimes that there are some darker undertones, almost maybe a haunted kind of sound. There's just some times where her voice wavers and it has a darkness to it if that makes sense? Like in "These Days", around 3:10, she sings "my failures" and goes flat and it's amazing, but a little scary to be honest!
Tranquilito y bien
I can see why this has a low rating on this site, I really enjoyed it though. I wouldn't say Nico's vocals or beautiful or that I even really like her voice. It sounds a bit robotic and there isn't a lot of range. It is incredibly mesmerising and fitting for the album though. This sounds like the birth of a very large part of alternative rock right here. It's a hypnotising and engaging experience, really pleasant album.
I really love this, it reminds me of Nick Drake with less guitar. Really pleasant listening experience.
I think this album is a good example of how much my music tastes have changed over the years. I think a decade ago I would really dislike this, but nowadays it hit just right for me. Funny.
I am still on fence about this album. The instrumental and the melodies are wonderful, but Nico's voice... it is clear that she doesn't know how to sing. I might give this album another listen as the instrumental is really really good, but I found myself questioning ehybis this on the list Still a 4/5, mainly because of melodies.
Lovely Nico. I love this album.
second half gets a little boring but instrumentally Lou Reed and John Cale aren't pulling any punches to help create that perfect mix for haunting pop sounds as a backdrop to Nico's voice
Nico seems to be evidence that one doesn't need to be able to sing to be a singer. She barely adjusts her pitch, and when she does, she sounds pitchy and off. But that works on this album for the most part, in part because the instrumentation behind her is gorgeous and she knows how to play into it. This album is getting these stars for knowing how to do accompaniment and work that into the album.
some chronically bad takes in the reviews here
Same vibes as the Velvet Underground with Nico.
I had to listen to this album twice, it really struck me! Another melancholy album, but dang it's fantastic. I can't believe I'd never heard it before. It's not perfect, some of the musical arrangement can get a little bit repetitive, but overall this is an amazing album. So happy to be exposed to this.
I've never heard of Nico until now but this album holds up very well. I wish there were a little more to it, the arrangements do fall a little flat, but I'll be giving this another listen
Beautiful. I love the strings and flute. I just listened to a girl called dusty a couple days ago, and I don’t understand how this and that only came out 3 years apart. This would sound fresh if it came out today where that sounded 100 years old
Yeah good stuff. Simpsons: No
I just have a 'LOVE' thing for Nico. She da best man.
Nico's *Chelsea Girl* (1967) is a hauntingly beautiful yet deeply conflicted debut that merges baroque folk with avant-garde sensibilities. Released shortly after her collaboration with The Velvet Underground, the album remains a polarizing masterpiece, celebrated for its melancholic beauty and criticized for its production choices. Below is an in-depth review covering its lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, followed by its pros and cons. --- ### 🎵 1. **Lyrics and Themes** - **Poetic Melancholy and Bohemian Narratives**: The lyrics, primarily written by male collaborators (Lou Reed, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, John Cale, and Sterling Morrison), explore themes of regret, alienation, and bohemian despair. Tracks like "These Days" (Browne) reflect introspection and lost opportunities ("Please don't confront me with my failures / I had not forgotten them") . The title track, "Chelsea Girls" (Reed/Morrison), vividly portraits Warhol Factory denizens—S&M queens, addicts, and social outcasts—drawing inspiration from Warhol's film of the same name . - **Emotional Depth**: Despite Nico not writing the lyrics, her delivery imbues them with a sense of personal tragedy. Songs like "The Fairest of the Seasons" (Browne) and "Eulogy to Lenny Bruce" (Tim Hardin) amplify themes of transience and mortality . --- ### 🎶 2. **Music and Sound** - **Chamber Folk and Baroque Pop**: The album blends acoustic guitar-driven folk with orchestral arrangements (strings and flute), creating a lush, dreamlike atmosphere. Tracks like "I'll Keep It with Mine" (Dylan) and "Somewhere There's a Feather" (Browne) feature melodic warmth, while "It Was a Pleasure Then" (Reed/Cale/Nico) delves into