Reviews (page 6 of 7)
??? 60 irgendwas
Coo
singer songwriter, soul, 1968 -> 2
I didn’t really like this
These all ran together. Her voice got very grating after 10 minutes
Gotta be honest her voice gets very jarring very quickly
This was a new one. Good voice but this drifted into showtunes-like stuff too often for my taste
I couldn't understand a word she sang.
Not really my thing.
2.4 2x never heard of this before, and not too bad
Decent enough but doesn't really do anything well enough to earn much replay for me.
1950s left over pop. Can’t listen to this.
Couple good songs here, but overall it's not really for me.
I see why people really thought she’d be the next big thing and I see why she went nowhere. She simultaneously checks all the boxes while being largely unlistenable.
Very 60’s, didn’t really interest me overall.
#268/1001. Third strong female singer in a row (Patti Smith and Joan Armatrading). I was fooled by the music and the cover to think that this is some late 90s esoteric artist creating her own musical at an arts high school. But no, it was an esoteric artist creating her own musical from the late 60s. Does it make me resoect the music more? I can see the influence she had on many theatrical singers in the following decades. So perhaps a bit? Does it make me like it? No, not really - at least on the first listen. Perhaps revisiting would reveal the beauty, but now it just goes up and down, fast and slow, like a butterfly in a shopping mall.
Kind of reminded me of the Carpenters. Not bad, but nothing really leapt out at me.
It was kind of hard for me to get into and enjoy
She has a lovely voice. There were ups and downs for me. I think it’s pretty but could also potentially put me to sleep.
Meine Bewertung ist einfach weg?! Hat mich nur so mittel abgeholt irgendwo zwischen Wiederholung und Spannung.
Didn't like it.
Man, I was turned off by this one almost immediately. It just sounds like someone told her to sing in all caps all the time. It sounds like she looks around the room and says 'listen to this, 'y'all' before every take. I will say that the production is pretty fantastic and that I would have had a hard time placing the time period that this came out. Anyway, this felt like a real endurance test and I couldn't wait for it to be over.
Not for me. 5/10
pretty voice, interesting album concept, not something I'd revisit and no real standouts.
In my dim and distant past I’ve heard of Laura but I’d no idea what kind of music she produced. If you’d have asked me yesterday I’d have guessed she was a husky voiced jazz singer. On the evidence of this album she’s still hard to buttonhole. There’s bits and bats of all sorts. She’s trying hard to be all things to all men (and women!) The phase of ‘Jack of all trades, master of none” springs to mind. Not a hateful album but one which I willl have forgotten about in about 30 seconds time. 2/5 17/1/26
She has a voice and there's some toe tappers here, but the songs tend to go off the rails a bit. Lots of dead space. I don't know if it's the production but there's a coldness or loneliness to this. A mixed bag, and maybe this isn't for me. Something else I don't like about some records from this era is the stereo mix - for some reason they only wanted me to hear the piano in my left ear.
I imagine this was quite influential for singer-songwriters in the late 60s, particularly the embrace of such dark themes. It didn't do much for me unfortunately. "Eli's Comin'" was the only track that really stood out to me. I might have enjoyed it more if the volume was leveled out a bit more, but I sometimes find the extreme dynamics harder to appreciate without constantly adjusting the volume. In a different mood, I might have appreciated this one more, but I unfortunately I didn't really enjoy this album.
It was OK. Lots of the same though. Nice voice. I'll say 2.5 - round down.
She's pretty good but this album is overall boring.
Too long, it got real boring
Would be better if she could sing better
Literally laughed out loud at how ridiculous she sounded at times. I would’ve enjoyed this much more if she didn’t sing at all, the instrumentals sounded great tho
Generic and nonsensical at the same time, where songs that sounded like sitcom jingles would randomly speed up and slow down while the singer wailed way outside of her vocal range
2/5 I want to like this album so bad, and there was one song I really enjoyed, but overall her voice just doesn't feel trained and became grating to me relatively quickly. The melodies were nice, though. I want to like Laura Nyro more because of everything she stood for, but I just can't. :(
not a fan of the singing style, and most of these songs are simply not for me.
started ok but kind of wore me down as it went
Production was good, but did not like the vocals at all. Standout songs: Elis Coming Decembers Boudoir
That voice! Ouch!
Ikke dårlig, men vokalen blir veldig heseblesende og der blir slitsomt i lengden. Du sitter hele tiden og puster for vokalisten.
who is this even for
Insupportable, sortez-là du studio, je veux pu en entendre parler. D’où du crisse ils ont sorti mes albums de cette semaine? C’est une catastrophe auditive, je me sens trahis par l’algorithme
She seems to have a pretty loose relationship with the key she is singing in. I guess it's supposed to sound jazzy but instead she sounds like a washed-up Broadway understudy pivoting to second-rate lounge singer.
Listenable. Not interesting
My thirteenth reason why
This was really intriguing in places and quite enjoyable. It certainly didn't sound like it came from the 1960's.
Not special, but also not terrible.
Didn't finish it. Not a huge fan.
