Reviews (page 8 of 9)
Very similar mood to the previous album. A bit somber, but I liked the music a lot more and the tracks had more variety between them
////////\\\\\\\\\
I actually thought it was quite 'nice' at first. It was a pleasure then was not a pleasure. I actually don't hate her voice though it's a bit silly. Interesting that the album does not sound how she wanted, wonder what it should sound like... Went on a bit. Had a headache by the end. May have been unrelated.
Love how Nico owns her songs. It is an unique approach, like hear an android talking about love and sorrow. These Days, Fairest of Seasons, Winter Song , and Chelsea Girls stole my heart. Loved it!
Mix of some songs I absolutely love and some I feel are just okay. Nico’s vocals are my favorite part of the album, and when they’re matched with the strings on here they’re elevated to another level. Very soft and delicate, but still vivid emotionally. A little too slow and thin for my taste at times, but overall 👍👍 Faves: These Days, The Fairest Of The Seasons, Chelsea Girls, Somewhere There’s A Feather, I’ll Keep It With Mine
The album is good, but not a huge fan of Nico. Not just because of her personal views, just not a great singer
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.
These days is a fantastic song, everything else didn't do it for me.
weird. unenjoyable. what's with her voice? why did someone mute out all the drums and basslines? very pretty lyrics though.
More notes missed than hit but still somewhat interesting to hear. This whole aesthetic and atmosphere is different. Love the cover typography treatment but Nico's photograph with the droopy moody eyes definitely a turn-off. Musically has some interesting parts and some boring moments too. In all not a terrible listen.
A nice sound but for me another album that highlights the problem with a lot of the albums on this list. Artists seem to pick one sound and then write as many tracks as they can to completely exhaust its possibilities. As a musician myself I know I'm likely guilty of the same thing, when you're so close to these things it's hard not to hear the subtle differences as a world of change. There's also something to be said for how listening to lots of styles as you do going through the list will make you numb to these differences, but in this case I really felt like I was listening to the same 2 or 3 tracks on loop.
Rubbish lyrics, terrible vocals, horrible instrumentation, and no drums at all! The worst album I have ever listened to, and I never will again. Virtually a crime against humanity, and I can only assume that some reviewers (who liked it) have no ears, or taste, or were afraid to admit it should be nowhere near this list. 0 🌟
The story behind the production makes better than total sense when you hear it, that's for certain. But somehow the disjoint circles all the way around and brings Chelsea Girl together somehow. Irreverently, this makes me think of the Shaggs or Björk forced to work with certain session musicians. More than a touch of odd, here.
I get that this album came out in 1967 and she’s German. In a vacuum her singing is not good, and everything I liked - the composition and instruments - were done by the velvet underground. Just go listen to velvet underground 1
Julia Holter sounds similar, distinct voice and very avant garde
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.
Love to here her voice. The material is not uniformly great but it was a pleasant ride.
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
The only interesting sound is horrible screeching violin
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.
The first two songs were very familiar favorites to me, being on the soundtrack to The Royal Tenenbaums. Also knowing her songs from the Velvet Underground, I was very excited to hear this album. Her voice is so interesting to me. I've always been a bit fascinated. There is a lot I really loved in this. This album was a bit of an overdose, though. Getting through "It Was a Pleasure Then" was not a pleasure. And I have to say that Nico was right to get angry that the flute stuff was added without her input. It kind of drove me crazy before I even read that.
I am not really sure how to express how I felt in words here. I didn't really mind it, but her voice was often so stern, I wondered if I was being reprimanded for something. Track after track with that tone did start to drain me, too. I might need a second or third listen to really know how I feel.
The instrumentation is lovely and Nico's vocals sound raw and authentic. No autotune here. Deliciously soothing.
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.
Not too shabby, I can see why she was selected by mister Campbells soup to join the velvety ones. In facts sounds so reminiscent that I'm thinking lou contributed. Yes I was correct, also came out after the aforementioned debut album. Producer added strings and flutes against wishes, don't totally disagree with producer man, but artist should have control... I'll keep it with mine was by bobby boy, interesting. Eulogy was very cool closer, haunting a little bit. Very enjoyable, some particular tones annoy me, but a positive experience.
Nyt oltiin jo lähellä paskuuden absoluuttista kuninkuusluokkaa, mutta ihan ei rahkeet sinne asti riittäneet. Silti aivan paska.
