Search - Nico :: Camera Obscura

A Sad, Sometimes Beautiful, Final Go

zoe | Denmark | 07/22/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Camera Obscura marks the legendary Nico's final album. What it is is half breath taking and half mediocre. The title track as well as "Into the Arena" and "Fearfully in Danger" are terrible, hallow tracks that really don't seem to have anything except lame lyrics and annoying percussion and dance beats that dominate over her vocals. Everything else here is quite nice however. "Tananore" is simple and frightening, "Win A Few" is the best written lyrically on the album, "My Funny Valentine" is a dark cover perfectly suited for her deep voice, "Das Lied..." is very cool with nice instrumentation and a good pace (if a bit inaccessable to non-German speaking listeners like myself), "My Heart is Empty" is the best track on here and a classic Nico song that will stick in your head for a long time, and finally "Konig" which should have been on the Desertshore album (very good, but very out of place on here). As it is the fact that Nico was at the worst stage of her heroin addiction during this album, it's sad to think of the sadness and exhaustion she felt while recording this. This album isn't great by anystretch (sans the brilliant "My Heart is Empty", "Tananore" and "Win a Few"), it is worth having if your a collector but casual listeners will be turned off."

This is a must!!

joker | UK | 05/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well I've read some of the reviews posted and there is a mixture of views here. This was as we know her final studio album, and what an album it is. Yes it does have a little more "electronica" than her previous albums but that is due in part to the influence of The Faction. The haunting music and surreal percussion that became synonymous with them post 85 onwards.. Just listen to the sample fuelled Thatcher Rap (if you can find it) and you'll know what i mean...
So to the album we have here... A must for all Nico fans, and yes, it may be a bit heavy for first time Nico searchers but it is a must for all. Her haunting rendition of My funny valentine is sublime as well as heart renching, and the same goes for Das Lied Von Einsanen Madchens... Then the supeb percussion style of Greame "Dids" Dowdel mixes well with Nico in the track.. Win A Few and Into the Arena. Granted Konig wouldn't have been my choice for the last track but it is still a good track...
It's only with hindsight that some are disappointed that this was her final album and not one more poignant... But I think that this is a masterpiece os minimalism in its entirity... Well done Nico and well done the Faction..."