Kinda fun, Eli's Comin' favorite song, but the random tempo changes were jarring every single time and sometimes made it feel more like a broadway show than an album 4.4/10
Only listened to a few songs but couldn’t get into this
It's alright, It switches between annoying (at least to me) and quite beautiful that is hard for me to get into it completely as one should. Therefore it's not for me. However if you are into her annoying voice then i imagine this is quite a fun album
Same confessional flavour of Carole king but does not quite have the same sense of pace, space, and letting songs breathe. She is doing too much I think and the music never really folds out into what it could be. It pushes into showtune in a way I don't like. Mostly pleasant instrumentation but sometimes annoying singing that seems a little precarious
2.5
Laura's got the look, the brooding coolness, but you & I could sing it as well/poorly. Neil Young & Bob Dylan are endearing. Laura is painful. If this came out today, it would be ignored by those with ears and revered by contrarians looking for outsider art. To be fair, it's a great songwriter demo tape. A stable of tunes that proper vocalists could/did turn into gems. Listen to Marilyn McCoo sing 'Sweet Blindness' and 'Stoned Soul Picnic' then listen to Laura's versions. Great songs that sound 'good' whoever sings them but aye caramba. Marilyn for the win. "Poverty Train' and 'Lonely Women' are worthy performances. This is an album in a series of "singer/songwriters that should stick with the pen".
It's a decent R&B soul jazz album, not the biggest fan of her vocals. There are about 3 songs that I really liked and the rest was forgettable.
I had to look her up on Wikipedia to figure out why they would include her in this challenge. I still don’t get it…
This was cool and I liked it but not sure why it’s in this list.
Very unremarkable album that hasn't impacted me in any manner. Yes, her voice is pleasant and the music is somewhat relaxing, but it's not really achieving anything interesting or memorable.
1-2 of these songs are super fun and funky, but it got real old real fast
This album is wayyy to chaotic for what it is. Really hard to get through
Smooth and soulful. Not my normal kinda thing, but decent in the background while having dinner.
Honestly truly disliked this. So hard to listen to for me. Felt like if Stevie Nicks decided to try cabaret jazz.
Kind of like a more overwrought Carole King with weirder lyrics. Maybe not entirely bad, but definitely not for me.
Rating: 5/10 Meh.
Jamais été capable de m'intéresser à Laura Nyro. Oubliable comme dirait Guillaume.
Oubliable.
Her voice isn't bad but her style of singing is cheesy as heck. Got very bored halfway through this album.
She has a very pleasant voice, but this is not my preference for music at all.
Slitsom vokal 🤢 Musikken var for øvrig helt ålreit, men vokalen ødelegger det litt dessverre.
2,5
Очень скучно
For some reason, I keep picturing Jan Levinson
List has been on a meh streak lately. 2.5 stars
The music and the tunes were great; kinda gave me Carol King vibes. Too bad shrill vocals kept getting in the way.
Laura can carry a good tune but it got a little tiresome after a while. I can see her sitting outside a cafe in Haight Ashbury in the 60s with her guitar and a tip jar. She got some talent and would take this over Joni Mitchell any day. I'd sit down for a stone souled picnic with Eli, 1.68 stars.
How has Laura Nyro been lost to musical history? Even if this Eli album didn't rock my world I was hugely surprised this was an entry from 1968. It definitely sounded ahead of its time and I can see how this would have influenced future musicians despite the fact I've never heard of her. Some decent meldings of jazz, pop, soul, and other depth genres. It's not in my wheelhouse but I can understand why this would have a lasting legacy and belong on a list like this. Must have been a pretty cool album at the time of its release. 1.89 stars
Vocal jazz is not my jam.
One sentence to describe this album. That's all that we get. I can see how influential this album was on a lot of future female singer-songwriters and it is nice to know these future female singer-songwriters performed the songs they wrote better than Lauren Nyro does. I knew a few of these songs, as they were popularized by other artists. Many artists that I like were influenced by Nyro's music. It just so happens I don't like Nyro's music. This became the Neverending Album at a certain point for me. Based on the influential nature of this album, I guess it should be in this book, but it doesn't mean I have to pretend to like it.
Knew nothing about her and if I had to guess I would have thought late 70’s early 80’s woman power funky jazzy chanteuse. Boy was I surprised to find late 60’s instead, so feels a bit ahead of its time? That being said though I enjoyed it I don’t think it’s esssential. She has a nice voice and the album was well arranged and produced.
It was okay. Not really the album for me. The trumpets were nice in some parts but mostly felt meandering.
Kinda all over the map. Lounge singer, R&B, novelty, a bit of pop. None of it was great though.
very... overwrought? kind of like if kate bush was more musical theatre-y (derogatory) and also bad at singing and songwriting.
I don't know who Eli is but if this album was playing in the interrogation room, I would confess to stealing the Hope diamond, kidnapping the Lindbergh baby, setting the Reichstag fire or any other heinous accusation to make it stop.
I could not finish a single track of this album. She's got talent, sure. This album sounded like a high school choral director's album when she failed at producing music and decided to take up teaching to make ends meet. Sorry, Laura, this didn't do it for me. My rating: 2/5
Not heard of her but a real talent. Music not for me, too much show tune influence.