Huoh, tylsä
aardige nummers, maar zang niet top
Bloody racket
The blueprint for this album was laid out by Nico's performance on 'Femme Fatale' off of the Velvet's banana album; a lush and gorgeous instrumental that had all the life sucked out of it by her drowsy and uninteresting vocals. On Chelsea Girl, that same process is repeated 10 times in what is a 45 minute snooze-fest that perfectly encapsulates Nico's mediocrity as an artist. It is utterly remarkable how many listeners gloss over just how tone deaf Nico truly is. Each track sounds like she recorded the vocals before even hearing any instrumentals. Her vocal range and register are as wallpaper and monotone as one could imagine, yet this album has been lauded by critics as a timeless masterpiece. Not only did this album fail to push any boundaries, it hardly got out of centre field. The only redeemable quality going for this record are its arrangements and production. For the 10 to 15 seconds before Nico's voice puts me to sleep, the instrumentals are whimsical and pleasant on the ears, with the clear intention for a strong vocalist to realise the potential of each song. Nico squanders that potential time and time again, that said it would've made for some nice lobby music as an instrumental album. Nico was essentially handed these beautiful instrumentals on a silver platter, to which she adds absolutely nothing of note. In the same year as the Beach Boys release Pet Sounds; an album filled with diverse arrangements, ingenious songwriting and adventurous vocal melodies, it is one of the great mysteries as to how this album has remained relevant over half a century later.
Just how old is Jackson Browne? Was he signed by Columbia when he was 4? How is it that These Days pops up on an album made in 1967, about 6 years before he recorded it? This odd record has so many cultural intersections, The Velvets and Jackson writing most of the songs and poor Tom Wilson having to do the impossible and "produce" this. To think he went from Highway 61 Revisited to Nico. Andy Warhol wreaked havoc on popular culture, and for Nico alone he stands condemned. If the climate change activists really want to make their case they should throw Campbell's soup over his Campbell's Soup paintings and then stick Nico album covers all over the soup, what a fitting finale that would be. Nico, dead on arrival. She'd be the Schrodinger's Cat of popular music, except Andy opened the box. Imagine wandering into a New York coffeehouse and sitting down to Nico in 1967, what price a cup of joe? The Wikipedia notes on this are hilarious, that she cried because Tom put strings and a flute on this record and denied her drums. I can't begin to contemplate what he was trying to do to cover up her appalling drone. There are some fine arrangements here in a desperate search for someone who can actually sing. I will never forgive her for the rendition of These Days (ditto I'll Keep it with Mine). I had to immediately play Glen Campbell's (oh aye, there's a Campbell's theme here) brilliant 2008 version, where, with the onset of Alzheimer's looming large, he so perfectly captured the pain of a four year old Jackson Browne lamenting day of yore. Nico needs to be deleted, thrown into the dustbin of history.
I love the fact that Nico hated this album, especially the use of flutes on so many tracks. Let’s face it, she was as much a singer as Marlene Dietrich, but it really didn’t matter. Her part in the VU/Warhol album was great, partly because she only appeared on a few tracks. This album is a different kettle of fish however. Where she got lucky was the material she was given to sing. Three Jackson Brownes, a Dylan, a Tim Hardin & the rest written by her VU bandmates. Highlights : I’ll Keep It With Mine & These Days (one of Browne’s greatest lyrics) & It Was A Pleasure Then, which reminds me so much of her live version of The End. I had not played this for years but so glad to hear it again.
I find this a strangely pretty album. Her voice is an acquired taste, and was easier to accept on the Banana album because it is only used sparingly. A-grade songwriting on this record, with Jackson Brown, Tim Hardin, Dylan and the Velvets. The only song that she co-wrote ("It was a pleasure then") foretells the harrowing dirges that filled her subsequent records. Compare this with The Marble Index from the following year, and this is sunshine and puppies gamboling in a field of daisies. I love this quote from Nico: "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 quite like the guitar and string arrangements, but kind of agree about the flutes. But let's all thank the deities that she hadn't discovered the harmonium yet. I find this an oddly charming record, but inessential. It doesn't surprise me that two tracks (These days and The Fairest of days) appeared in The Royal Tennenbaums. This is a quintessential Wes Anderson choice; 1960s, sort of obscure, charming, but also kind of cold and off-putting.
Yassssss
Nico and the who?
It’s okay but not one of my favourites on here it drags for what it is 3/5.
Really liked a few of the songs, particularly These Days. Most of it was kinda middling to me though, I dunno. Might need another listen.
So all the hipsters and metalheads aren't into the 60's vibe? Never mind. This is an oddity and fits into the Velvet Underground/Warhol scene with contributions from a number of them. It's true the production and arrangements are pretty insipid though- it would have been good to hear what Nico's idea for drums and guitars would have been like?
