![]() As it happens, the song reinstates her credentials as a strident singer turned performer, capturing the world at its most depraved and distinguished. She sounds relaxed, perhaps because the piece is so close to her comfort zone. Nico janitor of lunacy series#Returning to her mother tongue for this chamber pop piece, the song is embellished by a haunting organ and a series of splashing piano cadences performed in the background. There´s blood, tears and guts heard on this piece, and it showcases the cerebral artist at her most human. The song features one of Nico´s more complex vocals, uttering a harshness that could only have stemmed from her genuine emotion. “Janitor of Lunacy”Ī real rough, raw, and rugged item, thinly disguised as an ode to Brian Jones, the fallen Rolling Stone who had died shortly before the song was completed. And yet it has its highlights, as “Lawns of Dawns” aptly shows. John Cale said that they are not tonal.” Not much more to add to this apt descriptor, except for the fact that The Marble Index is not a commercial album. I do not mean this literally, but they are that in my imagination. “My melodies are from the Middle Ages,” Nico revealed, discussing the esoteric influences on her sophomore album. Chelsea Girl is a very strong album, boasting some of Nico´s most committed performances. She worked with Reed, who like Woody Allen represented the vitality of the Jewish contingent, and on her debut, she covered a Bob Dylan standard, just as the songwriter was embracing the wind of Christian balladry. The American songbook is surfeited with Jewish songwriters, and Nico certainly benefited from the fruits of the Jewish back catalog. Either way, it´s a nice song, and Nico sings it well. Indeed, the song could have reflected the anguish the titular spy felt as he cradled a woman he swore to protect against the tyranny of an organization grander than anything the series had yet experienced: Spectre. This could have served as a very tasty alternative to Nancy Sinatra´s turn on the 1967 James Bond epic You Only Live Twice. Weirdly ominous, the song nonetheless pierces straight into the heart, giving the appearance of a ballad decorated by raw nerve and feeling. One of the many highlights heard on The Velvet Underground & Nico, this sultry ballad showcases Nico´s smokey vocals, bolstered by Lou Reed´s menacing harmony. The tune is a favorite of Morrissey’sand he´s been known to play a snippet of the song during his concerts. It´s a charming cover of Gordon Lightfoot, the Canadian balladeer of “If You Could Read My Mind” fame. It’s the sound of Jimmy Page chiming away in the background. If those 12 strings sound Zeppelinesque, you’re not wrong. This piece aims to piece together some of the highlights of her career in the hope of contextualizing some of the more offbeat moments of her career. Indeed, she was very much her own beast, curating a new form of singing style that was hers and hers alone. She worked with The Velvet Underground, but there was more to the singer (born Christa Päffgen in Germany) than Warholian sound pieces and installations. To others, she´s a mightier being than many would dare countenance in their lifetime. For some, Nico is the Yoko Ono of the underground. ![]()
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