(Time for another remake and repost. Though a favorite of mine this is an LP I'm having a hard time getting my friends to like. Some shy away because they find it too wierd while others prefer her treated more gently, as by John Cale. It's hard to catalog since it could be tagged art, punk, new wave, psych or world music, or all those together. In any case I can't stop flaunting it, hoping to win over at least a few more souls for this gem...and here I go again... ) When this album is mentioned it's almost always about Nicos drug use that period or the disappearence of the original master tapes - who stole/mislaid/lost them and why. There are also different stories/legends about how many versions were made, when and where they were issued, and who had the rights to the tapes. This is about the first recorded version. Her other solo albums were all produced by John Cale with about the same result - slow and depressing with lot's of harmonium and hardly any drums. The premiere recording of this LP was handeled by bassist Philippe Quilichini and has both up-tempo drumming and a middle-eastern rythm section. Production is almost light at parts, wich provides a perfect balance to Nicos songs and her dark tattered voice. Instrumentation is sparse - bass, drums, guitar, keyboard, saxophone, bouzouki and snitra (arabian mandolin). Guitarist Mohammad Hadi is top class with a style much reminding of Robert Fripp, both in riffs and solos. Keyboards are handeled by Andy Clark - former "Clark Hutchinson" and known for his excellent work on Bowie's "Scary Monsters". David Payne (from Ian Dury's band) plays sax on a few tracks. I think it's a marvellous album with Nico finally getting the backing her music craves. It's not actual rock'n'roll, but as close as you can get with her songs. The two cover tracks - "Heroes" and "Waiting For the Man" - are absolute magic. Together with those my favorite tracks would be "One More Chance" and "Henry Hudson". The whole atmosphere is very much like Bowie's "Lodger" or "Scary Monsters", but darker and more sincere. Given time I'm sure it will be regarded as a true classic and I recommend it with all my heart. Originally released in Holland and Sweden only. Most later issues on vinyl and CD came with different tracking and/or other mixes and/or added reverb. If you wanna compare - the audio here is very distinct with prominent bass/drum and probably as she wanted it since made while she was still there. Swedish 1981 vinyl had label as shown here and thin fully laminated cover. (NÖC*) (FÄV*) (CCÖ*)
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