Reviews (page 6 of 8)
The first influencer, who thought being famous entitels to start a music career. Thanks to her we have Youtubers doing songs. Nico walked so BibisBeautyPalace could walk. (Point for not hiding the german accent behind a fake one)
So, I guess I don’t like Nico without Lou Reed and Velvet Underground. This just felt pretentious and well longer than its 40 minutes.
I just can’t seem to catch a break. Although I am fully aware of the massive influence that the debut album from The Velvet Underground record has had on dozens of artists and bands. But that doesn’t mean I enjoyed the record. I heard it very early on, so there is a chance if I went back, maybe I would like it more. But fans of the album really like to throw that influence thing around a lot. I’m convinced it’s because they have all had to force themselves into submission until they think it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. I found it incredibly average. And my least favorite part of the whole ordeal was 100 percent Nico. I did not expect to be hearing from her again though. I had no idea she even maintained a career after her stint with Lou Reed & co. Except, similarly to the record from Holger Czukay that I spoke about earlier this week, this is not really much of a solo album. Most of the actual instrumental contributions come from members of The Velvet Underground. And all of the flute and string arrangements were added by the producer Tom Wilson. Supposedly against her will too. Which sort of highlights my issue with her as a whole. The woman had zero experience with any instruments. And was relying solely on her former band mates to create good music to back her. But thinks the arrangements are unnecessary? This would be 10 times more unbearable without them. They are one of the only consistently enjoyable things from song to song. I won’t make the claim that she couldn’t sing, because I don’t believe that’s true. And I don’t abhor her lyricism. I listen to a fair share of artists with pretty strange lyrics. But it feels like the ultimate music equivalent to a fake deep Facebook post. She tried really hard to make the lyrics sound like something they aren’t, and I do not connect with them at all. Nico truly is not the reason why this music is even remotely interesting. Not at all. The rest of the band is hard-carrying her on their backs. I just fail to see where the brilliance or genius is. It is beyond me. I wouldn’t give someone any scrutiny for listening to her music. But I have heard dozens of other records that are far more memorable or remarkable. Rating: 4/10
You can listen to this whole album and be like where do I know this voice from?? It doesn’t quite fit here but OH YES ITS THE SAME WOMAN FROM ILL BE YOUR MIRROR…. But it’s perfect on that track. Otherwise could honestly be forgotten… there’s some ok tracks on this but some of the strings are bizarre
I don’t want to go to Chelsea.
Listened Before? N What.... even is this? I don't understand the appeal here at all. A droning, monotone, heavily-accented woman (who also sounds like she smokes 2 packs a day) makes a pop album? And it's super popular? Not for me, thanks. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: These Days
I can hear its influence all over (for instance, the tribute to Lenny Bruce had me thinking about Stone Temple Pilots “Kitchenware and Candy Bars”) and I love “These Days,” but overall this just isn’t my jam.
Mood-music means you have to be in the right mood for it. I can see why this is here - it’s a proto-goth album, I’d argue, celebrated by Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, New Order, and Bjork. But, I’m not always in this mood.
I lost all interest during It Was A Pleasure Then. The droning was too much
Nice. Weird. Ultimately not for me though.
This was a lovely record, but it was too melancholy for my taste - 2.5 Favourites: - The fairest of the seasons - These days - Winter Song (I feel bad enjoying any of this because I read that Nico hated this record because she didn’t have control over what was in it, and she especially hated the flutes - I really hope she got to make music she was happy with) Reviewed 15/08/2024
Not my speed.
Uhhhh
Weird
Don't know why people love her & velvet underground. They're just so dull to me. Strong German accent makes the one-dimensional singing voice even less appealing to me. Borderline on 1/2 but going to give it a 2.
I don't think Nico is talented, this is only decent because of jackson browne and lou reed which is why I'll give it two stars instead of one
I can hear why people are so down on this one.
Nja, jag gillar varken hennes röst eller kompositionerna överlag på den här skivan. Ett par låtar i början är okej men It was a pleasure then är ju bara högtravande trams som ska straffas betygsmässigt.
Nice
Beautiful instrumentation and arrangements, great songwriting by a number of brilliant artists, but Nico's "singing" just sounds flat and dead on every damn song. While I am into this genre generally speaking, I just can't get over Nico's voice. These Days is a beautiful song, but you should go listen to The Black Keys cover of it instead.
Didn’t really do it for me
meh
She has an incredibly distinctive voice but this is a bit of a slog. It all sounds the same. Novel and interesting at first, but dreary and repetitive by the end.
Musica medianamente bonita arruinada por la señora llamada Nico
I just can’t with her voice. From listening to a lot of Velvet Underground, I knew I would have a hard time with a whole album, and indeed I did. Not for me, but certainly a representation of the scene.
Nico thought of herself as a bit of a chanteuse, many others did too. Warhol liked her, she was a bit of a muse of sorts, so he insisted she sing for The Velvet Underground, but she'd still go solo and the Velvet Underground were along for the ride but this would not be anything like a follow up to that album. We're in for avant-garde shit here, that's to say we're in for some shit here. Shit production. Shit voice. Shit everything. Not 1 star level shit, but not far off...
Highlight: These Days. In a nutshell: melancholic and overrated. This would have been a different -and perhaps better- album if Nico was able to add other instruments. I would have loved to hear a “Nico’s Version” of Chelsea Girl. It could have been a completely wild avant-rock album. She stated that she wanted drums and guitars. Studio said no. She didn’t like the flute and strings. Studio wouldn’t budge. Great songwriters were on board (Jackson Browne, John Cale, etc) but I feel that recording it avant-folk was not the best fit. The flute in most songs create a harsh and cold atmosphere. Like Donald Fagen post Steely Dan in the 80s with The Nightfly, Nico's Chelsea Girl was too similar to her work with The Velvet Underground. Overall: 3/10
Some of the music is pretty interesting, but this is a really dated album. Ugh.