avant-garde dissonance with drones and minimalistic instrumentation . - **Nico's Vocal Performance**: Her contralto voice—deep, Germanic, and emotionally detached—acts as an instrument itself, contrasting with the ornate arrangements. This duality heightens the album's eerie beauty . --- ### ⚙️ 3. **Production** - **Unwanted Orchestrations**: Producer Tom Wilson and arranger Larry Fallon added string and flute overdubs without Nico's consent. She famously hated the flute, stating, "The first time I heard the album, I cried... because of the flute" . This clash between her vision (drums, raw guitars) and the baroque embellishments created a tension that defines the album . - **Sparse Instrumentation**: The absence of drums and bass emphasizes intimacy but also contributes to a sense of emptiness, which some critics found monotonous . --- ### 🌌 4. **Themes and Context** - **Bohemian Decadence**: The album mirrors the disillusionment of Warhol's Factory scene, exploring themes of identity, addiction, and societal fringe dwellers . - **Feminine Alienation**: Nico’s portrayal as a "muse" rather than a creative agent underscores gender dynamics of the era. Her voice becomes a vehicle for male-authored narratives, yet she subverts them through her delivery . --- ### 📈 5. **Influence and Legacy** - **Artistic Impact**: Despite initial commercial failure, *Chelsea Girl* influenced generations of artists, including Patti Smith, Siouxsie Sioux, Portishead, and St. Vincent. Its "sad girl" aesthetic prefigured goth and dark folk genres . - **Cultural Rediscovery**: The album gained renewed attention after tracks like "These Days" featured in Wes Anderson's *The Royal Tenenbaums* (2001), introducing it to new audiences . --- ### 👍 👎 6. **Pros and Cons** #### **Pros**: - **Timeless Songwriting**: Tracks like "These Days" and "Chelsea Girls" are revered for their poetic depth and melodic strength . - **Atmospheric Innovation**: The fusion of folk and avant-garde created a unique sound that defied 1960s conventions . - **Emotional Resonance**: Nico’s voice conveys a haunting vulnerability that elevates the material . #### **Cons**: - **Overproduction**: The intrusive flute and strings diluted Nico’s desired simplicity, leading to a sound she disowned . - **Vocal Polarization**: Her monotone, off-key delivery alienated some listeners . - **Lack of Creative Control**: The male-dominated production sidelined Nico’s artistic agency . --- ### 💎 **Conclusion** *Chelsea Girl* is a flawed yet enduring work that captures Nico’s enigmatic persona and the contradictions of her career. While the production choices overshadowed her vision, the album’s lyrical depth and innovative sound continue to resonate. It remains a essential listen for its historical significance and influence on alternative music, despite its creator’s disapproval .
Nico a une voix singulière mais limitée, alors tout repose sur les textes et les arrangements. Ceux-ci sont parfois fleuris, presque inspirés de la Renaissance, parfois sourds, parfois orchestraux. Très bel album, en somme
Day593 - nico must have been something else to get so many greats writing, producing and playing on this album.
Like everyone, I first heard Nico through the velvet underground and wasn’t initially a fan. Have since come to really like her voice and forgot how much I love These Days and great Dylan cover too. Had no idea Tom Wilson produced and one of Hendrix’s engineers was involved. Definitely a grower.
When it's good, it is very good. But sometimes it's a bit horrid.
Make that two albums that have surprised me vs. what I expected. Going into this, I only knew her work on Velvet Underground and Nico, which I do not care for at all with it's psychedelia (albeit experimental). Was not expecting experimental folk. Really beautiful and melancholic stuff here. Still some of the psychedelic stuff I would normally dislike (Winter Song - almost ren faire vibe), but am quite enjoying it here. There's just a richness here that the fast majority of psychedelic music doesn't have. Can't remember where or who mentioned it in this sub, but someone said something to the effect of "Psychedelic music from that time was a mile wide and puddle deep. So many bands that had one great song but couldn't keep it up through a whole album", and I agree with that, but Chelsea Girl is the exception to that. While not the whole album hits on those sounds, when it does, its fantastic. Definitely gonna check out her later stuff eventually, especially since it sounds like she moved in a post-punk/goth rock direction, which is interesting coming from where she started.
