Laura Nyro – Hear My Song – The Collection 1966-1995 – 19 CD Deluxe Boxed Set Edition
It’s taken a while to determine how to negotiate a 19-CD review without being long-winded, avoid redundancies & wonder whether talking in detail about Bronx-born singer-songwriter Laura Nyro (pronounced “Near-Oh” – 1947-1997) was warranted. Many are familiar now with her songs.
However, a good review or assessment is more for those who are unfamiliar or merely curious. I’ll avoid the likelihood of recreating a press release. I’ll waive the highlights since many tunes of consequence are noted. A musician list will be paired down to key players.
Each album will be featured individually.
This collection provides two versions of Laura’s second LP (stereo/mono), 10 studio LPs proper, 6 live performances (2 previously unreleased), one audition tape & an LP of live & rarities. It all comprises the hefty 19-CD boxed edition Hear My Song—The Collection 1966-1995 (Dropped Dec. 6/Madfish Records-Snapper Music Ltd). The reissue was produced beautifully by James Batsford with liner notes by Vivien Goldman & the package includes an impressively detailed 90-page full-color coffee table perfect bound book.
Today, musicians like Elton John, Jackson Browne & Todd Rundgren talk about Laura in a manner that she deserves. Elton praised Laura’s piano playing & was influenced by her. But when she was alive the critical mainstream acclaim didn’t always translate to major success. This happens. Fringe musicians are not always accepted quickly. It still happens today. Those who believed covered her work: Barbra Streisand, Three Dog Night, Peter, Paul & Mary, the 5th Dimension, Blood, Sweat & Tears & they all had chart success. Her wider acclaim, however, blossomed posthumously. With her emotionally driven 3-octave mezzo-soprano range listeners were finally introduced to Ms. Nyro’s voice. And though her originals were inspired & wonderful, her heart was firmly in a more soulful realm – like “Up On the Roof.”
More Than a New Discovery (71:41) was her debut on Verve/Folkways. Reissued in 1973 by Columbia as The First Songs, this was a pivotal set. The showcase featured the majority of songs that would be covered by those major artists. Original versions of “And When I Die,” (written at 17), “Stoney End,” “Hands Off the Man” (which became “Flim Flam Man”), “Wedding Bell Blues” & “Blowin’ Away,” were the thrust of this young woman’s first songbook.
What’s interesting is how her originals were a bit coarser & more organic than the mainstream adaptions. Recorded in NYC with a full band, this collection of 12 are the original mono songs for purists with 12 stereo versions for completists. This music is also a lesson in creativity & originality from a maverick heart. The song topics alone suggest a “new discovery.” Today’s young singers don’t seem to explore as deeply & innovatively as Ms. Nyro dared. None take risks. They follow their peers & what’s popular.
My point more succinctly is that many artists were talented & skillful but few artists during this 1966 era sounded like or wrote quite like Laura. I can think of only 2 songwriters that were as inspired. Yes, Joni Mitchell, but she’d be the obvious choice & was established. I believe the late tragic pianist Judee Sill (“The Kiss” & “Jesus Was a Crossmaker”) & another early former Verve artist who had a prior successful songwriting career in a different realm Dory Previn (“Lemon Haired Ladies” “Stone For Bessie Smith.”) were closer in spirit to Laura as contemporaries.
Their songs were covered too. They didn’t find overnight success but it came with persistence & their splendid songs. More in a lounge singer’s jazzy laid-back ballad tradition with soulful tints is Laura’s “Billy’s Blues,” & “Lazy Susan.” As delectable now as back in ‘66. Do you hear it, Diana Krall? Laura’s vocal gymnastics come on the marvelous “He’s a Runner.” A shame the late multi-octave singer Phoebe Snow never covered this (though it was covered by the late Mama Cass Elliott & Blood, Sweat & Tears). As for poignancy, Laura’s warmth & emotive application is beautifully rendered in “I Never Meant To Hurt You.”