Folk-rock. Muuuuuy cansina. Un 2.
Boring.
The first few songs were miles better than whatever was in the second half. Nico also has a really weird voice, which is rather eclectic if you're into that sort of thing.
Wow, lots of hate for this one in the reviews. Who'd've thunk it? I mean, personally I think Jackson Browne is a fantastic songwriter! And I mean you got Lou Reed making an appearance too?! I'm almost tempted to give this 5 stars just because of the personnel involved and those who provided the inspiration. But I won't because Nico kinda just fuckin sucks. AND YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE?! YOUR DUMB FUCKIN SOUP CANS AREN'T THAT GOOD EITHER, ANDY!!!
Fascist flute vibes. Too much for this weekend.
I really wanted to like this album, but unfortunately it just doesn't do it for me. There is a place for obvious dissonance in music, and I actually usually quite like the fringe avant-garde genre that this music belongs too. Sadly, instead of presenting itself as 'arty', it more or less just sounds plain bad. The production is horrendous and I agree with the assessment of Nico herself about the flute. It overpowers the mix and adds nothing. The strings can be a bit much too. I think this album had the potential to be really good if the instrumentation was more like The Velvet Underground style. There is charm to this album. Nico has a unique voice, one that I wouldn't say is bad but certainty not traditionally commercial. But this is not the album that it had the potential to be. 2/5
hyyyyyyyyyyhg paskaa musiikkia!! ja siis hyvällä tavalla... hirveetä kuunneltavaa, mutta silti pakko jatkaa kuuntelemista... selkäpiitä karmiii!! huumehörhö rasisti, perusjuttuja tälläsiltä art rock vittuilijoilta. taas kerran instrumentaaliset elementit vievät eteenpäin ja kusiset vokaalit tuo mitä arvoa artistisuudella oli aika paljon alaspäin... noh viemärilieju ei lopu, ei tule viemärin mukana aarteita, pelkkää kakkaa ja pissaa valuu viemäristä, odottelen suuaukossa, merenlähellä, ja kakkaa ja pissaa ja oksennusta valuu putkista, ei arvokkaita esim. jalokiviä tai koruja tule pelkkää kakkaa ja pissa.... winter song
Should have been "Desertshore" or "The Marble Index" instead. Nico's voice was made for weird avantgarde bullshit, so some of the pop songs they threw at her on this one are like giving Death Metal to Taylor Swift. You can tell she wasn't built for this. Her 1981 interview confirms that. Has a few alright songs, but overall an overlong mess. I feel bad giving this a low score because I love her later work, but this just ain't it. Listen to "Desertshore".
Nico's German accent is embarassingly strong, and it makes it a difficult to take the lyrics seriously - sometimes it sounds like a parody of a German singer. Perhaps she should have recorded the album in German or taken more English classes. The string arrangements are kind of cheesy, and the instrumentation and production in general feels weak and hollow, unwilling to take any chances. Nico is trying to do something experimental (as you can hear on "It Was A Pleasure Then", which somehow escaped the whims of the producer), but the producer has packed it in fluff that doesn't fit it at all. Overall, the album feels tedious and mismatched. It's not actively bad enough to warrant a 1, but I don't think I can give it more than a 2 either.
Ahh hell naw.
This one is a bit batshit. The lyrics are nuts and at times the instrumentation truly out there (thanks Lou), and interesting. But it’s also terrible.
It was good but it felt like the whole thing was one song so I couldn’t finish it tbh Liked the sound and her voice though
Her voice didn't do it for me. I like the tunes and instrumentals, but the Nico voice just spoils the milk in an otherwise good bowl of cereal.
Boring and uninspiring. The singer lacks all ounces of emotion in every single song. She sounds bored, which in turn makes me want to sleep. The instrumentals were alright and had some interesting mixing that I thought was done well, but it's ruined by the singer's lack of effort and emotion.
Heroin raga, this is an exercise in texture and pulse. No bass, no drums - the rhythm that there is comes from the trance-like vamping strings and droned guitars that disolve into frenzied feedback. Flat monotone vocals with all the enthusiasm of an exhausted au pair singing a lullaby, a great performance of alienated ennui, of a bored hipster affect aggresively unimpressed with everything that could possibly exist. I know the mood, but it's not exactly fount of creativity. Way too much irritating flute. These Days is very good though, the only song that comes close to her songs on the banana album.
Nico...her voice sounds familiar. The second track had 104 Million plays! I'll probably recognize that one. Nope I don't recognize it. MEh....I guess 2 stars
1. zeazonz - 1 2. dayz - 1 3. zizter - 1 4. uuinter - 1.5 5. pleazure - 1.5 6. chelzea girlz - 2 7. uuith mine - 1 8. feather - 1 9. dreamz - 1 10. lenny bruce - 1.5
Nice instrumentals, and I can get behind a lady with a deeper voice, especially from this era. However, it was very samey after a while, 2*.
First few songs were pleasant, the rest were pretty boring, especially the two long ones, those were a slog to get through. Lot of “go girl give us nothing” moments for me. She seems pretty interesting as a person, but she is possibly a violent racist
Something about this makes it not speak to me. It’s very boring, maybe something ab the lack of excitingness of the instrumentals but also there’s not much going on w her voice, like it’s simple but it’s not good enough to be simple. But also I am disgustingly congested and my hearing is shot so maybe I’m missing something. There was that one song with noises I really just didn’t like. On a more positive note I’m back home and very excited to rate things at a reasonable hour of the night! 4.5/10
3.75- Her voice is so annoying. What the heck is going on in the background of it was a pleasure then. Its just like random scraping and high pitched, out of tune notes. Her voice is not the main idea in most of the pieces which is good since I do not like her voice but, the other parts of the music is also bad so it does not really solve the problem. The middle part of Chelsea Girls was pretty relaxing (when she is not singing). The flute works well. I want to say that the album got better as it went on but Wrap your troubles in dreams fell back into the same pitfalls as the first half. Overall not great.
