Nico [Enhanced]

nico [enhanced]

Track Listings

1. Pusher

2. Hell

3. Soup

4. No Rain [Ripped Away Version]

5. Soul One

6. John Sinclair

7. All That I Need

8. Glitch

9. Life Ain't So Shitty

10. Swallowed

11. Pull

12. St. Andrew's Hall

13. Letters from a Porcupine

14. [CD-ROM Track]

Nico,Blind Melon,Capitol,Alternative Pop/Rock,American Trad Rock,Grunge,Pop,Popular Music,Rock,United States of America

Nico [Enhanced]

Average customer rating:

Class of Their Own
Good music.
Rock from the other side.
The record that happened
Brilliant debut, one of the most perfect in rock history...

The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground , and Nico
Manufacturer: Polydor / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Velvet Underground
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ASIN: B000002G7C
Release Date: 1996-05-07

Tracks:

Sunday Morning
I'm Waiting For The Man
Femme Fatale
Venus in Furs
Run Run Run
All Tomorrow's Parties
Heroin
There She Goes Again
I'll Be Your Mirror
The Black Angel's Death Song
European Sun

Amazon.com essential recording

When the Velvets recorded this debut, they were best known as the protégés of Andy Warhol (who designed the sleeve), and as a grating, combustive live band. Fueled by drummer Moe Tucker's no-nonsense wham and John Cale's howling viola, some of the straight-up rock & roll and arty noise extravaganzas here bear that out. But before Lou Reed was singing about sadomasochism and drug deals and writing lyrics inspired by his favorite poets, he was a pop songwriter, and this album has some of his prettiest tunes, mostly sung by Nico, the German dark angel who left the band after this disc. Even the sordid rockers are underscored by graceful pop tricks, like the two-chord flutter at the center of the classic "Heroin." --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Class of Their Own.......2007-05-26

The first time I heard The Velvet Underground, I thought and still do think their style is so distinctive, like no other.

Lou Reed has great versatility in his voice,and can be quite commanding as in Heroin and Run,Run,Run.

There up there with Nico, just wow !!!!!

Thankfully through Andy Warhol artist on canvas film and music, we have The Velvet Underground.

Good music. .......2007-05-14

Not so fond of Nico's voice, but Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground are awesome!

Rock from the other side........2007-05-10

The Velvets had always been different. In the mid sixties, when just about every band in business was trying to be the Beatles, the Stones, Bob Dylan, or somewhere in between, the Velvet Underground were doing their own thing. And what a thing it was! Led by swaggering, snarling hipster-junky Lou Reed, this was a band of cultured weirdos and playful freaks. Their music was different from just about everyone else's: It was miles beyond any of the mainstream music of the times- even the height of the Beatles' experimental phase doesn't come close to the otherworldly insanity found here. The band's alien sound is all over the place: Multi-instrumentalist John Cale is a one-man noise factory, drenching songs in his wailing electric viola, pulverizing bass lines, and droning keyboard playing. On drums, Maureen Tucker reduces rock n roll's signiature rhythm to its bare essentials, pounding primal, sensual pulses of pure musical incantation. The partnership of Lou Reed and Sterling Morrisson on guitars is equally jarring- the two play their instruments like a pair of disgruntled folkies, jumping back and fourth between clean lines and ugly distortion, hyperactive rhythms and sky-scraping melodies, crazed strumming and whiplashing fingerpicking. Reed's lyrics and singing are, as you've probably guessed, just as out-of-this-world: He kicks aside the typical boy-meets-girl fare for grimy drug anthems, dark surrealism, back-alley sexuality, and tense paranoia. He delivers these distinctive musings in a choppy, throaty chant that epitomizes detatched cool. Joining the band for this album only is Nico, the icy-voiced German model who lends her distinctive voice to three of the songs on the record. Now, experimentation is all fine and good, but it would be totally worthless if the songs weren't great. After all, there's nothing more pretentious or unpleasent (musically, anyway) than a mess of unlistinable noise that tries to pass itself off as "experimental." Not to worry! The Velvets may be weird, but they've got an impeccable knack for creating great music. It may take a few listens to get used to, but once you've pushed your way past the initial surprise and confusion, you'll find that this is a set of highly original, fantastically listenable, outta-this world rock 'n' roll.

"Heroin" sums this up quite succinctly: The song builds from a pretty, delicate, yet slightly unsettling guitar strum. Lou plays the deranged folk singer, intoning his emotionally ambiguous lyric over the song's glowing chords. From there, the tune builds in intensity, morving into a galloping nightmare ballad, while Reed's lyric slips back and forth between dreamy self-reflection and nightmarish chaos. Soon, John Cale joins in, pummeling his viola into screeching submission, building the whole thing into a screaming, violent catharsis. "Venus in Furs" is a gloomy, doom-laden death drone, built around a disquieting, stomping rhythm section and a creepy ascending guitar line, over which Lou, chanting like a man in a deep trance, celebrates the joys of masochism. "All Tomorrow's Parties," one of the songs that feature Nico as vocalist, is a regal, decadent epic that features some wonderfully sinewey guitar lines. Nico's voice fits in with the proceedings nicely, arcing over the strange melody with clipped Teutonic precision. Other highlights include "The Black Angel's Death Song," in which Lou spits out a slippery, surreal, stream-of-conciousness ramble over a rumbling, dizzy guitar line and a flailing viola line, as well as the outta hand group improvisation "European Son." "I'm Waiting for the Man" and "There She Goes Again" reveal the band's debt to traditional rock and R&B- the former is a pummeling, piano driven blues-rock churner, while the latter is a souring slice of greasy proto-blue-eyed soul that kicks off with a musical allusion to Marvin Gaye (listen to his "Hitch Hike"). But even those two songs are plenty subversive- Lou Reed's lyrics are unsentimental evocations of the seedier aspects of urban life, relating tales of back-street drug deals and the kind of girl your mother warned you about. Reed is particularly good on "Waiting for the Man," as he moans, chants, and struts his way through a set of lyrics that casually narrates the joys and bitter pains of drug addiction with equal parts foolish optimism and complete self-loathing. Similarly, "Run Run Run" builds off of a pummeling rock backbeat, mixing in bursts of jagged guitar noise and violent lyricl poetry. "Femme Fatalle" and "I'll Be Your Mirror," Nico's other two contributions to the album, prove that the Velvets could make beautiful music if they wanted to- along with the eerily gorgeous album oppener "Sunday Morning," these songs are airy, otherworldly ballads that still manage to convey an amazing ammount of tension and discomfort.

As a whole, the Velvet Underground's debut is a brilliant album, a set of pop songs the likes of which you've never heard. It may have flown over the heads of listeners back in 1967, but its still managed to inspire countless musicians and musical movements. Influence aside, it's still a fantastic listen, a rock n roll album that'll blow your mind with every spin. Get it now.

