Eli and the 13th Confession [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Laura Nyro | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 25, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000068QZJ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,634 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Consider the curious fate of singer-songwriter Laura Nyro's 1968 big-label bow: though it contained no less than three songs ("Stoned Soul Picnic," "Sweet Blindness," and "Eli's Coming") that became hits (the first two for Fifth Dimension, the last for Three Dog Night), Nyro's own endlessly influential collection barely dented the Top 200. And in an era of supposed pop emancipation and enlightenment, Nyro was booed off the stage at the vaunted Monterey Pop Festival a year earlier. Those facts merely hint at the true gifts and stubborn instincts of an artist who took her cue for hook writing from the Brill Building's prime, then seamlessly fused it to her far-ranging passions for soul, jazz, gospel, and no small amount of personal drama. Carole King was seldom this exotic and compelling, nor Joni Mitchell so pop perfect. "Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe)" even recalls Brian Wilson's most ambitious musical gambits, its suite format playfully interspersing three different tunes and styles, standing the standard verse-chorus-verse form on its head in the bargain. Long a treasured musical touchstone for other artists (Nyro influenced everyone from Phoebe Snow to Tori Amos), this reissued edition now contains beautiful, spare solo demos for "Lu," "Stoned Soul Picnic," and "Emmie" as bonus tacks, along with newly penned liner notes. --Jerry McCulley

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage October 14, 2005

By Timothy A. Dillinger

Format:Audio CD

In my journey to absorb the music of Laura Nyro, for whatever reason, this album (along with "New York Tendaberry") took the longest for me to understand...but when I did, I was captivated by the journey that takes place from the opening notes to the closing exclamation.

As we've all heard about this album, it melds the components of jazz, pop, gospel, soul, Broadway and rock into a tasty brew that has yet to be matched by any one artist.

The writing is unparalleled. Laura's creative use of words...and her own creation of words makes this album completely distinct.

The instrumentation and production, shaped by Laura and Charlie Calello, is top notch..and beautifully presented in this remastered edition. The remastering helps bring out the many vocal nuances that Laura established through multi-layering (Particulary on "Eli's Comin'") and the incredible instrumental ornamentation (The flute effects on "Poverty Train", the beautiful strings on "December's Boudoir").

Highly, highly, highly recommended...and essential listening for the true musical seekers.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A treasure to be preserved and remembered January 7, 2003

By jeff hirshberg

Format:Audio CD

Words cannot reflect the emotion generated in me by lauras work. I was raised on her first five albums. They are in my blood; they are in my soul. I learned music from this artist before I knew what music was. I credit her with much of my appreciation for music to this day, and never regret the hundreds and hundreds of hours I spent absorbing every lyric, and every note she composed and recorded. Lauras albums are put together to be played from beginning to end. You can never mix songs from one album with songs from another. They just dont go together. People I have introduced her music to felt her first album was a stronger composition, but I quickly point out how special this album is; how well it is written, composed, and performed; How very well it is seasoned, and simmered, much like a gourmet meal. How the music entwined with the lyrics bring you into the streets of New York where you can feel each cobble stone below the pavement; Feelings that real New Yorkers share. Each of her albums have a different flavor, a different feeling, and a different message. I know them all for their individuality and selective themes. Laura Nyro was the most important song writer of our generation, and her works will live with in us for a life time, only to be passed on to a new generation where it can live again.
When she passed away, I wept.

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Surry On Down To This One: A Classic Release June 12, 2004

By Gary F. Taylor HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Laura Nyro (1947-1997) originally made her name as the author of a host of tightly written pop songs that hit big when covered by other artists--but she quickly evolved into an uncompromising artist who wrote without significant concern for popular taste. The result was a series of albums that proved too advanced for most listeners, and although she received tremendous critical attention and developed a powerful cult following, she would never be a commercial pop star in any sense of the phrase.

1968's ELI AND THE THIRTEENTH CONFESSION was her second release, and it shattered virtually every convention imaginable. Heard today, it is almost impossible to imagine this recording as a product of that decade; there is nothing of the still-popular do-wop, no trace of guitar-heavy baroque, not even the barest hint of psychedelia. And even now it remains a very, very difficult work to describe.

Essentially, Nyro fused several elements--pop, jazz, soul, folk, and show music--into a completely original sound. The opening track, "Luckie," is indicative: the first few bars set a fast pace in an almost do-wop style, but no sooner is this clearly established than Nyro suddenly shifts the entire tone of the piece, and no sooner do we adjust to the shift than she shifts again, playing with our ideas of tempo and style, stretching the music to see what she can make it do. It is a remarkable feat, and one that she will repeat in unexpected variations and to great success with virtually every cut.

This is one of those rare recording where absolutely everything in the collection works perfectly in both an individual sense and collectively in terms of the whole.... You may think you know titles like "Sweet Blindness," "Eli's Comin'," and "Stone Soul Picnic" from covers by other artists, but once you've heard Nyro's originals the later versions simply blow away as if they never were. The original tracks have been beautifully remastered and the package includes three bonuses, demo cuts of "Lu," "Stone Soul Picnic," and "Emmie"--all of them very interesting to compare to the final versions.

This is really the beginning of what would become "alternative"--and even today, most "alternative" pales in comparison with what Nyro could do when working at the height of her skills. Strongly recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer Read more ›

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Love colored soul" February 23, 2006

By William Timothy Lukeman TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

For me, this is the crown jewel in Laura Nyro's astounding body of work. Certainly it's the best starting point for anyone not yet familiar with her music!

How do I even begin to describe it?

First there's the sheer quality of the songwriting itself, from the songs made familiar by other artists, to the lesser-known album tracks. The hooks & melodies are seemingly effortless, utterly irresistable, impossible to get out of your head. She fuses pop, soul, folk, gospel, and Broadway into a dazzling, glorious stream. That alone would be enough to recommend her work!

And then there are her lyrics: impressionistic poetry, invented words, unexpected combinations that spark startling images. Her words are music themselves, emotional landscapes that evoke their moods with piercing power, shot through with teasing humor & dusky erotic beauty.

But ultimately there's her voice: soaring, aching, mingling anguish & joyful passion in one drawn-out, yearning note, twisting & pleading & alluring, an urban Siren calling from the rooftops of the city at night. Nobody has ever sounded like this, and nobody could ever come close to its naked honesty. If this doesn't shake you down to the depths of your soul, you're already dead!

If you're just starting with Laura, start here. If you're already a devotee, you'll return here again & again. I can't recommend this album highly enough!