Nico’s tenure in Velvet Underground was tenuous from the beginning, so it was no big surprise when she left the band.

What was surprising was the support she received from her ex-bandmembers. Cale’s assistance wasn’t too much of a surprise, as he was almost  always supportive of his bandmates, but Reed made it known that he did not appreciate her input, because he felt that he should be singing his own songs. Apparently, it wasn’t a personal grudge, so they both appear as active participants in “Chelsea Girl”, the first ‘solo’ record by any of the bandmembers.

Nico herself was almost devastated by the production imposed by Tom Wilson, but fans heard the album as a legitimate extension of the debut album, and it remains a critical favorite to this day (and was featured in our “Alternative Top 40” series at album #82, if you wish to hear more about the album…speaking of which, you can also hear more re: the “Banana” album at #74 in the same series).

Featured tracks include (all by Nico, unless specified otherwise):

The Black Angel Death Song – Velvet Underground

European Son – Velvet Underground

The Fairest of Seasons

These Days

Little Sister

Winter Song

It Was a Pleasure Thing

Chelsea Girls

I’ll Keep It with Mine

Somewhere There’s a Feather

Eulogy to Lenny Bruce