I guess people with German accents singing in English just doesn’t sound nice, because at its best this made me laugh and at its worst it sounded like tank battles
Meh it was ok but quite boring
Nice acoustic folk, but I’m just not a fan of the voice.
Forgettable? I listened to it and immediately forgot I listened to it.
When I stopped to listen to it I wasn't a fan but I did like the way it sort of washed over me when I wasn't paying attention.
Weird album.
MMM dai no, noioso
Thoughts before listening: I enjoyed Nico's contribution to the Velvet Underground's debut well enough but ultimately I don't think she's for me. I'm pretty sure I've never heard this album, and it's also nothing I've ever sought after either. I'm expecting sad music. Review: Nico has a very unique voice that I like, but it also always feels like its on the verge of being off key. I really like her cover of "These Days", but nothing else is really standing out to me. In general this is a pleasant listen (for the most part...a couple songs get a little out there), but not something I am likely to come back to. 2-stars
Nicole without The Velvet Underground is dreadful
wow. Did this ever drone on and on. Her monotonous singing really started to get on my nerves. Every song sounded the same because of her vocal style.
I did not really vibe with this at all. Her voice is interesting but just the overall feeling is just jot there.
don't like the voice, and way to artsy
There is magic in the Velvet Underground and Nico album that I just cannot find here (or in the rest of the Velvet’s work to be fair)
This wears thin pretty quickly, the main problem being that Nico can’t sing. I’m no expert, but I feel being able to sing is a necessary prerequisite when making an album, especially one like this where the vocals take centre stage. And I quote, from the album entry and review for ‘Chelsea Girl’ in the 1001 albums book: “Her magical vocals are austere yet mesmerizing”. Austere, yes. Magical and mesmerizing? Definitely not.
I have no idea what she tried to do with the voice
It was ok but hard on the ears for some songs…
Yikes I didn't realise she was such a huge piece of trash (as a person). I'm going to stop trying so hard to like her then.
Singer/songwriters need to be good at both, and Nico just ain’t. There is actually some nice melodies on this album. The producer made the right choice when he added the string and woodwinds, but none of that saves the album from Nico’s flat “singing” voice.
The music is nice. The vocals are unbearable.
Not a fan of the vocals. Love the instrumentation.
I know it’s Nico and the whole arty Warhol pedigree, and the influences on musicians I respect. But this was just awful. I don’t like her voice, nothing caught me in any of the songs, and reading she was likely incredibly racist. I don’t have anywhere to go with this.
have always loved Nico’s voice. Even though she was untrained and pushed in a particular musical direction early on, there is something completely unique about her tone. I think a lot of my affection for it comes from her work with The Velvet Underground. The opening two ballads, The Fairest of the Seasons and These Days, are stunning. Fragile, melancholic and beautifully understated. They set the bar incredibly high. After those first two tracks though, the album starts to feel repetitive. The arrangements become softer and more ornate, and for me it drifts into something that almost feels like a wistful film or Disney style soundtrack. It loses the edge and tension that made those opening songs so powerful. It feels like the album is missing something. Perhaps that darker, experimental backdrop she had with The Velvet Underground. There is beauty here, but not quite enough bite. Favourite songs: The Fairest of the Seasons and These Days Least favourite song: The later tracks blur together for me Album artwork: Very sixties and very cool. Effortlessly stylish and perfectly in keeping with the era
I am usually such a sucker for dark, morose, and slightly haunting music. Even more so if it all driven with some slightly orchestral sounds, such as what is found here. So I WANTED to like this. But Nico...girl. You made it really hard. She's not very good at singing and yet she chooses to stretch every note that she possibly can. As if that isn't enough, she seems to sing nearly the entire album in what sounds like a fake, deep "chest voice". She does occasionally go into some vague soprano moans and calls, too. Yeah, this definitely didn't land well with me.
At first i thought i was really going to like this. Then it went on and was just weird. And she doesn't even have a great singing voice. I can see why it was popular in the sixties. I can see a drug culture being into this. Gave up towards the end. Every song sounds the same.
Up front, still not the biggest Velvet Underground fan. However, after two songs, I found myself enjoying the sparse arrangements. I think Nico's voice is framed well with some lightly plucked guitar and strings. However, further into the record, I realized it doesn't get much further than that. The lyrics aren't bad, but I don't think they're anything special here. Also, most of these songs stick around a long time; I was enjoying "Chelsea Girls", until I zoned back in and realized I had another three minutes to go. Favorite tracks: "The Fairest Of Seasons", "These Days"
i did like the song for Lenny Bruce and Chelsea girl
Nope. The mopey, toneless deep voice and lack of nuance is just a no go from me. Though I do love hearing Jackson Browne's banter about his electric guitar playing on this cover of his song These Days.
I loved her work with the Velvet Underground, but this really didn’t suit her vocals. Interesting that Jackson Brown played in several of the songs (the ones he wrote).
Good example of the influence your mood has on a listen. Heard this record for the first time a few weeks ago and hated it. Today I listened to it again and liked it a lot more. Still, probably unlikely to get a ton of airtime at my house going forward, and I'm not sure this would be on my list of top 1001, though it has some archaeological significance.