Laura jumped ship to Columbia Records. Her 2nd LP (46:50) with a full band & 13 sophisticated diversified songs came on Eli & The Thirteenth Confession. This too, produced songs covered by major artists: “Sweet Blindness,” “Eli’s Comin’” & “Stoned Soul Picnic.” But I found some that weren’t contemporary mainstream oriented that were equally compelling. The jazzy “Luckie,” was produced by Laura with New Jersey’s Charlie Calello (who arranged the strings on Springsteen’s “Jungleland”).
I found the mono LP warmer, like a typical 45. Whereas the stereo was brighter. Most impressively, the recording was still pristine & didn’t sound 56 years old. On some of the songs that were covered, you can almost hear the reason major artists were intrigued. Laura’s versions were energetic & enthusiastic. “Poverty Train,” was more serious but the contrast between Laura’s enduring vocal & the drummer’s hi-hat work, gentle flute & ever-present piano splash creates an imaginative listen. Laura’s vocal tease from vigorous to a whisper is gripping.
Laura was never a true folky, she mixed her repertoire with styles that were Broadway, pop, jazz & Tin Pan Alley. The songs themselves (“Stoned Soul Picnic” “Emmie” & “Woman’s Blues”) began to expose a more soulful grip. Some possessed muscular backing vocals & brass. Can you “surrey?” It sounded poetically right & it was Laura’s poetic license style. Several name musicians grace the LP including Chuck Rainey (one of 2 bassists & later of Steely Dan) & Hugh McCracken (guitar).
Her lack of commercial hits for herself may simply be that her voice wasn’t sufficiently commercially stylized. This hampered Judee Sill & Dory Previn as well. Great material, well-recorded & performed but no mainstream tonality to tempt the Hot 100 & radio play. The songs could jump & clear the hurdle but not run fast enough to win the race.
There are a few tunes composed more adroitly for musicians to appreciate rather than a Coke-drinking, dance-loving record buyer. As soulful as Laura could get, she’s an artist to listen to. However, except for “The Confession” which rocks harder & hotter with its hip-swinging facilitation.
In 1969 the creatively named New York Tendaberry bowed 11 new songs (45:41). More creative license – what’s a tendaberry? Few knew. But that too sounded right. It also solidified Laura’s artistic credibility. More covers emerged for major artists & with the superbly arranged “Time & Love,” (Barbra Streisand, the 5th Dimension, The Supremes) & “Save the Country,” (the 5th Dimension & sampled by Kanye West) Laura paid the rent. Columbia also added the benefits of her songwriting to their coffers.
Though it’s laid back & delicate & avoided the heavier production milieu it didn’t lack energy since the focus was more on Laura’s dramatic voice, disciplined piano & compositional ornamentation. Some songs have brass but more for punctuation than performance. The tracks were more commercial, & originally produced by Laura with Roy Halee. Others (“Captain For Dark Mornings” “Tom Cat Goodbye” “Gibsom Street”) were cloistered with jazzy captivating radiant soul & not as readily catchy. On tap also was Jimmie Haskell (conductor/arranger) with Gary Chester on drums. The rest was all Laura which kept the near-lounge singing style spare without compromising power.
Laura’s 4th studio LP closes out her trilogy & was produced by Arif Mardin & the Young Rascals’ Felix Cavaliere (organ/bells). Recorded in 1970 in NYC the 9 tracks (45:00) of Christmas and the Beads of Sweat included lyrics. The opener “Brown Earth” had a striking coda on piano & a melodic guitar conclusion. These numbers featured the likes of Barry Beckett (vibraphone), the Young Rascals drummer Dino Danelli & studio player Roger Hawkins along with Eddie Hinton, Cornell Dupree & Duane Allman (guitars). Richard Davis & Chuck Rainey (bass), Alice Coltrane (harp) & Joe Farrell (woodwinds).
