Although
Chelsea Girl (1967) was the first long-player from the German-born
Christa Päffgen, it was not her debut solo effort. Prior to becoming involved with
the Velvet Underground and while under the direction of
Andrew Loog Oldham,
Nico issued an obscure 7" on the mod pop Immediate label. The song selection on that 1965 single -- which featured a cover of
Gordon Lightfoot's "I'm Not Sayin'" and an
Oldham co-composition with
Jimmy Page called "Last Mile" -- foreshadowed the eclectic nature of this LP. Although the dissolution between the vocalist and core instrumental quartet was not without its share of acrimony, the non-percussive contingent of
the Velvet Underground is heavily featured on
Chelsea Girl: along with then-unknown singer/songwriter
Jackson Browne (guitar) -- the vocalist's concurrent love interest -- there is
Lou Reed (guitar),
Sterling Morrison (guitar/bass), and
John Cale (piano/bass/viola), who contrast what they had been doing with the larger combo. These sides are decidedly "unplugged," providing a folky and Baroque setting for
Nico's dark and brooding vocal inflections. There is an introspective foresight in
Browne's "Fairest of the Seasons," "These Days," and "Somewhere There's a Feather." The minimalist string section features a quaint, yet effective arrangement giving the material a distinctly European feel. These orchestrated folk leanings are similar to the sound emanating from other burgeoning groups such as
the Incredible String Band,
Pentangle, and the
Fairport Convention spin-off
Fotheringay.The same can be said of her almost unrecognizable reworking of
Bob Dylan's "I'll Keep It With Mine." The noir black-widow charm ultimately saves the performance, as does
Cale's remarkable classical intonations. With
Reed's "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" -- a track which actually predates
the Velvet Underground -- there is a sense of history that
Nico brings to her interpretation, as if the melody were, in fact, a traditional German folk tune. There is a palpable distinction between those lighter cuts and the menacing
Velvet Underground-conceived material. At the center of the project are the extended "It Was a Pleasure Then" and the stunning semi-autobiographical
Reed/
Morrison title track. The juxtaposition of such honest and at times harrowing imagery to
Nico's inherently bleak delivery is nothing short of an inspired artistic statement which has since long outlasted its initial socially relevant context -- similar to the more modern contributions of
Laurie Anderson,
Ann Magnuson, and
Patti Smith. An unqualified masterpiece. ~ Lindsay Planer