I find it hard to get past Nico's voice, unfortunately, so it's hard to appreciate and/or enjoy this as much as I probably should. That aside, this seems a lot more saccharine than the Velvet Underground/Nico collaboration (despite a bunch of Velvet Underground participation in the album), so maybe it's not just her voice that's putting me off this album. The songs *do* get better as the album goes along, particularly those with more Velvet Underground participation and songwriting (I think I enjoyed "It Was a Pleasure Then" the most), but it's still a pretty challenging album to listen to. To be fair to her, the Wikipedia entry makes it pretty clear the flute/string additions were not only *not* her choice, but ruined it for her too (along with the absence of drums or bass). Sorry, Nico--you got robbed! And us too. It seems a shame to include this in the greatest albums collection, given how she was treated and how different this was from what she'd hoped for. A testament to how dictatorial producers and studios were back then. :(
The French have an expression "belle laide" which refers to a woman who is both beautiful and ugly and this is how I feel about her singing. I have no idea why this album is on this list. I bet Lenny Bruce would have laughed his ass off if he'd heard that eulogy.
2.1 fine for a couple of songs or two but just gets grating after a while faves: these days, i'll keep it with mine
I started to enjoy it, at least I think I enjoyed it, then I slowly got lost in its lack of tone and then it just descended into noise.
It's....music. Its a women singing not very well with a slightly German accent. Musically it's quite dull and vocally far from impressive. It's a 2 because its not Serge
Nico - Chelsea Girl (1967) WHAT I ENJOYED: relatively short run time, some fun string fills, finally being able to say I've listened to Nico GRIPES: really strange monotonous speak-singing style (it does feel distinctly German,) v old sounding recording quality, mostly dull arrangements RECCOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: Cate Le Bon, Cassandra Jenkins, Florence + the Machine (but not fun,) when music is "Important" and "Challenging" #442 revealed / #501 rated
I’ve liked ‘These Days’ for a long time so that was nice to hear again and I enjoyed ‘I’ll Keep It With Mine’ but mostly all the songs sound too similar and were a bit weird
I kind of liked this in short bursts but by the end her voice was too much
Nett.
I’m not impressed unfortunately
I couldn't get into this or connect with it in any way. A good thing I can say about it is that I enjoyed the ethereal quality of the sound. I didn't find it exciting or sobering or thought provoking. Standout Track: Winter Song
Just not in the mood tbf
Weird.
Nada destacable, non me gustou
Not a fan of her voice, but there were some other cool things going on in the background.
I mean it pretty nice and all, but the thickness of that German accent is a bit hard to get used to. I feel like I'd rather hear her sing the album in German. Track 5 brought the album down a star
Whimsical kinda boring folk music, with a terrible singer. No thanks. 1.8.
Didn't found anything on it
Nico off the walls
Mediocre beat poetry over a bad background from a Nick Drake style artist. I may look into future albums to see if there was growth.
Who told this woman she could sing? Apparently, Nico was not happy that the producer added some orchestration to the arrangements. Those arrangements are the only saving grace to this album. Without them the album would be entirely unlistenable. I could maybe listen again but only in very small doses.
I guess I’m glad this album is here, there tends to be a severe lack of representation of women artists in these lists. Nico was a pioneering art rock innovator along with the Velvet Underground, and later on a great songwriter. Having said those positive things about Nico, this album feels incredibly dull to me. It’s like a series of VU demos that were too underdeveloped to make the cut for The Velvet Underground & Nico. The songs were almost all written by VU collaborators and Jackson Browne with very little input from Nico herself. I think if this were given the same level of songwriting, production, and engineering as The Velvet Underground & Nico, Chelsea Girl probably could have been something exceptional. But for me this just sounds like a very under-developed VU release that they gave to Nico to sing. Nico’s next two albums The Marble Index and Desertshore are MUCH more developed in their own right and Nico wrote her own songs and really made her own brand of art rock. One or both of those albums are really what should have been included in the 1001 in my opinion.
I really enjoy the instrumentation of this album but I’m not a huge fan of the vocals. They’re not bad but I just found myself getting bored fairly often. I can’t believe she didn’t want the strings or flute. Those add some layering and depth. Without them, I think the record would have been pretty boring. I love her record with the Velvet Underground but this one just isn’t doing it for me as much. I had a crazy day at work and I usually listen to a lot of music at work but I didn’t listen to to any because I didn’t want to listen to other music before finishing this record and this record was just so boring that I didn’t want to listen to it. I think I’d give it a 2.5 if I could but I’ll go with 3 because I didn’t necessarily hate it. I just didn’t love it and didn’t want to listen to it during a high energy day at work. Okay I finished the album finally and I realized that the vocal melodies were just so damn boring that I have to give it 2.
If melancholy achieved human form, it would be this.
The 1001 proper loves Velvet Underground, huh? I actually knew the first two tracks quite well. I quite like Nico's voice ... but a lot of it is really meadering nothingness with sporadic strings. Strings which she apparently didn't want on the album.
Couple good songs, but overall super weird. Not my thing.
Meh
This album is devastatingly sad, not only because of the music, but also because of the Greek tragedy that is Nico. In some ways she was in the right place at the right time, but you could also say she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She objectively does not have a good voice. She was cast in a role with the Velvet Underground that Andy Warhol forced upon her due to her beauty, even though she clearly lacked any musical chops. Lou Reed famously wrote Femme Fatale about her, for her to sing, a devilish 60s burn. Who knows if given the production and control she desired for this album, maybe it would have been a hidden gem classic. At the end of the day it’s just an empty shell of an album, with various throwaways from Lou Reed and the other Velvets, a few decent Jackson Browne songs, and one very solid Bob Dylan cover - none of which couldn’t be made better with someone other than Nico singing them.
