Review: Map To The Treasure - Reimagining Laura Nyro

In most conversations about great songwriters of the 1960's, it's fairly common to hear the same names over and over, especially on what might be considered the first tier of songwriters. But there is a second tier that is bursting at the seams with talent that's no less great and loaded with names that most folks recognize. One of those many names is Laura Nyro.

Laura Nyro, 1968

Laura Nyro was one of those songwriters whose own recordings had their audience, but they didn't sell tons of records. Her fame came from the number of her songs that had been recorded by big name artists such as Barbra Streisand, The 5th Dimension, Blood Sweat & Tears, and Three Dog Night. In that light, it's interesting when you listen to Laura's recordings of her songs that were made popular by cover versions, as Laura's originals can often sound for all the world like demo recordings, as Columbia boss Clive Davis once suggested. But like many gifted artists, once you get past the hits and start listening to Laura's other material, you begin to realize the level of artistry that you're dealing with. There was quite a bit of intensity and depth in her music, and it can make the hits appear somewhat shallow in comparison. For these reasons and others, Laura's writing is often cited as highly influential by performers such as Rickie Lee Jones, Todd Rundgren, Kate Bush, and Elton John, who directly credits her with inspiring "Burn Down The Mission", from his 1970 album, "Tumbleweed Connection".

Fresh out of high school, Laura Nigro changed her professional name to Nyro, after trying out several others. She was fast becoming known as a songwriter and soon, "And When I Die" was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary, earning Laura a then very respectable fee of $5000. She made her professional debut at the Hungry I in San Francisco, far away from her native New York, as a means of coping with stage fright. Shortly after, Nyro signed a record deal with the Verve/Folkways label. Producers unsure of Nyro’s piano ability used session pianist Stan Free on most of the cuts. Released in January 1967, "More Than A New Discovery" was not an immediate hit, but attracted a cult following. (In 1973, the album was re-titled "First Songs" and re-issued with a different song order by her new label, Columbia.) Nyro's second major public appearance of 1967 was at the famed Monterey Pop Festival.

More importantly, the album attracted a stampede of artists eager to record her songs. Among the songs on the album were "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoney End", "Billy’s Blues" as well as "And When I Die". The 5th Dimension struck gold repeatedly with Nyro’s music by recording "Blowing Away", "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Sweet Blindness", "Save The Country" and "Black Patch". Other artists who had hits with her songs included Three Dog Night and Maynard Ferguson , both of whom recorded "Eli's Coming", Barbra Streisand hit with "Stoney End", and of course, Blood Sweat & Tears who had a huge hit with "And When I Die". Nyro was also seriously considering an offer from Blood Sweat & Tears to become their new lead singer, following the departure of Al Kooper. But her manager, David Geffen, had other ideas, bringing her to legendary Columbia producer, Clive Davis, who signed her as a solo artist. David Clayton-Thomas then became the new voice of BST in time for their landmark second album.

Just as a quick sample, I'm certain that most of you are familiar by now with The 5th Dimension's recording of "Wedding Bell Blues". It was one of their biggest hits and is also one of Laura Nyro's best known songs, but I'll bet that proportionally, fewer folks refer to Laura's as their go-to version. I'm a bit surprised that I've chosen this song to highlight, as I took an awful lot of guff about it back when The 5th Dimension's version was a hit, due to my name being Bill, so I suppose this is cathartic for me in some way. With all of that in mind, here's Laura Nyro's recording of "Wedding Bell Blues" from her 1967 Verve album, "More Than A New Discovery".

Nobody was more shocked at the 50th annual Grammy Awards in 2008 than jazz piano legend Herbie Hancock, when his album of Joni Mitchell interpretations, "River: The Joni Letters", won Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Hancock had faced stiff competition from big selling artists like Kanye West, Foo Fighters, Amy Winehouse, and Vince Gill. "River" was only the second Jazz album to win Album of the Year in Grammy history; the first being the now-classic "Getz/Gilberto" by Stan Getz and João Gilberto in 1965. That's the one with "The Girl From Ipanema" on it.

Why I bring this album up is to point out that great Pop songwriting and traditional Jazz can intersect with most pleasant results. Granted, Joni Mitchell is one of our most gifted and adventurous artists whose musical influence far outweighs her record sales, but she is not alone in that. Lucky for us, those artists who are to follow, both women and men, who are inspired by Joni's work, and by that of Laura Nyro, will likely bestow us with works of great power and imagination in the years to come. It does make me sad just a bit to know that the most virtuosic artists of their respective time are rarely rewarded with sustainable sales of their music during their peak run, and especially after the hits slow down. The respect and accolades always seem to come later, after they've left us, or in Joni's case, retired.

