NO BERLIN

NIGEL LIVED by Murray Head (Columbia 1973)

Concept (with a capital C) album Nigel Lived was released in the same year as Lou Reed’s Berlin, and although neither one was deemed acceptable radio fare, and both are theatrically based, playing on disturbing subject matter, they are light years apart. Berlin has been recognized as a masterpiece, a gut-wrenching portrait of abuse, co-dependence, and addiction, and Nigel Lived….? Well, frankly it’s hard to tell what it’s about. We’ve been told it concerns a starry eyed young musician who comes to the big city, experiences disillusionment, and takes to heroin. However, even after a close listen with the lyrics at my side, (link included below) I had a hard time following the thread.

The original release came with a “found diary” of lyrics, but the lush production by Nick DeCaro is so deeply layered, it’s almost impossible to discern a consistent story line beneath the baroque atmosphere. Often the compelling vocal stylings of Murray Head are mixed too low or at odds with an increasingly chaotic arrangement.  This is ambition run riot.

Its existence went unheralded, and Mr. Head, a successful musical stage and film performer (Jesus Christ Superstar; Chess, Sunday Bloody Sunday) never performed the songs in public - until now. Intervention records has recently remastered the Phil Brown engineered recording on 180gram vinyl, and that release was very successful, leading Mr. Head to reconsider reopening the Nigel Lived song cache and sharing it live with the world. As a sympathetic thespian I applaud him. Parts of the opus are delightful listening, and rendered live without the added filigree, this dynamic performer has a shot at making his original concept comprehensible. 

https://www.karaoke-lyrics.net/lyrics/head-murray/pacing-on-the-station-88213