This just tries too hard. You don't need to change tempo and time signature several times ever track. Parts of this is great, but slow the fuck down and develop a few of the myriad ideas.
Her voice is off, right?
I did not enjoy this at all. Hearing it over spotify in my car was probably terrible listening conditions but I just don't care for her vocals.
Very dated. Very.
2,1/5
This is #day398 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I've never heard either of this artist or the album. Well, I just did, and...? Late '60s jazzy soul pop with not the most pleasant vocals out there. A one-off affair to me. A criminally long one to boot. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day399.
Not my thing
Vocals do veer between lovely, and quite harsh, dissonant with the music. Sort of easy-listening, more simplistic lyrically than Carole King but a more accomplished voice. I'm not a fan of when she slips into more of a head voice.
Had never heard of Laura Nyro and wouldn't have put this as released in the 60s. Some of it I thought was very good, she reminded me a bit of Carole king in fleeting bits. However, there were far too many bits where I thought she was kinda overdoing it and almost straining her voice to something much grander than suited it. 2.5, won't be back but didn't mind it mostly
Really, really disliked her voice hitting those jazz notes. 1.5
This was nice but it was so many songs that sounded pretty similar to my ears.
Her voice was just too harsh for me.
I kind of wanted to like this one when it popped up (I’d never heard of this lady before, and I like the cover art), but this one’s not for me at all. It feels like a precursor to the Amy Winehouse’s and Adele’s of the more modern era, but with less actual pop appeal. Her voice is, I’m sure, something that some people will rave about, but I just found grating. I did like the backing band, which probably earns it an extra point for me, but I couldn’t actually finish this one. 2/5
Album was ok
Top tip. Change your phones output to mono before listening. Otherwise you get the completely unhinged production. There’s a few great songs on here, but it’s so mixed that I couldn’t quite get past the ones that didn’t work.
Good songs individually but the vocal delivery and production style mean trying to listen to this in one sitting is akin to chugging a 2 litre bottle of Coke.
Never heard of her before. Powerful voice with the enunciation of a drunkard. I can't get over how she slurs her words over and over. Please end a word when you say it. It's seriously all I heard through this whole thing. Ruined it entirely.
Not heard of Laura Nyro before, this was inoffensive 60s pop but perhaps that does it a slight disservice, it’s soulful and at times it promises to deliver something I’d really like but alas, it falls short. Can understand the appeal but it’s not for me.
Just really boring, sorry. Forgot each song the moment it stopped playing. Honestly have no idea how it merits being on this list. Felt like it was on the path to greatness but feel quite short in the songwriting department.
different, not what i was expecting, ok listen
Not really feeling this one too much. Not my style of music but still a great voice and great band
13th confession more like my 13th reason why
Not enough pop, not enough folk.
I first tried getting into Nyro in the 1990s when a wave of Lilith Fair adjacent artists cited her as a influence. But I was never hugely into the Lilith Fair vibe and it follows that I never gelled with Nyro. But decades on, maybe? Laura Nyro is technically brilliant and her songwriting inventive (plenty of folks can hear her influence on Joni Mitchell and Tori Amos, but I'd argue even Taylor Swift has listened closely). She is so very clearly GOOD. What she can do with her voice is great. But it still does not work for me. Alas.
Joni Mitchell rip-off, and not a good one. Went from boring to annoying pretty quickly.
Found this super-grating. As other reviewers noted, sounds like showtunes, but her voice can't pull it off. The songs should be less showy, more intimate. I was misled by the cover as well....
Large vocal range and range of instruments. Some jazz and musical vibes. Enjoyed the upbeat Lucky and upbeat sections of Woman’s Blues. Not that accessible for easy listening and not my favourite style.
Un peu caricatural au niveau de la voix
“And we’ve got a very special guest for you tonight ladies and gentlemen! Please give a big Blackpool Pier welcome to Laura Nyro!”
<elainefromseinfelddancing.gif>
Listened 11/08/25 morning 2/5 Expected 1960s folk, but oh how I was wrong. This album wasn’t my thing, felt very show-tuney. Nice to listen to once but probably not again. Highlights were: the confession and the poverty train. Felt I was kept on my feet with the album due to changes in key and melody, I never settled in listening to this. I agree with another review which states her voice kept switching from annoying to beautiful. Maybe it could grow on me.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this album, but it certainly wasn’t this! It’s very musical theatre, and I don’t like musical theatre. She is obviously a technically accomplished singer, but her technicality means her voice lacks emotion. Her voice is mixed so high she really caterwauls at some points. I don’t like her jazz roots either, the backing music to her mad howling is distinctly bland. There is no consistency in any of this, I don’t know where it’s going, and I don’t know what is happening. In her defence, I don’t think she knows either. Ooh, no, I didn’t like it, and I won’t be revisiting.
