Comments on: CD Review: Laura Nyro, “Mother’s Spiritual” (reissue)

By: Nyro Appreciative

Nyro Appreciative — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 04:42:00 +0000

She was pretty special, and really something.

There was something about this woman that got under my skin some years ago, and I can’t explain it. I don’t dare call it “love” because I didn’t know her, but it was a deep, mysterious connection that so many of the people who respect her have for her. Another similarity is the drifting away from Laura in the later years, due to erratic album releases with virtually no publicity, and Laura’s reluctance to do TV, videos or interviews. So she became almost twilight figure. When the news broke that she passed away, I felt the same way that I felt when I lost an old friend from college that I had not seen in years: Why didn’t I visit them? Now, I can’t. However, with Laura, I can catch up. And I am. This is one of the albums. There are really two phases of Laura’s work: the inital material that put her on the map (Eli, Tendaberry, Beads Of Sweat)–intense and emotional–and the material she made after she came out of retirement in the 70s after her divorce, her move from New York City to Danbury CT, the death of her beloved mother and the birth of her child. Oh yes, she turned 30. Her later post 1975 albums show this mellower, more serene Laura, but still a woman with strong opinions and those wonderful chord changes intact. Not to mention that great voice which never dimmed with age. Had she lived, I am convinced she would have had a renaissance in the early 2000s because many people from Elvis Costello to Elton John to Alice Cooper (!) to Rundgren and Becker and Fagen have all come out as being major Nyro fans.

Anyway, God bless her memory, and bless this wonderful little company for releasing this underrated and underheard treasure.

By: Tony

Tony — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 11:31:00 +0000

Yim,
You have expressed feelings exactly the same as mine, there was something so special about Laura, to me she is god, her music connects to me like no other.
There have been many things written about Laura and the effect she has makes one write as you say, in your terms babberish. I played “Christmas and the beads of sweat ” this morning as I do every Christmas. Her music will stay with me for the rest of my life, there will never be another LAURA.

By: boogie28

boogie28 — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 02:45:00 +0000

Yim, your feelings are staggeringly similar to mine. Since I saw her live performance of ‘Save the Country’ I was enamored.
Her music speaks to my soul. There are absolutely no other artists, be it musicians or otherwise, who I feel this way about. Well, maybe Paul Thomas Anderson (a great filmmaker), but I don’t swing that way.
I almost feel creepy (as I should) about loving someone who I’ve never met, but she was special. It’s nice to see I’m not alone.

By: Yim

Yim — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 17:20:19 +0000

I felt I must make some sort of comment here about your well written review and our mutual love of Laura Nyro. We seem to have similar tastes and similar guilts…you just express it well. I loved Laura Nyro's music from her first relaese…I loved the renditions rom 5th Dimention and Babs too, but Laura's were the most poinient…and fun. It is kind of embarassing, but I think I was actualy in love with Laura…personally. Something in her eyes and certainly in her mind and music. Had I ever met her and had the oppertunity, I'm sure I would have proposed. What still strikes me a odd is I am generally not like this and stars and or famous people have very little impact on me…they are just other people after all; vastly talented or powerful, but just folks at heart. For some unknown reason Laura Nyro affected me dramaticaly and on a very personal level and no other artist has ever generated feelings like this in me. It is still hard for me to see a picture of Laura without crying. When I heard she had died…it was waterworks city. I really don't understand this, but like many things in life, I just accept the fact that I was in love with her. Maybe her music made her self so transparent that even a listener could fall in love with her. I really felt I knew her and (probably foolishly or arrogantly) felt that if we had had the oppertunity to meet, she would have liked/loved me also. Not to dwell, but I have never even remotly felt connected to any other artist other than vast appreciation of course. Just her.

For me, Christmas and the Beads of Sweat was and still is one of my favorite all time albums. Upstairs By a Chinese Lamp; perfect. I must say that I too lost musical touch with Laura after “Smile” since the album seemed to lack the elements I loved in Christmas. And like you I will continue to celebrate Laura by learning all the more modern Nyro…Thanks for some of the inspiration in your review. Sorry if this was a bit babbleish, but I felt compeled…

By: rabdrake

rabdrake — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:14:42 +0000

Great review.
I love “Roadnotes” she sounds so in love.
As you intimate so confidant in that love.

By: rabdrake

rabdrake — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:14:42 +0000

Great review.
I love “Roadnotes” she sounds so in love.
As you intimate so confidant in that love.

By: rabdrake

rabdrake — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:14:42 +0000

Great review.
I love “Roadnotes” she sounds so in love.
As you intimate so confidant in that love.

By: husnain

husnain — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 07:04:47 +0000

"They have great topics like this one on www.energytalkradio.com and donate 30% to charity! Check them out."

By: kshane

kshane — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:42:11 +0000

Coming up next they have the Jefferson Airplane's “Thirty Seconds Over Winterland.” The Airplane is another favorite of mine from that era, so I'm looking forward to it.

By: EightE1

EightE1 — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:47:30 +0000

WTF just happened? Six of me just appeared …