But the reference to Herbie Hancock's breakthrough success with his Joni Mitchell album also applies to today's featured recording. Pianist Billy Childs recently released his new album "Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro". Like Hancock, Childs wisely invited some of the best instrumentalists and female vocalists of our time to assist with bringing the songs of a profoundly gifted songwriter to new life. By working directly with them on the interpretations, instead of simply having the ladies do their vocal over an already done arrangement, these recordings acquire a depth that would be impossible otherwise.

There's plenty more that I could tell you about this album, but this short video will give you more useful information about the project in 6 minutes than I could in several paragraphs. So, with that in mind, kick back and enjoy.

This is the sort of project that is a whole 'nother kind of tribute album. It's one thing to ask different musicians to contribute their signature piece of the puzzle and then assemble them into a whole. That approach is perfectly fine, and it usually works well. But it's quite a different thing to create a fresh, new interpretive foundation, and then add the extra spin of the individual vocalists' take on each song. The results here are fantastic, and I'm certain that Laura Nyro herself, if she were still with us to hear this music, would be humbled and thrilled. Both Billy Childs and producer Larry Klein have much to be proud of here. The album is now available at Amazon, or your local indie record shop that hopefully has a decent selection of Jazz.

Laura Nyro left this life at the age of 49, due to ovarian cancer. There's a surprisingly thorough biography of Laura on Wikipedia that is actually more informative than her own website. There is also a documentary film about Laura, to be called "December's Boudoir" that is in progress. They are in the funding stage and are seeking any and all film footage of Laura that may be out there. The music of Laura Nyro is not only in print, but has been recently remastered. If you don't feel the need to own every one of her albums, there is a fine 2 disc anthology, which Laura herself had signed off on prior to its release in 1997. There's also a couple of 'Essential' collections out there too. Whichever route you choose, they'll all lead you to a good place.

Review: Here Comes The Reign Again - The Second British Invasion

Hey, remember the 80's? I barely do and I was there. Truth is, the 80's are a little foggy for me now, but such were the times. I do remember the revolutionary and nearly immediate takeover of cable TV by MTV Music Television in '81. This was back when they played music, all day and night, non-stop. It seemed that in very short order, we had gone from what we now call Classic Rock into Punk and New Wave, and now we've got this Flock Of Haircuts or something, with this guy who looks like Hawkman singing about Iran and how far away it was. What the hell was that all about, anyway?

What it all meant was that this Second British Invasion represented a huge shift in the Pop music climate. Sure, many of the great Classic Rock bands were from England, as well as the Punks, and there were plenty of American Rock bands making their mark on the charts all that time too. But by the mid-80's, it was the British bands that ruled the day. Despite all the Reagan Era, Rambo-esque, USA rah- rah that was going on at the time, if it was a Pop hit, it was probably British.

More often than not, I enjoy tribute albums. I really do, and it doesn't take too much for me to be completely satisfied with one. If the artist or genre being feted is someone or something that I can appreciate, the recorded results sound like some heart and positive energy and hard work went into it, and the album's concept makes sense, then it will probably be a good album. Usually the tribute albums that don't work sound as though they are under-rehearsed, ill-planned, or the project is little more than a forced effort in marketing and didn't really mean anything to anyone involved with it.

Fortunately, none of that negative stuff is the case with today's subject at hand, "Here Comes The Reign Again: The Second British Invasion". Like its 2013 predecessor, "Drink A Toast To Innocence: A Tribute To Lite Rock", this album is clearly a labor of love, which album producer Andrew Curry was able to impart to all of the participants, so 3 cheers to everyone involved with this project!

One distinguishing characteristic of 80's Pop songs was that strong production techniques shoved their way to the forefront. In some cases, producers like Hugh Padgham and Steve Lillywhite became marquee names themselves, as much or more than the musicians. I spoke with a songwriter last year who told me that his 1986 album "was far more (the producer's) record than mine". The dominant presence of typical 80's production work leaves anyone who is covering an 80's song with the options of doing their version of both the song and the production, or separating the two and simply playing the song as they would do it, had they written it themselves. So, with all that said, let's get to the music!

Our winner in the former category is The Corner Laughers, and their stellar rendition of "Our House" by Madness. This track was an early favorite during my first listen to the album, so I was glad to see that the band produced a video for the song, which cleverly replicates the look of a typical 80's MTV video. The production values of the Madness recording are there too, but you get this band's take on them as well, so bonus points for originality. The Corner Laughers also got my vote as the band whose album of original material I would buy unheard, based solely on this terrific cover version. Enjoy!

