James
Young
Songs
They Never Play On The Radio (CD)
(Gonzo
Multimedia)
These
last few years, it’s been open season on the memory of Nico. First, Chris,
Cosey and Peter Christopherson curated X-TG’s reworking of
her Desertshore album, initially alongside a host of guest vocalists;
then as an absolutely stunning evil twin; and then as a glorious live remix.
Earlier
this year brought the Soundwalk Collective’s collaboration with Patti and Jesse
Paris Smith for Killer Road, a spellbinding collection of atmospheric
themes and effects, over which Patti softly intones Nico’s lyrics. And now
comes this, keyboard player James Young’s musical tribute to the years he spent
touring Europe with Nico through the early 1980s.
It’s
a beautiful album, maybe reminiscent of Nick Cave in places, and a mellow John
Cale as well, but it’s Nico who hangs almost unmentioned over all. Although
almost every track is a Young original, the arrangements deliberately echo those
that Young and his bandmates grafted onto Nico’s own songs during their time
alongside her… think of it, perhaps, as a second cousin to her final studio
album, Camera Obscura, and feel that link even further as the album
closes with “My Funny Valentine,” which she did indeed cover on that LP.
The
album’s title, and title track, of course are taken from Young’s written memoir
of this same timespan, a book that tells its story in unflinching and
occasionally unthinkable detail. The music, however, is neither a soundtrack to
the book nor a booktrack to the sound – that, after all, was done back in 1994,
on an album that confusingly shared its title with this, but which bequeaths
just four tracks to the latest project.
And,
terrific though that earlier album was, this one is better, effortlessly
smoothing the cracks and weak spots that lightly tarnished the Creation album
with stronger songs (“Down By The Wannsee” is breathtaking), effective
instrumentals (“She’s In My Ears”) and, yes, “My Funny Valentine,” which hangs
even more haunted and isolated that Nico’s own rendering.
It’s
true. It has been open season on Nico’s memory. But you wouldn’t want to
forget a thing.
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