My sister and I
are the only two people I know that like Laura Nyro. Her voice can take a little getting used
to. It’s like a bird tied to a string; it goes all
over the place, and is constantly on the verge of breaking free and losing
control. I happen to think that is cool,
but my wife does not. I put this album
on to make some notes, and the mood in the room instantly changed. She puts up with a lot of crazy music in this
house, but it was very clear that this was not a record that was going to be
in rotation for very long. I can get
that. She is not alone in this
opinion, and that is fine with me. She
asked if I would please put the Bob Dylan back in the player, after I was done
listening to “that girl with the ridiculous voice.” How could you be upset with a woman who
encourages you to listen to more Dylan?
She’s a keeper.
I,
however, love this record! It just soars
for me. Laura does all of the lead
vocals as well as the background vocals.
Having one person do all the vocals is like putting magnifying glass on the
personality of the performer. Instead of
one over the top vocalist, you get 20. My
favorite song is “Sweet Eyed Blindness.”
In some parts, I am hearing at least 4 vocals intermingling. The rhythm is also all over the place, and
the beat changes tempo throughout the song.
The most important thing is how wonderfully happy the song feels. The song is about drinking, and as a result
gives the song a bit of a medicated happy feel.
How could you not sing along to this?
This album came
out in 1968, but I get sort of a mid 60’s/Motown/Brill Building feel to
it. This makes a lot of since because
Laura was a songwriter who scored several hits with groups like The 5th
Dimension, Three Dog Night, and The Blood, Sweat and Tears. I happen to prefer her version of “Eli’s
Comin’” over Three Dog Night’s. I feel
like the vocals mesh far better in her recording than the hit version. The song also works much better from the
perspective of a woman than a man. I
find it hard to believe that a man, especially like Chuck Negron, would
sing about watching out for a heartbreaker. “Stone Soul Picnic” on the other hand lacks the bold production of the
The 5th Dimension’s version.
Laura’s version, however let’s you focus on how wonderful the melody
really is. It’s very good, but far less
lush.
“Farmer Joe” absolutely knocks my socks off every time
I hear it. The piano is thick, guttural,
and as satisfying as butter on a biscuit.
Laura must have been pretty happy the day she found that groove. The lyrics are simple and repetitive and easy
to sing along to. Also, pay attention to
the section where she sings “run, run like a son of a gun.” The note she sings when she says “gun,” is so
out of key, but just so right. Who does
that? Why pick that strange note?
Because she pulls it off; that’s why.
Sometimes you just do things because others haven’t. I am glad she did.
Did I say I like
to sing to this record? Well, I should
make an exception for “The Confession.”
It is a lovely melody and the finger picked acoustic guitar really
percolates the song, but…and I do mean but…I am not sure this song was meant
for me to sing along to. Groove on these
lyrics:
Super summer sugar croppin'
In the mornin'
Do your shoppin' baby
Love my love thing
Super ride inside my love thing
You may leave the fair
But you'll be back I swear
In the mornin'
Do your shoppin' baby
Love my love thing
Super ride inside my love thing
You may leave the fair
But you'll be back I swear
And
Oh I hate my winsome lover
Tell him I've had others
At my breast
But tell him he held my heart
And only now am I a virgin
I confess
Love my love thing
Love is surely gospel
Tell him I've had others
At my breast
But tell him he held my heart
And only now am I a virgin
I confess
Love my love thing
Love is surely gospel
This is 1968 we’re talkin’ about here, and “Super ride inside my love thing,”
is so far past anything you will hear from this era. This is especially true for a woman. This was ground breaking music and credit
should be given where credit is due.
Even though I, as a man, am uncomfortable singing along with it, “The
Confession” should be viewed as the major statement it is. Sometimes songs push the boundaries of sound
or harmony, but this one was a great step forward for lyrics.
Tones: Everything sounds pretty
close mic’d except for the strings, which sound like they were recorded in a
massive studio with only room microphones.
Cover Note: It’s a very basic
cover. I guess the stark black cover is
notable because of how non psychedelic it is for 1968. I get kind of a singer/songwriter vibe from it. Also, I have seen this used quite a
few times, and each time the cover has had a massive amount of ring wear. Roxy & Elsewhere by Frank Zappa is the
same way. I guess some records were just
printed poorly compared to others.
Price paid: I have the CD
reissue, but I did buy a vinyl copy for my sister. It was in the $4.00-$6.00 range, which is a fair
price. The bonus tracks on the CD are
also very good.
Bottom line: If someone was
interested in 60’s music and had never heard a thing, I would probably tell
them to start with the Beatles, then move to the Beach Boys, then The Stones, then
The Kinks and so forth. A logical
progression of appreciation would then develop and their life would gradually
improve until they exploded from pure joy.
This album and Laura’s others would probably not fit into the first
50-100 records I would suggest to a 60’s music novice. However, after some of the more obvious
choices are covered, this would be a great suggestion. It certainly won’t disappoint any long time
lover of 60’s music.
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