It broke my heart a little to read the background on this record and how unhappy Nico was with the final version. It sounds like a bunch of dudes wrote songs for her to record and then took control of the record away from her. This explains what felt like a disconnect between her singing and the instrumentals. I liked the music a lot, but her voice not so much. I wonder what Nico's Version™ of this record would sound like...
Loved one song but honestly couldn’t really get into it
The dubbed string and flutes are particularly bad, no standouts
Começou como um pop despretensioso e acabou com pop irrelevante.
I tried to listen to this in the historical context of Warhol darling It girl and German experimental Kunst post summer of love. It was still tough. Though something about her German enunciation/accent made I'll Keep it With Mine kinda lovely.
I can tolerate Nicos vocals on the VU album, but a whole album of her and the flute, string arrangement is awful. Reading she was discontent with the flute added by the producer without her permission makes me respect her a little more. Overall not one I’ll rush back to, but enough not to give the 1 star rating.
Oh look, it's some deep voiced woman Jackson Browne used to fuck. Your opinion of this album is likely based on your tolerance of Nico's vocals. She works better on just a handful of tracks on The Velvet Underground's debut. But an entire album with her vocals can be...a lot. The songs that Jackson wrote are great but there are better versions by other artists. Andy Warhol clearly saw something in Nico for a while. That doesn't necessarily mean anyone else will.
Dreary and dull, difficult to listen to
it could have been way worse. i liked the more experimental route it took now and then. still can’t say i enjoyed much of it, just tolerated is. a high 2
Nico en el seu millor moment artístic, envoltada de les principals figures artístiques de l'época fent el seu millor disc possible. Tot i així, el seu sentit de l'experimentació mai va ser especialment interessant, malgrat la seva veu tan únicament hipnòtica
Nico can’t sing her way out of a paper bag and that flute can fuck right off. That said, I did somehow enjoy this one more than I thought I would. Haunting and ethereal throughout. 2.5
Calm and mellow, almost brooding at times. Just a little sad sounding. 2.5
As soon as she started singing, I knew this was going to be a chore. I like folk pop but this is just so dreary, dark, and flat. I couldn't stand her monotone voice, either. Also, those flutes, mein Gott. RIP my ear drums.
Not my cup of tea
“This sounds like a Saturday Night Live skit” Extra star for the lineup/historical content.
Pop. Folk. Muy aburrido.
Not really my style
she can't sing
Alright, bit droney, didn't do much for me altogether
Dull as dishwater.
It's not terrible but not good or something I'd be putting on every day it can be handled in small doses not at album length. Pretty safe to assume this only exists because of Warhoul and the VU not only as an actual album but its inclusion on the list.
Aside from a few gems like These Days, Chelsea Girl is so unbelievably boring. Nico’s peculiar, flat voice would work in some pop music contexts, but not here where there is something elegant and orchestrated in the music. Nico does not live up. It’s just so flat.
The more times I listened to this the less I like it. Stopping it before it drops to a 1.
Not my thing
Didn't like it much.
At some point this album made me feel like I was at renaissance fair and at other points it made me feel like I was listening to some hippy star child bullshit but at no point did I really like it all that much. None of these song really do anything or go anywhere. When I saw that Chelsea Girls was a 7 minute song I got my hopes up that maybe there would be some depth to it but it really just meandered the entire 7 minutes. That's pretty much what this entire album did... meander and stick around for far too long. To end this on a high note though I did think this was unique and the psychedelic elements kept me listening but it just wasn't enough. It's a 2 - 2.5 star. In this case a 2. Didn't hate it. Just didn't like it either.
Only familiar with Nico by proxy to Velvet Underground. Minimal and folksy compositions through the first three, though I'll be honest, I hardly noticed when one song transitioned to the next. Feels like something I would need to focus on lyrics in order to really appreciate. Winter Song is most interesting thus far. Very folksy with its flute and string elements. I can get down with it, but probably wouldn't by choice. Feels like I should be getting ready for a quest. This one just doesn't do much for me. Nothing straight up offensive, but little for me to care about 2 / 5
The instrumentals were very pleasant. Sounded like I was in Final Fantasy the whole time. Her voice was a bit unnerving though. And the whole album was kind of the same I didn't need 45 minutes of that
Meh this is not very enjoyable but still solid as background listening. The instrumentals were pleasant enough to give it a 2 though. Especially It Was a Pleasure Then with all the guitar feedback.
Meh
Mild.
Didn't hit the mark for me. And from reading about it, Nico wasn't happy with it either!!
Prachtige muziek, maar ik vind de stem een beetje vreemd. Best laag voor een vrouw, alsof ze een stemmetje opzet.
Overrated dirge. Has its moments but don't believe the hype.
Some songs were fine and then with others I really wanted it to be over.
Meh, didn't really do much for me.
I spent more time enjoying her voice than the songs
This started out really interesting, I really liked ‘These days’. Unfortunately it got gradually worse as the album progresses. ‘It was a pleasure then’ was a clear 1 star track with its weird noises, and so was ‘Wrap your troubles in dreams’ where she sounded out of tune.
I was stoked for this one, I think "These days" is a great tune. I was, however quite dissapointed. Sure, some songs are nice such as "The fairest of seasons" and "Chelsea girl" but as a whole it is a bit repetitive. It has a quite annyoing flute as well as one of my least favourite tracks so far. "It was a pleasure then" sounds like a high, untallented band tries a jamming session. Bleh.
Not for me.
2/5. The songs are sweet and chill, but Nico only has so much uniqueness to listen to for long periods of time. It was nice after the first few songs but it got a little annoying later on. I didn’t even care what the lyrics were to push through.
Sad and slow. Nice for a song or two. Very poetic. The voice isn’t necessarily impressive. Very casual and boring. Like this paragraph structure.
