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Unsung Forum » Is Nico the John Barnes of Rock? |
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IanB 6761 posts |
Edited May 24, 2008, 20:34
May 24, 2008, 12:02
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caldervalium wrote: IanB wrote: keith a wrote: I was just listening to the Rebel Rebel tribute to Bowie cd that was given away with this months Uncut, when a live Nico cover of Heroes came on. My god. It's dreadful. It makes Sandy shaw's cover of Sympathy For The Devil sound like some classic cover! Trust me, Bubblehead! ; ) Well you know to a lot of folks VU never did a thing wrong and Nico is kind of frozen in aspic as the blonde Wagnerian goddess of s&m rock and roll. Nico is also a beneficiary of 40 years of rock crit fantasies. They come on all Mark Corrigan in a "maybe she's just mad enough to shag me" kind of a way. You just can't say she was kinda average. People swear by her genius just as others will tell you the Floyd never did anything good after Syd, that all the best Marley records were on Trojan, that Trout Mask is a work of genius, that Exile is Keef's best album and that Joy Division were more valuable than Magazine ;-) These are now accepted truisms that almost transcend analysis. To be fair there are some really really good Nico recordings but no where near as many as the critical legacy would suggest. I would argue that she didn't make any records as good as "Broken English" or Annette Peacock's barkingly brilliant "I'm The One" but it is all in the ear of the whatsit. I can't let this one pass. I'd say "Trout Mask Replica" was a work of genius on several levels; 1) Van Vliet wrote the words and music 2) John French transcribed/interpreted it 3) The Magic Band played it. QED. Never liked "Exile On Main Street" much, tho'.... I wasn't saying it is or isn't a work of genius just that saying that it is a work of genius is an accepted and unchallengable critical norm. You could add Pet Sounds and Blue and Five Leaves Left and LZIV to that list. Personally I wouldn't trade TMR for Clear Spot or Bat Chain Puller but hearing the Blimp back in the 70s certainly opened my mind.
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Sir John Dunn 530 posts |
May 24, 2008, 18:01
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keith a wrote: Aw c'mon, Sir John. You're messing with my feelings, maaaaan. You're a top man, Keith. Keep on keeping on.
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keith a 9572 posts |
May 24, 2008, 18:06
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Sir John Dunn wrote: You're a top man, Keith. I feel moist.
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Sir John Dunn 530 posts |
May 24, 2008, 18:12
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keith a wrote: Sir John Dunn wrote: You're a top man, Keith. I feel moist. That makes two of us. Any more H2H posters feeling this way? I'll bet Jonty's as dry as a bone.
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zphage 3378 posts |
May 24, 2008, 19:23
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IanB wrote: caldervalium wrote: IanB wrote: keith a wrote: I was just listening to the Rebel Rebel tribute to Bowie cd that was given away with this months Uncut, when a live Nico cover of Heroes came on. My god. It's dreadful. It makes Sandy shaw's cover of Sympathy For The Devil sound like some classic cover! Trust me, Bubblehead! ; ) Well you know to a lot of folks VU never did a thing wrong and Nico is kind of frozen in aspic as the blonde Wagnerian goddess of s&m rock and roll. Nico is also a beneficiary of 40 years of rock crit fantasies. They come on all Mark Corrigan in a "maybe she's just mad enough to shag me" kind of a way. You just can't say she was kinda average. People swear by her genius just as others will tell you the Floyd never did anything good after Syd, that all the best Marley records were on Trojan, that Trout Mask is a work of genius, that Exile is Keef's best album and that Joy Division were more valuable than Magazine ;-) These are now accepted truisms that almost transcend analysis. To be fair there are some really really good Nico recordings but no where near as many as the critical legacy would suggest. I would argue that she didn't make any records as good as "Broken English" or Annette Peacock's barkingly brilliant "I'm The One" but it is all in the ear of the whatsit. I can't let this one pass. I'd say "Trout Mask Replica" was a work of genius on several levels; 1) Van Vliet wrote the words and music 2) John French transcribed/interpreted it 3) The Magic Band played it. QED. Never liked "Exile On Main Street" much, tho'.... I wasn't saying it is or isn'y a work of genius just that teh saying that it is a work of genius isan accepted and unchallengable critical norm. You could add Pet Sounds and Blue and Five Leaves Left and LZIV to that list. Personally I wouldn't trade TMR for Clear Spot or Bat Chain Puller but hearing the Blimp back in the 70s certainly openeed my mind. "Genius " is an over used term nowadays, kinda like "premium" doesn't mean the best anymore. However, we would all disagree on what/who was a "genius".
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magiceye 183 posts |
May 24, 2008, 19:51
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singingringingtree wrote: fuck me, "marble index" + "desert shore" are SOMETHING ELSE tho ,.... but you gotta be in the mood for 'em (i rarely am, these days) ... "frozen warnings" ... what a song! Sure is! My wife hates it though, probably the only thing that she's ever insisted I switch off!