Nicos smoky, deep, almost out of key is stellar. The light and baroque guitar and violins, neato. This isnt quite a 4, but it is an album you should listen to. Are you stuck in the whimsical woods? This album is too. Go get stuck suckers.
This is the kind of album that really illustrates just how weird and fucked up the music world is, and definitely was in the 60s. 3/5
Could not have listened to this on a more perfect day
Folk-rock. Muuuuuy cansina. Un 2.
Enjoyed it, but still not fully on board with Nico's vocals.
Very calm and ethereal
Really annoying. Some good ideas and original songs in there, but the singing is poor and the strings are flat as hell. Just frustrating
honestly can't tell if this is genius or extremely up its own butt. also apparently this lady was "nazi-esque" yeesh
It's such a singular sound that it limit the times and environments you would want to listen to it in.
Very mehh got bored after the second song
Bleh
Although having an uncanny voice for a female artist, Nico’s style is so fresh and has aged very well. I appreciate her singing for what it is, but I’m not really the biggest fan of it. Nonetheless, the production and instrumentation (which I absolutely adored throughout the album) somehow complements her voice really well. Love all the orchestral/classical sounds and instruments, and the melodies, harmonies, and progressions are beautiful. Unfortunately, I find myself bored sometimes. Favourite songs are: These Days (fav), Little Sister, Winter Song (fav), Chelsea Girls (fav), I’ll Keep It With Mine (fav) Somewhere There’s a Feather.
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.
There are some standout songs, like the title track and Eulogy to Lenny Bruce, but overall I was underwhelmed. The flute + strings are nice in some songs but cut in and overshadow the vocals in places on other tracks in a jarring way. I'm torn between giving this a 2 or a 3. Currently feeling closer to 2 but it also feels like the kind of album that would grow on me, so I'll be generous and go with 3.
Why ? She can't even sing
pretty mellow has "these days" which is a pretty famous folk song from the 60s
strangely haunting and beautiful music. Her voice is unique and I am sure the style was fresh when this was released in 1967. 4/5
Royal Tenenbaums song
Sounds amazing at first but after a while it kinda blends together. Still great tho
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
Absolute Classic. Beautiful instrumentation and Nico's sonorous voice is such a good combo.
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.
Noise
Ég hafði háar væntingar þegar ég opnaði þetta en svo drulluleiddist mér allan tímann.
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
Nico's contribution to the Velvet Underground's debut album was brief, yet effective with her haunting vocals and mysterious presence. Chelsea Girl allows her to expand her range somewhat more, though she is very limited vocally, but offers up some good songs. The sound is sparse and raw and at times the pace becomes boring, but if you take into consideration the time period and mood it's trying to create, she does a commendable job. It helps that she gets contribution from some of the VU members.
Sounds like trash
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.
Th unique voice of Nico. Highly distinctive. Probably not the best of her work
Not a lot of variety but it's a nice listen
Sad. Not my thing
This was really good & atmospheric.
Nope, don't like it. If someone else was singing might have got a 2 or 3. Not great even without Nico but with her, yikes. I don't know why this album got made and I sure don't understand why someone thought I needed to listen to it.
I went into this expecting to really dislike it as I didn't really enjoy Nico on the album with The Velvet Underground, but her voice grew on me a little bit throughout this album and the orchestral instrumentation was really pretty. Not many tracks stuck with me afterwards though and I was a bit bored by the end, so not sure if I'll want to revisit this in full.
Aburrido para mí gusto
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
I’ve never heard of Nico and I’ve never heard a song by the Velvet Underground before, so I’m going in totally blind. Starts very nice, but the mixing is not great: the music often overwhelms her voice. Her voice isn’t great for listening to repeatedly, I think. It’s starting to grate on me a little. Songs and music are nice, though that seems to be due to Jackson Browne, who I really like as well. It might be due to her voice, but all the songs sound the same. It’s an okay album, sadly fairly forgettable. Having looked into her a little more, she was an anti-Semite. No reason to listen a single track by her. Fav Track: The Fairest of the Seasons 1/5
The sound here is unique. Most of that is in her voice. Moody and dark. Plenty of strings, flutes, and organs that just hang thick in the air. This album has a humid, oppressing feel. I don't know that I remember happiness when listening but I do feel the earth beneath my feet.
This was okay but Nico is right: the flute ruins it.
I did not like her singing or this music!
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.
This isn’t it
8th June 2022 Listened while driving round Gloucestershire picking up Facebook marketplace purchases in the sunshine! Very original voice and clearly not interested in promotion judging by total lack of info on Spotify. Haunting and rising like the sun at the same time.
4.5/5 Quite the interesting and unique singer-songwriter album of the time. I can see how it influenced Bjork and Siouxsie + extra TVU vibes 👍
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
pretty with a couple classics
It's all pretty good stuff...until Nico starts to sing.
