Titled for the Andy Warhol film which confirmed Nico's American fame, "Chelsea Girls" was composed by Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison and so effortlessly radiates its parentage that it is as familiar from sundry Velvet Underground compilations as it is within Nico's own solo canon -- in 2002, it was even included in the deluxe edition of the Velvet's debut album and it really doesn't sound out of place. Over seven minutes long, "Chelsea Girls" predates Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" in its journey through the Warhol Factory, with the Chelsea Hotel a microcosm of the New York City which he would illustrate. Foreboding, slow, and languorous, it is a hypnotic performance with Nico's voice a seductive blend of gossip and voyeur almost whispered in places, tired in others, and threatening scandal with every breath. Certainly it provided an inviting introduction into Nico's first solo album, also titled Chelsea Girls.
(by Dave Thompson, allmusic.com)