My first listening was decent. My second listening was pure misery. My third was alright. My forth listening was not as good as the previous one. The thing is that in the first and third one I was doing something else while listening, and the second and forth were more of active listenings. With that being said, I'll now talk about the album. This lady has a very peculiar way of singing, and for me I don't perceive it as powerful or as intimate as a lot of people do, from my understanding after reading a handful of reviews across various sources. I even think that it gets tiring towards the end. I do have to give her credit, because she does hit some really catchy choruses, like in "Eli's Comin'"; and she also has a lot of attitude in songs like "Woman's Blues". For this album I also took the time to read the lyrics. A lot of times it can be very cryptic, but there's a clear message about woman's loneliness and suffering. Lastly, the instruments didn't really do anything special or interesting, with their main purpose being a base for the voice. Honestly, I never want to hear this album ever again, which I'm not proud of saying. This woman seems to be a very very influential figure fo a lot of the most famous songwriter women, some of them I do very much enjoy; but it seems that it doesn't really do it for me. Following my fellings, I have to give it 2 stars, as I was a bit tired and annoyed when I finished the last listening.
Show tunes vibes? Won't be revisiting.
Not sure why, I couldn’t listen to the songs.
Carole King influencing-ass music. This just never grabbed my attention
< The Beatles
Struggled with this. Didn't like the expressive singing. Not too bad when singing softly but sometimes it was tough going.
She's a fine singer but I was done after about 10 tracks.
this album was a bit conflicting, sometimes i liked her voice and other times i found it really quite annoying. i also enjoyed some of the jazzy vibes of some songs but some of the songs were boring. i don't know if i need to listen to this album a couple more times or never again (either a 2 or a 2.5)
Christmassy sad
Another questionable list inclusion. This is just showtunes with some interesting tempo changes
Her voice is fine and the music isn't bad, but I really didn't find it all that interesting or soulful.
Eli's Comin'
The Album looks and sounds kind of like a Album from the current decade. dunno why I got that feeling, might be completely bullshit but anyway not my kind of music :D
Not really my style (kind of vaguely grates me in a way I can’t quite pinpoint) but I can appreciate the jazzy vocals. Sounds like she was a very cool person though (bisexual vegetarian etc.) and I’m surprised I’d never heard of her before. How tragic that both she and her mother died at 49 of ovarian cancer.
I definitely didn't understand this one. She has huge vocal range, but the songwriting is all over the place. It was hard to ever find the groove of any of these tracks.
wat een stem! ze kan zo meedoen aan de casting voor Florence Foster Jenkins
I found this really dull
This was a new artist to me. Very talented voice and the musicianship was excellent. But it didn’t really grip me. It was too busy sounding.
Not for me. One of those voices that sets my teeth on edge. No shade on this artist, it was a popular sound at the time.
2.5 I’ll give it this - for being released in 1968, this album has incredible production to it that makes it feel years ahead of its time, especially considering how weirdly high quality the cover photo is as well. Like, if yesterday you told me this was the cover to Billie Eilish’s new single, I might believe it for a sec. Are we sure Laura Nyro isn’t a time traveler? And yet, for all its polish, like others have mentioned, this just sounds like a Carole King album. For many people I’m sure that’s a great thing, but for me, I have all the same gripes with this that I did Tapestry - middle-of-the-road, inoffensive, safe, uninteresting, devoid of personality, take your pick. Considering this came first, I’ll give her kudos for the clear influence that she had on Carole and many others I’m sure, but this just doesn’t interest me. I can’t say I thought anything I heard here was bad, but as someone who has started taking morning walks as of lately, this really made me feel the full duration of my neighborhood loop - and this album really isn’t even that long. Everything sounds mostly the same, so I don’t have much to comment on song-wise. I had a weird gripe with the song Emmie for, despite its title, only using “Emily” in its lyrics, but I guess it does shift over at some point, and I just never noticed in my four listens. Think that goes to say a lot about my experience with this album. I really try to give everything a fair shake on this list, but this did not grab me at all.
Best songs are Eli’s Comin’, Timer, and The confession. Old pop haha, mixes up the beat a bunch, pretty fun. Nothing I’d really listen to again
She had a very nice voice and the album is well produced. The album started off strong but then it went downhill quickly. It felt without direction, and just too broadway-i and corny in a way. The album cover didn't suggest this as it looks a lot more introspective than the music on it. I appreciate her talent but the music isn't really my thing.
Exasperating.
Sorry women I couldn't get a grip onto this and did not finish 2 star
Nice voice but not a fan of this
OK in places, bit warbly towards the end
I respect the song-writing game. The Fifth Dimension and other artists covered her songs, like Stone Souled Picnic and my favorite, Wedding Bell Blues.
Not my kind of music
The redeeming factor of this album is the jazz influences spicing up the backing of the tracks. Joni Mitchell writes 10 times better songs so I don’t really see the point in an artist like this. 3/10
Not for me.
I've heard of Laura Nyro, but never played one of her records before this. It's really not to may taste - I don't see this as a 'great album'. It's just too busy and annoying.
Saw 1950s and groaned, but wasn't too bad, but felt a bit samey
mostly annoying
meh the tags had all the things going for them to make me like it but i listened to it, and its nothing special its like listening a combo of LIza Minelli, Carole King and Joni Mitchell vaguely present, but forgettable
Pretty Annoying
Her three-octave vocal range and musical abilities are impressive, and the tempo shifts (albeit overused) helped make this a somewhat better listen. And no doubt you probably don’t get further strong female artists like Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Rickie Lee Jones, etc. without going through Laura Nyro first. Still, this was a pretty annoying listen. Rating slightly up due to ability and influence.
