Album Club 20.12.2011: Laura Nyro - Christmas and the Beads of Sweat

[Beechwoods]

This week's Album Club feature is one of my top 3 albums ever. It happens to feature the word 'Christmas' in it's title, but it's not a Christmas album. It's an album of beauty and anger, and a multiplicity of musical dimensions.



'Christmas and the Beads of Sweat' was Laura Nyro's fourth album, and the last of her 'Columbia Trinity' - the three albums she recorded for Columbia Records between 1968 and 1970, which are widely acknowledged as her masterpieces.

Of this trinity, 'Christmas' is often overlooked by the critics. Laura started as a songwriter, at a particularly young age (her first songs were published when she was just 16) and a number of her songs had been widely covered by other artists even before she'd achieved fame as a performer in her own right. But this is Nyro at her most accomplished; moving from her signer-songwriter beginnings and exploring new territory. She never reached further in subsequent albums, indeed I wonder if she actually scared herself with this. Her next album was a record made entirely of covers, and the one after that was a reissue of her first. It's almost like she knew she'd hit her zenith.

Possibly her most famous song was 'And When I Die', from her first album on Verve in 1967, and covered by Blood Sweat and Tears. For a songwriter by trade, it's ironic that her own biggest hit was a cover of 'Up On The Roof', the classic Goffin / King track originally performed by The Drifters, which appears on 'Christmas' as the closing track of the first side.

This album is a journey that deserves 45 minutes to savour. It's a difficult journey to describe, taking in the lush Brill Building arrangements in the opening two tracks, and the beauty of 'Up On The Roof' which will for me forever be the definitive version of an incredible song, with an intensity that really shows Carole King and Gerry Goffin's skill at distilling a feeling into a few words and a simple melody. The counterpoint to the previous track, 'Been On A Train' couldn't have been starker. The former about life, death and heroin.

The 'second side' or last 4 tracks are where Nyro moves it up a gear. The arrangements are extraordinary, with 'Map To The Treasure' moving into minimalist territory, highly reminiscent of Steve Reich's Piono-phase experiments.

The highlight for many will be the penultimate track, 'Beads Of Sweat'. Duane Allman's guitar drives a rock & soul track that shows how Laura Nyro could easily rock like Joplin when she chose to. Nyro was no goodie-two-shoes, she'd experimented with drugs, but she was a genuine believer, and the last track speaks of this. I have a privately released US Army album of Laura Nyro covers by a band that saw action in Vietnam; that always struck me as incongruous given Nyro's lyrics in this song: I love my country as it dies
In war and pain before my eyes...

Give this album a bit of your time, and you may find that it touches you like it has me.

Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/user/beechwo...fSGmbQ9bg2VV3s
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5F22DA0DFF70BF66

The venerable Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Nyro

[Bazil]

Great write up Nick, never heard of Laura Nyro but thats just me I'm a bit blinkered with female artists. I'll give this a 3 or 4 listens and report back in a few days.

[Audioman]

Nick. An inspired choice and not something obvious and mainstream. There was so much good music around this period I am still able to find more intesting material I passed on at the time or was unaware off than from that being released today.

Being a fan of female singer songwriters I don't quite know why I have failed to investigate Laura Nyro especialy as music fans and musicians have been recommending her for years. Of this album I have heard the last track before somewhere and the cover 'hit'. Also was aware she wrote 'Stoney End'. I think the problem may be her acclaimed music was released before album tracks became radio staple and just prior to my LP buying started.

Loved this especially the last 4 tracks. Great arrangements and production that would never be lavished on a low selling artist today. I will now have to seek out the original CBS LP. So it's got to be a 9/10 for me. Other Nyro albums are being reissued on vinyl but not this one so far.

[keiths]

Good choice. I've got a bit behind with Album Club having not got round to listening to last week's selection yet. Will hopefully catch up this week.

[Beechwoods]

Thank you guys, to be honest, it was an easy pick. I love this album, and it deserves to be heard. Laura's first 4 albums are all worth hearing, but this is her best. She's completely underrated and massively influential, her main weakness was her voice, which was raw and natural, but on this record she holds her own, and when you 'get' her voice, like Dylan, it doesn't matter because the quality of her words and music is far more important.

Laura Nyro died in 1997 aged 49. She died of ovarian cancer, a horrible disease, and the world was robbed of a fantastic talent... she never re-achieved the acclaim she was awarded in the late 60's and early 70's, but she has come to be appreciated as an artists' artist, it's a shame I never got to see her perform live. I remember reading of her death and being completely shocked - 49 is no age to go. What we need is a proper documentary on her life and times, there's so little footage of her circulating. It would be nice to see BBC4 do something.

[keiths]

I've just snagged a vinyl copy on eBay - so I'll delay listening to this until that arrives I think.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1807733325...84.m1497.l2649

[John]

I m listening to the album right now
Thde first thing I notice is the music very much of its time but what helps it is the lyrics and at times fragile and other times strong vocals not sure is it a 5 or 6 for me

[Alex_UK]

Not sure why I've never really "noticed" her before, but I haven't really! Played it once earlier, will need to give it a couple more goes but a couple of outstanding tracks already. Nice one, Nick.

[royzak]

Can not believe I missed this one.I own and love The First Songs,New York Tendaberry,Eli and the Thirteenth Confession and Nested.
So thank you for a great write up,have now got this on order and can't wait.

[Alex_UK]

Hi Roy - I'm guessing you are a "lurker" normally, but now we have coaxed you out of the shadows, it would be really great if you could do an introductory thread in the Welcome section, and tell us about your system and music tastes (in addition to Laura Nyro, of course!)

Pretty please, with holly sprig on top?