Best Song: These Days. The lilting melody of the guitar goes really well with her somewhat husky voice. Worst Song: Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams. Not nearly dynamic enough for a song this long. Basically just the same upwards melody repeated over and over, each time landing on the same sustained note. Overall: Desperately muted. All of the songs tend to blend together as they all exist in the same, relatively monotonous space. Not good enough that I'll imagine ever returning to this.
Tough listen
I feel as though I’m listening to someone brought from the middle ages into a studio. Lyrics are good, but it not original. I can enjoy it if I’m in the mood. Also, personally, I’m not a fan of Nico’s voice. A unique album, but not interesting or original. 2/5
Not an easy album to listen to or like. I had expected to like this album and was so disappointed and probably why no-one had ever recommended it to me. I think with a different singer I would have rated this album much hight
I enjoy her vocals with the underground but this album.. it get's a bit tedious. Also the strings and flutes are so poorly mixed, drives you mad after a while.
Didn't connect with this one. Voice isn't for me. She needs Cale/Reed to help her out.
I could shit a better album. winter song
gud vad trist
Lite väl jobbig röst för ett helt album.
Meget spesiell stemme. Høres nesten sur ut, men er vel ikke faktisk sur. Litt kult med fløyte i blant, gir det litt Robin Hood-stemning. Ikke noe for meg.
Nico's voice is pretty hard to take. It's much better in small doses, like on Velvet Underground albums, for example. I'm sure she could sing better if she put her mind to it, or took some lessons. I'd say her popularity is due more to her connections than her talent.
Interesting to find out this is the Nico from the velvet underground album. This album was exceptionally boring and dragged. These ten songs were all pretty similar with the string instrumentals and slow singing style. The instrumentals were pretty well done but the singer just put me to sleep. 3.8/10
Appreciate the idea but wasn’t a huge fan of the music.
I just can't with Nico. I really want to love it, but between the flute and her voice, I just can't. Honestly, her best work is with Velvet Underground. I've listened to this one several times over my lifetime, and it always leaves me with mild regret.
Wow, just off a Jame Taylor album and the pendulum of authenticity has swung to the other extreme. Chelsea Girl is like slow-driving by a gory accident on the freeway until you see how real it is and quickly look away. This album is incredibly depressing, filled with contented loneliness and despair.
Too slow and monotone for my taste
Heard it before?: Yes Enjoy it?: No, I want to but it’s quite slow and devoid of anything for me Favourite song: Track 9 - Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
I liked the music but I've heard better tones coming from people being dragged behind a horse.
No me gustó realmente. Desde el primer momento se me hacía un poco extraña su forma de cantar, no es que sea mala, o que lo haga mal, si no más bien su voz en sí. Esta es la segunda vez que me pasa con un álbum y me di cuenta de que es algo que no tolero muy bien. Lamentablemente, no es lo único a resaltar de mala manera, pues, a pesar de que me llamaba mucho la atención el apartado instrumental, me dejó un poco decepcionado, ya que muchas veces termina siendo aburrida y con poco que ofrecer. Por si fuera poco, hay veces en las que me recuerda mucho a Bjork, cosa que no digo de buena manera, pues de los dos álbumes que llevo me parece terrible, y que se asemeje no es un buen indicio. Finalmente, decidí darle 2, pues, además de las razones anteriores, cada vez que lo terminaba, simplemente no encontraba razones para volverlo a escuchar.
Don't love her voice, but some good songs
Album ontstaan na de opname van het debuut van The Velvet Underground & Nico. Tracklist bestaat uit contributies van o.a. Lou Reed, Tim Hardin, Jackson Browne en Bob Dylan. Valt desondanks muzikaal tegen; haalt zeker niet het niveau van The Velvet Underground & Nico. leukste nummer: I'll Keep It With Mine "Chelsea Girls" is een verwijzing naar de film met dezelfde naam van Andy Warhol, van wie Nico de protegé was. Nico speelde in de film.
Wasn’t my thing, too slow.
Music is great but her voice drones.
Shite
Couldn’t appreciate this album, I didn’t enjoy the singing or the composition.
what the fuck
I like Nico's heavy, monotonous voice and the folk/art rock ambience this album creates. But I'm big into the Velvet Underground, so this is an easy sell for me. Sounds like she was a piece of shit person though; racist and a deadbeat mom. That I have a much harder time getting behind.
I seriously could not tell where one song ended and the next started. Most were extremely similar and boring. Her voice is good and some of the instrumentals were cute, but overall nothing notable. Fave track(s): Chelsea Girls
interesting but slow, and boring to some extent
Comically German. I enjoyed some of the instrumentation, some of it was too much, but it raised it above the 1* her voice deserved.
According to the Wiki she didn't want the string and flute arrangements added to the album. Which is a shame, because they were the best part of it.
Hmmmm, this is not what I expected. An awful lot of wailing and screeching. Musically it’s awful. My colleague agrees with me so a lucky two stars. And that’s only because it isn’t absolutely unlistenable.
I'm not a folk fan. This was a hard listen and her voice really bothered me. I can see in '67 it may have been "par for the course" but I don't think it holds up to a 1001 list.
weird. unenjoyable. what's with her voice? why did someone mute out all the drums and basslines? very pretty lyrics though.
Julia Holter sounds similar, distinct voice and very avant garde
Honestly, it was fine. As is the theme, I liked it more than I expected to (which isn’t saying much in this case). Eventually her voice/delivery wore a little thin. Standouts: The Fairest of the Seasons, These Days, I’ll Keep it with Mine
Slow, boring, but not the worst I’ve ever heard. Violin sections sounded awkward at parts and were overused.
