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Is Nico the John Barnes of Rock?
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Valve
Valve
1736 posts

Re: Is Nico the John Barnes of Rock?
May 22, 2008, 08:33
Nico: I’ll Be Your Mirror.

Johnny Barnes: The first glorious goal against Birmingham City in the FA Cup quarter final in 1984 at a packed and expectant St. Andrews.

What more do you want?
IanB
IanB
6761 posts

Edited May 22, 2008, 14:19
Re: Is Nico the John Barnes of Rock?
May 22, 2008, 08:50
naughtynige wrote:
Agreed, the same goes for "Desertshore". Have this lot lost their minds or just not heard the albums?


No I think people have heard the records and more or less take them for what they are.

"Marble Index", "Desert Shore" and "The End" are all pretty good bordering on great and I remember being knocked out by her on OGWT aged 13. But that's three records in a long career and you wonder how much of it was her and how much of it was John Cale's genius for coaxing performances out of people and Jac Holzman's willingness to let great records breathe their own air.

That said whether we recognise the inherent genius of a record or not it has to get you off on a visceral level and I figure that Nico simply alienates more people than she gets off. We could have the same discussion about say Tim Buckley's "Starsailor". And definitely about "Trout Mask". And the entire recording career of Orentte Coleman and Cecil Taylor. Or Webern or Ligetti for that matter. You can't choose to like music that is that far out. Ultimately you either relate to it or you don't but it isn't some kind of test.

Accessibility doesn't mean something is pap any more than atonality makes something Art. Which is where Art Rock has tendancy to shoot itself in the head while running as far away from anything that could be mistaken for commercial Pop as is musically possible. Hence Radiohead's chronic fear of writing something with a chorus and Scot Walkers' recent aversion to conventional melody.

As per my earlier note I would suggest that record-for-record Annette Peacock is as worthy of all the critical attention Nico has had piled on her plate over the years. And for classic aliented female rock and roll I have to give a 21 gun salute to "Broken English" over any of the Nico records.

So yes indeed she made three pretty great records but I can really see why people don't get it.
dave clarkson
2988 posts

Re: Is Nico the John Barnes of Rock?
May 22, 2008, 09:51
"Anyway, it got me wondering why she's so revered"

VU asssociation, Marble Index and Desert Shore albums. Most stuff 80's onwards is more of a fascination to do with fading beauty, heroin chic etc although the Nico and the Faction album 'Camera Obscura' is worth a listen, but more for the sound of Graham Dowdall's junkyard drum bits (bit like modern Tom Waits) and Eric Random's contributions.

'Songs they never play on the radio' - book by James Young (who played in her band in the early 80's) is well worth reading. Very gritty account of her life at the time living in Prestwich and later on London, tours of Europe with poor attendances, no money, disorganisation and lots of negative shit happening. It's a wonder some of them like John Cooper Clarke are still alive. Very funny and very sad at the same time - especially the account of her funeral. Lots of associates in the book go under different names for obvious reasons.

8)
Valve
Valve
1736 posts

Re: Is Nico the John Barnes of Rock?
May 22, 2008, 10:47
dave clarkson wrote:

'Songs they never play on the radio' - book by James Young (who played in her band in the early 80's) is well worth reading.
8)


Yes it is and so is "Out of his skin" Dave Hill's book about John Barnes. I know this thread is about Nico but it has JB in the title.
Valve
Valve
1736 posts

Re: Is Nico the John Barnes of Rock?
May 22, 2008, 11:21
keith a wrote:
when she's like John Barnes, who played more bad games for the England footie team than anyone else I can think of.


Listen. If that dozey, flappy eared, crisp munching eejit Gally Riniker had managed to get any part of his stoopid, slightly too smooth, body onto either one of the two glorious, inch perfect, crosses that Barnsey put in when he was finally summoned from the bench by that daft old bugger Bobby Robson, to join a team that included Peter 'Monkey heeded' Reid and Terry Fucking Fenwick (for fucksake!) in that Hand of God game against the Argies - maybe his England career might be viewed differently.

You'll be telling me next that Luther Blissett wasnt the most clinical finisher ever to wear three lions on his chest!
bubblehead2
bubblehead2
2167 posts

Edited May 22, 2008, 12:21
Re: Is Nico the John Barnes of Rock?
May 22, 2008, 12:20
LOL , what a great analogy although i don't think Barnes was as under appreciated as the singularly talented Nico was ( IMO of course ), er, for what it's worth Peter Crouch springs to my mind !

Anyway, having a masochistic streak a mile wide i'm just gonna have to track that record down !

FWIW, if i'm in a melancholic mood The Marble Index / Desert Shore / The End can all make for a chilling and atmospheric listen on a cold winters evening. Er, which is about the only time i would play them too.

Not a fan of the the more conventional Chelsea Girl, mind.
dodge one
dodge one
1242 posts

Re: Is Nico the John Barnes of Rock?
May 22, 2008, 12:40
if i'd rather shave my ass with a rusty cheese grater, than have to suffer that ice cold tuetonic 'Chanteous's' cadaverous lowing, is that a bad thing?
keith a
9565 posts

Re: Is Nico the John Barnes of Rock?
May 22, 2008, 13:33
Sir John Dunn wrote:
I love Nico but I also hate her, too.


Ha! A fellow Libran I see.
keith a
9565 posts

Re: Is Nico the John Barnes of Rock?
May 22, 2008, 13:39
See, I like that, even if it does sound like a German Seekers tribute act.
Lawrence
9547 posts

Re: Is Nico the John Barnes of Rock?
May 22, 2008, 13:42
Ehh, I have to dispute "Broken English" though. The album isn't really perfect and Faithfull didn't write as many songs as Nico did on most of her albums. Stuff like "Brain Drain" -- I mean that's fairly likable but a bit cheesy new-wave boogie, really... And what's she doing with a Shel Silverstein song? (Not even one of his better ones...)
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