Preetty stuff. I was missing some Velvet Underground and the found out, who played the indtruments for the songs. They did show themselves on a few songs. I think this is definitely Nico at her best. They really are a great combo on both this and the banana
Nice vocals
Nicos voice is beautiful, beautiful folk album. Chelsea girls and winter songs were a couple of my highlights. 4.3/5
Pretty good. Some of the songs sound a bit similar though, so they kind of blend together.
Don't know if I've ever listened to this one before. Nice stuff.
I actually quite liked this album. These Days is a great song, and the rest of the album is good too. I'll definitely be coming back especially as we are bound to pull the other velvet underground record. I think the flute is overused, and I can't tell if I like the production or not. I feel like this album could've been better stripped down a little more. Idk though. My curiosity will bring me back another time once I get off my 1001 album catchup bender. I'm feeling a light 4 for now
Though I really enjoyed most of this album there is a bit of saminess that kind of keeps it from being really high in my book. But at its best it's like an album version of "Ruby Tuesday" I think the strings were a bit high in the mix too for me but I caught glimpse of a mono mix that may have had it a little bit more in sync so I may have to try that version. Her voice isn't really what I like but what I but I think it's effective. 8.33 ★★★★
This is a really cool album that acts as sort of a prettier, less-abrasive cousin to The Velvet Underground debut. Lou Reed, John Cale, and Sterling Morrison act as the backing band for about half the album, with Jackson Browne showing up for the other half. The songs are all very good, with Reed, Cale, and Browne contributing most of the tracks with songs from Dylan and Tim Hardin rounding out the set. The whole affair kind of mixes chamber folk with some art-rock elements and has a really cool, unique sound. Despite my fondness for the VU, I probably give the slight edge to the Jackson Browne stuff here -- "These Days", "I'll Keep it With Mine", and "The Fairest of the Seasons" are the standouts for me -- but I think the VU stuff acts as a nice, weird complement to the prettier Browne tracks. 4 stars.
hauntingly beautiful album. if you don’t like it i’m sorry but you’re stupid
the fairest of the seasons isch jo suuuper cute mega schöni instrumentierig. und super schöne song? aha logisch jackson browne song. ich lieb ihm. these days jazzier. schöni giti! au er. ihri stimm aber au nöd z vernichlässige. oke bi little sister findi ihren vibratolose gsang langsam chli nervig. song immerno schön. aber chli monoton de gsang. winter song sehr klangteppich sehr interessant mag d flöte. de text isch glaub bewusst holprig. it was a pleasure zeigt etz labgsam dass schono avantgarde stuff debi isch do. lou reed gschriebe und ihri stimm wacklet genau ade richtige stelle. drop D feedback gitarre seeehr cool. okay fun het sich nöd agfühlt wie 8 minute. chelsea girls kenni glaub. meint sie d lauren james und d sam kerr? ihren akzent mit de ziit swirig. schluss aber meeega geil wells sich harmonisch veränderet. keep it with mine dylan song und fangt au so ah haha. oke cool. eulogy to lenny bruce isch heaaaaaavy oooh mein gott. aber geil. sehr cool. sehr dark.
chelsea grill HAHAHAH HÄ ghörtmer au bi the velvet underground so krass ihre akzent? ja würds jz nöd als lieblingslied bezeichne aber ihri stimm isch cool, dass mussmer halt sege little sister findi richtig apathisch hii und daa no schöni flöte als understriichig aber finds echli sehr kitschig puh finds reecht ahstrengend it was a pleasure then het wenigstens chli öppis komischs wo ich na cool find? aber grundsätzlich jo :( hmm au chelsea girls het chli öppis...aber muss au sege isch ener tüfi messlatte oke nei chelsea girls hani echt na cool gfunde! ouh nei di arm :( sie het d flöte nöd gern gha :( OK WART IWIE GFALLTSMER JZ NA? oke ja ich glaub ich loses gad nomal, ich glaub ich han chli ziit brucht aber jz cheggis echli? hanis gfühl zumindest finds gad soo beruhigend! find jz au d strings echli too much aber d gitarre, paart mit ihrere komische, tüfe stimm, findi suuuper es het chli öppis haunting und ihre akzent hilft jz findi? würkli lustig, iwie hets mega klick gmacht bide letschte lieder vom album grosses fetts 4i
this was Nico's debut album after collaborating with the Velvet Underground and was named after the Andy Warhol film in which she starred. a relatively simple album combining 60s baroque pop (think baroque compositional techniques mixed with rock to create a majestic, orchestral sound) with chamber folk over sparse instrumentation and beautiful composition. a really wonderful album.