Songs like “Blackpatch” were powerful. I always associated it with Carole King’s “Smackwater Jack” for some reason. Maybe since I always played them together. “Lipstick on her reefer, waiting for a match…” — quite a creatively written line. The sublime ballad “Been On a Train,” is subtle & confirms Laura’s effective ability as a nightclub piano lounge singer.
“Up On the Roof,” a Carole King-Gerry Goffin classic song was one of Laura’s most successful covers. Laura was at home with lyrics & music like this. On this, her voice is superbly mainstream & naturally gravitating toward the Hot 100’s lower reaches but there, nonetheless. If rock n’ roll only had one classic composition to offer the older generation of Gershwin, Cole Porter & Hoagy Carmichael – this would be the song as done by Laura.
With “Upstairs By a Chinese Lamp,” the piano intro reminds me of Henry Mancini. Laura knows exactly how to finesse this dramatic style. The arrangement is impeccable & typical of the Laura Nyro signature. Her songs take on a more ambient ethereal feel. Laura seldom sings in an angry manner, or with too much sentimentality, sadness & sugary pop. Each song evolves through her voice with suppleness within the elements added as she progresses. “Map To The Treasure” is one of these ambitious jigsaw tunes. Organic, pure & natural. I think this is one of the songs that impressed Elton John (his “Burn Down the Mission” has her “piano pinch” as he said in an interview with Elvis Costello). He loved Laura’s piano playing. In a field of excellent Laura Nyro albums, this is superb.
For some Laura’s music is strong black coffee. At first, you may need cream & sugar. As I did back in 1968. Start with the hits by the major artists then an appreciation of the music & curiosity will follow. Tastes change. When you hear her originals, the artistry comes through unfiltered. It’s not a watercolor story that decorates her songs but an oil on canvas. Laura isn’t Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Joan Baez or Judy Collins. She’s unique in the way Tom Waits, John Prine, Leonard Cohen, Judee Sill & Dory Previn are.
The 5th studio LP was a challenge, a turning point where Laura aimed for chart success with a far more commercial-heavy soulful cover set. It even featured the vocal trio of Labelle (with Nona Hendryx, Patti LaBelle & Sarah Dash). There are 10 Motown classics/R&B standards & 50s hits along with the Teddy Randazzo title track that emerges from 1971’s Gonna Take A Miracle (32:45). The LP reeks of excellent soulful sound. No foot on the brakes for “Monkey Time/Dancing In the Street.” The Motown classic with its blaring horns, sharp enthusiastic vocals & tight groove was laid down like soul pros would do. Laura was in her element.
Produced & recorded by Philadelphia’s Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff this was in the hands of pros & riskier. But it became a critic’s favorite. It also did well on the pop chart & went Top 50 on the Black charts. These songs weren’t what Laura initially shaped her career to be but were closer to what she enjoyed. The short soulful “Desiree” & “Spanish Harlem” don’t even sound entirely like Laura but a closer listen — it’s unmistakably Laura. She continues well with Smokey Robinson, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, Jerry Leiber, Phil Spector & Holland-Dozier-Holland-oriented songs. There are some missteps, but they’re minor as to be negligible.
Her new more mellow Asian-flavored 8-track studio set was a minor chart success after a hiatus. When she returned to Columbia. She laid down a more jazz-pop-oriented 6th LP Smile (32:07) in 1976. She returned to self-produce with her Eli producer/arranger Charles Calello. Then later in the year toured & recorded what became her live “Season of Lights.” In 1976 while Steely Dan was doing “The Royal Scam” & Joni Mitchell experimented with “Hejira” Laura Nyro sounded like a female-fronted Steely Dan/Joni Mitchell (“Sexy Mama,” a cover, “Children of the Junks” & “Money”). She was still distinctively herself on “I Am the Blues” but with a tint of inflection & tonality similar to Ms. Mitchell. Working on the same wavelength. Working different sides of the same street. Laura the piano queen & Joni the guitar wizard.
