TS: Nico's Marble Index vs. Desert Shore vs. The End

For those who might be interested, and who might not have known about this: In the Autumn of 2012, there were 2 worthwhile Nico CD releases. A 2-disc Remastered edition of The End, part 3 of the trilogy, was released; the 2nd disc focuses on Nico’s 2 appearances on John Peel’s show (her appearances in, I think, 1971 and 1974). The other release was Reims Cathedral - December 13, 1974, her live performance where she performs many of her songs from the trilogy. About the latter of the two releases, a few people have complained about the sound quality. Personally, I don’t think anyone should expect the audio to rival today’s digital recording standards. FWIW: My opinion, as I have both of these CD releases: Any problems with the live recording are more than made up for with Nico’s stunning musical performances. But that’s just my opinion.

Introduced to this in Something in the Air, the Assayas film this year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TjlhB9nvGg

Read yesterday that it's about Nico.

Read yesterday that it's about Nico.

Yeah, I've heard that Ayers had (at least) one song that was reportedly about Nico. I can't remember for sure which song it was I've heard mentioned in this regard but, "Decadence" is probably it.

Desertshore > Marble Index > The End

Nico would have turned 75 on Oct. 16, 2013. Earlier this year, John Cale mounted a Nico tribute show at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). I will now try to post a video of John Cale (from around the time of this tribute show) talking about Nico and her music. (If this video fails to post, I’ll have to post the link to video on YouTube.)

OK, here's my attempt to post the video:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8iGrZxEQPZY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Well, that doesn't seem to have worked.

Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iGrZxEQPZY

Well now, what do you know? Posting just the web link (without trying to embed the video) seems to have posted the video.

jesus christ the end is incredible

i like how each record seems to refine the previous

(Well, I do hope the video will successfully post this time, for this post.)

Christmas wouldn’t really be Christmas without some Nico, now would it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5WlUKxLKT4

ROME — Nico, the late German chanteuse who was among Andy Warhol’s muses and sang with the Velvet Underground, is getting the biopic treatment. The 1960s cult pop culture figure will be played by Denmark’s Trine Dyrholm, winner of this year’s Berlin Silver Bear for best actress.
Italian director Susanna Nicchiarelli, known on the festival circuit for her standout debut “Cosmonauta,” will start shooting Nov. 7 in Italy on the film, which is about Nico’s later years, titled “Nico, 1988.”

Nico, Cult Singer With Velvet Underground, Set for Biopic

Marble Index is on the short list of my favorite albums of all time; it absolutely towers over everything else she ever recorded IMO

Agree with the former, but definitely disagree with the latter: Desertshore for one takes Marble Index into a whole new sinister dimension. Gutwrenching. Few records throw me off completely like Desertshore does.

Marble Index is easily her best, IMO.

Bollocks

― Le petit chat est mort (Tom D.), Monday, 11 February 2013 13:40 (three years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Glad to have all 3. Now just wish I knew where they were. Not listened to Desertshore in a while. But do love Marbel INdex adn a lot of The End. Not the title track too much though. But Secret Side etc are really haunting.

The recently released '71 Peepl session is the best I've ever heard her voice

http://lightintheattic.net/releases/2142-bbc-session-1971

Amazing, I did not know of that release, thanks so much!

Secret side is on the '71 Peel session. It's also on the End. Is the Peel session just her plus harmonium?

Yes, it's just her and harmonium. Her singing is almost warm, and she sounds almost content, albeit with her own malcontent compositions. I feel like Peel caught her just as she was believing in herself as a songwriter, and more familiar with her creations than when she first committed them to tape.

Greetings all.

October 16, 2018 marked the 80th anniversary of Nico's birth. Does anyone know if any musical commemorations/tributes of this anniversary took place?

I think some tribute concerts took place for both the 70th and 75th anniversaries of Nico's birth, but I hadn't heard about any for the 80th anniversary.