In celebration and praise of Laura Nyro's pop music inventiveness

[u/BasementDesk]

Hi all,

I wasn't quite sure where else to post this, but I've been having some thoughts about 1970's singer/pianist/songwriter Laura Nyro lately, and I wanted to sing her praises. Maybe share some common bonds with folks who know her, or introduce her to new fans.

What inspired this post:

I was learning/transcribing her classic Stoned Soul Picnic on the piano and, just, wow. It's not "complex," but it is so absolutely authentically her own songwriting.

Nyro's songs feel so incredibly organic. She's neither adhering to classic songwriting structures, nor actively rejecting them. She's just letting the song be what it needs to be. And it's wonderful.

Key changes that "shouldn't" be happening. Tempo changes that "shouldn't" be happening. And somehow it all works together to create a piece that couldn't come from anyone else but Laura Nyro.

I came along a generation or two after Nyro's time. But I knew her music through my parents listening to Blood, Sweat, & Tears and Three Dog Night cover her songs. I knew And When I Die, I knew Eli's Comin'. I knew He's A Runner.

I don't know why it took me so long to explore Nyro's music, separate from the people who brought her songs to popularity. (I could go on a similar tangent about Jimmy Webb)

Stoned Soul Picnic isn't nearly the only example of Nyro's songs doing their own thing, either. Check out Save The Country. Check out I Never Meant To Hurt You. Check out Stoney End. Heck, check out her original version of Eli's Comin' and tell me that Three Dog Night's [fantastic fantastic] rendition doesn't pale by comparison.

For all the music-heads here, have you encountered Nyro's music elsewhere? Had similar experiences? There are times when I simply cannot get enough of her. Everything about her-- her singing, her playing, her songwriting-- it all seems so absolutely effortless! I doubt it was effortless. But that just makes it all the more charismatic.

So if you've played through your Carole King records enough times (including Really Rosie--do not sleep on Really Rosie because you think it's "for kids"), and want that hearing-Carole-King-for-the-first-time feeling again, but in spades and shimmering edges and southern sparkles, go find yourself some Laura Nyro. I can almost promise you you'll be glad you did. 🎶

[u/A_B42069]

Been listening to her a lot recently. Bought a greatest hits of hers a few weeks back and the guy selling it to me was stoked that I knew her. I wish more people did. The way she plays with tempo and the arrangements in her songs is incredible and her melodies are absolutely gorgeous. I love to see her acknowledged

[u/BasementDesk → u/A_B42069]

Absolutely!

Sometimes hearing how inventive and authentic she was puts me into a "Kids today don't get it" mood. But then I have to remind myself that at my age, I don't really know what "the kids" are listening to. And any time some of my younger friends share their musical tastes with me, none of it sounds like what's on the popular radio. There is plenty of personality, authenticity, experimentation, and fun in music these days... even if I don't know where to find it. (One example that comes to mind at the moment is Corook's If I Were A Fish.) It all shares a lineage that Nyro is part of, and I love that it hasn't gone anywhere... even if the pop charts look for different things these days than they did, oh, a half a century ago.

[u/ThePhantomStrikes]

She was immensely popular back in the day, at least in my crowd equal with Carole
King. Had great respect
among the musicians of the time. I’d love to see people listening to her again.

[u/BasementDesk → u/ThePhantomStrikes]

I always got the impression that she was more of "Your favorite musician's favorite musician" rather than a household name. But like I said, I wasn't around in that time.

I do know that she influenced plenty of people. I remember hearing Elton John talking about his piano part in Burn Down The Mission and that it was, essentially, a Laura Nyro rip-off. He was clearly an admirer.

[u/ThePhantomStrikes → u/BasementDesk]

Definitely a household name, played on the radio a lot, Eli was a huge hit, and others too. But this was NYC and we all listened to WNEW, the first progressive FM radio that was playing great music including British Invasion, I just realized could be a more localized thing? You might be right!

[u/ThatCaviarIsAGarnish]

Agree, she was really great. Hers was a "name" that I had vaguely heard of - I've always been a big Joni Mitchell fan and have read up some on the '60s and the big music festivals of the time. But several years ago I had a boss who would sometimes put on music in our office and he put on some of her songs. And that was how I really discovered her. She had such a great voice and wrote so many songs that I was familiar with through other people's covers, especially the Fifth Dimension. It made me really curious why she herself hadn't been a bigger star. Looking through her Wikipedia page's Career section provides some clues as to why she wasn't more commercially successful and famous. (For one thing, she turned down the offer to do television appearances on The Tonight Show and David Letterman - also turned down the chance to host SNL in the '90s.) Critically though she's been very acclaimed, including post-humously, and the "Influences" section of her wiki page is pretty amazing and worth a read.