Moody and Intimate, Nico's voice weaves a nice listen to sit down and drift away too
Yess I love a couple songs from this record already (the first two) so I was pumped to see this album included! I think it's a 4 star album, BUT if the weather is chilly and I'm feeling a bit melancholic this is a 5/5 album.
Really like her voice and a few songs really stand out for me on this one
It has never been an easy path for Nico, the icy Teutonic muse for many and any who come across her path. Wherever she may roam, her traces leave a mark that would linger, presumably, for the remainder of time. Chelsea Girls, her first solo outing after a contentious stint with The Velvet Underground, is an example of such dealings while not being wholly representative of what would become her later outings. More indebted to Dylan and Cohen in sound than Reed and Cale, Chelsea Girls is the cold chill that pushes along the fallen leaves surrounding the tombstone that was a way of being in 1960s New York; an unveiling of darker overtones after a colorful car crash. It does not come as a surprise that Nico would turn her back on all of this and descend down a dark path that often appeared to have completely swallowed her whole and make her re-emergences all the more improbable. This is the closest that we will ever get to Greenwich Village Nico, even if she is largely taciturn in reception and sharp around the edges in regards to accessibility. Favorites: The Fairest of the Seasons, These Days, It Was a Pleasure Then, Chelsea Girls, I'll Keep It With Mine, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams.
🌟 Rating: 4.2/5 📝 Short Review: This album sounds like it’s being sung to you from the end of a dimly lit hallway in a European art film. Strings float like ghosts. Nico’s voice? Deep, detached, heavy with knowing. It’s beautiful in that way old photographs are beautiful—grainy and sad and oddly glamorous. 🎧 Favorite Track: These Days Perfect for staring out of a window you don’t own, wondering where it all went sideways. ⚙️ Consistency With Me: 9.1/10 Because I, too, contain multitudes: icy elegance, emotional standoffishness, and an affinity for being misunderstood by 87% of the population. This is melancholy with taste. Now go light a candle and pretend it’s 1967 and you’re wearing turtlenecks unironically.
The forbidden fifth Velvet Underground album... pretty neat, folky and artsy, not quite as exciting as a VU album but it's got enough aura to be cool
Nico is kewl
This album is the musical equivalent of a starchy meal: it's satisfying but leaves you kind of sleepy at the end. Nico's cottony voice seems to be divisive, but I think she's just right for these tracks. I think I can safely say that I enjoy this over anything by the Velvet Underground. Favorite tracks: "The Fairest of the Seasons," "These Days"
Lovely album. Good instrumentals and vocal work. A bit on the samey side.
Nice album. I like Nico's voice.
Lush autumn main character vibes. These Days is a masterpiece, and such a unique voice as well.
I don’t understand the negative reviews for this one at all. Most of this is a stunningly beautiful album (not sure what "It Was a Pleasure Then" was supposed to be). There’s a reason Velvet Underground were never better than when they were working with Nico. Really a 3 (most of it is a 4, but “It Was a Pleasure Then” costs it a star), but fuck the haters.
Pretty Decent. I usually listen to albums for this at night so this was a fittingly calm album. I'm surprised at how much some people on this site hate this thing. It feels pretty inoffensive for the most part. 8/10
Really enjoyed this album, beautiful guitar, ethereal vocals, loved it
só consegui pensar em velvet underground pra ouvir e o site me recomenda nico rs vou considerar sinal do destino
really interesting sound from this album, almost classical inspired folk rock with ambient strings, mildly operatic singing. it's very relaxing, for the most part. it's a sort of peculiar artistic energy that someone like andy warhol would have. i do like the songs themselves, but man it takes a bit to get used to nico's singing voice, she really likes to enunciate every word and has a very... deep sound with how lyrics are sung. despite this hurdle these songs are pretty beautiful. this album isn't perfect. it's awkward, slow, flawed... but that's why it's so compelling to listen to i think.
