LogFAQs > #955674388

Yes, NFR was my second favorite album that year after Nick Cave's Ghosteen. To me, it felt like Lana proving herself a genuine all-timer after years of good but not exceptional albums. I think Tyler, the Creator is experiencing the same thing this year - I know people liked his last two albums, but his new album really fulfills the promise made by "Yonkers."

149. Nico These Days (1967)
from the album Chelsea Girl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_z_UEuEMAo

Key lyrics:
Please dont confront me with my failures
I had not forgotten them

Underpinning the simple beauty of These Days is a complex mess of production issues; the success here feels like a fluke. Nicos career as a musician seems to have come about through Andy Warhols insistence, first forcing her into The Velvet Underground before this solo work. Her low voice and thick accent, while affecting in its own right, has a niche appeal that likely would have floundered without Warhol backing her every step. Even this song does not belong to her alone, being written by Jackson Browne at age 16 and having him play guitar on the recording. To add another complexity, the string arrangement that feels so essential was snuck onto the record by the producer, Tom Wilson.

Though credited alone, Nico was clearly denied creative control over this track. Nevertheless, everything comes together to emphasize her unique qualities. The intense melancholy of her voice is emphasized by the strings, while Brownes fingerpicking adds just enough air this is not a depressive track but a reflective one. That sense of reflection works wonders with her voice; though her work with The Velvet Underground only seemed to work due to the intentional messiness of their debut, These Days allowed Nico to play in her own element. This track proves that even a rough voice can be made beautiful with precise production.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/