Klaus Nomi, alternately hailed as a genius and walking freak show, each accusation ultimately performing an injustice to his humanity, passed away in 1983 of a the then-woefully misunderstood AIDS virus. His lone albums, Klaus Nomi and Simple Man, are each fine displays of Nomi’s operatic voice and his pop sensibility. His dream, however, was to produce an opera proper. Za Bakdaz contains the pieces of his unrealized ambition.

Unlike the other Nomi albums, Klaus’ voice functions here as part of a determined whole rather than a shocking talent lain atop a rock and roll band as was, occasionally, particularly with regard to his singles, the case. Further, his vocals are mixed as part of a whole, too, and are, as such, difficult to discern at times. Compounding this is Nomi’s use of English, French, Italian and German (along with his own, made up "Nomi-isms") for his lyrics. The result, however, is a purposeful-sounding group of compositions that follow an operatic system of fanfare, conflict, tragedy, comic relief, resolution, etc. Mostly, though, the album reveals Nomi as a man who dreamt of escaping his earthly bonds, as opposed to the man he is oft described as - that being a man truly not of this world. The fact that Za Bakdaz remains, even now, unfinished is testament to Nomi’s humanity and, as such, has as much to tell us through its babel as his proper albums told us through their relative directness.

Gordon Lamb