Bleu

Regarding those who were able to skillfully recreate the production values of the original, I have to salute Bleu for his faultless rendition of Simple Minds' classic from "The Breakfast Club", "Don't You Forget About Me". Secret Friend also scored major production points for their take on "West End Girls" by Pet Shop Boys, which, to my ears, is also one of the best sounding tracks on an album that's chock-full of great audio. Some phat low end on this one.

I'm finding it difficult to choose favorites from the rest of the album, which is an excellent problem to have, as there's so much really good work here. To me, good cover versions are supposed to sound like the musician doing the cover, while maintaining respect for the original song, so props go to Chris Collingwood of Fountains Of Wayne for his take of "Life In A Northern Town" by Dream Academy, and Cliff Hillis for the horns on Nik Kershaw's "Wouldn't It Be Good". An American Underdog did a great job with Howard Jones' "Things Can Only Get Better", and Linus Of Hollywood also scores highly with "Everytime You Go Away", which Daryl Hall wrote, but it wasn't a hit until Paul Young covered it. The Davenports have themselves a infectious, hand clapping, Power Pop rave up with the Wham hit, "Freedom", while People On Vacation do some rightful justice to Bananarama's "Cruel Summer".

Tracy Bonham

Now, for the most original renditions. I definitely enjoyed the recasting of another Howard Jones song, "No One Is To Blame", as not only a lilting reggae tune, but also as a male/female duet by Eytan Mirsky and Alyson Greenfield. Nice work, you two!

Next up is Tracy Bonham's arresting performance of Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This". Bonham captures everything that was eerie and unsettling about the original and amplifies that with her sparse arrangement. Less is, indeed, more.

Graham Alexander

The one track on the album that's likely to raise an eyebrow or two is Graham Alexander's brave rewrite of "They Don't Know", the Tracey Ullman hit written by Kirsty MacColl. It's done as not only a stripped down ballad, but the point of view has been altered completely with just a subtle change of some key lyrics in the chorus. I know that some people will freak out and slam the door on it because it's so different from what they're used to hearing, but if you love the song that much, then, to be fair, I will advise another listen. The true merit of any song is often proven in the fiery furnace of reinvention, and I believe this song emerges from the heat not only unscarred, but stronger from the test. And so, I salute Graham Alexander for having the stones and the vision to take this great tune into compelling new territory. Work like this is the distinct mark of an artist.

Music is, first and foremost, entertainment, and therefore should be fun for the listener. This album is a front-to-back blast from your past! The bottom line is that "Here Comes The Reign Again" provides further conclusive proof that independent musicians and producers are far more capable of turning out tribute albums of superior quality that are fun, imaginative, musically engaging, and above all, genuine, than any major label has demonstrated for themselves in recent years. There's such an abundance of top notch work on this album that I couldn't discuss each of the 27 tracks here, lest this article turn into a small book. But know this; the album's producer has a fairly long list of great British 80's songs, some that are considered signature to the genre, that weren't chosen by anyone to cover for this album. Enough for, dare I say it, Volume 2?

We'll have to wait and see about that question, but first, this album needs to become as successful as it deserves to be. It's scheduled for release on Tuesday, September 30. If you didn't jump in during the successful Kickstarter campaign, you'll be able to get the album as a hard copy CD, a digital download, or both at iTunes, CD Baby, and Bandcamp. Direct links will be posted in this article, and on our Facebook page, the minute they become available. Do yourself a solid by supporting this fine album, and independent music in general.

UPDATE: Here's the pre-order link to the album at Bandcamp!

Life's A Gas

It's amazing what happens to music when it feels like I haven't thrown it onto the digital Victrola since it was new. Lots of previously hidden details in familiar material present themselves for what I'm perceiving as the first time, even though they've been there all along, of course. Maybe it's just decent mastering that's far better than it was in the 1970's. The records I'm talking about are by the cosmic dancer himself, Marc Bolan and his band, T.Rex.

A rare photo of the entire T. Rex band, not just Marc Bolan

T.Rex was an English rock band fronted by guitarist, singer and songwriter Marc Bolan. Formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1960's London as a Folk duo, their 1968 debut album, "My People Were Fair and Had Sky In Their Hair... But Now They're Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows" (yes, really), reached #15 in the UK. But in the early 1970's, they achieved worldwide mainstream success as a Glam Rock band.

Following a gradual waning of commercial success during the mid 70's, T. Rex ended in 1977, when Bolan was killed in a terrible car wreck. The car was driven by his girlfriend, Gloria Jones, an R&B singer with her own history on the Pop charts. It is unfortunate that the notoriety of this accident still follows her to this day.

