Album Rating: 3.0

Knew very little about him before except for heroin. Dudes life was bonkers in general

Album Rating: 4.0

I'm usually one to be more forgiving for artists' estranged beliefs... but TIL Nico was totally a Nazi. Gonna be hard to give this album re-listens after reading this from her wiki:

Her friend Danny Fields, the American journalist who helped her sign to Elektra Records, described her as "Nazi-esque", saying: "Every once in a while there'd be something about Jews and I'd be, 'But Nico, I'm Jewish,' and she was like 'Yes, yes, I don't mean you.'

She had a definite Nordic Aryan streak, [the belief] that she was physically, spiritually and creatively superior."[26] According to Fields, in the early 1970s, Nico attacked a mixed-race woman at the Chelsea Hotel with a smashed wineglass, saying "I hate black people".[26]

During a performance in Berlin, the audience rioted after Nico performed the German national anthem "Deutschlandlied", including a verse omitted since 1945 for its nationalist associations

Album Rating: 5.0

"hard to give this album re-listens"? usually i play the Woke Soldier compared to sputnik norms but damn can't relate

Album Rating: 4.0

Also, I have seen a Warhol IRL at the UGA art museum, (the canned soup one I believe). It was neat mostly bc it was the most famous piece in the museum in there at the time besides Robert Indiana's "Love" piece. Other than the fame I was kinda meh about it. But I haven't sen any of his large works.

Album Rating: 5.0

this is a simple sentiment but I feel like warhol is more interesting to think about than to look at I guess

Album Rating: 4.0

Lol @ robertsona.

I'm usually the most forgiving out of all my super PC IRL peers, but any time I'll hear Nico's voice my head will go on repeat: "yo this girl's a nazi. this girl's a nazi. this girl's a nazi."

Just means I gotta get more serious on listening to VU's others albums which I haven't yet.

Album Rating: 5.0

I think the thing that allows me to turn off that particular voice in my head is feeling like human beings are deeply flawed and maybe even just sort of terrible as a baseline, and wondering at all the things we DON'T know about...you KNOW that out of all the apparently unscathed artists you continue to really like without a problem, that a handful of them beat their girlfriends or attended a neo-kkk rally or whatever and we just haven't heard about it



it's all subjective and about the arbitrary lines we draw though. definitely weird to listen to certain artists when they materially impacted others' lives in a more direct (...physical?) way rather than holding a (horrible, execrable) ideology in general

Album Rating: 4.0

You have a great point. Both points.

It is all subjective and arbitrary. I love the Beatles even though Lennon openly admitted to beating his wife, yet I'm on this board criticizing Nico.

As much as I would not like it to, knowing the context of a person's life and beliefs can really alter my enjoyment of the album. I know I wouldn't like Black Star as much if I didn't know Bowie the celebrity and what he went through during that period.

Album Rating: 5.0

Nico's actions aren't excusable but the context of her being born into and living through the Nazi regime, it's hardly a surprise she turned out the way she did.

Album Rating: 5.0

And I say this as a big Nico fan

Album Rating: 4.0

I think your point is valid, Fripp. If I was born from her parents under her conditions in that country at that time, I'm sure I'd end up like her.

Album Rating: 5.0

The sole thing I dislike about this point is some people use it to paint her as some tragic heroine, which in reality, she had several problems, both self-inflicted and deeply personal, that were either beyond fixing or were ignored.

""Every once in a while there'd be something about Jews and I'd be, 'But Nico, I'm Jewish,' and she was like 'Yes, yes, I don't mean you.' "
That "Yes, yes, I don't mean you" will always make me chuckle.

Album Rating: 4.0

The Nico stuff doesnt matter,, becasue VU is not about Nico and the albums without her are way better, although I love All Tomorrows parties

Nico's albums >>> TVU's albums

Album Rating: 4.0

you crazy

Maybe.

Album Rating: 5.0

this album is crazy good—the succeeding three albums are all very good as well but this is surely their peak

Album Rating: 2.5

Sometimes you think ‘hey, this album is cool, I can see why it was way ahead of its time, pioneering, utterly timeless, a classic beyond dispute’ etc...

And then said album simultaneously sounds almost completely obnoxious, save for a few choice moments.

Not a pleasant feeling.

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Nico's only a minor part of this album's success and legacy. People are creating a fuzz out of nothing, really.