Laura Nyro
Reviewed on this page:
More Than A New Discovery - Eli
And The Thirteenth Confession - New York
Tendaberry - Christmas and the Beads of Sweat
- Gonna Take A Miracle - Smile -
Season Of Light - Nested - Live At The Bottom
Line - Walk The Dog And Light The Light
Bronx-born Laura Nyro was a jazz-poet white soul singer-songwriter years
before Joni Mitchell and Rickie Lee Jones. She soon became known as a hit
songwriter, as her tunes became hits for Peter, Paul and Mary, the Fifth
Dimension, and others. After a traumatic appearance at Monterey Pop in
1967, Nyro recovered with a series of idiosyncratic, allusive, almost
stream-of-consciousness LPs that were surprisingly successful. But she
spent most of the next thirty years in retirement before her death
in April of 1997, and her reputation is mostly built on what she
accomplished in her late teens and early twenties. Nyro may be more
noteworthy as a trailblazer than a composer or performer - despite her
distinctive vocal style and soul-baring lyrics, I don't find her songs
communicate to me anything like Mitchell or Jones do, partly because she
can be so damn hard to understand.
There's a marvelous fan site with
just about anything you could ask for about Nyro, from discography to
photos to interviews. (DBW)
 More Than A New Discovery (1966)
She already had her whole act figured out when she recorded this debut
at the age of 19. She has a good if conventional ear for melody
("Wedding Bell Blues," later a hit for the Fifth Dimension), and blends
full-blown pop arrangements with blues ("California Shoeshine Boys") and
gospel ("And When I Die") influences. The lyrics are more disciplined
and linear than on her other 60s releases, but they're not necessarily
more interesting: "Flim Flam Man" is amusing but hardly profound, while
"Billy's Blues" is so vague it's hardly saying anything at all. But the
arrangements (by Herb Bernstein) aren't as intrusive as Eli's,
and if you like Nyro at all you'll want to hear this. This record is
best known as The First Songs, the title used by Columbia when it
reissued the album after her later records became hits. (DBW)
 Eli and the Thirteenth Confession (1968)
Her breakthrough album, containing "Stoned Soul Picnic" (a big hit for
the Fifth Dimension), an ode to alcohol and self-deception ("Sweet
Blindness"), meditations on Catholic guilt and desire ("December's
Boudoir"), and plenty of tunes I don't understand at all ("Eli's Comin,"
"The Confession," "Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe)"). Oh, and a
love song which may or may not be about her cat ("Timer"). Arrangements by former Four Season Charlie Calello rely
heavily on late 60s pop bombast ("Luckie," "Lu"), and the record works
best when maximum space is left for her intense, soulful piano and
vocals ("Poverty Train," "Lonely Women"). (DBW)
 New York Tendaberry (1969)
Nyro did the arrangements this time, which mostly means just vocal and piano, with
orchestral colors used only for occasional effect. With the attention
solidly focused on Nyro, she pours out lots of difficult, moody,
unstructured compositions which are sometimes arresting ("Captain For
Dark Mornings," "Captain Saint Lucifer"), but more often the record
seems like one long disjointed rant ("Tom Cat goodbye"). Her limited
approach to piano, relying exclusively on dramatic block chords,
contributes to the record's insular sound. There's no concession to pop
at all - no catchy refrains or melodic hooks - and it won't work as
background music: you have to listen to it seriously or not at all. It's
perhaps her best-loved album by fans, though, because it's Nyro at her
purest. She produced with Roy Halee. (DBW)
Christmas And The Beads Of Sweat (1970)
Much as it goes against my grain to admit this, I think turning
over the production reins to Arif Mardin and
Felix Cavaliere helped: the arrangements are fleshed-out ("Brown
Earth") and creative ("Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp"), but far subtler
than Calello's or Bernstein's on the first two albums. Much of the
credit goes to the incredible supporting cast: David Hood & Roger Hawkins, Chuck Rainey & Cornell Dupree, Duane Allman, Richard Davis,
even Alice Coltrane on harp. Add Nyro's piano
(more technically advanced than on previous releases), edgy vocals and
moody compositions, and the result is a smooth, satisfyingly complex
ride that presages the pop-fusion of the mid-Seventies, without the
overreaching and awkwardness of her earlier work. But instead of
taking the world by storm, she disappeared, not releasing another album
of original tunes for six years, and the explanation may be found in the
deep melancholy expressed here: "Been On A Train," an unforgettable
portrait of addiction and suicide, and the list of social ills
"Christmas In My Soul" are only the most obvious examples. So don't look
here for quick uplift - Nyro's more about asking questions ("Map To The
Treasure") than providing solutions - but it's so musical it isn't
depressing either. (And as usual, I often have no idea what she's
talking about: "Beads of Sweat," for example.) The cover of Carole
King's "Up On The Roof" is so similar to
King's own style it seems superfluous; all the other tunes are Nyro's.
(DBW)
 Gonna Take A Miracle (1971)
A whole album of early 60s soul/R&B covers, with Labelle featured on
backing vocals. Apparently a heartfelt homage to her influences,
though the fact that she didn't release any new compositions for
another half-decade suggests that writer's block was an important
factor. The arrangements are pretty faithful, and most of the tunes are
very familiar ("Spanish Harlem"; Teddy Randazzo's title track), making the
whole project seem like a desperate bid for commercial success. Her
voice is in fine form, but doesn't shed any light on tunes like "You've
Really Got A Hold On Me" or "Jimmy Mack" (about half the selections are
Motown).
Produced by Gamble and Huff, and most of the players would soon form the Philly International house band
- Norman Harris and Roland Chambers (guitar),
Ronnie Baker (bass), Vince Montana (percussion) - while Nydia Mata makes her first of many appearances on percussion.