Most everyone is familiar by now with their big hit "Bang A Gong (Get It On)". For most folks, the tune sums up the T. Rex experience in 3 short minutes. but their sound was so much more than that one song. The album "Bang A Gong" came from, "Electric Warrior", is considered a must have for any self-respecting collection of Rock music, along with the equally essential follow up album, "The Slider", which may as well have been titled "Son Of Electric Warrior". Man, what a lewd, sleazy batch of Glitter Rock 'n Roll this is! Specifically, Bolan was very good at writing those slow, sexy, grinding grooves that must have launched the careers of ten thousand strippers. The music wasn't complicated and lyrically, it often got kinda post-hippie spacey. But T. Rex definitely had an instantly identifiable sound all their own. The unique backing vocals of Flo & Eddie (Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan from The Turtles, and later, Frank Zappa's Mothers) can clearly be heard on many T. Rex tracks, and are as much a part of the band's sound as any other instrumentation.

But a lot of people forget that, like their peers of the day, Led Zeppelin, acoustic music was just as much a part of the sound of T. Rex as the electric bump 'n grind. Many of Marc Bolan's best songs were at least based on an acoustic rhythm track, including this one from "Electric Warrior", optimistically entitled "Life's A Gas".

A vintage Mutron Octave Divider. In this condition, it'll run you $950 & up.

Guitar equipment companies have been trying to stuff the sound of Jimi Hendrix into one stompbox pedal for as long as I can recall, although in fact, it was a chain of specific components that made up his sound. But one analog device surfaced in the late 60's that Hendrix had employed to great effect. This device was called an Octave Divider, although it's available under several different names today. What the unit does is to replicate an identical note 1, 2, or more octaves above or below the note being played. Like any effect, it can be pushed to an extreme, as Metal musicians have discovered, but as we usually find, it is best used judiciously. You can hear Jimi using it on "All Along The Watchtower", during the instrumental section prior to the last verse. Marc Bolan definitely played through one of these on his recording of "Life's A Gas". You can also hear it in Jimmy Page's solo on "Fool In The Rain" from Led Zeppelin's "In Through The Out Door".

You can hear a vintage Octave Divider put to good use once again on this tube distortion and tremolo-soaked version of "Life's A Gas" recorded by Southern Culture On The Skids on their 2007 album of cover tunes, "Countrypolitan Favorites". The effect is such an important part of the sound of the song that you really couldn't do the song without it. It's also neat to hear the vocal recast as a male/female duet.

Southern Culture On The Skids

Southern Culture On The Skids, also known to their fans as SCOTS, is an American rock band that was formed in 1983 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The band consists of guitarist Rick Miller, drummer Dave Hartman, and bassist Mary Huff. SCOTS' music is a blend of Rockabilly, Surf, Country, and R&B with a Punk edge mixed with rural trailer park humor, as evidenced in their songs "Cheap Motels", "Camel Walk", "Soul City", and the infamous "Eight Piece Box". But don't let the image and the goofy charm fool you. This trio is tight as a tick, and they play as a hard hitting, no nonsense rhythm section should after nearly 30 years on the road. They are well known for their wild live shows, which often includes throwing fried chicken and banana pudding into the crowd, and inviting audience members to dance onstage. A SCOTS gig is a guaranteed sloppy, sweaty mess of a party.

"Countrypolitan Favorites" was the 11th SCOTS album since 1986, so they've been busy over the years. Check out their website for news and tour dates. There's even an online store where you can buy stuff like T-shirts, CD's and vinyl direct from the band, because that's the best way to support the musicians whose work you enjoy! You can also find their music at Amazon, if that's what works for you. Go see 'em live when you have the chance, but count on doing some laundry the next day!

As I said earlier, any decent collection of 70's Rock absolutely must include both "Electric Warrior" and "The Slider" by T. Rex; preferably on vinyl. Both have been reissued recently in solid 180 gram editions at reasonable prices, so you vinyl junkies best hop to it, lest your cool factor fade. These 2 albums will serve your collection far better than any "Best Of T. Rex" compilation, of which there are several. For all you digital or CD folks, you can certainly find yourself some T. Rex (with bonus tracks) at your local emporium of musical oddities, or at Amazon. They have some good deals on the aforementioned vinyl editions too, but you should also visit online with our friends at Acoustic Sounds as well. They're not the cheapest, but the customer service is first rate, and their care in packaging and shipping your records to you is without peer. Highly recommended, and a big thumbs up!