The record that happened .......2007-04-14

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO is longer running than most records of its era and loaded with interesting, exciting, and beautiful yet strange songs. Also the content is odd for its time, or any time, but I think the "homosexual" perception was grafted on post-facto ("I'm Waiting For The Man" is of course actually sung "I'm waiting for MY man. . .") and though long perceived as "gay" because of certain references, such as the narrator's lack of interest in black girls instead of his purpose in being up town ("Oh no sir!") It sounded "queer," but it's queer only in the sense that Lou Reed is waiting for his drug dealer "...he's always late" who gives him "sweet taste." Our narrator then swiftly exits, presumably to consume his drugs. I think Reed's later admissions of juvenile homosexuality, drug use, and a kind of artistic bisexuality lead to over-interpretation of the lyrics on this most challenging of VELVET UNDERGROUND records. That being said, this record, a low-seller in its day, is unique, endlessly listenable, and tuneful. The long stated commentary about "drone" and "buzz" is fair, particularly on tracks "Heroin," "European Son" and my own favorite, "The Black Angel's Death Song." But, this record is much more than a Punk predecessor, Andy Warhol bank rolled project, or Art Rock oddity. THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO remains one of the most important, intriguing, and unusual of records in the Rock catalog and a must for students of modern music.

Brilliant debut, one of the most perfect in rock history..........2007-04-13

The Velvet Underground only put out 4 albums (5 if you include the Doug Yule only Squeeze album, which most of us Velvet fans don't), but everyone was a masterpiece, and the journey commenced right here. This is my favorite VU album. It is adventurous, eclectic, tuneful, scary, moving, and assaulting, a true work of art. There isn't one throwaway track (in fact, the Velvets never wasted a track on any album). Sunday Morning begins the album beautifully. I love the drug songs Waiting for the Man and Heroin. Venus in Furs is sad and powerful, and All Tomorrow's Parties is scary and hypnotic (with Nico's best vocal). The Black Angel's Death Song is pure, avant garde Cale, and European Son predates the sonic assault we were going to get on White Light/White Heat. You think that the Velvet Underground would have choked after making such a fine debut album, but they followed it up with 3 masterpieces. How many bands only made a handful of albums and yet have had such a lasting impact? The MC5 is the only other band that comes to mind. This is one of my favorite albums of all time, and I listen to it once a week. Lou, John, Mo, Sterling, and Nico rule.

Average customer rating:

SILLS and a Perfect MANON.....
For Sills fans, mainly.
A Great Recording of an Opera That Should Be Performed More Often
Beverly Sills Signature Role
SILLS MANON RULES! AND DG CD REISSUE SUPERB!

Massenet: Manon

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0001Y4JGG
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Amazon.com

This recording has been unavailable for too long. Recorded in 1970, a solid year-or-so before Beverly Sills' voice began to show the damage caused by singing Elisabetta I in Donizetti's Roberto Devereux, this is the finest all-around recording of Manon on the market. Sills, in addition to being fresh-voiced, is so thoroughly in the part that we can chart Manon's downfall step by step; her girlish singing is as right on as her sassy, showy coloratura in the thirds act, and her St Sulpice scene is truly seductive. She's the perfect Manon. And Nicolai Gedda's Des Grieux, sung, as is Sills' Manon and the rest of the cast, in impeccable French, is passionate, madly in love, and ultimately tragic. Gabriel Bacquier's Count is imperious and authoritative and Gerard Souzay's Lescaut is smooth. Julius Rudel's leadership sparkles when it should and his sense of French suavity is unfailing. The score is given more than complete - as an appendix, there's an aria for Manon that Massenet added later. This is a desert island disc. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

SILLS and a Perfect MANON............2007-07-07

Enough has been written about Beverly Sills and the role of Manon that you already know that she OWNED the role for a long time.

This recording was originally issued on EMI, and I find it unusual that it should have disappeared from that label and it now appears on DG. Although it is strange, we need not worry about that; the main thing here is that the recording is again available to us.

You only really need two copies of Manon...the Victoria De Los Angeles one under Pierre Monteaux, and this one with Sills, Gedda, Bacquier, and Souzay under Julius Rudel. All participants here are simply wonderful, and all in very good voice as it happens! Usually we get a weak link, but somehow, the god's smiled on this effort, and everything came together wonderfully.

This is one of Gedda's efforts that I heartily commend! Simply a great des Griux! Souzay's Lescaut is really a wonderfully smooth, and mellow, performance that you need to hear. Gabriel Bacquier, AS ALWAYS turns in a magnificently commanding performance as Count des Griux. This of course brings us to the role of Manon. Simply stunning would be a great way to say it! Sills is just so real-life-bubbly girlish, and so lovely, that we are swept up in the swirl of mad love, right up to tragedy that comes to her, and the heart-wrenchingly sad finale.

This recording belongs in everyone's collection, right beside the Victoria De Los Angeles one! Enjoy! ~operabruin

For Sills fans, mainly........2006-01-16

As good an ensemble as could be assembled in the more recent past, well conducted by the seasoned Rudel, this 1970 performance stands or falls by one's perception of the two principals.

Nicolaï Gedda (né Ustinov,) b. 1925, half-Swedish, half-Russian, was a fine musician with a highly developped vocal technique. His manner was rather cold, however, and at 45 his lyric voice had lost some of its original bloom. I find his des Grieux rather grim and emphatic, lacking in romantic élan. I much prefer the poetic Henri Legay in the definitive Monteux recording (TESTAMENT.)

Beverly Sills (née Silvermann,) b. 1929, American, studied with Estelle Liebling, a pupil of the legendary Mathilde Marchesi, teacher of Melba, Eames, Kurtz, Alda and many an other French stylist.

Sills new exactly how to sing this music and had the perfect voice and technique for it. Many years of repertory singing in the provinces, often in inappropriately heavy parts (Tosca!) however, had made Sills' voice thin and unsteady by the time she made this recording at age 41. Her interpretation is intense, heartfelt and full of telling dramatic detail, but often heavy-handed and unpleasant on the ear. She is also rather short on the elegance and chimeric charm that characterises the best interpreters of this part (Vallin, Heldy, Féraldy, de los Ángeles.)

The airplane hangar ambience of the recording studio (talk about overresonant!) does not help, either.

Incidentally, the rôle of Lescaut is sung (well) by Gerard SOUZAY.

Gabriel Bacquier sings comte des Grieux--very well indeed.

A Great Recording of an Opera That Should Be Performed More Often.......2005-10-08

Massanet's MANON is a work that is no stranger to the stage in New York City where it has had a glorious history at both the Met and the New York City Opera though this is not the case around the world. Its frequent New York performances may make it Massanet's most staged opera. For those familiar with the work, it is a favorite. It has all the elements that make French opera great, but it is not a work that has familiar excerpts. As a matter of fact, Massanet's bets known melodies are from lesser known works, such as the "Meditation" from THAIS and Porquoi me Revelier" from WERTHER. Yet when MANON is broadcast from the Met or if one takes out a recording, it's easy to understand why this work has been a favorite of so many for over a century and begs the question `Why isn't this work performed more often?'

Like great French opera, MANON is a work that is a bit larger than life, requires exquisite orchestral playing, and of course great singing. This set, originally released by Westminster in the 1970's and re-released by Duetsche Grammophon has it all. The vocal abilities of the three leading performers: Beverly Sills, Nicolai Gedda and Gabriel Bacquier as Manon, des Grieux, and Lescaut respectively are each in top vocal form. Sills herself states that Manon was a role she loved and one that she believed her voice was well suited for, and there can be no disputation when listening to this set. As a conductor, Julius Rudel is at his best. He has great control over the New Philharmonia Orchestra, creating lush sounds that make the recording spectacular and an added, but essential plus would be the outstanding choral performances by the Ambrosian Opera Chorus and the great performances of the smaller roles.

Just about every reviewer, from Amazon reviewers to the critics who write for OPERA NEWS have heralded the new availability of this recording. Listen to it, and you will understand why and echo the many praises of this set.