A very capable singer songwriter but a style I find hard to get behind. I can totally picture hearing this live at a bar in Manhattan in the late 60's and thinking it's amazing, but listening to it now I didn't feel drawn in at all.
fine
good voice, but mediocre album
I will never return to this. Once again, saved from a 1 by general competence, I really just don't like this stuff. It struck me overnight: if Janis Joplin were the one kind of theater kid instead of the other.
Worth a listen but not my speed. I think its the over-singing. Lot of Carol King in here. Did not know she wrote Stoned Soul Picnic.
Liked her voice. The songs are okay, but there is a real lack of something truly special. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
Ok
Liked it at first, but felt very long. 2.5
Almost totally new to me, though I'd heard the name and one track before. Cover had me expecting naughties-era alt-folk or something, rather than the 60s jazz-pop-hippie-swing oddities that the album actually contains. Did I like it? Nope, I thought it was dreadful. But who cares, that's part of what this project is all about: interesting diversions.
Some fun music, but the singing bothered me more often than not
Liked the first couple songs and the hit stoned soul picnic.
starts off pretty well but I got real tired of it real quick
The Eli song was about it for me
I really like this album cover, it looks very contemporary. Unfortunately, the music does not sound contemporary. It doesn't even sound like it came out in the late 60's. If I saw the cover I would have guessed this album came out in the 2010's, but if I heard the music I would have guessed it came out in the late 50's. The album doesn't sound bad, but it just isn't that interesting and something about her voice puts me off. High 2.
Admittedly half paying attention but this dragged for me and I was ready for it to end
Als je die hoes ziet verwacht je een soort Eefje de Visser, een beschadigd en diepzinnig hijgmeisje populair tussen pak 'm beet 2019 en 2025, maar dit komt dus uit 1968. Ik mocht willen dat het een beschadigd hijgmeisje was, want dit is Joni Mitchell met een bigband erachter. Al zorgt ze voor iets minder irritatie dan Joni zelf, alsnog is dit echt heel erg niet aan mij besteed. Ik heb in principe liever stilte om me heen dan dit. Ondanks dat het dus zeker niet slecht is. Ik heb hier gewoon echt helemaal niks mee. Ik vind dat ik een 2 moet geven omdat het niet die echte éénsterrenervaring is.
Don't like this 'big voice' swinging 60s production stuff.
There are songs and moments I don’t mind, but overall, the musical theater vibes and proto-Joanna Newsom inability-to-stop-singing-for-three-seconds are hard for me to overcome. 2.5/5
so it started kinda cool but at Lonely Woman is just falls off. Like sad jazz lounge singer but not good. I think she puts a lot of the success on her vocal talent and unfortunately she just cant carry the whole band.
Sounds like show tunes for a musical that thankfully was never made.
This lady sang to a different rhythm than the band the entire album. 3/10
can see myself dancing to some of the songs don't know if i will be listening to this again
Solid 7 ties singer - songwriter work. nothing really special to me
I hadn't listened to Nyro before; she's got a gorgeous voice. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of her bouncy piano-driven tunes. I wish she'd partnered with someone like Steely Dan--I would've loved to hear her do a few of their tracks.
This "old New York" style is really strange. It almost actively avoids any hooks that would make the music catchier or more memorable. Nyro's vocal seems to meander between various notes that usually don't follow the chord (instead changing the chord into a 6, maj7, and so on) – and the chords themselves don't exactly conform to an easy-to-follow progression. Jazzy, for sure – but good? Not in most cases. Sweet Blindness is one of the stronger tracks because the rhythm section commits to a specific, confident, driving sound that's both catchy and (importantly) predictable. Nyro's unpredictable melody acts as a fun contrast, rather than a further agent of chaos, in this song. Luckie, Eli's Comin', and the three-track run of Woman's Blues / Once It Was / December's Boudoir are highlights for the same reason. Something else I noticed is that this was released in 1968. I would've guessed, based on the sound alone, that it was released much earlier. Almost like 40s/50s croon-heavy jazz with slightly better production. Additionally, compared to most other albums on the list, it has a relatively small number of listens. All these factors lead me to question why it appears amongst the 1001 most important albums. Man, it's not even that good! 2/5 Key tracks: Luckie, Sweet Blindness, Woman's Blues
2.0 - Weak
Good voice. Would have been a star in the 70’s. Voice comparable to all the 70’s female voices.
Beautiful voice. Can't stand the musical style.
Not fully my thing although I can appreciate the song writing and that time
Weird 60's probably drug induced plinky plonk music. Not awful but not something I can really listen to much, her voice can get irritating
There's potential for something really good here, especially in those songs with a motown vibe but the Heather Small-esqe perma-OTT singing that makes her sound like Jeff Stelling when he's heard something has happened at Fratton Park just ruins it. May check out her 1st album to see if she's less extra there
Bra sångröst, men lite långsamt
2.5 stars. Hard to tell what genre. Has a distinctive style, but not for me. Would've preferred if she stuck with blue-eyed soul, or pop, or folk or jazz but she didn't pull off the amalgamation in my opinion. Voice can be really irritating at times. Standout is "Stone Soul Picnic".