Christ, what a drag.
This could have been a great album, but it ends up a pretty embarrassing one. Let's face it: Nico couldn't sing. At all. So all what could have been a collection of beautiful songs with haunting arrangements is utterly ruined as soon as she begins to what obiously passed as singing back then. I gave up after the first half, but spot checked the second one. Same result. 1/5
I love avant music and Nico's authenticity, but this was quite boring
I got the point of this album by its second track. From then on, it was smooth boring.
Não sou fã dela.
Nico is like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket on a brisk morning while having a cup of tea.
Lovely voice - lovely songs - it’s very side A heavy - the most obviously beautiful songs lie there - it just had a little distribution problem - the sunnier songs are early and gets progressively darker so it feels like it tapers off towards the end. But all in all a wonderful record.
I just don't get it. her voice gives me the heebie jeebies and always has
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.
A bit dull to say the least.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Interesting, but I don't feel it adds much to her output with The Velvet Underground.
Did her accent have some sort of weird Cold War resonance with fans? She sounds flat most of the time. Ok in an ensemble but on her own? Monotonous.
Nautin! Jotenkin hypnoottinen. Lähempänä kolmosta kun nelosta tosin. 3/5
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.
I was never a fan of her work with the Velvet Underground. I always felt they’d have been better with a singer… I forgot she had this record. I would like to go to there again.
Nico was a fascinating mess of a person who would not fit with todays world. Don't share her views...she died in a sad and depressing manner...but...she was not right about one thing. That flute does not belong on this album. And if she had been able to get Maureen Tucker on drums for a couple of tracks this album might hold up more as a listening experience and less as a time piece. However, Chelsea Girls, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams and These Days still end up on my list that listen and revisit some days.
Några bra men oerhört sömnigt
pangalbum
It starts aiming for the stars but I think the rest of the record is an overstatement, I listened to it while cocking and was enjoying myself but then it went on and on with the same, “These Days” is worth all of it
God I already know I love "These Days" The first riff is awesome. Damn "Little Sister" is dull. The way she holds the tones for the full duration of the bar really grinds my gears. Ok when it really gets to it, this sounds really horrible. But a 3 for the cover. Maybe this really has to grow on you idk.
This album is a total mood, and I quite enjoyed it. It has a couple of songs on it that I listen to frequently, but this is the first time I heard it all the way through. Had I known it was a part baroque folk, part stealth Velvet Underground album, I would have gotten around to it sooner. I see why Nico disapproved of the string and flute overdubs, because the arrangements aren't particularly well timed to her vocals. I quite agree when it comes to the flute, which is superfluous and doesn't really add anything to the album. I do think the strings in particular are suited to Nico's voice though. John Cale's viola, as always, is a gift. The rambling, noisy distortions of "It Was a Pleasure Then" were jarring, but actually really welcome. That song really cuts through the softer aspect of some of the other songs and it perfectly showcases the great musical chemistry of Reed-Cale-Morrison. "These Days" and "I'll Keep It With Mine" are pure perfection. Fave Songs: These Days, I'll Keep It With Mine, The Fairest of the Seasons, Somewhere There's a Feather, It Was a Pleasure Then
It’s tragic that I have 2 ears and subjected them to this album.
Have not listened to much of her solo stuff. What stands out is her haunting voice, it adds a mystical quality to the music. Unfortunately the same voice that charms me, grates on me before the end of the album.
It worked for me until it got to "It Was A Pleasure Then." Had to skip that one. Definitely has some beautiful moments, but also has its share of painful ones. Wouldn't put on for my own pleasure but wouldn't leave the room if someone put this on. I know she didn't like the string arrangements but I honestly can't imagine it working without them - it'd be too spare. The flutes are a different story though - I feel like they are a bit too ornamental and out of place. Definitely uncool those arrangements were added without her permission, but it still ended up being a halfway decent album.
Never listened to solo Nico, definitely think I prefer her stuff with The Velvet Underground. It's not bad. Interestingly on Wikipedia she says she can't listen to this album because they wouldn't do what she wanted, they made it more orchestral/flute-y which she apparently hates. I can see why.
I want to give it a 4/5, I really enjoy it, but by the end I am a little tired of her voice and tone. 3.5/5.
Manages boredom and irritation. "It was a pleasure then" is a collection of cacophony. Did those great songwriters (Dylan, Jackson, Hardin) write bad songs, or did she wreck them? After listening to some other versions, the answer is that Nico can't sing
It was a folk album. I did not care for Velvet Underground and I did not care this album even though it is a solo album. Lyrically unnoteworthy. Nothing about it was good. I ending up skipping through some of the songs because I just wanted it to end.
