The Classic Years

  1. I'm Not Sayin (2:48)
  2. The Last Mile (2:27)
  3. I'll Be Your Mirror (2:14)
  4. Femme Fatale (2:38)
  5. All Tomorrow's Parties (2:48)
  6. The Fairest of the Seasons (4:07)
  7. These Days (3:30)
  8. Little Sister (4:23)
  9. Chelsea Girls (7:23)
  10. No One Is There (3:37)
  11. Ari's Song (3:21)
  12. Frozen Warnings (4:02)
  13. Nibelungen (2:43)
  14. Janitor of Lunacy (4:00)
  15. Abschied (3:02)
    • Translation
  16. Afraid (3:27)
  17. Secret Side (4:03)
  18. You Forget to Answer (5:06)
  19. The End (9:29)

03 No fade out
05 Single voice edited stereo version



Fairest of the Seasons, The

The Fairest of the Seasons
(Gregory Copeland, Jackson Browne)

Now that it's time
Now that the hour hand has landed at the end
Now that it's real
Now that the dreams have given all they had to lend
I want to know do I stay or do I go
And maybe try another time
And do I really have a hand in my forgetting ?

Now that I've tried
Now that I've finally found that this is not the way,
Now that I turn
Now that I feel it's time to spend the night away
I want to know do I stay or do I go
And maybe finally split the rhyme
And do I really understand the undernetting ?

Yes and the morning has me
Looking in your eyes
And seeing mine warning me
To read the signs carefully.

Now that it's light
Now that the candle's falling smaller in my mind
Now that it's here
Now that I'm almost not so very far behind
I want to know do I stay or do I go
And maybe follow another sign
And do I really have a song that I can ride on ?

Now that I can
Now that it's easy, ever easy all around.
Now that I'm here
Now that I'm falling to the sunlights and a song
I want to know do I stay or do I go
And do I have to do just one
And can I choose again if I should lose the reason ?

Yes, and the morning
Has me looking in your eyes
And seeing mine warning me
To read the signs more carefully.

Now that I smile,
Now that I'm laughing even deeper inside.
Now that I see,
Now that I finally found the one thing I denied
It's now I know do I stay or do I go
And it is finally I decide
That I'll be leaving
In the fairest of the seasons.

The Classic Years US CD Chronicles 314 565 185-2
US CD Chronicles 314 565 185-2
1998-09-15

01-02 Immediate single IM 003 (1965)
03-05 from The Velvet Underground And Nico (1967)
06-09 from Chelsea Girl (1967)
10-13 from the marble index (1968)
14-16 from Desertshore (1970)
17-19 from The End ... (1974)

The lady was inspirational in her presence and directness, had the power of a living oscar statue, and more than hang around with the boys she was one, and as such her agenda never scared you,, it propelled you. At the time I knew her she had that gift that advances any work you do with talent, she was with you in the minute, you just thought, she got it before you spoke, you didn't have to translate, edit or change, which led to a truth only encounter. I had the same thing with Keith Richards, still do, and Steve Marriott, would do and that should give you some idea on Nico. We served each other well for those few minutes in '65 when she lent her talent to the launch of Immediate, for in addition to her pop recording for my label, in which she allowed us to unsuccessfully emulate the advanced copy of Elusive Butterfly we had some of the stellar Jackie de Shannon demos we loved; for one of Immediate's heroes was Liberty records and its pubbery arm, Metric Music; Nico also joined us on the launch of Immediate as we promoted thru the factories all over the north of England and Europe allowing me to play irving Thalberg to Nico's award winning Norma Shearer. She accepted the part and played it well, in that The McCoys with Hang On Sloopy went to No. 1 for us but were unavailable and ugly. The Lady understood the rhythm of life, did the movie and moved on to the next part.

Andrew Loog Oldham

Compilation produced by Bill Levenson
Mastered by Suha Gur at PolyGram Studios
Introduction by Andrew Loog Oldham
Essay by Clinton Heylin
Art Direction and Photo Research by Geoff Gans
Photos by Nat Finkelstein, Paul Morrisssey, Guy Webster and Michael Ochs Archives
Project Direction: Terru Tierney
Project Coordination: Catherine Ladis
Special Thanks: Beebe Jennings and Michelle Sangenito at PolyMedia, Steve Poltorak at Warner Special Products, Phil Yarnall at Smay Vision, and Christopher Whent.

© 1998-2011
Serge Mironneau