Couple of fun tracks but largely a drag
I liked it better when it’s called The Carpenters, Carol King, or Joni Mitchell. This is like a shrill version of those so I’ll pass.
Ik voel hem niet. Het is niet slecht, maar ook niet bijzonder goed ofzo
not my vibe
Her voice is an instrument (Somewhere between Karen Carpenter and Amy Winehouse). The music itself is meh.
not sure if i’m connecting with this one it’s just kind of washing over me.
Not terrible, but I found her voice quite annoying at times
This one was really boring. Could be worse, but I did not enjoy it. I was also sure she was singing 'celery' repeatedly at the end of Stoned Soul Picnic
Her voice was so annoying
2.8
Wanted to like this. She's quite shout-y.
Feels outdated
Sounded more modern than it was. Still rather forgettable. Writing this the next morning, I can't remember any specific tracks at all.
Her voice is too high for my liking. Her vocal style is like Carole King.
I didn't get into this one and found most of it pretty irritating. Some of the song were ok
I really wanted to like this album, and thought that I would seeing that it was a late sixties forgotten female singer-song writer, but this was genuinely tough to get through. I can absolutely hear the influence this had on artists like Joni Mitchell or Carole King, but I think the biggest downside to Laura Nyro is her voice. It really grates on you after a while and it just gets a little too “jazz-handsy” on certain songs. There’s a lot happening musically on this album, with unexpected tempo shifts and big jazz swings when you expect some simpler softer folk, but it really did not work for us. I love Three Dog Night’s cover of “Eli’s Coming” though, so thank you for that Laura Nyro. I wonder if I’d like this album better if it was just sung by someone else.
Een gebrek aan lijn, in de nummers zelf en in het album als geheel. Dat is wat me het eerste te binnen schiet na de luisterbeurt. Ze stopt er een hoop energie in, maar het uit zich in chaos. Ik weet niet goed wat ik met deze muziek moet. 'Eli's comin'' en 'Stoned Soul Picnic' channelen die energie wel aardig, maar over het algemeen was ik vooral aan het smachten naar het einde. Pluspunt is dat het wel aardig modern voelt voor 1968, en dat ik wel invloed hoor op hedendaags art pop werk van Fiona Apple en consorten. Maar dat is een verademing vergeleken met deze circusact. 5/10 Highlights: Stoned Soul Picnic
Wel geinig en lijkt de tijd een eind vooruit. Had dit niet uit 1968 verwacht. De plaat mist wel het één en ander om echt interessant te worden. En niet in alle nummers vind ik de stem van Nyro mooi, tot irritant aan toe zelfs. In een bijzondere tijd voor muziek vind ik verder online eigenlijk geen connecties met anderen uit die tijd. Bijzonder. Een einzelgänger. 5/10 Highlights Stoned Soul Picnic Emmie
Reminds me a lot of Joni Mitchell, whose music has never really grabbed me.
My life was ok without this one
I think its one of those albums you have to listen to more than once in order to truly capture the beauty of it. Only gave it one listen and it was interesting
Soul, jazz and experimentation all banging together. It's an album I won't be sure about until I've given it more listens.
I like her voice and the arrangement of the first few songs, but later in the album the songs seemed haphazard and disorganized.
Entertaining but just not my thing. Songs get boring over time because they're just pop. Nothing unique caught my ear or aroused my interest. 2.5/5.
Starts strong and ends boring, but I did like it!
01) Luckie - 6,5 02) Lu - 6,0 03) Sweet Blindness - 6,5 04) Poverty Train - 6,5 05) Lonely Women - 6,0 06) Eli's Comin' - 6,0 07) Timer - 5,5 08) Stoned Soul Picnic - 6,0 09) Emmie - 5,5 10) Woman's Blues - 5,0 11) Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe) - 5,5 12) December's Boudoir - 5,0 13) The Confession - 5,5 TOTAL: 5,81 (58/100) Current ranking: 304/365
Eli And The Thirteenth Confession is a 'what could've been' album because she has a great voice, but it's not used to its strengths, and you end up with an album that isn't sure whether it's meant to be a cabaret-style performance or a little bit more soulful and reflective. It doesn't really hit the spot at any point as a result, it's an easy listen but not an especially engaging one, probably hard to rise above a 2.
This is a weird mix. It's beautiful in places, it's fun in places, but it's ropey in lots of others. There are bits that sound like they're from a musical, bits where her voice really doesn't quite make it, and bits that are soulful and really quite gripping. 2/5, the bad outweighs the good to make something that's not particularly remarkable.
It was okay
Great voice not great off broadway tunes
This is why they created auto tune.
This album was...fine I guess? I'd never heard of Laura Nyro before and I doubt I will again. Much like other albums on this list I wonder why a forgettable album like this is even on the list to begin with.
