Chelsea Girl
Her first solo album: songs from Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan and the Velvet Underground, wrapped in strings she never wanted.
Nico, 1967
- Released
- October 1967
- Recorded
- April to May 1967
- Studio
- Mayfair Recording, New York
- Label
- Verve
- Producer
- Tom Wilson
- Length
- 45:04
Chelsea Girl was released on Verve in October 1967 and produced by Tom Wilson. Her voice is the center of it; the core sound has no drums or bass, and Wilson and the arranger Larry Fallon added strings and flutes without her. Lou Reed, John Cale and Sterling Morrison play on it, as does Jackson Browne, who wrote three of the songs. Reed's Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams was not released by the Velvet Underground until the 1995 box set Peel Slowly and See.
Rolling Stone gave it four stars, and Trouser Press found it sabotaged by tepid arrangements and weak production. Nico herself told an interviewer in 1981 that she could not listen to it.
Track listing
- The Fairest of the Seasons4:06
- These Days3:30
- Little Sister4:22
- Winter Song3:17
- It Was a Pleasure Then8:02
- Chelsea Girls7:22
- I'll Keep It with Mine3:17
- Somewhere There's a Feather2:16
- Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams5:07
- Eulogy to Lenny Bruce3:45
Personnel
- Nico vocals
- Jackson Browne guitar
- Lou Reed electric guitar
- John Cale viola, organ, guitar
- Sterling Morrison electric guitar
- Larry Fallon string and flute arrangements
- Tom Wilson producer
More from Nico
The Marble Index (1968), Desertshore (1970), The End... (1974)
Where to go next
Reference
- Chelsea Girl (album) Tracklist, writers and personnel.
Sources
- Chelsea Girl, Wikipedia