I can understand that Velvet Underground liked Nico, and possibly saw her as a bit of a muse, but this album reminded me of John Lennon's indulgence of Yoko's attempt at musical art. Similarly, this is not good.
I really wanted to love this album. There seems to be so much here that should work for me. It did not. Stopped in the middle of a third attempt when I realized I was miserable.
Nyt oltiin jo lähellä paskuuden absoluuttista kuninkuusluokkaa, mutta ihan ei rahkeet sinne asti riittäneet. Silti aivan paska.
Huoh, tylsä
Folk-rock. Muuuuuy cansina. Un 2.
Really annoying. Some good ideas and original songs in there, but the singing is poor and the strings are flat as hell. Just frustrating
Hon gör All tomorrows parties alldeles fantastiskt. Men detta är sisådär. Titelspåret är jättebra men i övrigt en gäspning. Hon sjunger inget vidare ärligt talat.
Nice acoustic style guitar playing on what sounds like a hollow body guitar. Nico’s voice is too deep for my liking on first listen. String arranging reminds me of Eleanor Rigby. Nico didn’t like the strings and flute in her recordings, and i don’t blame her one bit. The songs would be much cleaner without the strings. The album grew on me as it progressed, I got more and more used to her style by the middle of the album. Interesting uses of electric guitar that I had never heard before were present in a few tracks.
I really try but most of the time can't power through these experimental albums from the 60's
Sounds like an acid trip set to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Interesting but I personally don't find it essential to hear before death.
My experience in listening to Nico comes from Velvet Underground. She's somewhat shoehorned in on Velvet Undergrounds first album. I'm glad when I read that Velvet Underground wrote most of the music to this album and it shows. The problem is that I find it all a little bit boring. The instrumentals are interesting and Nicos singing is OK. It just needs a little bit more Velvet Underground.
ok
I was trying to give it a second.....ZZZZZZZZZZ
Oh man, this one was rough. Nico ( Christa Päffgen) hit it big with the Velvet Underground, but here, she sounds bored and delivers her lyrics by rote recital. This album feels almost forced and mechanical.
Ironically, "It Was A Pleasure Then" was absolute sufferance to listen to.
I’m not gonna lie but the voice and the way she sings so very out of tune it’s super grating. I don’t hate it as much as some of the albums presented so far, so a 2. But it’s just not it
This was okay but Nico is right: the flute ruins it.
I did not like her singing or this music!
This isn’t it
Everyone’s heard these days but the rest of the album was just boring to me. I just don’t think it’s my vibe
Pretty but a little one sided. The songs differ a bit, but not to an extend i would like to see
It's all pretty good stuff...until Nico starts to sing.
Christ, what a drag.
I got the point of this album by its second track. From then on, it was smooth boring.
Não sou fã dela.
Very 60s sounding whimsical folk. Not a fan of Nico’s voice - I find it a little cold and soulless. Musically I hear elements of Ruby Tuesday, but without the charm. Humdrum.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Satuin kuuntelee salilla ja kyä lähti rauta liikkeelle. Eiku. Näitä 60-luvun folk-ihmeitä, joista en ihan saa kiinni. Tiedän kyllä, että cool tyyppi ja näin poispäin. Ehkä vielä joskus.
Wikipedian mukaan Nico vihasi sitä, miten paljon huiluja tähän levyyn oli tuotannossa laitettu. Chelsea Girl koettelee oikeasti munkin kärsivällisyyttä (ja tää biisi on vasta puolessa välissä D:), joten yhdyn mielipiteeseen. 2/5
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.
Några bra men oerhört sömnigt
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.
Kind of sounds like the b side of a good record. I enjoy her voice but it is just that and strings. Very samey
So close to a 3. If only she could sing.
Good music but melodies and vocals all over the place.
I don't like her voice.
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.
Ooh, I do not like Nico’s tone. The worst aspect of Velvet Underground without much to redeem it.
Not good. 4/10
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.
Strange
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.
Not really my jam...not bad though
Not for me. Didn’t seem too great even ignoring that.
Some good tracks and some pretty terrible, not a huge fan of how poor Nico got drowned out by the instrumentation sometimes.
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.
Liked 2 songs, disliked many of the others
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.
Proper rubbish
Not...sure what this is, but it's not enjoyable. Atonal and folky, but not the good kind of folk.
She is not a great singer.
First impression - quite boring, but might re-listen later.
A lack of affect isn’t necessarily fatal for a vocalist — David Byrne built a hugely successful band around it — but this isn’t the right material for Ms. Pfaffgen.
Qué voz más horrorosa.
Only good thing was "These Days"
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.
Could have been a solid instrumental.
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.
Went in with low expectations thinking it would be Yokoesque, so was pleasantly surprised.
Not my style, stopped at song 2 or 3
Muse nicht sein!
Not for me
Gave up after 5 songs, to bland
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.
Started off good then proceeded to get very repetitive and I got bored.
Beautiful writing, lyrically and and musically. I find myself wishing it were someone like Stevie Nicks singing instead. Is that mean?
Quand j’ai entendu la première chanson j’ai dit Ouff, impossible j’écoute cet album là au complet. Mais j’ai persévéré et finalement changer mon avis avec mon progrès entre les chansons. J’aime bien la guitare, les violons sans percussion . Par contre ce qui me ne me permet pas d’apprécier cet album là comme faut c’est les criss de flûtes et la colice de voix de pingouins !! Rajoute une voix plus grave d’un homme et enlève les flûtes enchantés et je suis convaincus que ça mérite un 3. Je l’évite; je vous ai parler des flûtes et de la voix !!?? La pochette est laide en asti aussi Je lévite these days, le violon à et la guitare très bien agencé, et même la voix est mieux sur cette track la, wrap your troubles on a dream
Two stars, for the first two songs from the Royal Tenenbaums which I actually like. Her schtick got old real fast after that.