Enjoy!

Beverly Sills Signature Role.......2004-12-17

Beverly Sills once said that if she was to be remembered for anything, it should be for "Manon". This is the role that catapulted her to opera superstardom. And she made this recording in 1970, when her voice still had all its youthful freshness and vigor, and shows just why Beverly Sills had such a great reputation. It has been said that Massenet wrote for his soprano, and nowhere is that more true than in the title role of this opera. And Sills does the role complete justice, vocally demonstrating in her singing the downfall of Manon from young innocent girl to demimondaine to despair and death. Her rendition of the great aria "Adieu, notre petite table", is incredibly moving. And the rest of the cast is excellent as well. Nicolai Gedda is supremely stylish as Des Grieux, Gabriel Bacquier strong and forthright as his father, and one gets to hear the late Gerard Souzay, famous primarily as a concert artist, singing a rare opera role as Lescaut, Manon's cousin. Julius Rudel conducts cleanly, making the most of Massenet's lush orchestrations. This recording belongs on the shelf of every opera lover.

SILLS MANON RULES! AND DG CD REISSUE SUPERB!.......2004-05-31

(I wrote these words in a review of the Angel/EMI CD reissue that is now out of print) On my select list of favorite complete opera recordings sits Beverly Sills' Manon. I wore out three copies of the vinyl version and the EMI CD reissue was more than welcome in my collection! Bubbles once said this recording came closest to what she did in the theatre, and there simply hasn't been a more vivid and complete a performance, musically, dramatically or otherwise. Vocally everything is top-notch, the supporting cast is superior to anything else on recording and Rudel's pacing is without peer. Brava Manon, Brava Beverly Sills!

Tracks:

Prelude
Lawns of Dawns
On One Is There
Ari's Song
Facing the Wind
Julius Caesar (Memento Hodie)
Frozen Warnings
Evening of Light
Sagen Die Gelehrten [#][*][Outtake]
R Riller [#][Outtake]
Roses in the Snow [Alternate Version][#][*][Outtake]
Nibelungen [Complete Version][#][*][Outtake]
Lawns of Dawns [#][*][Version]
No One Is There [#][*][Version]
Ari's Song [#][*][Version]
Facing the Wind [#][*][Version]
Julius Caesar (Memento Hodie) [*][Version]
Frozen Warnings [#][*][Version]
Evening of Light [#][*][Version]

Tracks:

Janitor of Lunacy
Falconer
My Only Child
Petit Chevalier
Abschied
Afraid
Mein
All That Is My Own
My Only Child [#][*][Demo Version]
Janitor of Lunacy [#][*][Demo Version]
Abscheild Ode (Death/Farewell) [*][Demo Version]
You Are Beautiful (Afraid) [#][*][Demo Version]
Falconer [#][*][Demo Version]
On the Desert Shore (All That Is My Own) [#][*][Demo Version]

Album Description

2007 digitally remastered two CD set that combines the late rock singer's albums The Marble Index (1969) and Desert Shore (1970) plus 17 previously unreleased tracks. The Marble Index, produced by Velvet Underground's John Cale, features an array of bonus tracks as does Desert Shore, which was also produced by Cale with Joe Boyd.. Features in depth liner notes, rare photos and memorabilia. 34 tracks. WEA

Album Details

2007 Digitally Remastered Reissue Combining the Late Enigmatic Rock Singer's Albums "The Marble Index" and "Desert Shore" Into an Expanded 34 Track Essential Double CD Set, featuring 17 Previously Unreleased Tracks. "The Marble Index" Unveiled her Doom-laden, Gothic Persona, Produced by John Cale who Prominently Featured her Deep Vocals, Cryptic Lyrics and Ghostly Harmonium. That Set is Buffered with an Array of Previously Unreleased Outtakes and Alternate Versions. The 1970 Reprise Records Follow-up, "Desert Shore", was Co-produced by Cale and Joe Boyd, Again Expanded Here with Previously Unheard 1969 Album Demos. The Packaging features In-depth Liner Notes and Rarely Seen Photos and Memorabilia. Nico was the Original Goth Rocker and her Albums Are Demanding and Bleak, but Map a Unique and Starkly Powerful Vision that Has Become More Influential with Age. Interest in her Career and as a Fixture on the Andy Warhol / Factory / New York Avant-garde Scene Grows with Each Passing Year.

Customer Reviews:

Makes 2 great albums even better .......2007-07-09

Nico is sort of an acquired taste. If you've already acquired it and have The Marble Index and The Desert Shore, should you buy this? Yes. First of all, Rhino has done their usual fantastic job making the sound quality as good as possible. I didn't think The Marble Index sounded that good on the previous edition of the CD. It does now. It's just magical. Second, The Marble Index now includes Nico's unadorned original takes that were later treated by John Cale. Freed from additional passes through recording equipment, Nico's vocals sound rich, expansive and wonderful. I don't pretend to compare the 2 versions, as both are great, I just like having version A and version B.

Sepulchral, sublime..........2007-04-25

The review by Charles is fairly informative and accurate, so I won't attempt to say much beyond the fact that it is great that a label has seen fit to give the grand remastered reissue treatment with bonus tracks galore to these classic albums. I have bought both of these albums at least three times each over the course of my life: wearing out the original US pressings in the 70s, replacing them with the import vinyl reissues in the 80s, and then the CD versions in the 90s. But this is such a lovely package I don't mind spending the money again on this great music. The added alternate tracks are well worth owning if you already know the original albums: the Marble Index outtakes are first-rate and the Desertshore demos provide a new perspective on that material. The Marble Index still measures up as one of the spookiest records ever recorded. The liner notes and booklet are lovingly and intelligently put together. My single complaint is that I dearly wish they had made one of these discs a CD-ROM or included a DVD so that they could have included the video for the song "Evening Of Light". That video is dizzyingly brilliant, and seldom seen (there was a clip of it in NICO ICON which you can find on YouTube, but it would be great to see the whole video)...

Timeless.......2007-03-17

Nico had three distinct phases in her musical career:

- The Velvet Underground and her first solo effort, featuring many of the musicians from the former;

- the three albums from the late 60s through early 70s (two of which are featured here) along with 1974's The End; and

- everything that came thereafter (many of which were live albums and products of her relentlessly touring).

Briefly, there's not much I can say about the early period that readers aren't already familiar with (or you probably wouldn't be reading this). The later material generally has not garnered much in the way of critical acclaim, but this was due to the fact that many were "unofficial" releases and not really meant to be heard.

The Frozen Borderline: 1968 - 1970 not only re-releases two of her best three albums, but with a plentitude of additional material from these recording sessions. At the time of their original release, they basically went unheard (as unforutately will probably still be the case now). Critics were quite harsh with these Gothic and what they called "depressing" tunes, not realizing then that they had a timelessness about them that holds up all these years. Whereas many albums from the 60s sound horribly dated, Nico wrote music that not only defied the time period from which they came, but all that were to come thereafter.

Interestly, liner notes indicate that four additional tracks were written and recorded for the first of the two albums, The Marble Index, but were deleted because the producers thought that no one could stand listening to more than 30 minutes of this kind of music. How fortunate we are to have the complete album now. And beyond that, 8 of the 9 original tracks are "repeated" via different versions that bring an interesting study to the development of the album.