I still don't even know if I *like* her voice, but I'm certainly captivated by it. And the songs are great. 4/5
The Fairest Of The Seasons // These Days // Chelsea Girls // Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams // 3.5/5
You people don’t like these days?
These days is such a gorgeous song. Parts of the album are a bit out there but overall enjoyed
Ooh! Nico! Her version of "These Days" is probably in the top 50 of my favorite songs of all time. I also love "Fairest of the Season" but not nearly as much as I love "These Days." But! I haven't listened to this record in full since I was a teenager who had discovered her by listening to the Velvet Underground. I had an art piece that hung in my room that said "Please don't confront me with my failures, I have not forgotten them." I remember not being crazy about the entire record, and I'm curious if that will still be my impression now that like almost twenty years has gone by. "Little Sister" has a great little arrangement with the strings but I'm not sure how much I really like the song. The lyrics are too cliche about what you would like write down as your first thoughts when thinking of what it means to have a little sister. "Winter Song" I don't know that I care for it one way or another, but something this song makes me think about is how unique her voice truly is when compared to other singers of her era. Where other people often go for like how high someone can sing, I think that Nico often went for how low she could go (and how to add the certain je n'ai sais quoi of Nico to the song). Is it that she's German? "It Was A Pleasure Then" is the song so far that reminds me the most of the Velvet Underground and while I was listening, I ended up pulling up the album's wikipedia page just to read it over...funny that this one was written by Cale and Reed. Something that made me laugh reading the wiki was that some of what I love best about the album (the strings and flutes) were basically put there post-recording and without Nico's opinion. Apparently she hated the flutes so much they made her cry upon hearing the record as she felt it overshadowed the whole thing. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that one, Nico. She had also asked for drums and there are almost no drums on the album at all, another thing I might disagree with her on...I like it without! "Chelsea Girls" oh I had forgotten about you! How much I love you. I have got to remember to listen to this song more often. Maybe I always loved it because I used to sort of daydream about how cool it would have been to be able to hang out at the Factory throughout my teens. "I'll Keep It With Mine" I didn't know was written by Bob Dylan. I can sort of hear a bit of him in it, especially in how the guitar is played throughout the track. "Somewhere There's A Feather" I now remember also really liking this song but didn't remember it upon looking at the tracklist before starting my listening. It's so funny how that sometimes happens when a song just sort of falls off of your radar. "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" is eh but I do enjoy the finger plucking on violin. Now for the final song "Eulogy to Lenny Bruce." I'm not sure that the last time I heard this album that I even really understood what a eulogy is or who the heck Lenny Bruce was. I think I have a bit better of a grasp on both of those things now. This is probably my least favorite song on the album, I don't know why I don't like it but I really don't...hah. Now knowing how much she didn't like the way this album was arranged, it's a shame that we never got recording copies of what she would have liked this album to be. I think that most of what I personally like about it wouldn't have been without those additional changes made after recording, but you never know...I might have really liked it? This was a nice nostalgia flashback especially because right now I'm waiting for a storm to roll in and am powering down for the night.
4/5 - I can imagine this is a Bob Dylan-type situation where Nico's vocals on this project can be incredibly polarizing, but it works for me. Really nice kind of hypnotic guitar loops paired with her singing makes for what can be an unsettling experience, especially on more abstract, longer-format tracks; think It Was A Pleasure Then. The orchestral accompaniment that litters a number of the songs in this project adds a great dimension to many songs that in its absence would be much more flat - it greatly helps to elevate the folk sound. I'd say this is a album defined considerably by its highs, but can be a bit more of a challenging listen unless you really have the appetite for it - I feel like you really need to be in the mood to wanna listen to this one.
Really enjoyable. Tragic that no one listened to Nico and the direction she want to go with the album.
Wow this one was really really good!
Not the most riveting album, as the songs are very quiet and modest, but I very much enjoy Nico's voice and slightly exotic pronunciation. Would give a 3.5 if possible, but rounding it up because <3 Nico.