Beautiful music, probably wouldn't re listen often
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.
Was easy listening, but nothing special.
Kind of sounds like the b side of a good record. I enjoy her voice but it is just that and strings. Very samey
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: These days
3.5 for me , its good but a lot of the same, obviously the banana album is the king
So close to a 3. If only she could sing.
Nico has talent... if talent is defined as an ability to sing every other note flat. Awful to listen to.
Good music but melodies and vocals all over the place.
Did one track feature Kurt Zouma and his cat?
Yet another incredible Chelsea performance
I have and will always love "These Days" it's fine
Classic.
Very sparse, very pretty.
I don't like her voice.
Not my thing. Very simple songs.
A very interesting voice that sounds mystic and mysterious, which really captures you. The issue is that the songs can’t come to life with the production that plagues them. It’s limiting their ability to stand out and removes dynamics from the album’s experience.
A album that stylistically might have been a bit ahead of its time but for today's standards lacks highlights and is rather boring
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.
Si on met de côté le fait que Nico chante comme une casserole et que sa voix ressemble à un vomissement de morse, celle-ci n'a pas été très aidée par son producteur et compagnon Jim Morrisson (non crédité mais bel et bien aux manettes) qui a tout fait pour la pousser à bout. D'après plusieurs sources, alors que Nico avait réclamé pour ce projet des percussions et des guitares, Jim Morrisson fit semblant d'accepter la proposition pour finalement se faire livrer différents portails rouillés ainsi qu'un flûtiste totalement novice. Sa façon d'opérer était ensuite la suivante : il demandait à Nico de commencer son couplet en lui assurant que les percussions et les guitares allaient arriver d'un moment à l'autre, puis au bout de quelques secondes, faisait discrètement entrer dans le studio le flûtiste et les portails. Jim râpait alors ces derniers sur le sol et les murs dans un son d'une stridence des plus absolues et faisait signe au flûtiste de répéter chacun des phrasés de la chanteuse jusqu'à ce que des larmes apparaissent sur ses joues. Nico s'effondrait alors de désespoir devant une paire Jim-flûtiste au septième ciel, arborant chacun un sourire de satisfaction.
Et bien moi j'ai beaucoup apprecié cet album, et d'ailleurs j'en profite pour dire à rob que je l'emmerde.
Look, I like violins as much as the next person--maybe even more--but damn these overdubs (like they're trying to make every song sound like "Eleanor Motherfucking Rigby"). They're so tacked on, not matching Nico's voice at all, which sounds like she's pulling her jaw back into her throat. And then just listen to "Winter Song": the power is right there in the (rather frightening) lyrics. We don't need a flute to tell us "this is a pastoral song, in case you couldn't figure it out". RYM ranks "It Was a Pleasure Then" as the worst track on the album, but I think it's the best because it's not got those damn overdubs. Everything is more real--the music, the vocals. It's pretty VU at its heart, too, what with the short bursts of howling feedback and the minimalist experimental vibe threatening to explode into a welcome cacophony that never comes. Nope. Bring the flautist and string quartet back in. Break's over!
She was better with the Velvet Underground. Interesting voice but a bit of a dull album.
Appreciate the country and baroque bits (flute!) there but no drum, or say, no clear rhythm is a harm. Her voice has some premitive sense there, sounding like some old-aged chanting. Perhaps that's why the procucer made it towards the country folk spectrum.
Ooh, I do not like Nico’s tone. The worst aspect of Velvet Underground without much to redeem it.
6/10 nice vocals but the arrangements were just super corny
8/10. What if Leonard Cohen was a girl?
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
Interesting album. Chelsea girls is a banger
J'aime pas, m'a cassé les couilles sa voix.
I could read around this and the music of the era for days. But just listening to this purely for the music it's clear, crisp, and interesting: in small doses. The entire album in one sitting is tough - borderline dull.
Baroque folk/ chamber pop is a genre I normally quite like, but thanks to Nico's awful singing, this is frankly terrible. I don't understand why it is on the list. There are far better albums in this vein (Judy Collins' Wildflowers being one that springs to mind). I can only assume it's here due to Velvet Underground connections). I can imagine her vocals being used on a comedy German album, that might actually work!
Enjoyable enough
Like being punched in the head by the sound of boredom.
What the actual fuck is going on here then? It has to be one of the worst records, I can only hope that everyone involved was completely off their heads when it was recorded. Wonder what they thought of it when the drugs wore off?
She sounds bunged up and posh. I sound bunged up and posh sometimes too, but I'm not sure it's something to aspire to.