The second album is Desertshore, the perfect follow-up to The Marble Index, and in many respects, a continuation of the same. The bonus tracks are invaluable... Nico, unaccompanied on demo versions. How rare it is to hear Nico this way... just her voice and the mysterious harmonium that she played! This gives a genuine insight to what she had intended. This isn't to say that John Cale's incredible instrumentation and his presence overall are not great additions to the final products, because indeed they are. In many respects, these albums represent a collaboration between the two, which in part made these albums as great as they are. However, the inclusion of the Nico-only demos serve to show that the original critics were wrong... that Cale didn't write these albums, Nico did, while he enhanced them by adding his magic.

Rounding out the package is an exceptionally informative booklet, although the "rare" photographs certainly would have been better served with additional pages so that they could have been larger. Another quibble is the placement of the "hidden track" at the end of the second disc. One has endure over 5 minutes of silence before this outtake from The Marble Index is finally heard.

Actually, these are probably the most difficult albums to review as there is nothing to compare them to. They are so utterly unique. In fact, this is one of the reasons why they are so timeless. There is nothing like them at this point in time and probably never will be. The best one can do is assure those considering purchasing this set that your money will not be wasted. Also, any "complete" collection of Nico's best work would also have to include The End, where she is backed by the likes of John Cale, Brian Eno and Phil Manzanera... certainly a forgotten masterpiece.

Average customer rating:

A classic
Wonderful Collection of an Angel's Voice
My Melancholy Muse
No, oh please no
i can't believe how much i like this record

Chelsea Girl
Nico
Manufacturer: Polydor / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001FOL
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

The Fairest Of The Seasons
These Days
Little Sister
Winter Song
It Was A Pleasure Then
Chelsea Girls
I'll Keep It With Mine
Somewhere There's A Feather
Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
Eulogy To Lenny Bruce

Customer Reviews:

A classic.......2007-05-24

Nico's impact can still be heard and felt today. The fact that this album was released in 1967 baffles me when you consider the sound of popular music of that time. Nico was a true original, and perhaps one of the first authentic "alternative" artists of our time. This album is beautiful, string-laden and passionate. Nico can make you feel blue without totally bringing you down. Her voice is what it is: imperfect, childlike and yet (most importantly) VERY MUCH HER OWN. Listen with an open mind, don't listen to the Nico nay sayers, and cut the girl a break: she was only trying to infuse some beauty into this ugly little world.

Wonderful Collection of an Angel's Voice.......2007-05-20

This CD contains many lovely songs, Somewhere There's a Feather, Little Sister and many more. Sung by Nico whose distinctive and quite low voice is bliss to the ears.

Her style of music being unique and quite brilliant.

My Melancholy Muse.......2007-01-19

With a voice like a slightly off harmonium (which she frequently played on her subsequent releases), Nico was a total original. After singing a few songs on the Velvet Underground's debut album as their Warhol-implanted chanteuse then getting ousted from the band, Nico recorded this, her debut solo album. The atmosphere throughout "Chelsea Girl" is haunting, mournful and a little mysterious, even when the lyrics of a given song are optimistic or hopeful. However, most of the material she works with here is quite morose. She covers one of Jackson Browne's saddest songs, "These Days", a truly depressive beauty. Stand-out tracks for me include the ode to Andy Warhol's Factory characters "Chelsea Girls" written by sometime lover Lou Reed and the ghostly "Eulogy to Lenny Bruce" by Tim Hardin. This song really gets to me as I know first-hand how the pain of drug addiction affects not just the user but also those close to the addict. The decision to include this song on the album is the very definition of 'ironic' since Nico's struggle with drugs is well documented.

Nico's later releases sound very different from this record as she finds her own voice as a composer and musician. Are they better than this album? I don't really think so. I think that they're all of a piece. But where this album's main instrumentation is guitar, strings and the occasional woodwind, Nico's later, more personal CDs use synthesizers, the aforementioned harmoniums and the like to convey her unique solo compositions. So she started out folky with this one and gradually becomes more avant garde as her career progressed.

No, oh please no.......2006-12-10

There's nothing avant-garde here, and nothing that will benefit from listening with an "open mind". The problem is not that Nico can't sing. In fact she can, a little. The material lacks style, is waaaay over produced and has none of the genius seen in the Velvet Underground album that made her famous. Than goodness she quit that group.

Save your money. The promoters of this nonsense are the kind of people you read about in The Bonfire of the Vanities.

i can't believe how much i like this record.......2006-12-01

i always thought nico was just a beautiful babe andy warhol had stuck the velvet underground with. as a marketing ploy, too spice them up with some sex appeal. that is, until i heard this album (cd) recently. it's a great, unique record. something very different. she sings contempoaray songs circa 1967 in a heavy german accent. songs by jackson browne, lou reed and bob dylan among others. strangely it works. brilliantly. it's sexy, mysterious, melancholy and timeless. it lingers in the mind. the haunting sense of both sadness and timelessness. almost mournful. quite an achievement for the beautiful babe andy stuck the velvets with. this is one of the best generally unknown great albums of the 1960s. i wasn't familiar with it and i grew up in the 60s and was a big velvet underground fan. check it out. you wont be sorry you did.

The Nativity Story: Original Motion Picture Score

Average customer rating:

Worth the price of the CD
Beautiful!
Better Than Most Soundtracks Lately, but Too Solemn in Every Song
CHILLING SCORE TO ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Nativity Story: Original Motion Picture Score

Manufacturer: New Line Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Nativity Story: Sacred Songs
The Nativity Story
Apocalypto
Blood Diamond
Eragon (Soundtrack)

ASIN: B000JMKJDW
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Tracks:

Veni, Veni Emanuel
Words Of The Prophet
Nazareth
You Shall Be His Wife
The Annunciation
To Elizabeth
The Magi
Why Is It Me?
Corde Natus Ex Parentis
Return Of Mary
I've Broken No Vow
Census
The Journey
Give Me A Sign
The Shepherd
And Thou Bethlehem
Is There A Place For Us?
A Star Shall Come Forth
I Bring You Good Tidings
The Strength I Prayed For
The Shepherd's Gift
In Rosa Vernat Lilium
Silens Nox
Rosa Aeterna Floret

Amazon.com

In the beginning, soundtracks to Biblical movies adhered to a Hollywood template with more fidelity than most people attend to the Ten Commandments. The first commandment of Biblical film scores was: "Thou shalt render orchestral grandeur unto the epic as did Elmer Bernstein on The Ten Commandments and Miklos Rozsa on Ben-Hur." Peter Gabriel's score to The Last Temptation of Christ, released as Passion, changed all that like the Second Coming. His mix of world-music elements, wailing singers, and otherworldly electronics prevailed, influencing countless film scores and emulated to almost plagiaristic perfection by John Debney's soundtrack for The Passion of the Christ. Mychael Danna departs from that path on The Nativity Story, the 2006 film interpretation of Mary's journey. His sound is more medieval and classical than Middle Eastern. Rather than blowing Turkish duduks à la Gabriel and Debney, he uses recorders and wood flutes. He likes building from simple folk themes to extravagant expanses where a lone flute segues into a sweeping string arrangement that morphs into slowly cascading voices. He taps into Gregorian chant and plainsong, and even when he uses Persian vocalist Azam Ali (from Vas and Niyaz), he has her singing an Abbess Hildegard-style hymn called "Nazareth." But this is a Hollywood Biblical epic and Danna bends to another commandment of the genre: "Thou shalt wring tears and awe-inspired wonder." You don't need to see the film to know that the heavens must be opening--as they only do in Hollywood--on "And Thou Bethlehem." Danna's The Nativity Story isn't a sea change like Gabriel, but it is a new tributary. --John Diliberto

Album Description

This score follows not only Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem, but the centuries of musical reverberations thereafter. It plants its humble seeds in the Middle East where the gentle tones of Persian and Turkish ney flutes articulate melodic figures, and strident Roman horns and drums bind Herod the Great's soldiers to the military terminology of the age. The score then blossoms from these seeds, extending its tendrils across centuries of European traditions. Pre-Baroque instruments such as viola da gamba, vielle, harp, and recorders guide the score westward with the elemental sounds of strings and winds. The second half of the soundtrack covers Mary's isolation and her relationship with Joseph by weaving throughout the choral writing and knitting the work together into a dramatic, reverent whole.