I discovered the Velvet Underground around the same time I discovered Wes Anderson so naturally, I've got a soft spot for Nico. I've never quite loved this album, apart from a handful of specific songs. It's top loaded with the two best songs right at the start. But some others just didn't quite work for me. Reading the background has been very eye-opening though. Turns out that Nico absolutely hated the flutes and strings that were added against her wish and this explains so much! I can now picture an imaginary version of "Chelsea Girl" that's starker and layered with drums, perhaps more closely representing the Velvet Underground, whose members contributed several of the songs. It's a bit of a stretch because the strings are so prominent in these songs that I know so well. But I'm completely with Nico about the flute! "Little Sister" and the title song in particular always kind of grated on my nerves, despite being penned by her former bandmates. They'd have been much better without that flute, as would "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams", though the latter manages to be brilliant regardless. Having said all of that, the album is what it is and the additions give it the distinctive character, whether Nico wanted them or not. I'm not entirely sure that the album would have worked as well without the strings. But the flutes should have never made it to recording and are the main thing keeping this one from reaching 5 stars. With apologies to Nico, who tried to stop them, it's not a perfect album, but it was close.
You know what, this album was beautiful. It really feels like she just took her best moments from her collab album with The Velvet Underground, and just turned it into an album of her own.
These Days is one of the greatest songs of all time and even though she didn’t write it, Nico’s voice captures the haunting regret of it so perfectly. The rest of the album inevitably does not stack up but Chelsea Girls, I’ll Keep it with Mine, and Wrap your Troubles in Dreams are good. It gets pretty Warhol-y in the middle which I’m sure some people like but I found distracting. Still, These Days makes it a heavy 4.
Good and Sorrowful and Easy Listening
Its pretty and charming. Why the hell do the people doing this project hate that? Misogyny.
Can see why VU would want to work with her
You can’t say she’s a great singer. But she still made really pretty, incredibly influential music. She doesn’t get enough recognition.
how fitting it is that my first album on the list is by someone who I’ve had no prior knowledge of! okay I know the velvet underground though, but just by name. lyrically this album is very interesting. certainly very eccentric and vivid songwriting that kind of reminds me of björk’s lyrics for some reason. some of the lyrics on the album make sense, while some don’t, and that’s completely fine because it just adds on to the album’s charm. what’s also charming is nico’s voice. it’s honestly impressive how multi-textured and layered it is. her voice is just so rich and expressive and went places that I didn’t expect her to go to. at parts it has an almost hypnotic feel to it. sound wise, this album has its highs, but its lows too. the whole album transports me to some sort of bavarian meadow in the summer. the flutes and violins just added loads of depth to the record. most of the time, this sound works for nico, but on certain tracks, it works against her. it was a pleasure then is is the main culprit of this, there was just too much going on with the production here, and artistic choice or not, it just should’ve been a more subdued song. sonically the album improved in the second half, which is why most of the songs that I enjoyed were from the part of the album. favourite songs: chelsea girls, winter song, i’ll keep it with mine, wrap your troubles in dreams
Nico is such a fucking vibe
Well, I've experienced the Velvet Underground with and without Nico, so I guess now's finally the time to experience Nico without the Velvet Underground... except it's not. See, despite this album being considered Nico's first solo album, the majority of instrumental and songwriting work was done by members of the Velvet Underground like Sterling Morrison, John Cale, and, of course, Lou Reed. However, Nico's voice is still the main focus of this album, which is good because it didn't get much time to shine on The Velvet Underground & Nico. I like Nico's singing. I didn't praise it in the VU&N review, but I'll praise it now. It's good. The sound is nice. It's a nice midway point between the Velvet Underground & Nico and The Velvet Underground (the album). The songwriting is pretty good, even if it isn't Nico's. The songs are nice. I'm looking at the reviews on this site and this album doesn't seem to be the most popular. I don't get the hatred for this album. Don't get me wrong, this is no Velvet Underground & Nico. I'm sorry for the endless comparisons, but it has to be done. That album is better. However, I like this album quite a bit for what it is. It's not a masterpiece or anything, but I like it. I just think it's neat. Light 4/5.
12/5/24. Obviously very Veltet Underground like, which is a great thing! Loved the instrumentation and Nico's voice quality. Definitely very different for its time.
Iconic!
It looks like I can tolerate Nico's voice a lot more than other, because I am indifferent on it. It's not great, but I think it is fine (it is definitely unique). The instruments are the real highlight here. Some of the most interesting instrumental parts out of all of the 60's. I really like the more artsy songs like It Was A Pleasure. I can hear the Velvet Underground in that song specifically. Low 4.
