NICO - The Frozen Borderline

Nico: The Frozen Borderline // Preliminary Thoughs

A couple of months ago Nico intrigued me as I listened to The Velvet Underground. And then I found out that The Frozen Borderline had been released (via RP). The paper Rheinische Post is based in Düsseldorf, whereas Nico and also I were born in Cologne. Nico [Christa Päffgen, * 16.10.1938 in Cologne / † 18.07.1988 on Ibiza], more Info on Wikipedia [German: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nico_(S%C3%A4ngerin)].
What was the reason, that people listened to that unflexible voice? What was the effect of the strong German accent?
If you listen to The Frozen Borderline, make sure you can take some junk to reach for the jewels – as these are there, for sure. Suddenly out of the noise harmonies emerge, crystals of pure sound. But I hear such harmonies also when listening to a cargo railroad dispatch station, with the highfrequency screeches, the low bumming of the waggon against each other, and the distant commandos given by loudspeakers. You might want to compare it with: Facing the Wind.
Sometimes I pondered about the lack of artsmanship in die German texts, where in classical music you would voice the end-t-s like in nicht/Gesicht, these are usually even aspirated, while Nico sets a glottal stop at best. In one additional version it was better, however. I then remembered a nurse I chanced to know during the 70ies, who had an equal destroyed voice (after a tonsillectomy). OT: too bad, Dodo Symes has left my perimeter long ago.
A part of Desertshore / Mütterlein reminded me of the music score of John Boorman’s Point Blank, starring Lee Marvin as Walker and Angie Dickinson.

Nico: The Frozen Borderline
The Marble Index5. Facing the Wind
8. Evening of Light
9. Sagen die Gelehrten
Desertshore7. Mütterlein
9. All that is my own

(might be continued)