Laura Nyro: Gen-X Are You Listening?
Honoring a Legend on Her Birthday
Laura Nyro Transcends Generations
I’m Gen-X and I revere Laura Nyro’s music.
While I don’t think I’m alone with my generation in appreciating Laura Nyro - Kanye West sampled her, Jenny Lewis speaks of Nyro’s influence- it’s possible the majority of Gen-X adoration for Nyro comes from musicians, those embedded in the musical sphere. Does the average Gen-Xer know about Laura Nyro?
I feel a sense of duty to get the word out: to Boomers, Gen-X, Z, whomever. Everyone should know Laura Nyro’s soulful sounds.
Who is Laura Nyro?
If you weren’t already familiar with Laura Nyro consider this your “Luckie” (her song) day. You are soon in the presence of greatness. I get a bit envious when someone is experiencing something so lovely for the first time.
Laura Nyro (1947- 1997) was an influential singer-songwriter whose prominent work in the ‘60s and ‘70s inspired Patti Smith, Elton John and Todd Rundgren to name just a few.
She continued performing and releasing music into the ‘90s. Her most well-known songs include “Eli’s Comin,’” “Stoney End,” “Stoned Soul Picnic,” and “Wedding Bell Blues.”
Barbra Streisand, the Fifth Dimension and Blood, Sweat and Tears had hits when covering her songs.
iTunes Brought Me to Laura Nyro
I stumbled upon Laura Nyro thanks to digital music. If she were alive today, I would assume Ms. Nyro would, possibly, be against the digital medium, the ability to use your phone to hear music. Sometimes I think I’m against listening to music on my phone, longing for the drop of a needle on a record, more authentic, from a nostalgic perspective, than pressing play on your laptop.
Listening to music takes you back to a time, a place. Hard to have that experience when the device is also sending you text messages from work. (Saving the discussion on the benefits of digital music for another time).
While I have no direct nostalgic correlation to Nyro’s music, having discovered it as an adult, it still send me places. It’s a testament to the emotional power of her music that it makes me sentimental.
The first song I heard of hers was either “Woman’s Blues” or “Sexy Mama.” I had been going down the iTunes rabbit hole and quickly stopped in my tracks.
Once I heard “Save the Country,” that was it, I was hooked. Mesmerized.
Her CDs were available for a great price and I grabbed all that I could. I didn’t want them in digital form. Not as a protest for a modern musical medium. This is music I wanted to physically hold in my hands. To see on a shelf. To surround myself with as if the physicality of it was healing.
Laura Nyro For Beginners
There are far better, more eloquent historians of Laura Nyro to address her music catalog. I’m not going to pretend I can scratch the vinyl surface of her discography.
As I mentioned in the beginning, I want to GET. THE. WORD. OUT.
If you’re already a fan, scroll down for action items!
If you haven’t heard her music before this is what I recommend:
Listen to “Eli and the Thirteenth Confession.”
Then listen to it again. And again.
Next, “New York Tendaberry.”
“More Than a New Discovery” later titled “The First Songs” because, obviously, this was the first album (yeah, I went out of order).
Proceed from there. Enjoy.
Laura Nyro Deep Cut: “American Dove”
Like any artist, Laura Nyro has songs that are not as well-known as others, but should be. “American Dove” is one such song, in my opinion.
As far as I know, you can only hear “American Dove” on “Spread Your Wings and Fly,” a recording of a 1971 concert. It is not on any other album.
Take a listen. I dare you not to tear up.
Laura Nyro’s Lasting Legacy
Laura Nyro was (finally!) inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, having been included in the songwriting hall of fame a few years earlier.
Watch Sarah Bareilles sing “Stoney End” at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
OK Fans, Time to Spread the Word
Help other generations learn about Laura Nyro the legend by sharing her videos, creating playlists, actually playing music in the house. Share this article!
Tell us in comments
Are you a longtime fan? Just discovering Laura Nyro for the first time? Put it in comments!