Garage Sale Vinyl: Laura Nyro
Eli and the Thirteenth Confession / Columbia Records / March 1968
by Christopher Long
Perhaps it was the fear of rejection that kept me at a comfortable distance for so long. Maybe I should go over and talk to her. Eh, probably not. Sorta like spotting that alluring, yet aloof chick sitting way down at the end of the bar. Maybe I should buy her a drink. Eh, probably not.
As a guy who (kinda) pays attention, I’d seen her name pop up for decades as having influenced a good many of my most admired music artists. Super Trouper-soaked prophets Alice Cooper and Paul Stanley have been singing her praises for years. Yet, I maintained that “comfortable distance.” Then, earlier this year, I discovered and became subsequently engrossed in Janis Ian’s autobiography, Society’s Child. When recounting her own formative years and early work, Ian spoke openly of their personal connection in the ’60s. Hmm. There she is, again. However, I remained on the other end of “the bar,” still unsure about buying her “that drink.”
So, there I was last weekend, rummaging through a retro-themed, thrift-type joint just south of Cocoa Beach. I was on the hunt for one of Linda Ronstadt’s first LPs, when I noticed several crates filled with random old rock records plunked down in front of the check-out counter. Huh. Let’s take a lil’ peek-see. Buried in with the slew of musty titles, a nondescript album cover caught my eye — the face of an innocent, thoughtful-looking, long dark-haired beauty placed against a bare background, with NO text. The well-worn cover told me the record had been around the block more than a few times, but the pristine condition of the vinyl itself said it barely ever had been touched.
I pulled the mystery album out of its protective plastic outer sleeve, and peering over the top of my pop bottle lenses, I squinted to read the tiny words printed on the microscopic thin jacket spine: Laura Nyro Eli and the Thirteenth Confession.
No longer at a comfortable distance, I now had to finally buy her that drink. And if I played it right, I actually had a shot at taking her home. “SOLD,” I said to the pleasant fem fashionista working the register. “That’ll be $3.21,” she replied. As I’d soon learn, I hadn’t bought the unassuming slab. For only three bucks — I’d stolen it.
Upon arriving back at my bitchin’ beachside abode, I yanked the ol’ 12-inch out of the bag and placed it, posthaste, onto my modest nightstand turntable. Immediately, I was awash in a cozy, warm crackle. The sound popping off the grooves was big, chaotic, and exciting. The circa ‘68 style and arrangements were complex — possessing dynamics like very little I’d heard before. Nyro’s songs felt deeply personal— transparent and delicate. Described once as “a poet walking through life,” Nyro’s voice was like an angelic combination of major label McCoo and bath house Bette.
America’s all-time third-greatest songwriter Todd Rundrgen has stated that Nyro “blew EVERYBODY’S mind” with her sophomore set, _Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. Nearly 60 years later, the record remains potent, a point proven by the brain matter that was blasted across my bedroom walls — 3,2,1… KAH-BLOOWEE!
My knee-jerk analysis was that the record sounded generally like the 5th Dimension colliding with Blood, Sweat & Tears outside a Kate Bush after-show party being hosted by Tori Amos. After an Interweb deep dive, I discovered that my instant observations were pretty insightful.
Residing stylistically somewhere between “the Age of Aquarius” and “life is a cabaret,” opening track “Luckie” sets the stage nicely. A soulful, playful pleasure, “Lu” seemingly lives on the sunny side of the street, while “Poverty Train” digs through dumpsters — I swear there’s something better than, getting off on sweet cocaine. It feels so good. It feels so good. Gettin’ off the poverty train. Wow, not only did Nyro paint those images nearly 60 years ago, but she was only a teen at the time. Take that, Princess Tay Tay!
A personal highlight, the R&B-flavored “Stoned Soul Picnic” soon would become a massive Top Ten hit for the 5th Dimension — Red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine. Dang, girl — that’s some mighty good stuff!
Considering her age at the time, the snappy, acoustic-driven closing track “The Confession” gets a smidge steamy, advertising the “super ride” inside her “love thing.” Another line reveals (possibly) a bit more of Nyro’s influence on future artists — Love to love you baby! Wait. What? Coincidence? Eh, probably not.
It’s a broad, sweeping statement, to be sure. But a strong case can be made for believing that when music is created and presented as honest and pure art, it often remains timeless. Conversely, when music is globbed onto a conveyor belt, it’s typically pabulum with a very short shelf life. As a result, sometimes you gotta look 50-60 years in the rearview to find something fresh. Hence, the late Laura Nyro now has become my favorite “new” artist of 2023. I just wish I’d bought her that drink back in ‘68!
(5/5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Eli and the Thirteenth Confession Track List (All songs written by Laura Nyro)
SIDE ONE
- Luckie – 3:00
- Lu – 2:44
- Sweet Blindness – 2:37
- Poverty Train – 4:16
- Lonely Women – 3:32
- Eli’s Comin’ – 3:58
SIDE TWO
- Timer – 3:22
- Stoned Soul Picnic – 3:47
- Emmie – 4:20
- Woman’s Blues – 3:46
- Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe) – 2:58
- December’s Boudoir – 5:05
- The Confession – 2:50