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IanB 6761 posts |
May 24, 2008, 20:37
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zphage wrote: IanB wrote: caldervalium wrote: IanB wrote: keith a wrote: I was just listening to the Rebel Rebel tribute to Bowie cd that was given away with this months Uncut, when a live Nico cover of Heroes came on. My god. It's dreadful. It makes Sandy shaw's cover of Sympathy For The Devil sound like some classic cover! Trust me, Bubblehead! ; ) Well you know to a lot of folks VU never did a thing wrong and Nico is kind of frozen in aspic as the blonde Wagnerian goddess of s&m rock and roll. Nico is also a beneficiary of 40 years of rock crit fantasies. They come on all Mark Corrigan in a "maybe she's just mad enough to shag me" kind of a way. You just can't say she was kinda average. People swear by her genius just as others will tell you the Floyd never did anything good after Syd, that all the best Marley records were on Trojan, that Trout Mask is a work of genius, that Exile is Keef's best album and that Joy Division were more valuable than Magazine ;-) These are now accepted truisms that almost transcend analysis. To be fair there are some really really good Nico recordings but no where near as many as the critical legacy would suggest. I would argue that she didn't make any records as good as "Broken English" or Annette Peacock's barkingly brilliant "I'm The One" but it is all in the ear of the whatsit. I can't let this one pass. I'd say "Trout Mask Replica" was a work of genius on several levels; 1) Van Vliet wrote the words and music 2) John French transcribed/interpreted it 3) The Magic Band played it. QED. Never liked "Exile On Main Street" much, tho'.... I wasn't saying it is or isn'y a work of genius just that teh saying that it is a work of genius isan accepted and unchallengable critical norm. You could add Pet Sounds and Blue and Five Leaves Left and LZIV to that list. Personally I wouldn't trade TMR for Clear Spot or Bat Chain Puller but hearing the Blimp back in the 70s certainly openeed my mind. "Genius " is an over used term nowadays, kinda like "premium" doesn't mean the best anymore. However, we would all disagree on what/who was a "genius". Absolutely though I feel sorry for anyone under 30 getting their feet wet in 60s and 70s music as the "50 albums you must have" lists are generally crap.
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Sir John Dunn 530 posts |
May 24, 2008, 20:39
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IanB wrote: zphage wrote: IanB wrote: caldervalium wrote: IanB wrote: keith a wrote: I was just listening to the Rebel Rebel tribute to Bowie cd that was given away with this months Uncut, when a live Nico cover of Heroes came on. My god. It's dreadful. It makes Sandy shaw's cover of Sympathy For The Devil sound like some classic cover! Trust me, Bubblehead! ; ) Well you know to a lot of folks VU never did a thing wrong and Nico is kind of frozen in aspic as the blonde Wagnerian goddess of s&m rock and roll. Nico is also a beneficiary of 40 years of rock crit fantasies. They come on all Mark Corrigan in a "maybe she's just mad enough to shag me" kind of a way. You just can't say she was kinda average. People swear by her genius just as others will tell you the Floyd never did anything good after Syd, that all the best Marley records were on Trojan, that Trout Mask is a work of genius, that Exile is Keef's best album and that Joy Division were more valuable than Magazine ;-) These are now accepted truisms that almost transcend analysis. To be fair there are some really really good Nico recordings but no where near as many as the critical legacy would suggest. I would argue that she didn't make any records as good as "Broken English" or Annette Peacock's barkingly brilliant "I'm The One" but it is all in the ear of the whatsit. I can't let this one pass. I'd say "Trout Mask Replica" was a work of genius on several levels; 1) Van Vliet wrote the words and music 2) John French transcribed/interpreted it 3) The Magic Band played it. QED. Never liked "Exile On Main Street" much, tho'.... I wasn't saying it is or isn'y a work of genius just that teh saying that it is a work of genius isan accepted and unchallengable critical norm. You could add Pet Sounds and Blue and Five Leaves Left and LZIV to that list. Personally I wouldn't trade TMR for Clear Spot or Bat Chain Puller but hearing the Blimp back in the 70s certainly openeed my mind. "Genius " is an over used term nowadays, kinda like "premium" doesn't mean the best anymore. However, we would all disagree on what/who was a "genius". Absolutely though I feel sorry for anyone under 30 getting their feet wet in 60s and 70s music as the "50 albums you must have" lists are generally crap. Post of the weekend. Game over.
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laresident 861 posts |
May 25, 2008, 04:39
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The sticks and stones made me dig out Julian's review. So erudite and lovingly crafted piece. http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/albumofthemonth/1655
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handofdave 3515 posts |
May 25, 2008, 13:49
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She got a lot of mileage out of having Warhol make her one of his stars and dropping her into the Velvet Underground... the momentum of being involved in that amazing singularity gave her a music career which, on her own, likely would have never happened. She's likened to Marlene Dietrich, the difference being that Marlene was a far better singer and much more interesting personality.
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