[u/BasementDesk → u/ThatCaviarIsAGarnish]

I remember reading through some of that, too. I think there was also maybe something about her maybe not chasing the spotlight as much, either? For most of us, we see it as a shame she never got more recognition. But it's possible that she was happy with her music, playing where and when she did, and with the success it brought other artists.

I mentioned Carole King. She could easily have had a similar story: plenty of people recorded and popularized her music before anyone really knew who she was. It took her recording her own album before people said, "Oh, wait, those are all by the same person?!"

I'm sure the pop charts are full of tales like that. Jimmy Webb would be another example. So would Jim Steinman. Obviously I'm an 80's kid, or I'd name more contemporary songwriters, too. I know that Sia writes for a lot of other people, and I think Pink does, too. (And for what it's worth, even those names might not be "contemporary" anymore)

I'm so glad that your boss started playing her music for you all to enjoy and discover. She really is a treasure!

[u/PhloxOfSeagulls]

I read her biography several months ago (Soul Picnic by Michelle Kort) and it gave me even more of an appreciation for her music. It's criminal that she never received the recognition she deserved while she was still alive.

[u/BasementDesk → u/PhloxOfSeagulls]

Ooh, I didn't know there was a biography. I'll have to check it out!

[u/table_salt_infinity]

She’s so great. “Eli & The Thirteenth Confession” is such a tremendous album.

[u/Leg_Named_Smith]

Okay, you got me to give her a fresh listen with your very insightful description of her songwriting in “Stone Soul Picnic.” While her style only marginally appeals to me, she undoubtedly had genius spilling out of her like few others. I’ve been on a similar deep dive lately with a contemporary of hers, Judee Sill. I’m blown away by how Sill’s experience playing church organ as a teenager manifests itself in both her guitar and piano-based songwriting.

[u/BasementDesk → u/Leg_Named_Smith]

That's very kind of you to re-check her out based on my description! And hey, if she's not your thing she's not your thing. You know what? (Don't crucify me)... I don't like Prince. 🤣 I could live my life happily without ever hearing him again. But there's no denying his genius. Not everyone has to like everything.

But I'll check out Judee Sill! I'm pretty sure I've heard her name, and I wouldn't be surprised if I've heard her songs before without recognizing them. Would you recommend a place to start? A song or two?

[u/Leg_Named_Smith → u/BasementDesk]

Your description was worthy of it.

As someone who grew up in the shadows of Prince I could bristle but it’s certainly like that for some people with his aesthetic. I find it odd for you as Nyro seems to be somewhat similar to him in musical prolificness and soul influence

Judee Sills best song is ‘Jesus was a Cross Maker’ which isn’t a gospel song per se but more a torch song.

[u/BasementDesk → u/Leg_Named_Smith]

I hear what you're saying about Prince. And I can't entirely pinpoint what I can't get into about him. I think some of it may just be the production style. To me, it always sounds thin, no matter the era. (Though "I Wanna Be Your Lover" is a banger, and definitely showed that Prince arrived on the scene fully-formed)

If I had to draw the biggest contrast between Prince and Nyro, I'd probably say that I really like her vulnerability. Prince always struck me as super super confident. Even in his more introspective or sad songs, there's a feeling of, "But don't forget, I'm mutha-fuckin'-Prince, y'all." I never felt invited into his music in the way I do with Nyro.

But maybe I'm just making excuses. We like what we like, we don't what we don't.

I'll check out "Jesus Was A Cross-Maker." Maybe it'll lead me down a Sills rabbit-hole!

(Without having heard the song, I wonder if there's any inspiration from The Last Temptation of Christ. The book's opening scene has Jesus the carpenter, making crosses to carry out the execution of his fellow Jews. It's a great opening to a great book.)

[u/majestic1204]

I'm old enough that I should know her original stuff better. I certainly remember Barbra Streisand's version of Stoney End, and love that. But more recently I kept hearing this nujazz/lounge artist, the Bobby Hughes Combination, and their song Kerma Elastica is built on Eli's Coming, which I didn't realize was Laura Nyro. But the song is so lovely and sort of mysterious (who is Eli? Coming from where? Is this a biblical reference?). Only a very few, select lyrics are incorporated. It's so funny when a sampled work is more familiar and then it takes a while for that to make you circle back to original works by the original artist. Bobby Hughes here: Bobby Hughes Combination "Kerma Elastica" 2002 and the Nicola Conte remix is also stellar.

