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In 1966, The Velvet Underground recorded their first studio album, Velvet Underground And Nico. Although most of the tracks on that album featured Lou Reed singing, a few of them featured Nico. When the band enlisted Andy Warhol's management, Nico (who Warhol obviously quite liked) joined the band. However, after releasing the first album in 1967, the band dropped Warhol's management, and along with him Nico left the band. Fortunately, this wasn't going to be the end of Nico's musical career. Following her departure from the Velvets, she recorded her first solo album, Chelsea Girl. It was released in 1967, less than a year after the Velvet Underground album she sang a few tracks on. Read on for my review of Nico's first solo effort.
If you liked the Nico tracks that appeared on the Velvet Underground album, chances are you'll like this album. Her voice can be a little tough to get used to at first, but chances are you'll grow to love it deeply. I should warn you, though - this album, while good, does quite differ from the Velvet Underground album that she sang on. While the Velvets were an artsy rock group that heavily emphasized the typical instruments you'd expect from a pop-rock band (guitars, drums, etc.), this Nico album is a bit more heavy on orchestral arrangements. While this transition can be a little tricky to make, once you make it, you should agree that this is an excellent album. Interestingly, most of the songs on here are NOT Nico originals - they were mostly co-written by other famous rockers of the day (Jackson Brown and Bob Dylan to name a few), and Nico's former Velvet Underground cohorts (including Lou Reed.) On every song on the album, Nico sings excellently. Even though there aren't a whole lot of her originals on here (she only wrote one of the songs, and even then, she only CO-wrote it), you probably won't care.
Sadly, it seems that (as of July 9, 2004) this album is out of print in America, or only available in limited distribution (I had to hunt long and hard to find me a copy.) This means that you're either going to have to hunt long and hard for one yourself, or order one from an internet retailer. It's a shame the album isn't more readily available, because it IS quite good.
In the end, Nico's solo debut is an excellent album. However, like my review title states, this stuff is NOT for everybody. This is ONLY for the open-minded. But if you can get used to Nico's sound, you'll agree that it's an excellent one indeed. It's sad that Nico is so underrated, because very few female musicans have a voice this good. (amazon.com)

1. The Fairest Of The Seasons
2. These Days
3. Little Sister
4. Winter Song
5. It Was A Pleasure Then
6. Chelsea Girls
7. I'll Keep It With Mine
8. Somewhere There's A Feather
9. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
10. Eulogy To Lenny Bruce