Music / Klaus Nomi (Album)

Exploring new dimension, new lifestyle by intention. Do not ignore advice. You hold the keys of life.

Klaus Nomi is the 1981 debut album by ... well... Klaus Nomi. It generated hits such as "Lightning Strikes", "The Nomi Song" and "Total Eclipse". In a case of What Could Have Been Lou Christie was so impressed by Klaus's version of his song "Lightning Strikes" that he wanted to work on a space Rock Opera with him. Sadly this plan never came about.

Tracklist

1. "Keys Of Life" (2:26)
2. "Lightning Strikes" (2:59)
3. "The Twist" (3:10)
4. "Nomi Song" (2:47)
5. "You Don't Own Me" (3:39)

Side Two

1. "The Cold Song" (4:03)
2. "Wasting My Time" (4:16)
3. "Total Eclipse" (3:29)
4. "Nomi Chant" (1:53)
5. "Samson and Delilah" (Aria) (3:43)

Tropal Eclipse Of The Heart

• As the Good Book Says...: "Samson and Delilah", inspired by the biblical characters of the same name.
• Bilingual Bonus: "Samson and Delilah" is sang in French.
• Classical Music: "The Cold Song" was originally composed by Henry Purcell and "Samson and Delilah" by Camille Saint-Saëns.
• Concept Album: Kind of. In "Keys Of Life" Nomi describes what he sees as he supposedly lands on Earth. "The Twist" and "Nomi Song" also refer to "humans" as if is he is some kind of extraterrestrial alien. The song "Samson And Delilah" ends with a spaceship taking off.
• The Cover Changes the Gender: Spectacularly averted with "You Don't Own Me": "Don't say I can't play with other BOYS!".
• Cover Version: "Lightning Strikes", a cover of the 1966 hit by Lou Christie and Twyla Herbert. "The Twist", a 1959 Hank Ballard cover. "You Don't Own Me" was written by John Madara and David White and is most famous in the 1963 hit song by Lesley Gore. "The Cold Song" is lifted from a work by Henry Purcell and John Dryden, while the aria "Samson and Delilah" was composed by Camille Saint-Saëns.
• Dancing Is Serious Business: "The Twist"
  We're going to twist 'til we tear the house down
• Death Song: "The Cold Song"
  Let me, let me
  Freeze again to death!
• Deliberately Monochrome: The black-and-white album cover.
• Design Student's Orgasm: Nomi is featured in a striking stylish costume. Dutch people will be amused to know that the cover was photographed by a man called Michael Halsband ^note  "halsband" is Dutch for "collar"
• Downer Ending: "Total Eclipse" is about a total annihilation of Earth in a nuclear explosion. It even ends with a Last Note Nightmare by fading into "Nomi Chant".
• The End of the World as We Know It: "Total Eclipse".
  Last dance, let the entire cast dance
  Do the dismembered blast dance as we get atomized!
• Face on the Cover: Klaus in his costume.
• Fading into the Next Song: "Total Eclipse" fades into "Nomi Chant".
• Fake-Out Fade-Out: "Samson and Delilah (Aria)".
• Genre-Busting: Klaus is... pop music covering opera performance art with heavy reliance on synthesizers? Let's just say it's New Wave.
• Gratuitous French: "Samson and Delilah (Aria)", even though it's not really French.
• Heavy Meta: "Wasting My Time"
  So I'm singing this song, but I won't stay for long
• I Just Want to Be Free: "You Don't Own Me"
  Because you don't know me
  Don't try to shame me in any way
  You don't own me
  Don't tie me down 'cause I never stay
  And don't tell me what to say
  Don't tell me what to do
  Just let me be myself
  That's all I ask from you!
• Incredibly Long Note: "The Cold Song" ends with one.
• Instrumental: "Nomi Chant"
• Last Note Nightmare: "Samson and Delilah (Aria)" ends with a UFO takeoff.
  • He does this twice in a row on this album. The otherwise calm Nomi Chant becomes a Scare Chord in it's last second, and his rendition of the aria "Mon coeur c'ouvre a ta voix" from Samson and Delilah ends with what can only be described as him getting back in his space ship and taking off. It makes sense in his live shows.
• Mickey Mousing: During "The Twist" Nomi mentions father and mother are sleeping, while snoring sounds are heard in the background.
• Name and Name: "Samson and Delilah".
• New Wave Music: The genre he's most closely associated with.
• Opera: Nomi uses his countertenor voice in many tracks to provide high singing.
• Pep-Talk Song: "You Don't Own Me".
  I'm young and I like to be young
  I'm free and I like to be free
  To live my life the way I want
  To say and do whatever I please
• The Power of Love: "Lightning Strikes"
  She's put together fine and she's on my mind
  I can't stop! I can't stop myself!
  Lightning's striking again! And again! And again! And again!
• Product Placement: "Total Eclipse"
  Blow up, everything's gonna up
  Even if you don't show up in your chemise Lacoste
• Pun-Based Title: Nomi plays into the fact that his name is similar to "know me" and uses this in "You Don't Own Me" and "Nomi Song"
  If they saw my face: could I still take a bow?
  Will they know me? Know me, know me now?
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: "Wasting My Time"
  I'm wasting my time
  I'm wasting my time on you, on you
• Record Producer: Ron Johnsen
• Rhyming with Itself:
  Total eclipse! It's a total eclipse!
• Scare Chord: "Nomi Chant".
• Self-Titled Album: His debut album.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: Nomi wears his Iconic Outfit on the cover: tuxedo, big black tie and lipstick, white make-up and hair stuck up straight.
• Singer Name Drop: "Nomi Song" and "Nomi Chant".
• The Something Song: "Nomi Song" and "The Cold Song".
• Tenor Boy: Nomi sings countertenor.
• Ye Olde Butchered English: "The Cold Song", which is actual old English.
  What power art thou?
  Who from below hast made me rise?
  Unwillingly and slow
  From beds of everlasting snow!
  See'st thou not how stiff
  And wondrous old?

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