Nico - The End...

 

As usual, I tend to revisit music by an artist when I read a biography about them, and so it's no surprise that I am looking through my collection of Nico releases and finding it pretty sparse, with records that I once had now gone. I'm also surprised that I have not referenced here the two CDs that I do have, but I just picked up this one - Nico's third solo album - that is once again produced by John Cale and this time augmented by Eno and Phil Manzanera from Roxy Music. Of course, it is Nico, so it is droney and depressing, but that it something to recommend it in my book! Nico wrote all of the songs, other than the title cut, which is her take on the Doors' classic (she had a short but torrid affair with Morrison) and the controversial German anthem "Das Lied Der Deutschen". This CD comes with a fine booklet with plenty of information and details that would probably have been missed otherwise, such as the first side of the LP starts with production tricks that filter out until by the end of the side, she is alone with her harmonium, and the fact that the keys descend from Em to Am in thirds, and the second side is solely in Fm. Who would think of such things? There is also a bonus CD of live cuts from John Peel sessions, The Old Grey Whistle Test and the album with Cale, Eno and Ayers, simply title June 1, 1974 (how have I skipped that one here, as well?). 

Her music is not exactly sing-along songs, but she does use real melodies and they are, I suppose naturally, better fitting for her voice than some of the songs that were written for her, by others where her vocals were even deeper than natural for her and somewhat off key. The tunes are truly haunting, though, and certainly a template for the goth scene, and the atmospheric touches added by Cale, Eno and Manzanera just compliment the feel of the song, without interfering with the sparse arrangements and strong emotional appeal.

I suppose that you have to be in a certain frame of mind to appreciate this style of music, but for those who dig the dark'n'depressing, Nico's music is quite a find. Cale's production and the extra flourishes help the listenability although I think that I could easily be enthralled by her on her own.