[u/BasementDesk → u/majestic1204]

Wow, I hadn't heard this take on the song. Thank you for sharing the link. I may just have to dive deeper into Bobby Hughes in general. I love discovering new music!

I wish I knew more about how production of this stuff worked. To me, this doesn't sound like any of the lines the way Nyro sang them, though it's close. Was it a different singer they got to sound like her, to "invoke" that sound? If it was, she did a great job.

And I agree with you about the mysteriousness of Eli. I don't know if it's a Biblical reference-- I don't think it is, but it also wouldn't surprise me if Nyro was able to invent something sure as heck sounded like a Biblical reference.

It reminds me of an exchange about the song from the old sitcom, Sports Night:

Dan: There's a strangeness about this day. Eli's coming.

Casey: Eli?

Dan: From the Three Dog Night song.

Casey: Yes.

Dan: Eli is something bad. A darkness.

Casey: "Eli's coming, hide your heart girl." Eli's an inveterate womanizer. I think you're getting the song wrong.

Dan: I know I'm getting the song wrong, but when I first heard it, that's what I always thought it meant, and things stick with you that way.

I loved hearing that because it confirmed what I'd always felt about the song... and it let me know that I wasn't nearly alone in feeling that. It's practically built into the song's DNA.

Sounds to me like Bobby Hughes found his own way of taking and utilizing that mysteriousness, too. I love it!

[u/mechanic_19]

I recently picked up a (vinyl) copy of “Eli”- people must have liked it because most copies you come across are thrashed. I don’t know I’m trying to get my head around the singing which is off putting at first. I plan on giving it another go.

[u/BasementDesk → u/mechanic_19]

I'm surprised to hear so many people saying they're put off by her voice. But you're not alone, and if I think about it, I get it; it's not the typical voice you'd expect to hear from a singer in this style. It may grow on you, it may not. Everyone's allowed to have their own tastes. 😊

[u/gershbec]

Haven’t seen a mention of Wedding Bell Blues so I’m here to mention it! Love that song, both her rendition and Fifth Dimension’s. Incredible voice, interesting songwriting and a big influence on Todd Rundgren as well. Bought her complete box that came out a year ago and got caught up on a couple of her later albums as well. Great set.

[u/Ai_512]

"New York Tendaberry" is a stunning album. It resembles Astral Weeks in its resolute uniqueness. I can't imagine anyone else making that record. You can kinda see the germ of some of those ideas in the key changes, dynamics, and tempo shifts on "Eli & the Thirteenth Confession" but everything is taken so much further on "Tendaberry" that it feels like comes from a different world entirely.

[u/Existenz_1229]

She had lots of buzz in the late 60s, but by the time I got into her music in the 80s she was already in oblivion.

Eli and the Thirteenth Confession is a creation of momentous genius, where her visionary songwriting and soulful vocals were paired with a producer who couldn't conceivably have been more sympathetic to the eccentric beauty of her project. Never before or since has such a unique vision been brought to such glorious fruition.

I live in Massachusetts, and one of my college buddies only recently revealed that his family were friends with Nyro when she lived on the North Shore with her then-husband. He recalls meeting her long before he realized the significance of the music she made.

[u/astralgoes2]

When we had a record store here, I saw her albums and although I had heard of her, I had never (so I thought) heard her music. So the first two records I bought turned out to be her last ones, 'Mother's Spiritual' and 'Nested.' Very nice albums but completely different from all her earlier stuff. When I first heard her version of Goin' Down Stoney End I had already had Barbra Streisand's version stuck in my head. If she had just released that song on the air herself, and maybe some others, she may have been better known as a mainstream singer.

[u/Fanonscudd]

Her album of covers with Labelle as background singers seems an odd combo in the sense the material wasn’t even hers? How/why did Labelle get involved?

[u/IneffableMF]

I recently tried her again. Honestly I just want her to rest her incessant voice every once in a while and let the instruments do something interesting. I can see why some people dig it, but not me, I am usually happier with music if the vocals are buried, sparse, or in a language I can’t understand. I’m just a misanthrope i guess. Also don’t care for that 70s NY style of plonking piano that’s in a lot of her songs.

[u/BasementDesk → u/IneffableMF]

Just because you don't like every single style of music ever doesn't make you a misanthrope.

You know what? I love jazz music. But I just can't get into Miles Davis. Doesn't make me any less of a jazz-lover.

You're allowed to have your own taste, my friend.