Druids. Rivers. Flutes. Today, this music sounds like a joke. She is cute, she hung with VU, and like her voice so I’ll give it a 2
She couldn’t have gone up an octave? Had to skip some of the songs because I couldn’t stand her voice.
It was ok
A couple of good songs don’t make a good album.
Not bad.... but too repetitive for me. I like Chelsea Girls, but that's all. Not a big fan of the genre.
Not my cuppa T
Great music but not my type.
60’er folk rock, god vokal, strygere, stille,
Not great
Not for me
When my daughters were 6 and 8 years old, they formed a 'band' with a friend of theirs. One on the violin, one on the piano, and one singing. They were objectively better than anything on this album. Listening to this lady butcher Jackson Browne's tune made me mad.
Why? This should not be on the list.. awful
shitty music from a shitty person
No.
Yeah this is pretty fucking bad. I mean it's not remotely fun, good, engaging or cool. Hard pass and why the hell is this on the list? Because Lou Reed and Jackson Browne were involved?
To those people who think this is good, your music taste sucks, just no one has ever told you.
"Chelsea Girl" sounds like two albums playing at once. Nico was so good when she collaborated with the Velvet Underground on their self-titled album. It's a shame she didn't retain anything that made "The Velvet Underground & Nico" good. "Eulogy to Lenny Bruce" was the closest thing to a good song on "Chelsea Girl" 2 bloody horrible albums in one week; that must be a record. 1 star for "Chelsea Girl".
I liked the music, but Nico’s monotone voice was not my thing.
After some great albums recently, this was refreshingly shit
This one was just dreadful. There were definitely some strange choices in production. Even Nico didn't like it. Regarding this album, she said, "I still cannot listen to it, because everything I wanted for that record, they took it away. I asked for drums, they said no. I asked for more guitars, they said no. And I asked for simplicity, and they covered it in flutes! They added strings, and— I didn't like them, 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." I know flutes were popular in the 60s and 70s, but I definitely agree with Nico that it was too much. The backing music would have been much better had there been more guitars and some drums. As it was created, it's almost unlistenable. I would love to have it remastered with different backing tracks to hear her original vision of the album, but she died in 1988, so we'll never be able to hear what she hoped for this album.
Might have been a 2 if she wasn't a racist.
Not for me, but I didn't like her when she sang with the velvet underground
The music is dreary and very samey, especially samey in those first few songs. And by god Nico cannot sing. Very long 45 minutes
I really want to complain about how awful this album is, and how it should be on this list, but I'm not really sure I even know how. Like, I want to say "how did this album get made?", or "why is this album on this list?". But I know the answer to both of those: Nico banged Andy Warhol, and then Andy Warhol gave Lou Reed a bunch of money for heroin. Anyway, this album sucks, and I hate that I had to listen to it.
Voice not inviting. Sound is weak.
she can't sing, which makes her flat, toneless droning profoundly unpleasant to listen to (despite the beautiful background instrumentals). the internet is also telling me she was apparently an incredibly racist person who still upheld many nazi beliefs and introduced her own son to heroin so ... i don't feel bad about rating this 1 star.
This album is like your parents going out to dinner and having to take you because they couldn't find a babysitter. While you can hear the sound of your parents and their friends having fun downstairs, you have been told to relax in the spare bedroom and watch TV. It is a small TV and the bunny ears aren't providing a very clear picture. This TV doesn't get Sky TV, so you just have to watch informercials. The windows haven't been opened in this room for a long time, so the air is stagnant and the furniture is dusty. You're hungry but your parents friends hadn't accounted for you coming, so there isn't enough meat for your dinner. You are just left with a green salad with no dressing and some broccoli that has been left to boil for approximately 45 minutes.
Ranges from boring to outright unlistenable. Im not sure who the target audience for this is.
I know the name, I know the Velvet Underground. Fact is, she can't sing. This sounds like an Eastern European girl who's a novice sing and her friends aren't cool enough to tell her is isn't really a singer. She's tone deaf and full of gloom. She's got a few tracks with decent listener counts, "The Fairest Of The Seasons" (18M), "These Days" with 144M & "I'll Keep It With Mine" at 8M. The lowlight is "It Was A Pleasure Then", wow, the complete opposite of pleasure and an agonizingly long 8 minutes. There is nothing compelling on this entire album. I don't care who wrote the songs (Jackson Browne, Lou Reed, John Cale), they all sound the same & she can't deliver them. 1 star, this should not be on this list. It's a real shame a great album got bumped for this crap.
Why am I listening to this!?!
Ugh, I dislike her voice so much. These Days is a decent song, if someone else were singing it.
Imagine if there hadn’t even been any strings and flutes!
Nah. Couldn’t make it all the way through this slog.
Just say no, to Nico.
What a piece of crap
I don’t like the singer’s voice and the album is really boring
This must be one of the worst performances I've heard in recent years. How did she manage to find someone to record and publish that crap?
incredible bad. like someone who really should not sing but does it anyway
какта ні оч
Actually bad. I think this is music from that time where if you moaned and made enough dissonant noises critics would glaze you to no end. We have since learned that dissonant music still requires musicality and knowledge of keys and notes and stuff.
When i visit germany i will piss on her grave. 1 star is too many.
Who knew Nico had other albums? I sure wish I still didn’t.
Meh. Not my jam.
I couldn't finish it. I don't like Nico at all. This album really solidifys it. Just so boring.
Two half decent songs (these days and I'll keep it with mine) doesn't save this. The rest is unlistenable.
Nein! Nein! Fraulein!
Nope Sounds like a coffee house vanity project mixed with Jethro Tull flute castoffs