John Cale, Nico, Ice Nine - Dance Music: Nico, The Ballet
1998
FLAC
Recorded live in The Netherlands, Fall 1997. All tracks performed by Ice Nine, except España by John Cale (recorded at L.P.G. Studio, NYC, by Jack Wall) and Nibelungen by Nico from her The Marble Index album (note: this is a bonus track on the cd re-issue, and was not included on the original vinyl version; mixed by John Cale, may 1990). Except for Nibelungen all tracks were written by John Cale.
Nico's spoken words in Ari Sleepy Too were edited and reassembled by John Cale from The Andy Warhol Index flexi disc.
Recording produced by John Cale & Jean-Michel Reusser
01. Intro 4:14 - Ice Nine
02. New York Underground 3:52 - Ice Nine
03. Night Club Theme 2:09 - Ice Nine
04. Modelling 10:23 - Ice Nine
05. Out Of China 5:03 - Ice Nine
06. Death Camp 3:41 - Ice Ninee
07. Ari Sleepy Too 4:44 - Ice Nine
08. Iceberg I 7:40 - Ice Nine
09. Jim 5:10 - Ice Nine
10. Iceberg II 8:02 - Ice Nine
11. Espagna 9:48 - John Cale
12. Nibelungen 2:44 - Nico
The following text was written by John Cale for the premiere of the Ballet for Nico in 1997. Ed Wubbe was the choreographer.
"On Dance Music
When one is asked to write music for an abstract concept such as a choreographed Dance Work it invariably invites comparisons with known elements in the real world with which we can expect to understand the Work in fuller terms. In this case we have many strands of history with which we can add our own impressions of a Life - if that were the intention.
It is not.
Biography is best left to historians, Ballet to visionaries.
In the movements of this piece the Titles live closer to reality than the music.
As a friend of Nico’s I was very touched by Ed Wubbe’s suggestion to write music to choreography of his, and hoped to throw some light on what elements of Nico’s psyche drove a woman so succesfully captured by the world of Modelling, to abandon it to pursue a creative life in poetry and song. The name Jim Morrison comes readily to mind. Yet that may not leave every stone unturned.
As Art does not comfortably imitate life in the world of Ballet I was happy with the freedoms Ed gave me in the choice of topics and moods. In many ways an empty space would be the quintessential Nico Ballet. One remembers the many occasions she spoke of wanting to be a nothing. Zero. Luckily, she went about it the wrong way.
It is enough to speak of the respect, a certain awe, and concern for Beauty that we find in her work. Even so it feels as if it were not enough.
John Cale, September 1997"