Customer Reviews:

Worth the price of the CD.......2007-03-05

This soundtrack has THE most beautiful version of Silent Night I've ever heard; it's worth the price of the CD just to get that track. (Since the choral portion of the track is sung in Latin, it's called Silens Nox.) When I heard it in the movie, I immediately thrilled to it--it was so gorgeous I wanted to close my eyes and just drink in that glorious music...Bravo!

Beautiful!.......2007-02-22

This CD is the actual movie score containing all the beautiful music you heard throughout! It's soothing to listen to even when it's not the Christmas season!

Better Than Most Soundtracks Lately, but Too Solemn in Every Song.......2007-01-15

THE NATIVITY STORY SOUNDTRACK is a very good CD, but the songs don't stand alone as being great tunes all by themselves, just very decent tunes. The mood of the CD is very somber and solemn throughout, which is okay, but it would have benefited more if there were a bit more variety in the mood, across the entire CD.

THE NATIVITY STORY SOUNDTRACK is better than most CD soundtracks from other films, these days, but it still doesn't have too many memorable melodies to let the listener recognize which song is which.

Sometimes the music uses a hint of a classic Christmas carol, which is always the most distinguishable element of any of the songs. To be fair, this is a movie SOUNDTRACK of background music, and even though the best movie soundtracks contain famous melodies that are instantly recognizeable, (like STAR WARS or JAWS, among others), these most famous melodies are exceptions to the rule. These days, most soundtracks are just lucky to be decent souvenirs of the movie experience, until the film itself is finally released on DVD for home viewing.

If I didn't know this was the soundtrack to this great, underrated, and little seen movie, THE NATIVITY STORY, then I wouldn't be so interested in listening to this soundtrack at all. As it is, I like this CD as a way to help support the movie itself, and to listen to it around other folks, to help remind them that they need to eventually see this film.

I like listening to the CD the best using the back of the CD's song listing, so that I know which songs go with which scene from the film, using my memory. This helps to put the songs in perspective. Otherwise, all the songs start to become one long, indistinguishable session across the entire CD.

Though this soundtrack mostly lacks any really great melodies to use as landmarks throughout the CD, the instrumentation is VERY interesting and expertly researched and arranged! They use a lot of Middle Eastern musical instruments, with a touch of modern recording equipment tricks, and the sound itself is very pleasing and reverent.

I like seeing the film more than I like just listening to the soundtrack at home, of course, but unless I am reading THE NATIVITY STORY NOVEL, or looking through THE NATIVITY STORY GIFT BOOK, then I don't get much listening time out of this CD.

If you are wanting to get THE NATIVITY STORY experience at home, while waiting for the DVD release, then I would recommend THE NATIVITY STORY NOVEL, which has the whole story, and tons of great, extra Bible times details mixed into the story. You will learn a lot about the ancient times and customs and culture from THE NATIVITY STORY NOVEL. I like THE NATIVITY STORY NOVEL even better than the soundtrack, as far as movie souvenirs at home are concerned.

THE NATIVITY STORY GIFT BOOK is not as good as the STORY NOVEL. The GIFT BOOK has one large photo on most pages, but most of the chosen photos have already been used extensively in what little movie promotion was used, so you might not feel like you're seeing anything new, that hasn't already been seen online or in movie review photos. Most of the photos that are used are not very good at showing the movie scenes and events. The STORY NOVEL will ADD to your understanding of THE NATIVITY STORY in a way that the GIFT BOOK and MOVIE SOUNDTRACK do not.

CHILLING SCORE TO ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-12-12

I SAW THE MOVIE AND I WAS BLOWN AWAY, BUT IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS MEMORABLE WITHOUT A GREAT SCORE TO HELP CARRY IT. TELLING THIS STORY ALONE IS POWERFUL ALL BY ITSELF, BUT THE POINT OF THIS MOVIE WAS TO CAPTURE PEOPLE IN WAY LIKE NEVER BEFORE, THIS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE WITHOUT THIS AMAZING SCORE. IT HELPED CARRY THE EMOTIONS OF THE CHARACTERS AND CREATE A HAUNTING MOOD FOR EACH SCENE. I WOULD NOT HAVE CRIED THE WAY I DID AT THE END WHEN JOSEPH IS CARRING MARY LOOKING FOR A ROOM IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THE MUSIC SURROUNDING THIS SCENE WHICH SLOWLY TURNED FROM A MUSICAL PIECE TO CREATE SUSPENSE INTO A RIVITING VERSION OF CAROL OF THE BELLS. IT WAS SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL.
FROM THE MOMENT THE CREDITS OPENED TO THE ENDING CREDITS, THE MUSIC WAS INCREDIBLE INTENSE AND WORKED VERY WELL WITH EACH SCENE. SINCE THE MOVIE AND THE SOUNDTRACK, THIS MUSIC HAS LIVED INSIDE ME. THIS SOUNDTRACK IS ONE NOT TO BE MISSED. TRUST ME, YOUR CHRISTMAS MUSIC COLLECTION IS NOT COMPLETE WITHOUT THIS SCORE WHICH DOES AN IMMACULATE JOB OF REMINDING US OF THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD. BLESS ALL OF YOU OUT THERE, AND HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS. PLEASE GO SEE THIS MOVIE AND THEN GO BUY THE SOUNDTRACK.

Average customer rating:

Very Good
shannon hoon from heaven
Breathtaking
Beautiful Music
One of the best albums eva!!!

Nico
Blind Melon
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Soup
Blind Melon
Blind Melon - Letters from a Porcupine
The Best of Blind Melon
Live at the Metro, September 27, 1995

ASIN: B000002U4E
Release Date: 1996-11-12

Tracks:

The Pusher
Hell
Soup
No Rain (Ripped Away Version)
Soul One
John Sinclair
All That I Need
Glitch
Life Ain't So Shitty
Swallowed
Pull
St. Andrew's Hall
Letters From A Porcupine

Customer Reviews:

Very Good.......2006-04-30

even though this is just a tribute to hoon, and of course nico, it is still one of the best "alt" albums of the 90s. I am going to put what i think of their albums in the category of 1 being the worst and 10 being the best:

Blind Melon (1992) 9/10

Soup (1995) 9/10 (because they didn't even put "soup" on the album!)

