Nico - Live Heroes

Review by Gabe Howard

Live Heroes by Nico: A Sonic Time Capsule That Still Echoes Let’s dive straight into Live Heroes, the 1997 posthumous release from Nico, a record that feels like it was smuggled out of some alternate dimension where avant-garde rock ruled the airwaves. This isn’t your typical “throw it on for background noise” kind of album—it demands attention. It grabs you by the collar and doesn’t let go until its haunting echoes fade away. The genres? Pop/Rock meets Experimental Rock with dashes of Proto-Punk and Art Rock thrown in for good measure. But honestly, labels don’t do justice to what Nico delivers here. Backed by bands like The Invisible Girls (on tracks A2 and B1) and The Blue Orchids (track B3), she crafts soundscapes that feel both alien and deeply human. And let’s not forget Martin Hannett’s production magic—he turns these recordings into something otherworldly. Now, onto the meat of it. Two tracks stuck with me long after the needle lifted off the vinyl: "Heroes" and "All Tomorrow's Parties." First up, "Heroes." Covering Bowie is no small feat, but Nico makes it hers entirely. Her voice—oh man, her voice—isn’t polished or shiny; it’s raw, almost broken, yet so full of conviction. When she sings “We can be heroes,” it doesn’t feel triumphant in the traditional sense. Instead, it hits as this bittersweet reminder of resilience. Like yeah, we’re all messed up, but hey, maybe there’s still hope? Or maybe not. Either way, it stays with you. Then there’s "All Tomorrow’s Parties," which gets two spins on this record because why wouldn’t it? Each version has its own vibe, but the one backed by Samarkand (track B2) really gut-punched me. There’s an eerie minimalism to it—the sparse instrumentation lets Nico’s vocals take center stage. She sounds like she’s whispering secrets meant only for you, pulling you into her world where nothing feels certain but everything matters. What strikes me most about Live Heroes is how alive it feels despite being stitched together decades later. You can hear the cracks in Nico’s voice, the rough edges of performances captured live. It’s imperfect, sure, but that imperfection is exactly what makes it unforgettable. It’s like flipping through old photographs—each scratch tells a story. And weirdly enough, listening to this album made me think about sandwiches. Yeah, bear with me here. See, Nico’s music is kinda like making a sandwich late at night when you’re hungry but too tired to care about perfection. You throw random stuff together, and somehow, it works. Messy? Absolutely. Delicious? Hell yes. That’s Live Heroes. A messy, beautiful masterpiece that shouldn’t work—but does. If you haven’t given this album a spin yet, do yourself a favor. Turn down the lights, crank up the volume, and let Nico guide you through her sonic labyrinth. Just don’t expect answers—only more questions.

Artist: Nico
Album: Live Heroes

2009

Rating: 4.1

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Catalog Numbers
Labels
Listen online
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Notes
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About Artist
Interesting fact
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Related albums

Download

Filename: nico-live-heroes.zip

MP3 size: 65.7 mb
FLAC size: 504 mb

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Tracks

Track	Duration	Preview
Femme Fatale	3:8
My Funny Valentine	4:11
All Tomorrow's Parties	5:28
Secret Side	3:14
Procession	4:46
All Tomorrow's Parties	5:28
The End	9:50
Heroes	8:21
Valley Of The Kings	3:10

Video

Nico Live Heroes cover of David Bowie

N I C O All Tomorrow's Parties

Images

Catalog Numbers

Labels

Performance Records
Performance Records, Aware-One Records
Aware-One Records

Listen online

online anhören
escuchar en línea
écouter en ligne
ascolta in linea
kuunnella verkossa
lytte på nettet
ouvir online
online luisteren
lyssna på nätet

Formats

Cassette
Compilation
Vinyl
LP
Yellow
CD
Reissue

Companies

Role	Company
Phonographic Copyright (p)	Performance Records
Copyright (c)	Performance Records
Licensed From	LSR Records
Distributed By	Aware-One Recordings
Pressed By	Digital Force
Licensed To	LSR Records, Inc.

Credits

Role	Credit
Arranged By	The Invisible Girls (tracks: A2, B1)
Performer	The Invisible Girls (tracks: A2, B1)
Backing Band	The Blue Orchids (tracks: B3), Samarkand (tracks: A1, A3, B4)
Design	Murray Brenman
Design Concept	Arthur Marko, Stephen Kaplan
Mastered By	Robert Speiden
Producer	Martin Hannett (tracks: A2, B1)
Vocals	Nico

