Nico: Songs They Never Play On The Radio (1999) - Plot & Excerpts
I found this book while on vacation in London and was sold by John Water's quote on the back cover, praising the sad dark humor of James Young's account of life on tour with one post-glory Nico.Sad? Absolutely. Dark. Oh, hell yes. Funny? I did chuckle a few times, but only in the way that one sometimes has to laugh to keep from crying in the face of profound hopelessness.Young was a musician in Nico's back-up band when the Warhol Factory-era icon attempted a mostly disastrous comeback tour in the 80s. This tour would wind through many years and countries, with over 1,000 gigs played by the time of her death in 1988.For me, the book played out like an Alex Cox remake of the classic comedy My Favorite Year, with Nico in the role of Peter O'Toole's lovably washed-up alcoholic screen legend and the further addition of a madcap supporting cast of drug-addled hangers-on straight from the world of Sid & Nancy.If only Nico possessed the same faded devil-may-care charm as O'Toole's cracked actor, Mr. Water's claim of dark comedy could have been more apt (though who am I to argue what makes John Waters laugh?). Nico is a sad, bitter, hollow soul in this book, completely enslaved to heroin and obsessed with her own decay and mortality. Not exactly the life of the party.We do get glimpses of the author's rare moments with Nico when she let her guard down, when she stole a rare smile, or in perhaps the most simply beautiful moment in the book, when Nico sits in a boat during a sunset, giggling and singing a children's song.Such moments are mere sentences in a book filled with pages and pages of miserable people performing desperate acts in order to achieve their almighty high, whether it be in the form of heroin, prostitutes or other even more arcane pursuits.This wasn't the easiest book to read, though it was a very strong portrait of a woman known best as the ice princess of the Velvet Underground, the emotionless beauty whose face could have been a mirror or a movie screen.In the book, Nico is being interviewed by a particularly clueless radio jockey who introduces her as "the Femme Fatale herself, Nico." To which she responds, in dry earnestness, "That song was actually not written about me, you know."Her great frustration based on Young's account is that she was only ever appreciated as the diva behind Warhol's banana; however, we also discover a Nico who is eager to re-live her glory days, hallucinating Jim Morrisson from the window of her tour bus and weeping alone in her dressing room when Bob Dylan refused to attend one of her shows.Largely, this book was more heartbreak than humor for me, but the nuance of Nico's charm is not completely absent - a spice that flavored her legend, but left me wishing for more.
James Young played in Nico's revival period, long gone were the days of modelling for Channel,the structure of The Velvet Underground, the major parties with the "elite" of rock and the easy free drugs that came part of that Parcel. This book describes a period of time that had Nico wandering; looking for a light that perhaps became wan a long time ago, unfortunate decisions, life circumstances and unfailing desire to cloud them out with the drugs that came her way. Depressing it can appear but there is a poignant beauty in reading about someone who uncompromisingly took her path ,demons an all and carried on doing what she wanted to do. The fact that she did so many concerts when many would have folded around this time is quite amazing.. Fair enough some of the concerts were a mess, however, as Young points out that was probably more to do with the dodgy management and his bands youth and inexperience than because of Nico, who seemed to come, go to the bathroom to "load up" do her thing and leave. Short and interesting read esp if you have some prior knowledge of Nico
What do You think about Nico: Songs They Never Play On The Radio (1999)?
This is James Young's memoir of his time as keyboardist and arranger in Nico's last touring band. It is a fascinating account of life at the bottom rung of the musical ladder. Nico herself remains an enigmatic and unknowable figure, almost completely absorbed in herself and her heroin addiction.One thing I am struck by how is unafraid Young is of painting very unflattering pictures of real people in the book. John Cale comes across as a complete dickhead and Nico's son Ari is not dealt with particularly generously. Nico's manager is given a pseudonym but the magic of the internet makes it easy to find his name; he is portrayed more affectionately though not I suspect as how he would like to portray himself. The book's candour is one of its strengths, but I would love to know how it got past the publisher's libel lawyers.These short words do not do justice to how much I love this book. It is one of the best things about being a working musician I have read. Nico is one of music's heroic figures and the world is emptier without her.
—Ian
Teutonic LaughterDespite the Teutonic subject matter, this is one of the funniest music books I have ever read.James Young was Nico's keyboard player for many years during her solo post-VU period, leading up to her unfortunate death.So he had a long time to witness her at her worst and most self-abusive.It must have been painful to have to live with her shenanigans and to be financially dependent on her for a musical career as well.The Veins of the Ice MaidenThis memoir lays out the veins of the Ice Maiden for all to see.Andy Warhol said somewhere that Nico reminded him of an IBM computer with a Greta Garbo accent.I'm sure I read this in one of his books, but I can't locate it.Any help would be greatly appreciated.
—Ian Agadada-Davida
A tremendous ride through the druggy late punk Manchester scene written by the piano player in Nico's last band. She was an ex-Warhol factory girl briefly parachuted into the Velvet Underground and latterly a very distinctive solo voice. This book paints a picture of her struggling from one heroin shot to the next but still managing to be stylish, charismatic and talented. Young really writes superbly. Here's his description of John Cooper Clarke 'His own creation. A slim volume. A tall stick-legged rocker dandy with a bouffant hairdo remniscent of 18th century Versailles and Dylan circa Highway 61.' The story goes on to take in John Cale and grimly hilarious descriptions of their tours of Japan and Eastern Europe. I didn't know the music at the time I read this. But listening to it since, I found it surprisingly good and listenable.
—Ben