I'm probably missing something important about this album, but I don't hear anything special. Cuff me
Couldn’t get through this. Sounded like that woman on YouTube who improvs songs and has a catchy laugh. Probably influential but quite irritating I’m afraid 2/5
Felt like I should’ve liked it, just felt really disjointed. Imagine it’s influenced a lot but felt it lacked its own identity and was too chaotic
Some pretty interesting genres on this one. The admittedly listenable first half of the album becomes increasingly indistinguishable as it goes on. It's possible that there are some interesting lyrics on here, though as someone ambivalent to the grassroots flair of singer-songwriters, I didn't care too much about listening keenly
Soul geprägtes fast einstündiges Album. Mit Soul-, Blues und Jazzelementen im Hintergrund. Die Stimme ist ordentlich aber nicht herausragend. “Eli’s Coming’” ist auf Grund des breiten Spektrum brauchbar. Die Interpretationen eignen sich für die Pianobar des Luxushotels aber auch nicht zu mehr.
This was disappointing. Laura's version of "Met Him on a Sunday" is on my list of true 10/10 songs. I'd listened to some of her other songs, but never really found anything that hooked me. After a full album, it was all pretty underwhelming. There weren't any songs that grabbed me, and her voice didn't hit in the same way that it does on the one song I love. Overall an underwhelming let down. Album cover: (C)
I have to admit that I listened to this on a foggy morning after a sleepless night, so I wasn’t in the best place for this to hit right, but all I could keep thinking about was a version of that hypothetical on how many first graders you could realistically take in a brawl except it was angry Care Bears instead and however many it was, I was losing.
I remember this name from back in the day and she's a fantastic singer, but jazz vocals thrill me about as much as jazz instrumentals. No thanks.
New album for me. Was only familiar with that Nyro/Labelle album and NY Tendaberry, and do not care too much about each of these records. Supposedly influenced artists like Kate Bush, Tori Amos etc. There seems to be some truth to this statement (cf. Timer) so seems worth an extra star (and Sweet Blindness is a decent song too just like a few other ones, but vocals are not for me).
This is fine but I don't know why it is on this list
Certainly a talented songwriter, but her voice goes from really powerful to annoying in the mere seconds. I'm not sure what it is, but there isn't enough consistenly solid vocals here for me to go back to it despite the lyrics and backing.
She can play, she can sing. The composition is excruciating.
I tried to like LN, but I find her high pitch annoying and repetitive, her songs too verbose and barely any of her tunes catchy.
Wailing ( not in a good way), pitchy. Not my cupbofctra
Another forgettable singer-songwriter from the late 60's - early 70's. Just listening to this it's hard to know why it is included on the list. I found myself actively waiting for it to end, which is a sure sign that this is not for me.
Who? Why? What were the other 12 confessions?
2,5
7/25/24. Never heard of this artist. Unique voice, just thought the songs were a bit repetitive.
I'd never heard of her & such a tragic life story but I'm afraid it's not an album I'll ever get in to
Dinner Party Muzak
I thank her for Stoned Soul Picnic, but am not a fan of anything else on this album. Her voice elicits an ‘uncanny valley’ reaction from me.
As a general rule, I think I like adventurous, unconventional songwriting. But the fits and starts and careening compositions of this record were too much for me, and as the album played there was a predictable unpredictability that got a bit aggravating.
If you told me this was made a few decades later than it was, I would believe you. I guess that's a good thing it has going for it. Otherwise, it was pretty boring. Best for me to stop here because I could fall asleep just thinking about this album any longer...
I wanted to like this one, but everytime I started to enjoy a song the style switched up in some belty piece that didn't it. This is a 2.5 to me rounded down cause of the disappointment.
I knew she was from NYC before looking her up. I don't even know what I picked up on, but for some reason this screams NYC to me. It's not boring, but it's not really my thing. I don't really care for "be impressed by how long I can hold this note" music.
Made me think of Sesame Street of my childhood most of the time - seems like the kind of soundtrack befitting the show. The rest of the time it was kind of annoying - can't put my finger on why, possibly just her voice.
This was really not a style I enjoyed.
Beautiful voice, not my scene
In a word: excruciating. Did enjoy stoned soul picnic.
Felt like a broadway musical soundtrack but she didn't have strong enough vocals for it to work
I just don't understand what this album is supposed to be. It has so many genres, from Broadway show tunes to lounge jazz and everything in between. They are genres you have to be in the mood for which makes listening to the whole album really difficult. The RnB/soul tracks were actually quite good, but there were only 2 of them. The rest, despite being exceptionally well produced, were messy and chaotic in composure her voice, whilst occasionally very good is also very grating at times. This one was a really tough listen.
🎧I tired really hard with this album, and perhaps two stars is a bit unfair. Nyro has a beautiful voice and a swaggeringly confident delivery, but as a whole this record doesn’t work for me. Stoned Soul Picnic and Farmer Joe are nice songs. It’s when Nyro gets into the free-form scat-like delivery that she loses me.
Vaguely interesting. Seems like it was probable more notable at the time.
Too Jazzy for me.
