Time And Love: The Laura Nyro Album By Album Thread

Out tomorrow

 

If I didn't already have the Japan disc, I'd be all over this. Hope they do as good a job on it.

 

I recently got the Blu Spec 2 edition of 'Eli and the Thirteenth Confession' and it is beyond awesome. It sounds so warm compared to the other editions on cd and it's so clear you can actually hear what the musicians were playing (the other cd editions all sound like a blur). I definitely will spring for the Blu Spec 2 of 'New York Tendaberry'.

 

denknee, is this the one you are talking about? - http://www.amazon.com/Eli-Thirteent...&keywords='Eli+and+the+Thirteenth+Confession'

 

No. It's this one: http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=SICP-30068

 

Thanks; just ordered it.

 

Mono????
seriously? Can you hear differences? I've heard mono us promo vinyl, same as the UK stock lp, and I can't hear much difference.

 

Are you referring to the Blu Spec 2, Panda? It's not in mono. It's stereo. The mono vinyl was most likely a fold down.

 

the bonus tracks say mono

 

I'd be nervous about this Blu-Spec 2 release because the 3 bonus tracks match the 2002 remaster that was released on CD and is not held in very high regard sound-wise.
I bought the 2002 remaster and eventually replaced it with an original US CD for just a few dollars used - just kept the remaster for the extra tracks.

My best sounding versions of Laura's stuff are still the old vinyl - I still prefer those to ANY other digital versions that are available.
The vinyl just sounds more open and authentic - still a bit shrill, but the sound of the vinyl is just my preference.
She needs new high quality vinyl pressings so badly - they are close to the top of my wish list.
I know here was a AF issue of Time and Love - wonder how available real original master tapes are?

 

Yeah, I'm nervous about it too. I'll report back when I receive it in a week or two.

 

This is the Blu-spec version of the 2002 remaster. On first listen it sounds like the regular 2002 remaster to me.

 

Got the Blu-spec version and it is LOUD. Dont have the 2002 remaster but this is probably what the source was.

 

Anyone hear the HDTracks 16/44.1 version? Better than the RBCD?

 

I'm new to the forum and have only gotten into this thread up to the point where the 1971 Fill East recording is taken up. Many thanks to mdekoning for starting the thread and keeping it on track. It's a wealth of info and much fun to read. I have been a fan of LN since the first album was released.

Here's another opportunity to hear Laura at the Fill East - from a show the previous year, 1970. Sound quality is quite good for YouTube with only a slight tape wrinkle in the middle. Song list is pretty much completely different. Give it a listen. It's over an hour long and has some nice pics to go along with it, as well as a poem. I think it's a great show. It'll probably never see legit release because of that wrinkle. Worth downloading and doing what you will with it.



Cheers

 

Ditto - I picked up 'Eli' and 'Tendaberry' blu-spec disks on ebay at a more than reasonable price. I think sonically, 'Eli' will never sound better, 'Tendaberry' almost as good - but then I've only seriously listened to each once. Maybe I was getting tired when I put 'Tendaberry' on.

I have been listening to Laura Nyro since the 60s. I may be all wet, but I have a notion that there has always been an intrinsic challenge to capture Laura's phenomenal voice. When she really gets on it in her upper range, it does have a certain edge that (to my ear) seems to not get along with microphones very well. She could probably break the condenser in a mic if she had ever wanted to. Add to that the apparent close miking and reverb that was usually added to her voice - especially in the early studio recordings, and it's just a bit too much. Her voice was so powerful it really didn't require embellishment from the engineering board - and she probably would have been better off putting a bit more distance between her and the mic. Her voice box had the rare gift of its own reverb effect. I am coming to the conclusion that most of the recordings I have heard - even the sonically better ones - tend to get a resonant frequency generated between the upper range of her voice and the recording equipment set up. And that resonance - like a feedback mechanism - can pierce. I don't think that can be taken out of the source material by remastering, but the edge can be calmed down if the sonics are reproduced as cleanly as possible.