Nico (1996) 10/10

shannon hoon from heaven .......2005-12-31

"nico" the name given to shannon hoon's baby girl i think the front cover is a photo of shannon but not 100 perecent certain so don't qoute me on that any down to the review blind melon will always be remebered for that song "no rain" and the bubble-bee girl..but they were more than one song they were a unit that made beautiful music that settles nicely in your soul..
this album features two covers one of the steppenwolf classic
"the pusher" shannon hoon do the best cover i've ever heard
and the cover of the protest song vwritten by the late great john winston lennon "john sinclair"
this album features the title song not featured on the album "soup"
and too end this album perfectly you get a phone in song by shannon only with a guitar..recorded onto an answer phone beautiful!!!! a classic post-humourous album compiled lovingly by blind melon to honour shanoon hoon and dedicated to the nico blue

Breathtaking.......2004-03-26

I would have to say that this is by all means my best and most used cd ever bought. Shannon was an amazing performer, he and the rest of the band(Rogers,Christopher,Brad,and Glen)were so under-rated that it makes me sick every time i hear them. I have been a die-hard fan for about 5 years now and i just can't get tired of their beautiful and touching music. Its like nothing else, forget "No Rain",listening to Blind Melon makes you close your eyes and it warms you inside. Their talent was unbelievable along with their music. I only wish they Shannon was here now to make some more real music. He is deeply missed by us fans.

Oh yea you have to buy this cd. Trust me you can't help but love it.

Beautiful Music.......2003-08-05

The first time I heard this album was when a friend lent it to me. I was on my way to work and put it in the cd player. Two weeks later, there it remained. I can't describe how incredible their music is, I'm sure you'll agree. Shannon had a gift, a beautiful gift. I'm just glad he got to share a little bit of that gift with the world. The band made this cd for us, the fans, and for Nico Blue. Maybe, one day, she will be able to use this disc to see a glimpse of who her father was. There are three guarantees in life--you'll live, you'll die, you'll love this cd.
RIP Shannon

One of the best albums eva!!!.......2003-07-22

We all know how good of a band Blind Melon is/was. They live forever and Shannon's vocals are just angelical and beautiful! A masterpiece, a MUST!
RIP Shannon. You are terribly missed >:D <

Average customer rating:

Speaks at low volume
An amazing debut album

Speaks Volumes
Nico Muhly
Manufacturer: Bedroom Community
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Volta
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
The Witches of Venice
Call Me by Your Name: A Novel
Songs by Mahler, Handel & Peter Lieberson

ASIN: B000KCHW2W
Release Date: 2007-01-23

Tracks:

Clear Music
It Goes Without Saying
Honest Music
Quiet Music
Pillaging Music
Hudson Cycle
Keep in Touch

Customer Reviews:

Speaks at low volume.......2007-04-22

This debut disk has gotten a lot of hype, but it's hard to hear why. The music is spare and pretty, but not a whole lot more. Well, it is Arty with a capital A but it almost sounds like the main concern is not to do anything aesthetically uncool, rather than to really try anything or take a risk. There are a few odd touches, like having the clarinettist miked so closely that the clacking of the keys sounds like tap dancing. That made me want to turn down the volume.

An amazing debut album.......2007-04-15

Nico Mulhy's "Speaks Volumes" is an amazing collection of diverse, beautiful works for small chamber ensemble. Covering an amazingly wide range of styles, the album's tracks betray the composer's own unique biography: Columbia University English major, Julliard Composition student, collaborator with both Bjork and Antony and the Johnsons, and accomplished percussionist and keyboard player. Most of all, his six-year stint as an editor and performer with the Philip Glass ensemble shines through. Deliberate, serious, and sparse, "Speaks Volumes" is loud and clear.

Average customer rating:

Very stirring Spanish music
Everything you want it to be
Excellent sound track
"Horner, the legend has returned!"
Great Fun!

The Legend of Zorro

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Mask Of Zorro: Music From The Motion Picture
Memoirs of a Geisha
King Kong
Munich
Superman Returns

ASIN: B000BF0DTC
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Tracks:

Collecting The Ballots
Stolen Votes
To The Governor's... And Then Elena
This Is Who I Am
Classroom Justice
The Cortez Ranch
A Proposal With Pearls/Perilous Times
Joaquin's Capture And Zorro's Rescue
Jailbreak/Reunited
A Dinner Of Pigeon/Setting The Explosives
Mad Dash/Zorro Unmasked
Just One Drop Of Nitro
The Train
Statehood Proclaimed
My Family Is My Life...

Customer Reviews:

Very stirring Spanish music.......2007-01-10

This CD makes you want to put a rose in your teeth and flamenco dance.

Everything you want it to be.......2006-04-20

I just bought this soundtrack last night after listening to bits of it on iTunes, and it is such a beautiful score. I've seen the film... gosh, I don't keep count anymore, but every time, I always take in the music. And how can you not? James Horner is a wonderful composer, yet the music seems to take on a life of its own.
The opening number gets you right away: the Spanish-style guitar strum, the frenzied tap dance, and the horns. One thing you can definitely credit music to do is build, be it suspense or emotion. The tap dance builds and builds until the guitar takes over.
The second number begins with drums like thunderclaps, violins still keeping the tension. The horns and claps enter, and you have Zorro's theme again. Percussion picks back up around the two-minute mark, and it keeps a nice tempo.
I like to think that this soundtrack is like a Spanish version of Pirates of the Caribbean, another of my favorite films. But the horns always let you know, with special clarity, that this is Zorro.
Whether or not this soundtrack is good is entirely up to the person listening. Then again, if you don't like it, why are you listening in the first place? If you want to hate it, then it's terrible. But if you appreciate all the orchestrations, this soundtrack is a masterpiece. Enjoy.

Excellent sound track.......2006-02-24

The soundtrack for the movie "Legend of Zorro" is far and away greater than the soundtrack for the original movie. It is the perfect piece for putting on in the background while you work or resting your thoughts. There is just the feeling of a fine wine when it's playing. I love the Spainish sound of guitar and orchestration. My office partner finds it wonderful to listen to also. For those who like soundtracks this is a must, and if you just like wonderful music, again, it is a must.

"Horner, the legend has returned!".......2006-02-08

With "Collecting the Ballots" we are reintroduced to the awesome prelude Horner composed for The Mask of Zorro. The difference is that after the tap dancing and clapping, there's no loud bang of the main theme. The theme is expanded a bit and later makes its soft, heroic appearance.

The talk and hype of this album is the longest track: "The Train." Horner composes many long tracks for other works but this is one of, if not, his longest action track to date. It starts hard and fast with a Spanish trumpet, tapping and percussion all leading up to the very Spanish, fun Zorro theme at the 1-minute mark. From there it's non-stop action to the very end. This is one sweeping, swashbuckling ride of a score.

If you enjoyed the first Zorro music, you'll enjoy this one. However, there are no new themes only a multiple amount of use of the romantic theme from the first Zorro. This could be good or bad. It depends on your taste.

The action tracks really make this an awesome score. It's difficult to pick one composition over the over; Mask of Zorro or Legend of Zorro?

This is James Horner's best action score of the year. Add this one to your collection!