It's so bad that even Nico herself refuses to listen to it. Wondering if this album was included in the 1001 as an example of good intentions gone horribly wrong?
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
It's a sound and it's one of a kind and yeah
Nico, perhaps best known for her collaboration with the Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol, went on to make some very sweet-sounding folk with a symphonic edge. Things take a left turn on It Was A Pleasure Then, with feedback from an electric guitar being used. Truthfully, the album never quite hits the same level of quality after the first two songs, but the overall product is a generally enjoyable listen.
Not for me. Didn’t seem too great even ignoring that.
Apart from The Belle and Sebastian link, didn't enjoy this. She couldn't hold a key
Really hard to listen to this. "These Days" is good, but I had to listen to it like 20 times before I started to like it. Maybe the same thing would happen with the rest of them, but I'm not going to do that. "It Was A Pleasure Then" was a miserable experience that I wouldn't wish on anyone, and this album was not a pleasure.
First Listen. At first, I didn't like it much. But, as the day went on I started enjoying it more and more. This is definitely different than what I was expecting. I like her when she sang with the Velvet Underground - and that was what I was expecting. This album definitely sound like the 1967, flower-power, peace-and-love scene, and I thought she would have more of that Berlin rock sound. After getting used to the sound, I started liking it more and found myself singing along a couple of times. I'll give it a strong 2/5 for now. It might be a 3/5 next time I hear it.
I will always associate Nico, and especially this album, with "The Royal Tenenbaums". And that's a good thing.
Не мое
Great voice, a bit eccentric
Rubbish lyrics, terrible vocals, horrible instrumentation, and no drums at all! The worst album I have ever listened to, and I never will again. Virtually a crime against humanity, and I can only assume that some reviewers (who likes it) have no ears, or taste, or were afraid to admit it should be nowhere near this list
Not my favorite kind of music, but something different here, some interesting things.
Some good tracks and some pretty terrible, not a huge fan of how poor Nico got drowned out by the instrumentation sometimes.
Psycho folk. Non perfect vocals
Distinctive voice for sure, but a hard one to love. Certainly evocative and laid-back, but also too avant-garde for me.
Oof. I hated this. Some pretty instrumentation on some songs, but not all, and her voice was terrible. Songs were also slow and sad. Not a fan. Song I didn’t hate as much: “Somewhere There’s a Feather.”
Honestly just... dull. The arrangements were okay, even interesting sometimes. The songwriting was passable. But man, Nico herself just does absolutely nothing for me. She was bearable on that Velvet Underground record, but here she has nothing to support her. Also, apparently she is super duper racist, so I am glad I didn't care for her music lol.
Alright, I'll say it. I'm a sucker for this dark, pretentious, avant bullshit. I like the instruments, I like the vocals, I like the production. This is fanfuckingtastic.
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.
Needs an injection of The Velvet Underground. It's nice, but a bit boring. The kind of thing Iris Law listens to on the tube I'd imagine. 🦢 Chelsea rent girl, Chelsea rent girl, whoooaaa whooooaaa
Liked 2 songs, disliked many of the others
Production is a little too hit-or-miss for me. I'll listen to These Days and think wow this is one of the greatest songs of all time and then get to It Was a Pleasure Then and just get confused. Reading the wikipedia just made me sad. Already Saved: The Fairest Of The Seasons; These Days Saved After Listening: I'll Keep It With Mine*
Saved Prior: These Days Off Rip: The Fairest of Seasons, Little Sister, Chelsea Girls, Somewhere There's A Feather Cutting Edge: I'll Keep It With Mine Overall Notes: I feel bad for Nico, this is clearly not the album she wanted to make and it ended up being the defining release of her career. Doubly unfortunate is that I think it works decently well because it's not the album she wanted. Her whole ice queen vibe is ever-present, but the rotating cast of great song-writers and the sparse symphonic instruments that are often at odds with her vocals keep the album interesting. It's not perfect but it's unique and downright beautiful when it works.
Okei taustamusaa siivoillessa, mutta en minä tätä asioikseni kuuntelisi. Jossain kohtaa tuli Beatlesit mieleen äänimaisemasta ja toisinaan oli aika folkahtavaakin menoa. Alakuloisia biisejä.
Nico on tuttu nimi Velvet Undergroundin toisena laulajana, mutta tämä soolotuotanto osoittautui aika erityyliseksi. Levyn alku herätti mielenkiinnon heti ensisävelistä lähtien. Pääosin levy olikin oikein kiinnostava tuttavuus. It Was A Pleasure Then on valitettavasti muuten niin miellyttävän kokonaisuuden rikkova melusaastekappale. Positiivisesti mieleen jäi erityisesti Somewhere There's A Feather. Peruskolmonen.
