Nico
Chelsea Girl
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AMG Review of Chelsea Girl
Lindsay Planer
All Music GuideAlthough Chelsea Girl (1967) was the first long-player from the German-born Christa Päffgen, it was not her debut solo effort. Prior to becoming involved with the Velvet Underground and while under the direction of Andrew Loog Oldham, Nico issued an obscure 7" on the mod pop Immediate label. The song selection on that 1965 single -- which featured a cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "I'm Not Sayin'" and an Oldham co-composition with Jimmy Page called "Last Mile" -- foreshadowed the eclectic nature of this LP. Although the dissolution between the vocalist and core instrumental quartet was not without its share of acrimony, the non-percussive contingent of the Velvet Underground is heavily featured on Chelsea Girl: along with then-unknown singer/songwriter Jackson Browne (guitar) -- the vocalist's concurrent love interest -- there is Lou Reed (guitar), Sterling Morrison (guitar/bass), and John Cale (piano/bass/viola), who contrast what they had been doing with the larger combo. These sides are decidedly "unplugged," providing a folky and Baroque setting for Nico's dark and brooding vocal inflections. There is an introspective foresight in Browne's "Fairest of the Seasons," "These Days," and "Somewhere There's a Feather." The minimalist string section features a quaint, yet effective arrangement giving the material a distinctly European feel. These orchestrated folk leanings are similar to the sound emanating from other burgeoning groups such as the Incredible String Band, Pentangle, and the Fairport Convention spin-off Fotheringay.The same can be said of her almost unrecognizable reworking of Bob Dylan's "I'll Keep It With Mine." The noir black-widow charm ultimately saves the performance, as does Cale's remarkable classical intonations. With Reed's "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" -- a track which actually predates the Velvet Underground -- there is a sense of history that Nico brings to her interpretation, as if the melody were, in fact, a raditional German folk tune. There is a palpable distinction between those lighter cuts and the menacing Velvet Underground-conceived material. At the center of the project are the extended "It Was a Pleasure Then" and the stunning semi-autobiographical Reed/Morrison title track. The juxtaposition of such honest and at times harrowing imagery to Nico's inherently bleak delivery is nothing short of an inspired artistic statement which has since long outlasted its initial socially relevant context -- similar to the more modern contributions of Laurie Anderson, Ann Magnuson, and Patti Smith. An unqualified masterpiece.
Another day, another classic album revisited
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I drove to work today with Nico and 'Chelsea Girl'...it really took the pain out of the traffic.These are great 'life change' songs, which is SO appropriate for me....an excellent way to start the first week of the rest of my life.
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Underrated Uses Of Music In Film: Episode #7
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We all agree, incest is WRONG...but never before has it sounded so right.When Margo and Richie Tennenbaum are reunited at the bus depot in Wes Anderson's new classic 'The Royal Tennenbaums', Nico's timeless 'These Days' helps me to forget just how creepy that scene should be! And as an added bonus...Mates Of State covering the same song:
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scene + heard.
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Whether it’s Iggy Pop’s jackhammering “Lust for Life” scoring the heroin-crazed introductory chase scene from Trainspotting, or Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore going all clay-crazy over the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody” in Ghost, directors have always seemed to love scoring big scenes with a well-chosen song. Here are five of my personal favorite scenes with songs.Sigur Rós
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These Days - Nico & Jackson Browne
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In honor of MOG's rebirth I thought I'd put up another favorite of mine from the Chelsea Girls album - Nico's version of Jackson Browne's "These Days".This tune showed up in Wes Anderson's "The Royal Tenenbaums" which was pretty cool. I figured I was the only one in the theater who had ever heard it before so I gave myself (and Wes) big music geek points.For more on the Jackson Browne/Nico thi...
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To choose a song...
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Track:Fairest of the Seasons
To choose a song one must consider all senses before the song can be realized.1. Rockets bursting in the background spewing majesty incurring visions of pompous Luwig Van or the mighty Zeppelin or mellodramatic servant- Sigur Ros, no that does not fit the glove that feeds, no there is more to the scene.2. The slight hint of chocolate in my mouth (from a cookie) drowned by the icy water sitting ...
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I'll Keep It With Mine
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I was checking out Michael Goldberg's post on the "I'm Not There Soundtrack":http://mog.com/Michael_Goldberg/blog_post/122538 and couldn't resist posting one of my own favorite Dylan covers - Nico's version of "I'll Keep It With Mine" off the Chelsea Girl album.Happy Thanksgiving!
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The One That Got Away - Part 2
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Here is disc two. This one is all about her. I think that it's much easier to make a mix about someone else than it is to make one about yourself with the intent of giving it to another person. Plus, if you are trying to describe youreself as an individual but also how you feel you fit into the relationship, that just adds to the complexity. She was obviously a fan of Ani Difrancos (as am ...
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Underrated Uses Of Music In Film: Episode #7
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We all agree, incest is WRONG...but never before has it sounded so right!When Margo and Richie Tennenbaum are reunited at the bus depot in Wes Anderson's new classic 'The Royal Tennenbaums', Nico's timeless 'These Days' helps me to forget just how creepy that scene should be...Nico - 'These Days' MP3and as an added bonus for your listening pleasure...Mates Of State covering the tune:Mates Of S...
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Favorite Soundtracks
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What are your favorite soundtracks? I was just at a friend's apartment, and we sat and listened to the Royal Tenenbaums soundtrack...I'd never really bothered to listen to it, but it was great. Now I want more.
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Delays - Lost Tunes EP
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To celebreate the launch of Universal / 7Digital online music store LostTunes.com, Delays were invited to record their favorite "lost tunes" for an exclusive digital EP. They decided to go with: "These Days" - Nico "Bad Moon on the Rise" - Creedence Clearwater Revival "Christine" - The House of Love "Tonite" - The Go Go's You can download a free [...]
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Do I really understand the undernetting?
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A rather depressed last night wrapped up in "The Fairest of the Seasons" inspired me to wake very early today and spend the entire morning listening to the first three Nico records in order -- it was just that sort of day. I hadn't heard them in awhile, so it was a bit of a refreshing change. Strangely, Nico is also at the centre of my first musical memory. When I was about four, my mother p...
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 "Chelsea Girl")