Great Fun!.......2005-11-23

"The Legend of Zorro"
The movie comes at an unusual time, seven years after it's predecessor. Why one only has to wonder what took them so long to get around to it, it's provided us with a new James Horner score at the very least. The first score was one of his best action scores... fun, inventive, and with excellent themes. Everyone raved about Horner's creativity, how much different it was from the rest of his work. He's now returned for a sequel (he doesn't do many of those, he's only scored sequels for "An American Tail", "Cocoon", "48 Hrs" and "Star Trek") to "Zorro" and like his other sequel scores ("An American Tail 2" excepted), it's quite similar to the first one. The opening track, "Collecting the Ballots" begins with the same hard guitar strum as the first, and the notes of clapping that follow are identical to the original score as well... fortunately, it's not a complete repeat after that. The same themes are utilized throughout the score, there's no significant new ones (aside from a "false love theme", you'll understand when you see the movie), but Horner uses them in different enough ways to make this score interesting. The instrumentation is the same (clapping hands, stomping feet, tambourines, guitars, ethnic pipes, and blaring horns) but the rhythms and paces are different.

The overall feel of the score is slightly more playful than the original, but it never feels cartoonish. It's simply more fun and less threatening than the original score. Whether this is a pro or con I will leave up to you. The love theme is used more often than the main theme this time around, and it's featured in stunning arrangements several times, but the focus of this score is action music. The action is a lot of fun, and if you enjoyed the first score, you will likely enjoy this one as well. The album is refreshingly free of Horner's cliches while simultaneously sounding like a Horner score... mostly. The highlight track of the album, and there are a few to choose from, is probably "The Train". The longest cue, it's a nearly non-stop action piece that is superbly exciting and epic in structure. Near the end, though, it seems that Horner got so creative he actually jumps out of his own musical borders and seems to be channeling John Williams in "Revenge of the Sith" mode, without ever directly stealing from him. Fascinating. Another bonus is that we have no annoying pop song here, rather, we get an end credits suite (My Family is My Life) that goes back and forth between the main theme and the love theme in various forms. As you probably have noticed, Horner likes to end his scores on a quiet note... his end credits tend to finish the themes, and then fade off into oblivion with quiet, gentle, wandering strings or flutes. Not here. In a bold move not heard since the likes of "Star Trek" or "The Rocketeer" (some might include "Ransom"), Horner brings his score to a close with a mighty brass trill, finishing off his action adventure with a bang. Cool!

Okay, I'll stop raving and make my obligatory complaints. The score is only prevented from reaching a five-star level due to it's derivative nature. There are no new themes here of note, and a novice might have a hard time telling it from the original. But on it's own, it's excellent, and unlike John William's second "Harry Potter" score, this is a score that doesn't pale in comparison to the original. It may not have quite as many highlights as the original score, but it's a more consistently well-written and quality listen. Plus the end credits suite is far more satisfying than that silly song. I've heard better scores this year in "Kingdom of Heaven", "Hostage", "Star Wars", "The Greatest Game Ever Played", "Corpse Bride", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", and others, but few of them have been as much pure orchestral fun as "The Legend of Zorro." Recommended.
Rating: ****

Average customer rating:

Nico ueber alles!
You will know me again
Incredible..Unique...Unclassifiable..Brilliant...Troubled
The end, my friend
Focusing On Running Down the Drain--Haunting Nico

The End
Nico
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001E2U
Release Date: 1994-03-01

Tracks:

It Has Not Taken Long
Secret Side
You Forgot To Answer
Innocent And Vain
Valley Of The Kings
We've Got The Gold
The End
Das Lied Der Deutschen

Customer Reviews:

Nico ueber alles!.......2007-03-28

Nico on voice and harmonium is assisted by Phil Manzanera on guitar, Eno on synths and producer John Cale on a range of instruments including bass, xylophone, organ, glockenspiel and piano. Together they create a bleak and chilling musical landscape for Nico's funereal vocals.

All compositions are by Nico, except The End by The Doors and Das Lied Der Deutschen by German romantic composer August Heinrich von Fallersleben. If her contributions to the Velvet Underground were melancholy, this music is way beyond lugubrious, but quite listenable on account of the great arrangements.

Of her own songs, the atmospheric You Forget To Answer, the frightening Innocent And Vain with its terrifying sound efects and the morbid Valley Of The Kings stand out; they all fall within the realm of the art song. Nico's accented pronunciation contributes to the almost classical feel.

The End and Das Lied Der Deutschen are something else. The first is well-produced, as awesome as the original and serves as a suitable introduction to the second, which is the highlight, or lowlight, of the album. Scary stuff, not for the faint of heart. To hear Nico rocking out, I recommend the album Drama Of Exile.

Nico, Songs They Never Play on the Radio

Drama of Exile (Remixed)

The Velvet Underground & Nico

You will know me again.......2006-01-18

One of Nico's best albums to date, ''The End'' was again produced by Cale, with help from mate Brian Eno and Roxy Music's Manzanera. Nico's music is still minimal, cold, full of fine synth textures and her spectral harmonica sounding in the middle of it all. The songwriting is among her strongest (''Secret Side'', ''You Forget The Answer''), and her take on the German anthem is a true reconstruction of the song, scary yet beautiful. Her cover version of the Doors-penned title track is a little bit too long, but the overall results of the record are impressive. Among the best and most innovative things I've heard in pop music, ever.

Incredible..Unique...Unclassifiable..Brilliant...Troubled.......2005-10-08

This isn't a CD: it's an experience. I actually saw and met the Mk. 1 Nico (blonde Velvet Underground days) and I can give you some depressing news: she was even more beautiful in person than any picture I have ever seen. She was stunning. And this is, without question, the top of her career...and it was also the beginning of a fall she began years before. The material on this CD isn't by any description "rock and roll"; I don't know what kind of music it is, unless that would be German Music. There's a Teutonic part of this I think only us traditionally morose Germans get. The lyrics are metaphorical, psychedelic, ancient. Her voice is perfect for each one, including a Doors song (a tribute to her short stand with Jim?)and Das Lied der Deutchen, which for you young kids was the German national anthem when Hitler led the country. Nuff said? Some people don't like her voice; some say she has no voice. To me, this is a masterpiece which shows what she, John Cale and Eno could do when there truly was no agenda. May Christa Paffgen (her real name) live on more happily now than when she existed on this earth. And for a real trip, listen to "The Valley of the Kings" with headphones on a dark , quiet night.

The end, my friend.......2005-02-14

Ex-Velvet Underground singer Nico was one of the most entrancing pop singers of the 20th century. And the most enigmatic. In "The End," Nico put her talents to use in a series of dark, dreamlike songs that center on death, loneliness, despair and capture.

It opens on a note that sounds almost whimsical, like a xylophone being stroked. Pretty, and a bit delicate... until you realize that Nico is singing ominously about hunters, swords and bleeding. The next few songs have a more stately musical sound, and tend to focus more on typical pop problems, like lovers who don't listen.

But that vaguely savage element comes back in in the synthy organ ballad "Innocent and Vain," where she sings, "I am a savage violator/A valet innocent and vain." But the oddest track is also best -- Nico does a defiant cover of the Doors' "The End," which may be even better than the original. Her smoky, eerie style turns Jim Morrison's opus into a beautiful sonic nightmare.

One would think that after a band like the Velvet Underground, there would be no place to go but down. Surprisingly, Nico does far better as a solo artist than she did with the legendary Lou Reed-led band -- they tend to be slower, thicker and darker.

Nico's vocals really shouldn't be as good as they are -- she rarely lifted herself out of her thickly-accented monotone, and tended to sing as if she didn't want to bother. However, there's a strange allure to her singing style, which manages to rescue mediocre songwriting like, "We've got the gold, we do not seem too old." Whatever that means.