Notes

Compilation of live recordings and Nico & The Invisible Girls "Procession / All Tomorrow Parties" 1982 single.
B2 "Valley of the Kings" is mistitled here as "Secret Side".
B4 "The End" Spoken intro edited. "Behind the Iron Curtain" LP [surface noise].
A1, B2, B3 København Saltlageret 1982/10/05
A2 From 1/2 Records single (A-side). (catalog# 1 2 REC 112)
B1 From 1/2 Records single (B-side. (catalog# 1 2 REC 112)
(track details/duration from Nico web-site)
℗ & © 1986 Performance Records
Printed in Canada
Yellow vinyl edition in clear plastic sleeve with sticker; first pressing (second pressing is black vinyl version).
Compilation of live recordings and the 1982 single of Nico & The Invisible Girls "Procession / All Tomorrow Parties".
℗© 1986 Performance/Aware-One (on CD)
℗© 1986 Performance/Aware-One Recordings (on back sleeve)
Dist. by Aware-One Recordings
Licensed by LSR, New York
Track details from Nico's web-site:
1, 5, 6 - Live København Saltlageret 1982/10/05
2 - From 1/2 Records single A-side (Catalog# 1 2 REC 112)
4 - From 1/2 Records single B-side (Catalog# 1 2 REC 112)
3, 7 - "Behind the Iron Curtain" LP (surface noise). "The End" Spoken intro edited.
Track 5 is mistitled here as "Secret Side". It is in fact "Valley of the Kings".
Arranged by and Performer credits for track 2 are possibly the same as with track 4 (not appearing on this release, but in other entries for "Live Heroes").
Compilation of live recordings and the 1982 single of Nico & The Invisible Girls "Procession / All Tomorrow Parties."
1, 5, 6 Performed live at København Saltlageret, Copenhagen, 10/05/1982.
Track 5 is mistitled as "Secret Side."
CD: Made in USA.
Booklet: Printed In Canada
Variations unique to this release: Front cover has catalog number in lower-left. No pressing plant information or SID code printed on CD matrix.
Track 5 is mistitled here and is in fact "Valley of the Kings"
1, 5, 6 København Saltlageret 1982/10/05
2 From 1/2 Records single (A-side). (catalog# 1 2 REC 112)
4 From 1/2 Records single (B-side. (catalog# 1 2 REC 112)
7 "The End" Spoken intro edited. "Behind the Iron Curtain" LP [surface noise].
Made in USA

Barcodes

Matrix / Runout (Etched): PERFORMANCE 385-A 9/22/86 RS
Matrix / Runout (Etched): PERFORMANCE 385-B 9/22/86 RS
Barcode: 0 95451 03852 8
Matrix / Runout: DIGITAL FORCE AWA385 DIFOR0079/B S1
Mastering SID Code: IFPI LM07
Mould SID Code: IFPI F921
Matrix / Runout: DIGITAL FORCE LTD. 3DL51<1636>AWARE385CD
Mastering SID Code: IFPI L483
Mould SID Code: IFPI 8103
Matrix / Runout (Variant 1): PERF-385CD-01
Matrix / Runout (Variant 2): PERF-385CD-3T
Matrix / Runout: PERF 385 DIGITAL HOUSE LTD.

About Nico

Nico was a German singer, songwriter, musician, model and actress, born in Köln (Cologne) on 18 October 1938. She died in a bicycle accident on Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain, on 18 July 1988. According to her autobiography, her Catholic father Wilhelm Päffgen was an archeologist, stemming from a wealthy Bavarian brew master dynasty. But that can´t be correct: Gisela Päffgen proved that there wasn´t any relative named "Wilhelm Päffgen" - but an employee called "Hermann Willhelm Päffgen". Nico´s father died in WWII in 1942, and her mother Margarete (née Schulze, 1910-70) moved to Berlin-Schöneberg. Due to the heavy bombings, they soon moved again, to Lübbenau in Brandenburg, a small town in the eastern part of Germany. After the war, mother and daughter moved to Berlin where Nico, aged 15 and already 175 cm (5'9") tall, was discovered by photographer Herbert Tobias while she worked as a sales person at the KaDeWe department store. He supposedly gave her the nickname Nico after his lover, the Greek movie maker Nikos Papatakis. At first, she called herself both Christa Nico and Nico Otzak, but settled for Nico. The modelling career soon set off for the statuesque brunette-turned-blonde, which allowed her to work in Berlin, Paris, London and Rome. Already in the late 1950s she had an unprecedented modelling career for a German (with a contract with the Eileen Ford Agency), which enabled her to buy a house for her mother (already suffering from Parkinson's) on Ibiza in 1962. And it was in Rome where she had her first movie appearance as 'Nico' in 's 'La dolce vita'. In 1959 she moved to Paris where she had an affair with and in 1962 gave birth to her only son, the troubled whose father never acknowledged him. In London she met Brian Jones and recorded her first single , produced by Rolling Stones manager . While modeling in New York, introduced her to and . She sang three songs on the Velvet Underground's debut LP and played roles in several Warhol films. Following the release of her debut album, , her friend encouraged her to write her own material. She toured extensively in Europe, United States, Australia and Japan in the 1980s. After a concert in Berlin in June 1988, she went on holiday in Ibiza to rest. There she fell dead off a bicycle while taking a ride. At the time it happened, the story was that she was already dead from a stroke (brain hemmorhage) falling off the bike, whereas the narrative nowadays has been changed to "an accident" after which she died. Her ashes are buried at Friedhof Grunewald-Forst in Berlin at a place historically known as "Cemetery of the Unknown" or "The Suicide Cemetery".

Real Name

Christa Päffgen

Name Vars

Nice
Nico (Christa Päffgen)

Aliases

Christa Päffgen

Interesting fact about Album

Did you know that Nico’s *Live Heroes* album, released in 1997, is a fascinating mix of genres and styles? It blends avant-garde, proto-punk, and art rock, showcasing her unique voice. The album features covers like "My Funny Valentine" and "Heroes," along with tracks produced by the legendary Martin Hannett. What makes it even cooler? The Invisible Girls backed her on some tracks, adding their own experimental touch. It’s like a time capsule of underground rock history.

Comments

alepittore

2025-03-15

Blue Orchids aka original members of The Fall!

lifeasaliza

2025-03-14

It's a little less sad to see her like this and know this is how she wanted to look.

jamilmaideen12

2025-03-13

Nico: An Underground Experience & Heroine [DVD]

julesjourneys185293259

2025-03-13

Thank you so much! I love Nico... and my 1st artistic nickname was "Nico Gamma": it was also an homage to my best one woman into the rock'n roll scene. Sorry (not very much) for my english, I'm Italian. See you...