This “Smile” effort had its muscle. Musicians like guitarists John Tropea, Hugh McCracken & Joe Beck & bassists Will Lee, Richard Davis & Bob Babbitt joined Allan Schwartzenberg & Rick Marotta (drums). Joe Farrell, Michael Brecker & George Young (saxes) & Randy Brecker (trumpet). Recorded in NYC it wasn’t as pop-oriented but leaned more into a jazz-pop realm — where fewer covers were lifted.
Nested (44:13) was Laura’s 7th & dropped in 1978. It later became one of her rarest albums. It was 11 numbers produced by Laura with Roscoe Harring — shaped an entirely different musical approach. Some of the same “Smile” musicians joined Laura along with surprises – one of the guitarists was Vinnie Cusano (later Vinnie Vincent guitarist for KISS), the Lovin’ Spoonful’s John Sebastian (harmonica), Tony Levin on bass (“American Dreamer”) would later join King Crimson. Former Young Rascal Felix Cavaliere returned (electric piano & organ).
Right from the start all the original songs were more soulful. Many were written about what she knew. Womanhood & motherhood. More melodic & commercial than “Smile.” However, the LP failed to gain traction on the pop-album chart. Some of her catchiest & significant pieces included “Rhythm & Blues,” “The Sweet Sky” & “Child in a Universe” along with one of her more intensely threaded piano pieces: “Crazy Love.”
I appreciated this work. I felt Laura was closer to being accepted not only as a songwriter but a singer. There isn’t anything here that’s a retread. But the public’s fickle. Laura didn’t follow the same mainstream road as others. Another Columbia artist Janis Ian & Carol King were finding it difficult too. 1978 was a period of punk, new wave & disco. Laura wasn’t controversial either.
5 years after “Nested,” & still with Columbia, Laura Nyro produced Mother’s Spiritual (45:38) a 14-track co-produced for a while by Todd Rundgren (synths) & Nydia “Liberty” Mata (percussion). The 1983 recorded collection was issued in January 1984. Several original tunes had mainstream charm – “The Right To Vote” & “A Free Thinker.”
The musicians were all new & the sound was crisp with the sweep of jazzy melodies mixed liberally with pop sensibilities. This 8th studio LP was recorded in Danbury, CT. Still, in laid-back mode, I thought the musical construction was unwavering & intact. We have to remember that the artist has matured, is older & experienced life. She isn’t going to write songs she wrote as a teenager. She labored over songs more homespun with personal charm, tree concerns & a pinch of feminism to the proceedings to spice it up.
The songs are more suited for artists like Cassandra Wilson & Diana Krall than Barbra Streisand or the 5th Dimension. There’s an energy missing. But not sincerity. This is after all a mother singing, not a radical. “Late For Love,” “A Free Thinker,” “Trees of the Ages” & “Roadnotes” have a nice Joni Mitchell-jazzy guitar sound of John K. Bristow & the backup vocals are far more soulful than anything Joni used. Therein lies their differences. Production-wise I don’t see the connection of Todd Rundgren with this kind of music, nor did I understand why Thomas Dolby & Billy Idol got involved with Joni Mitchell. It just doesn’t seem workable. The songs were good compositions, but they weren’t as creative & challenging as the early material.
What came next: was Laura’s 9th — closer to a more fully soulful flavored set produced by Laura with Steely Dan producer Gary Katz. The 10-track Walk the Dog & Light the Light (36:26) 1993 released LP featured former Steely Dan drummer Bernard Purdie, Elliott Randall (among the guitarists), Michael Brecker (sax) & solid backup singers that blended the Motown-Stax feel with the jazzy Steely Dan oriented thrust.
The songs covered a variety of topics. There weren’t many that attracted cover versions. The set wasn’t without its catchy performances. The title track is the most attractive. But Laura’s pop instincts, as persistent as they were on her earlier efforts, weren’t evident. This may be maturity. These new songs while not as mainstream, still possessed inventive variations. This was her last original song studio effort released in her lifetime. Primarily affable songs with her ever-radiant vocals (“Medley: I’m So Proud/Dedicated To The One I Love”).