Vackra tjunes
Uniquely beautiful, occasionally disturbing
Very sparse but beautiful.
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.
Bottom of the list fire me
I'm kind of a sucker for anything related to sixties counterculture/New York/Warhol/Greenwich Village. This isn't up to the standards of the debut Velvet Underground album, but it's interesting and never dull. I can see why Nico wasn't happy with the production. In some songs the strings and flutes add a nice feel, but the album could use some drums as well. 4 stars.
Eigenlijk best leuk
Well friends, that was painful. Vocals are flat, monotone and boring. Some of the instrumentals would have been good as background music, but then Nico starts singing again. And what was that noise about 2/3 of the way through "It Was A Pleasure Then"? I've tried to avoid giving out 1's as a rule, but I think this one deserves it.
Always want to like Nico coz she’s cool but I find the music quite grating
Proper rubbish
solid 3 stars. Not really my style but definitely worth a listen. Her voice is nice and the songwriting and instrumentation is interesting. Easy to listen to - reminds me of a relaxing summer afternoon. Also interesting is her connection to other artists and musicians in the late 60s - Jim Morrison, Velvet Underground and Warhol.
Awful. Sounded like Joni Mitchel, if she were terrible.
3.5
This album was interesting for several reasons. Nico's deep and untrained voice has a way of cutting through the often lush instrumentation that lends it an air of mystery and sadness. This is truly an enigmatic album, songs written by men sung by a woman who nobody really seemed to know. I was a bit tired of it by the end, but I believe this album deserves a few more listens.
Not...sure what this is, but it's not enjoyable. Atonal and folky, but not the good kind of folk.
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.
She is not a great singer.
Decent, just not really my type of music. Bit too slow, bit ethereal.
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.
nothing amazing, but pretty chill background music.
hey Nico say clown! jk but this album is very pwetty
It sounds medieval and boring. In addition to being grating, the singer's voice doesn't fit the backing instruments at all, and the audio tracks sound like they were unmixed or at the very least mixed extremely poorly. Nothing in this album meshes, and I don't understand why this would be on this list.
Fucking horrible. I turned it off after 20 minutes cause it was too boring. These Days is still a jam tho
Qué voz más horrorosa.
She’s got a unique voice, and the strings pair really well with it. A little like Joanna Newsom. Second half of the album didn’t do much for me though
Only good thing was "These Days"
An album that really hits all the notes on boring music from the sixties. An album that drags on for an eternity that has absolutely nothing to say.
We all piled on Rebecca black for having no talent but Nico makes the list of albums You Must Listen To Or Else You'll Die? At least RB's song was catchy and she paid for being famous with money rather than blow jobs. A goat being vivisectioned would be more melodic and in key. If I could give this zero stars I would, Nico is the fucking worst.
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.
not a fan of her voice. I'm guessing this is held in high regard due to her Warhol / Velvet Underground association? First one in awhile I opened Spotify to see how much was left...
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.
Started off not liking it and almost thought it was a joke. But by mid-way it started to catch on. I'll definitely give it another spin.
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.
Ja Nico i više niko
Not my style, stopped at song 2 or 3
Muse nicht sein!
Gut klug und künstlerisch
Dreary, one-note. The only reason it’s not forgettable is because of how annoying Nico’s voice is over 10 songs.
Very sad. Her voice sets the mood. I don't even know what any of the lyrics are, just sounds sad.
🦇
Not for me
Nice. Liked: These Days
Moany and repetitive
You call it ‘artistic’...I call it ‘dog in pain’. Not gonna lie. This was one tough listen. It literally could be used as a form of torture. I could just imagine a Russian spy opting to spill the beans in preference to being subjected to another tune from Nico. Someone please tell this woman she cannot sing, for everyone else’s sake. The out of tune droning with the comical flute playing in the background had me Googling if this album was in fact a parody. Unfortunately it is not and it is very real. Apparently real enough to be selected into this list and that’s embarrassing. The only reason anyone would ever choose this album is because they are insecure and think selecting the shameful piece of noise would somehow elevate their coolness by the ‘in’ crowd. Hopefully Nico was locked up and institutionalised after this and they threw away her key. -100 Stars!
Headache machine
Heel erg zagerig en klagerig. Ik kan normaal echt wel naar zo'n muziek luisteren, maar dit is me net iets te klagerig
Speciale stem, maar in combinatie met de muziek niet noodzakelijk aangenaam om naar te luisteren. Halverwege gestopt.
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.
This was horrible. Not my genre, awful voice, weird sounding pieces in between. Never again please.