Beautifully uneasy, not many artists could make an album like this
this was great, her voice is great and i enjoyed the album as a whole, was really engaging
This is proper chamber pop – with some knotty and odd bits, but mostly lovely and different. The vocals are offbeat and distinctive, not the sweetest or most melodious of singing styles but rather formal and structured and just the slightest bit stilted – which works very well between and across the string arrangements and looping-then-jabbing flutes. A few cuts are first rate – "These Days" and "Finest of Seasons" and "I'll Keep it With Mine."
Moody. Love her voice. Love the arrangements. Love the mood.
God. This was beautiful. So good to listen to on a cold morning in Copenhagen. These Days is of course a really lovely song and one that I’ve listened to for many years. The whole album worked for me. Glad to have heard it.
Most of this was nice. There were some songs that sounded really nice. I didn’t really care for the avant-garde stuff. Most of the songs sound the same as well. And while that’s the case, I still think there’s some worthwhile stuff here. The strings and wind instruments are nicely done. Nico’s voice is nice for most of the time as well. This has its flaws, but I still think this is decent.
Really enjoyed this. Minimal and the strings were lovely
Enjoyed Chelsea Girls a lot but some songs too experimental.
This is an oddball little record that I liked a great deal.
Big fan. Nico‘s voice used to bother me, but that seems to fade by the end of this album. Will definitely be revisiting.
Y'all ain't twee? I mean, I can understand not liking her voice or the flute but it be what it be. You just gotta be cut from a certain cloth.
This album is such a pleasant listen. Where I saw I’d been generated Nico, I initially didn’t know who she was until my partner questioned if she had sang with Velvet Underground, which it turns out she had. The music here reminded me a fair bit of Joni Mitchell, but the vocals are very different. Whereas Joni was known in her younger days for her high soprano voice, Nico has a voice that I’d question being as low as a tenor. I love the fingerpicking guitar playing found here, and the orchestration of the other instruments is like a Victoria sponge for the ears. This was simply very nice.
She's got a deep voice and stilted vocal style – distinctive, unconventional, memorable – and one could listen to a few of these songs ("These Days," of course, but also "I'll Keep It With Mine" and "The Finest of Seasons") many times over. It's the overall mood and persistently lovely string accompaniment. On the other hand, "It Was a Pleasure Then" is inaptly titled and maybe this gets a touch repetitious toward the end and there's a sameyness of tone, for sure. Still, originality matters a great deal so rounding up to a perhaps overgenerous 4.
Sure, her voice is an acquired taste and yeah, this folky material isn't necessarily the best fit for her. She would immediately pivot away from this style on subsequent albums in favor of a stark, doomy, gothic, proto-slowcore sound, which is shocking and amazing. This album is still pretty good though and I think it has grown on me after multiple listens. There are no other records that are like this.
Dit album is Velvet Underground in een folk-jasje, zoals we die band al een aantal keer hoorden op hun debuut. Nico's stem is mysterieus, de melodieën zijn onorthodox doch aandoenlijk, en de poëzie is kunstig. Er zijn wat momenten dat de avant-garde stijl een beetje te veel de overhand neemt (een omen voor de left turn in haar latere solo carrière), wat de flow van het album niet ten goede komt, maar de plaat is overall bezaaid met prachtige passages. Haar vertelwijze en toon is niet voor iedereen denk ik, maar ik ben het door de jaren heen gaan waarderen. Absolute hoogtepunt voor mij is de Lou Reed creatie en tevens titelsong 'Chelsea Girls', daar kun je echt in verdwalen. Daarnaast is het bekendere openingsduo een ultieme toonzetter. 8/10 Highlights: The Fairest of the Seasons These Days Chelsea Girls Somewhere There's a Feather
Nico is natuurlijk niet de beste zangeres. En er zitten wat rare uitspattingen op dit album. Zoals het 8 minuten durende It Was A Pleasure Then. Soms erg lelijk en dissonant, toch erg mysterieus en interessant Gek ook dat die mystieke dame niks van deze plaat zelf heeft geschreven. Alles is door mannen geschreven. Toch hoor je de kwaliteit. En ik vind These Days echt magisch. Prachtig mooi. 8/10 Highlights These Days Chelsea Days
Still trying to figure out if she can't or she doesn't want to sing. More a piece of art than a music album
Ce n'était pas tellement mon genre, mais j'ai vraiment aimé comment ça capturait super bien l'époque à laquelle c'est sorti. Nico a une voix vraiment unique et intéressante. Ça c'est vraiment plus le genre d'albums que je m'attends à découvrir que plein d'albums electro mauvais du UK. 7.5/10
Her voice is beautiful and haunting. Honestly, started to bug me by about track 7. Still, an album with this level of composition, mood, & vibe seems like a lost relic. A beautiful effort by Nico.