Released posthumously, her final 17 studio recordings became Angel In the Dark — more of the same musical stylings of previous albums. It featured the same musicians. Laura for the whole of her career had skillful & talented accompaniment. The songs are soulful with well-defined vocals & no slur, or intonation issues. Produced by Laura & recorded in New York (1994 & 1995 while undergoing chemo some recordings were not completed & Laura passed away in 1997).
The tunes weren’t released until 2001. Surprisingly not by Columbia. It was scheduled for an independent release & eventually went to Rounder. Despite illness, her vocals remained sincere, graceful & warm. The title cut, “Triple Goddess Twilight,” is a wonderfully strong nightclub entertaining vocal, as is “Gardenia Talk” & the subtle “Animal Grace.” A cover of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” has the distinctive Nyro piano. It made me think how wonderful it would’ve been had Laura sung this song & “Up On the Roof” with its composer Carole King. This set has its covers, but they fit Nyro’s recipe. The scope of her personality, character & image. She always chose material wisely.
A few classics (covers & originals) with Laura alone at her piano & are impeccable. Solo, with her voice & 88 keys — up close with no embellishments. “Sweet Dream Fade” is punctuated by horns but is pure Laura with a Muscle Shoals-type feel. “Ooh Baby, Baby” is stripped of its sugary soul commerciality & rendered more earthy with a lavish low blue flame percolating the soulful ballad.
The live collections included here will be discussed together since there’s redundancy. The first is the earliest – Spread Your Wings & Fly, (65:19). The majority was previously unreleased. It’s a set of 12 performances at the Fillmore East, in May 1971.
The opener is “American Dove” – a recorded debut & received by the audience with enthusiastic applause. Many familiar soulful hits followed including 2 Carole King tunes & a few of Nyro’s own. Sample her piano pyrotechnics on “Map To the Treasure.” Right up there with Elton, Billy Joel & Bruce Hornsby for sure. Laura’s voice/piano was captured quite well during this early live show & remastered with expertise.
In 1977 between studio LPs Columbia released the fine 18-track live set Season of Lights…Laura Nyro in Concert (76:16). Officially, Laura’s first live LP. The majority are varied 1976 shows she produced. One in particular is Carnegie Hall in NYC with the majority of musicians from “Smile.” Laid-back, jazzy & soulful. Laura’s best-realized expression of her work.
These live performances had no covers – all Nyro originals. Laura was in fine voice with this tight jazzy unit. The opener “Money” is assertively good. Her slowed-down “And When I Die” percolates nicely live with a hot blowing sax solo as does the funky layers of “Captain St. Lucifer.” A maniacal trumpet solo pours from Ellen Seeling’s horn on “I Am the Blues.” “The Confession” & “Timer” at this concert are two of Laura’s most fully realized rockers with musicians at full throttle. Impressive playing on “Timer” even being a hot swipe at Santana with aggressive timbales, congas & percussion. A well-recorded live album.
Produced by Laura, Laura Nyro Live – The Loom’s Desire are 2 separate CDs (but maybe a double set in some packages). Both identical jackets state they were recorded at New York’s Bottom Line on Christmas Eve 1993 & one year later 1994. But interior credits read with Carnegie Hall & 3 other venues. Perhaps these 2 CDs specifically focus on Bottom-Line shows.
Part 1 has 13 tracks (41:15) from 1993 & Part 2 has 11 (40:19) from 1994. Released in 2002 this spare intimate live set features Laura’s solo at the piano with harmony vocal support from 4 female singers. Their soulful backup & Laura’s penetrating voice on “Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby (The Heebies Jeebies)” sets the tone for these performances. This showcase includes 2 covers. At times, the voices are acapella-perfect. Never to lose the spirituality of the human voice.