(DBW)
Smile (1976)
No, this isn't her Beach Boys tribute.
Nyro's first record in years, and right away she lets you know she's
changed, with a sweet song of desire that seems intended for
another woman ("Sexy Mama," by Ray, Goodman and Robinson, the only song
on the record she didn't write). The good news is, Nyro sounds great,
the melodies are strong, and the arrangements are solid, sometimes
fascinating (the end of "Smile" is a trio for bass and two kotos). The
less good news is, several of the songs focusing on political and
environmental issues are didactic: "The Cat-Song" is too precious, and
"Money" is just no fun, though Michael
Brecker contributes an unexpected John
Coltrane impression. Also, the record's very short, with just eight
tracks mostly running three or four minutes. Aside from Mata, Richard
Davis and the Breckers, there are a ton of studio cats like Bob Babbit,
Alan Schwartzberg & Jeff Mironov (all fresh from defiling Jimi Hendrix's legacy in 1975), Chris Parker and Will
Lee. Nyro brought Callelo back as co-producer, but there's no trace of
the orchestration of Eli. (DBW)
 Season Of Light (1977)
By the time of this live recording, Nyro was following the school of
singer-songwriters she had been leading. In particular, the laid-back
fusiony band that reinterprets her 60s material brings to mind Joni Mitchell's work with the LA Express, but where
Miles of Aisles breathed life into Mitchell's acoustic material,
the unimaginative arrangements here crush Nyro's idiosyncratic spark.
Of course, the songs are so good this is still by and large an enjoyable
listen, made more interesting by the inclusion of some later, less well
known material: "Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp," "When I Was A Freeport
(And You Were The Main Drag)." There are also two tunes from
Smile, but they're perhaps the least interesting songs from
that record: "The Cat-Song" and "Money." The band includes John Tropea
(guitar), Michael Mainieri (keyboards, though Nyro holds down piano
herself), Andy Newmark (drums), Nydia Mata and Carter Collins
(percussion), and Ellen Seeling, Jeff King and Jeanie Fineberg on horns.
There was a lengthier CD import released ten years later that includes
several bonus cuts and restores some fade-out jams; it's more of the same,
basically, and is worth another half-star but don't pay through the nose
for it. (DBW)
Nested (1978)
Nyro produced with Roscoe Harring, and went with a very mellow,
stripped-down sound. A couple of tracks feature only Nyro singing and
playing piano ("Crazy Love"), but without the enthusiasm or
unpredictability of her better work, it gets dull. The full-band tunes
aren't much more energetic: most of "Mr. Blue" is a lengthy spoken intro
over simple folk-rock changes; "The Nest" drags under its heavy weight
of Meaning. The lyrics are heartfelt but a bit obvious ("Child
In A Universe") - more than anything she sounds like a depressed version
of Cris Williamson. Fortunately, there
are enough pleasant, easygoing melodic tunes ("American Dreamer,"
"Light," "The Sweet Sky" with lovely backing vocals) to keep you from
falling asleep. Players include Lee and Mata again, with Andy Newmark on
drums, John Sebastian on harmonica, and Cavaliere. (DBW)
Mother's Spiritual (1984)
Another return after a long layoff, and she took on environmental and
feminist concerns in earnest. The band includes the improbably-named
combo of Lisa Sunshine (bass) and Terry Silverlight (drums), plus John
Bristo (guitar), Mata, and guest Todd
Rundgren on synth. Produced by Nyro. (DBW)
Live At The Bottom Line (1989)
Nyro sounds in high spirits during this live performance, and from the
opening "The Confession," there's a surprising emphasis on punchy rock
and roll grooves. (Though one of her old singalong standbys, "And When I
Die," gets a toned-down, moody treatment that's more affecting than the
original.) Two new tracks, "Roll Of The Ocean" and "Japanese Restaurant
Song," are masterful in integrating her focus on earth and family with
innovative, propulsive arrangements - mature music in the best sense.
There's very little repetition of tracks from Season Of Light,
but the approach here is so different - straightforward, vigorous,
without jazz pretensions - the older material sounds fresh anyway. The
slower piano numbers are less affecting, though, with rambling melodies
("Park Song," "Broken Rainbow," "Companion"). The band is Jimmy Vivino
(guitar), Frank Pagano (drums), David Wofford (bass), Diane Wilson
(harmony) and Mata, and they all provide solid support without drawing
too much attention to themselves. Produced by Nyro, co-produced by
Vivino. If you want to hear live Nyro - or if you're interested
in her at all - this is a good buy. (DBW)
Walk The Dog And Light The Light (1993)
Continuing the energetic pop-based approach of Bottom Line, Nyro wrote everything except for the occasional tribute ("Dedicated To The One I Love").
The rhythm section is Bernard Purdie (drums) and Freddie Washington (bass), while other musicians include the Breckers and Michael Landau - as you'd expect from that cast, the backing is well manicured and radio-ready ("A Woman Of The World") and predictable ("A Woman Of The World"). Likewise, the tunes are pleasant ("Oh Yeah Maybe Baby (The Heebie Jeebies)") but generally lack the intensely personal sensibility she brought to so much of her work, even when the lyrics are explicitly political ("Louise's Church").
The exceptions are the unpredictable but rambling "Lite A Flame (The Animal Rights Song)" and a dispirited but moving remake of "Broken Rainbow."
Produced by Gary Katz and Nyro; the last album released during her lifetime.
(DBW)
Live From Mountain Stage (2000)
Posthumous release of a 1990 concert, with most of the same songs as Live At The Bottom Line. (DBW)
Angel In The Dark (2001)
Another posthumous release, with some covers like "La-La Means I Love You" and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" alongside
original material. (DBW)
Surry down.
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