Älskar "fairest of the the season" (filmmusik till en wes Anderson-film). Riktigt kul att få höra hela albumet. Hoppas det är lika bra som första låten! Det är bra, mycket bra. Älskar rösten och stråkarna. Svag för sånt. Ingen låt är riktigt lika bra som första, men alla är bra utom "it was a pleasure then".
Is it weird that I don’t hate this? Maybe a found the perfect use case for this album: get yourself a crying, inconsolable baby. Don’t sleep a wink. Finally get the little one to fall asleep in his carrier, while out for a very early walk. Listen to the album as the sun comes up. Try it, I dare you!
I mean sure, the strings and flute are a bit much, but that doesn't make it a bad album. Far from it; so many beautiful songs on here.
I like it, some boring songs but overall, I think it's awesome
Such a unique vocal timbre - a mysteriously floaty delivery. Raw and elegant with solid arrangements and song writing.
Beautiful folk music mixed with biblically accurate animal noises. What a fun ride
Prepared to overlook her suspect views on this one. Trying to separate the ‘art from the artist’ a bit more. Not that she was a total wrangun, but definitely had traits. Anyway, I’m a big fan of Nico, primarily through the Velvet Underground. For me, Nico is the 60s. If I think of 60s culture, I picture her. She is very much a huge icon. And this record screams the bohemian side of the 60s. Her vocals are instantly recognisable and almost always sound haunting. Has that sort of ‘I’m off my tits, heres some nice folky music’ vibes to it. I’m a big fan, even if she wasn’t. Apparently she hated it. Too much flute, not enough guitar according to her.
Wonderfully wistful, whimsical little escapades of songs that put not a pep in your step but a glide in your stride.
I think Nico might be more effective in smaller doses, as when used by the Velvet Underground. Something about her precise enunciation and flat affect gives me an uncanny valley feeling, which isn't necessarily a bad thing - a whole album of it makes me go to numb to it, though, which is. Fave tracks - "These Days". If "Chelsea Girls" was like half the length I'd add that too. "Eulogy to Lenny Bruce" is nice too...
Liked! ! ! !
3.75
The strings on this album are gorgeous. I really wish more rock and rock-esque artists used them to the extent Nico used them here. They're adapted to be smooth and lilting in the ballads, and a more foreboding staccato when the song calls for it. It also makes me feel fancy and superior. And Nico's singing... it might not be technically perfect, but it's pretty unique, with her distinctive accent and a signature deadpan delivery. There's a weird mixing error happening nearly every time she sings where a soft fuzz can be heard behind her vocal. It's a little distracting once you notice it, and it's prevalent in other un-remastered music from this era. (Clare Torry's vocal in Pink Floyd's The Great Gig In The Sky, 1973, comes to mind. Also very noticeable in The Velvet Underground's debut, which featured Nico's singing on three tracks.) It's not a bad thing, just an interesting little detail. Other than strings and vocals, there's not much in the way of instrumentation. Some very light drums and guitar here and there, and while they fit well with Nico's voice, I would've liked to see more textural variation and experimentation with how other instruments interplay with Nico's vocal. 4/5 Key tracks: These Days, It Was A Pleasure Then, Chelsea Girls, I'll Keep It With Mine
good albums by racists are so annoying
I was unimpressed at first but this album grew on me massively as it went on. I'll definitely revisit.
Medieval chic. Nico’s had a bad rap in these reviews, but I quite like it. Maybe a bit moany, but I like the folky undertones It’s a 3.5, but I’m going benefit of the doubt with a 4