The recording is pristine. Laura’s voice has remarkable clarity & her style of bestowing a soulful performance isn’t to follow in the footsteps of soul singers who exemplify their feelings through many sustained notes, emphasized vocal trickery & expressive tonality. Instead, Nyro holds her notes but shies away from extraneous entertaining vocal gymnastics. The song matters first as sampled on “Walk the Dog & Light the Light (Song of the Road),” where her voice works in tangent with the piano melody.
This live program probably captured Laura’s best vocals. Her classic “And When I Die” & her playful “Japanese Restaurant Song” are highlights.
The second CD sounds like they just came together the next evening, but a year later, Laura Nyro opens the ‘94 concert with one of her final originals. “Angel In the Dark” with the same harmony vocalists. However, while her voice is strong & consistent there’s a “spirit” not in this set as there was in the ’93 show.
“Save the Country” & the medley of “Blowin’ Away – Wedding Bell Blues,” has vocal fuel, but the mix isn’t engaged. Even “Louise’s Church” is anemic. Laura was diagnosed with ovarian cancer somewhere during this time so there’s a possibility that her creative heart wasn’t entirely into a more ambitious showing.
There are two 1994 Live In San Francisco – Fairmont Hotel sets. Laura Nyro is at the piano with only 3 backup vocalists. One CD has 20 tracks (April 28th/62:32) & the second has 18 songs (May 7th/61:49). The tunes run in their identical concert order with only “And When I Die” & “Wedding Bell Blues” omitted from the May show. It allows “Emmie” more featured time. The CD covers are identical except for color & concert dates.
Many songs performed at these concerts were included in previous shows. Peppered with a few choice soulful covers none of the songs wear out their welcome. Laura’s voice never fails her. There are no elongated jams or instrumental breaks. Many are short & sweet. As good pop music used to be in the 50s & 60s. The backup is soulfully engaged. Both dates are well-recorded, but the audience does sound more intimate & smaller compared to other concerts.
“Gardenia Talk” is especially well done. Laura’s range, intonation & phrasing is ever precise. Her tonality cruises along in a Carole King manner while at other times she meanders into Joni Mitchell territory. But there’s no imitation suggested it’s just her tonality & elocution. The expressiveness is wholly Laura throughout.
An interesting cache of 8 songs comes with the audition tape Go Find the Moon (18:28) which is more for completists. I reviewed this LP for Americana Highways on Sept. 7th, 2021. It’s available here. https://americanahighways.org/2021/09/07/review-laura-nyro-to-find-the-moon-the-audition-tape/
The final 18-cut Rarities & Live Recordings (53:46) includes some rich covers. Songs by Mel Torme, Rodgers & Hart, Carole King & Gerry Goffin, Smokey Robinson & several of Laura’s own. There are familiar songs, live performances, demos, mono & single versions & alternate takes. These popular anthems were recorded with expertise & contain several of her most recognizable & appealing tunes — later covered by major artists.
Many artists achieve success, yet few sustain it throughout a long career. Each album is a toss of the dice. A worthy artist doesn’t want to repeat themselves, but they also don’t want to fall out of the realm of what their image is. Laura Nyro maintained a good career, but it was from the start for selective tastes. Not as well connected as Joni Mitchell to that Laurel Canyon/Canadian artist community Laura wasn’t a wild entertainer like Patti Smith/Janis Joplin. Or, as commercially shaped as Connie Francis & Lesley Gore. Laura’s was an unwavering spirit. Listening today it’s evident that her music will never go out of fashion.
Criticism? One. Laura’s original lyrics should’ve been included instead of pictures of old 45s in the book. The reproduced words to her songs on some CD art are microscopic.
Color fire escape image courtesy of the Laura Nyro stonedsoulpicnic website photo gallery. Seated B&W courtesy of Fine Art America & Estate of David Gahr.
Boxed Set @ Amazon & eBay + https://www.facebook.com/LauraNyro/
Review of Trees of the Ages – Laura Nyro Live in Japan – July 15, 2021: https://americanahighways.org/2021/07/15/review-laura-nyro-tree-of-ages-laura-nyro-live-in-japan/