I haven't heard the Iconaclasts, but the 2008 Japans do a respectable job of taming that edge. And the rest of the instrumentation really sounds great, as denknee has posted. I think this is largely due to careful winnowing out the best source material and remastering it without pushing the levels up, and not messing with the board very much. Albums like 'Eli' and parts of 'Tendaberry' are very dense with sound and it is easy to engineer the clarity out of the music. I'm really greatful for the Japanese 2008s and, presumably by the posts I read, the Iconaclasts are probably similar. I guess I will have to buy some of each to compare and see. In the back of my head, I wonder what would happen if Rhino got the rights to the catalogue. They did a pretty good job with the very difficult material that went into the Smiths box and the Gabriel era Genesis SACD/DVD box is a revelation.

And again - thanks to mdekoning for shepherding a great thread. I've always loved Laura's music and this thread has motivated me to revisit it more often.

 

I think it is too but I suspect not in the same way that you do!

The Genesis SACDs made me realise that just because something's Hi Res it doesn't mean it's going to sound better, or even as good as, a standard RBCD.

It took me several more years before I found this forum!

 

To each their own. It may depend on what one plays the material on. I have original issue UK LPs, and several issues of RBCDs of this material. Also the EU and USA boxes of this material. I happen to like the redo very much.

On my system, the dynamic range and clarity of the stereo SACDs is astounding - the bass is so clean and frankly, foundation rattling. It's demonstration material. Of course, it is a total remix with Gabriel's hand heavily involved - so it's going to sound different than all previous issues. That may not be what some want to hear - they want to hear the magic of what they are used to, not new magic.

Reminds me of Jimi playing at Newport 69, after being busted in Toronto. He got pissed off at the audience because they kept shouting for him to play the familiar hits. He was in no mood to do that and said so in no uncertain terms - then proceeded to put on an even more improvisational show than usual that had me in slack jawed fascination. Hendrix was a treat to be enjoyed live - in six shows I saw, never the same, always surprisingly great. Laura was another.

 

Laura Nyro is one of my favorite artists. Her first six albums were great in my opinion. I don't care for her last four albums unfortunately. Eli and the Thirteenth Confession is probably my favorite album of hers.

 

When I first got into Laura Nyro back in the 1990s my views on her music were similar to yours.

Now, however, I enjoy Nested, Mother's Spiritual, & Walk The Dog more than her earlier albums. I find them to offer greater subtly & I think she improved as as singer as she got older, but it did take me a while to really appreciate them.

 

As you say, to each their own & if you like the Gabriel era SACDs that's your personal taste.

As you say their bass IS deep & everything IS very clear. However they are NOT dynamic, just loud, check out

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=genesis&album=selling+england+by+the+pound
http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=genesis&album=the+lamb+lies+down+on+broadway+

& that's why I find them tiring & uninvolving to listen to (much as I would have liked to have done, having bought the box set).

 

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/SICP-1959

I don't know if this has been posted elsewhere on this thread. Available for $15... get 'em while they last. They go for a lot more than that on Amazon and eBay.

I did a vinyl-transfer of this album years ago and figured that was good enough. But adding the Iconoclassic version of Smile to the collection recently I got the jonez to have an official release of Mother's Spiritual as well. I'm glad I found an affordable source.

 

Importcds have some good deals on the Iconoclassic titles right now.

I just listened to 'Nested' for the first time recently and it is rapidly becoming one of my favorite Laura albums.

 

I still love Eli, but I do agree that Mothers Spiritual is also a great record - Picked one up a few weeks ago in a thrift store for $ .75 in NM/NM
Find of the year so far.

 

Also, Christmas and the Beads of Sweat is available in Japan again for 1300yen... that's $10.54.

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/SICP-4460
Description
Reissue with 2008 DSD mastering in Japan, using the analog master. Comes with a description and lyrics.

It's not a mini-LP replica sleeve, but from other posts here, the 2008 remaster sounds great and that's what is being reissued. It was just released on June 10th so I won't be getting it for another few weeks. I'll report back then.