Nico also played the harmonium, backed by Eno's synths and her ex-bandmate John Cale who played... well, quite a few instruments, including the xylophone, glockenspiel, piano and more synth. This tangle of instrumentation makes the music sound rich, twisty and almost orchestral, but with more darkness and flexibility.

Nico's own end came far too soon, but her beautiful "End" is still with us. Definitely worth checking out.

Focusing On Running Down the Drain--Haunting Nico.......2004-06-15

These songs are far from depressing. They are evocative, threatening, and they always fill me with light. Granted, they are savage and sparse. They aren't pop songs for happy little people to hum around the water cooler. Most obsessives of Nico have a bit of experience with dark, desperate modes of being. Hell, who doesn't? She isn't a camp picnic for most folks because...well, I don't know why, exactly. Her voice is often majestic and pure. Her lyrics are quite poetic and wonderfully strange. I understand that hers is the number one most requested music at birthday parties for those under 6. That may be just hearsay, though. I dunno.

"It Has Not Taken Long" has the sounds of scraping knives throughout. It is creepy and makes me think of what purpose those knives are meant to be put to. Her lyrics are documents. They evoke circumstances. There is history in her utterances--the kind with carnage and sacrifice. Nothing is watered down.

Tracks:

Sunday Morning
I'm Waiting For The Man
Femme Fatale
Venus In Furs
Run Run Run
All Tomorrow's Parties
Heroin
There She Goes Again
I'll Be Your Mirror
The Black Angel's Death Song
European Son
Little Sister
Winter Song
It Was A Pleasure Then
Chelsea Girls
Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

Tracks:

Sunday Morning
I'm Waiting For The Man
Female Fatale
Venus In Furs
Run Run Run
All Tomorrow's Parties
Heroin
There She Goes Again
I'll Be Your Mirror
The Black Angel's Death Song
European Son
All Tomorrow's Parties
I'll Be Your Mirror
Sunday Morning
Femme Fatale

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

One of the Birthplaces of Modern Rock!.......2007-06-17

It has to be historically accepted that The Velvet Underground & Nico is one of the most inspirational and crucial albums ever made in rock 'n' roll history. This new deluxe edition has great additional features with Nico's voice as well as fine mono versions of the stereo versions of the original album.
This album was released before other masterpieces of other groups were released. Examples are the following: The Beatles-Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Doors(self-titled album), Pink Floyd-Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and Jimi Hendrix-Are You Experienced? However, hardly sold; it only reached 199 on the charts. Well, it just goes to show that commercial success and artistic merit do not always go hand in hand.

This album has one of the most groundbreaking songs of all time, "Heroin". It starts off quiet and slow, then it goes faster during the first verse. During the second and third verses, it does the same thing. Then, in the fourth verse where Lou Reed sings 'Heroin', John Cale starts to play his viola like a buzzing chainsaw. He does this until Lou Reed sings the last line of the song, 'Oh and I guess that I just don't know'. Finally, the song is fairly calm and slow again.
All of this is execeptional for this avant-garde type of music. All the songs on this album are great. A few in particular which I like besides "Heroin" are "Venus in Furs", "I'm Waiting For My Man", "Run, Run, Run", "All Tomorrow's Parties", "The Black Angels Death Song", and "European Son". Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker, and Nico demonstrate that you do not need to play exact same instruments over and over again or have a clean and clear signing voice to be a fine rock 'n' roll band.
They were the kind of musicians who thought outside the box and challenged the way rock 'n' roll should be played.

Lou Reed is one of the first artists to treat rock 'n' roll as an art. He uses just about any kind of instruments in his songs as well as writing poetic lyrics. We should get back to the song "Heroin".
In the first verse he sings,
'I don't know just where I'm going
But I'm gonna try for the kingdom if I can
'Cause it makes me feel like I'm a man
When I put a spike into my vein
Then I tell you things aren't quite the same
When I'm rushing on my run
And I feel like Jesus' son
And I guess that I just don't know
And I guess that I just don't know'
In my opinion, Lou gives you an impression or surreal situation about what a person experiences and feels after he/she injects heroin inside his/her body.
Do doubt has this song changed songwriting from then on!

This band is extremely fortunate to have a man like Andy Warhol as their friend and motivator. He designed an innovative album jacket. You see this white album with Andy Warhol's name and a banana on the front. In the upper right hand corner, you read, 'Peel Slowly and See'. [...]

Well, I would say that since its release in March of 1967, it has gradually had a huge influence on musicians that would follow: The Stooges, Queen, KISS, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, The New York Dolls, Blondie, The Ramones, Television, Jane's Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, INXS, Devo, Marilyn Manson, Sonic Youth, REM, David Bowie, U2, Jesus and Mary Chain, and others.
This is why I think this is one of the places where modern rock started!

You'll Want To Hear It Two Times In A Row Anyway... .......2006-05-07

All agree that listening to the mono and stereo sides are a completely different experience..also, the Nico tracks are fine,as is her entire Chelsea Girl album...the 45's are a great bonus and the booklet with lyrics and overall packaging (slick lamination harking back to those European import albums of long ago) peel-able banana is good and a total anachronistic trip faithful to the original.
The anti-elitists Elitists 1st offering.
You can't go wrong.

Mono is better.......2005-07-19

After buying the lp, the first cd and the box set, I've been hard pressed at justifying this purchase. I spotted a used copy at the local swap shop; the guy at the counter asked (in so many words) "Is this really going to improve your love life?" No, and it won't get me into a band with Brian Eno either.

But I've always found the standard release of this classic album pretty brittle on the sonic side, especially on Nico's numbers. So when I read that there was an "original mono" version of the disc, I've really been curious as to whether this would be any significant improvement.

It is. Nothing is ever going to turn the original primitive tapes into ECM ambiance, but it is also clear that Tom Wilson's stereo re-mix was enough to edge lo-fi into no-fi back when. Besides some noticable reduction of distortion, the guitars are now front and center, while the vocals sound stronger.

Is it worth the extra purchase? Hard to say. It would be nice if the mono version was available as a single disc, or part of the box set. If you are a hard core VU fan you should try to hear this version sometime.

The ESSENTIAL starting point.......2005-04-19

This 2CD reissue contains all of the original lineup's commercially released recordings. Period. That includes Stereo and Mono mixes in addition to all of the 45rpm singles & B-sides. The singles & B-sides ARE different than the "LP" mono versions, both in length and the mix. Your VU collection should, without question, begin with this 2CD set.

Personally, I think the Mono mixes sound better than Stereo mixes!

To the reviewer who said NOT to buy this reissue, the reason why the Nico solo tracks were included was because Lou, Cale, and Sterling had a lot to do with those tracks, from the writing to the production. You are right, Nico's work needs to stand alone to be truly appreciated, but those tracks from Chelsea Girl are basically the result of a VU "side-project." It worked, too.

There are a number of people selling this for well below its original $25+ price tag. Take advantage and make the purchase.

Listen Slowly And See.......2003-07-10

This album is great. Lou Reed's vocals and guitar playing is top notch. John Cale's viola and bass add something extra and unique. Moe Tucker's uncanny drumming skills are great. Sterling Morrison's lead guitar is excellent. This album is an essential recording of '60s rock 'n' roll. Granted the stereo and mono versions may be a bit much for just a casual fan but some songs just sound better mono and some sound better stereo. Also the addition of the Nico tracks are a plus. If you like The Who, The Rollings Stones, or The Kinks do yourself a favor and check this out.

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