A bit too show-tuney for my taste
Meh
soul Lite
At its best when it's doing a Supremes kind of Motown thing with a horn section, backing singers and some lively bass. At its worst when it verges into Broadway territory with story-telling ballad style, or when it goes all schmaltzy slow and sparse and flutey. An incredible, if kind of nasal, voice with a huge range, but that includes a very annoying piercing high-range she spends lots of time in.
She had a beautiful and soulful voice but overall it just didn't do it for me. It felt like an outfit with just one to many details. If you could have taken off one bow or random jazz rift I think I would have really enjoyed it.
I like her vibe and energy but don’t really love her voice. It was hard to get past that the more I listened to it. I do like experiencing the 60s through a woman’s lens though.
Why is this here? The vocals are so annoying and get unintentionally funny at parts. Also every song sounds the same. Just bad.
It's like the original Fiona Apple. Pretty ahead of her time.
never crossed paths with this before and not quite sure where it fits in
I really liked one song ("Stoned Soul Picnic", and it really is a banger/earworm), but the rest I just couldn't get into. As other reviewers note, her voice is all over the place, and the songs are too jazzy/schmalzy/show-tunes-y.
2.5 her voice is great and the sound quality is phenomenal but it just seems to be trying too much
2/5. Not my thing.
Strong no from me.
I tried and wanted to like it, but couldn’t. I did like the tone of her voice though.
Even though Laura Nyro has a good voice, I don't think her way of singing suits me well, especially when she bellows and goes up. It sounds too theatrical to me, and that's a shame, because the songs are quite good. I think the instrumentation is quite worthwhile, but it remains a challenge for me to listen to it in a relaxed manner. So, to be fair, I could do without this album (actually, most of hers) A matter of taste probably. Today, I tried again for the 1001 Album Challenge, but I was glad when I finished listening.
Not for me
Never heard of her. At times almost funky and interesting. At other times piercing and grating.
Pop agradável e descartável.
nice, but a little bit lacking in variety
Not my style
Hadn't heard of this artist and so glad this introduced me to them!
This album sounds like it should be accompanying a movie. It just felt like there was always something going on other than the music. Maybe it’s because the music was a bit generic and felt like it needed more. The girls voice was pretty good but it needed more. 4.6/10
Laura Nyro’s music doesn’t sound like the album cover for “Eli and the Thirteenth Confession.” That cover screams sultry, smoky, jazz-influenced singer-songwriter. That girl on the cover looks like she has a great voice. But I don’t really care for Laura Nyro’s voice on those first few faster R&B tracks. When things slowed down and got jazzier or folkier, it worked a bit better.
Album Review: Eli and the Thirteenth Confession – Laura Nyro Going into this, I had never heard of Laura Nyro before, so I was genuinely curious to explore Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. It turned out to be a really interesting listen—definitely not what I was expecting. The album has a theatrical, expressive quality to it that feels almost like a stage performance. While many of the songs are strong in their own right, I found myself preferring some of the versions I've heard covered by other artists. There’s no doubt Nyro was a bold and unique talent, but the showy, dramatic tone didn’t fully connect with me.
Not for me.
The voice is okay. She has better songs on other albums. This was just okay. The meter changes weren't really that interesting, just disorienting.
Good jazz
A little too sappy for me
Not my kind of thing. But I did learn about how many songs she wrote for other artists, so appreciate this site giving me some music knowledge today.
Such a shame where the focus of most of the songs are the vocals, and the vocals are not that great.. I think Laura relies too much on her falsetto region way too much and it gets really straight up annoying, bro. Feels like I'm getting shouted at by a sick woman for 45 mins. 3/10
Not that memorable
kinda annoying idk why
Feels like it should be in a speakeasy pretty chill though
There is a curated kind of stream-of-conscious, you-can't-pin-me-down-ness to this that I immediately found irritating. It continued throughout the album and I continued to find it irritating.
Meh
Mild 60s rock with poor man’s Kate Bush features
Old school but less my style
Luckie - song is kind of all over the place. Great vocals, but a lot of changes All the songs are similar - almost like a free-form approach to time and changes. Hard to hook onto a melody, it changes so quickly. Feels like listening to stream of consciousness songwriting. Really not digging it.
Not for me.
I just can't with her voice, I'm sorry.
Not a fan. Way too mellow.
Niet zo boeiend
I don't get her voice... one moment it's horribly off key/pitchy like nails on a chalkboard but in other moments she sounds great. It's so incredibly distracting. Music was ok - nice production but singing all over the place and wouldn't call this enjoyable in the least. In fact, kinda sounds like a Carol King knockoff, except everything is worse. 3/10.
Interesting, it does shows in which era of composition it was made.
This album was easy listening, but not something I would choose to listen to again.
fun sounding songs that you wouldn't mind finding as background music in movies, or commercial themes. she sounds like a good singer.
Not for me
Had never heard of this artist before. Clearly a great vocalist and writer. Not really my cup of tea, but can see the quality - surprised Tarantino has never used any tracks for his films, it had that sort of vibe
p137. 1968. 2 stars. Not sure what to make of this. She's got a decent voice, but it's set to "belt it out as loud as I can mode" more often than not. There are no standout tracks, and the 60s production veers too close to showtunes. Carole King did this type of thing far better.