.
Oufff. No thank you
Just Painful, it was difficult to finish this album.
Lots of good stuff, one song sampled by DangerDoom
I found it difficult to connect to this album at points. It made me feel mornfull and reflective though, which I think is the idea. I thought I didn't like 'Eulogy to Lenny Bruce' then right near the end I suddenly liked something about it. I think it's maybe the thing about his mother, I dunno.
Started off good then proceeded to get very repetitive and I got bored.
"And if I seem to be afraid To live the life that I have made in song It's just that I've been losing so long" (These days) "The river shall flow through hollow green faces Of caricature's resentment etched out of the tongues. Both reluctant princess asleep before birth The classical sensitive failures. The worshipping wicked cling to the dark of your heart Lying there and wait with your angels Moan and ravish from dawn to dusk The avaricious young lovers." (Winter song) "I can't help it if you might think I am odd If I say I'm not loving you for what you are But for what you're not." (I'll keep it with me) Menos mal que nadie me pidió que adivinase el género de este disco antes de escucharlo, porque "juglaresa mística folklórica" ni siquiera habría estado en la lista.
nope. Sound like someone is singing in the kitchen to themselves, kind of amateur
Nauseatingly bad. Two more albums this bad and I’m quitting this list.
Beautiful writing, lyrically and and musically. I find myself wishing it were someone like Stevie Nicks singing instead. Is that mean?
4.7 + Love.
Those strings and that fucking flute!!!
She tires me pretty soon. Nice instrumentation though.
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
Not my kind of music
Very interesting vibe!
Like
Great album. Love her voice and the instrumentation is beautiful. Like getting a Velvet Underground record with just Nico vocals!
pas inéressé
It is rare that I can't make it through a full album even it's not my thing. Nico's voice makes me want to cut my ears off.
Nope
such an easy listen. very nice.
This was going to be 2 stars, but I recognized that some of these songs have been in Wes Anderson movies. Giving them some context, and associating them with a time and place really allowed me to appreciate these songs more. They are certainly 'of an era'. They're the kind of thing you'd put on when someone broke up with you, or if you were having a very specifically-themed party.
Did Chelsea heard it at least? Is she still doing the 1001 album challenge with us?
It's painful, in so many ways. It goes beyond interesting and weird into the awful.
J'aurais envie d'écrire une joke, mais l'album me laisse tellement indifférent que j'ai rien de drôle à dire. SKIPPPPP
C’est cool!
Two stars, for the first two songs from the Royal Tenenbaums which I actually like. Her schtick got old real fast after that.
lo peor que he oído en mi vida
What a shame she turned out to be a racist and also fucking hated this album. And also that you lot hated it. I have been enjoying Nico for years and this experience has somewhat spoiled it. I maintain however, there are great songs on this album.
Very pretty album. I love the orchestral arrangements. I feel like the production added a lot.
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
Don't deny the greatness. Don't deny the sadness. Don't deny the beauty.
🤮🤢😷☠️💩💩💩💩
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
Fuck off flute
I love Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground so much that I have an automatic soft spot for Nico, but I'm not sure it quite carries a full album for me. I kind of liked the flutey compositions that I take it she hated. Sort of interested to hear some of the later stuff she had more control on.
meh, a forgettable album
Did not connect with any of that.
The voice is an acquired taste. Some really beautiful songs on here.
Melancholic, Orchestra,
wtf i listened to this on my own before it was recommended
This really wasn't a bad album. Mellow but not too folksy.
Chelsea Girls is an album that shows it's beauty in a subtle way. It captures the intimacy of somebody playing music for you (and you specifically) in a small room. This Aussie gives it four bags of Freddo Frogs out of five.
deep lady voice, from Velvet Underground
Quaint
Not bad at all. Too many flutes. Shame about the addiction and racism.
I feel like this is a really well-put together album, and I especially liked "Chelsea Girls", and "These Days", but I don't think I'd seek it out to listen to it again.
A couple of good songs don’t make a good album.
Not bad. Folksy.
This is my first time listening to this record and I liked it. Any album that has songs written by Jackson Browne on it is most likely to be good.
Petée bien raide la Nico
Not bad.... but too repetitive for me. I like Chelsea Girls, but that's all. Not a big fan of the genre.
Absolute shit. Production is awful - guitars quiet and muddy with terrible tone. Would have been better without strings and flutes. Bad lyrics, worked into even worse melodies. Not as smart as it thinks it is. Ended up skipping through a lot as I couldn't take it any more. Pretentious wank.
fuck off nazi cunt
Is good but not for me
Not my cuppa T
Great music but not my type.