by Richie Unterberger
Nyro peaked early, and Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, just her second
album, remains her best. It's not only because it contains the original
versions of no less than three songs that were big hits for other artists:
"Sweet Blindness" (covered by the 5th Dimension), "Stoned
Soul Picnic" (also covered by the 5th Dimension), and "Eli's
Comin'" (done by Three Dog Night). It's not even just because those
three songs are so outstanding. It's because the album as a whole is so
outstanding, with its invigorating blend of blue-eyed soul, New York pop,
and early confessional singer/songwriting. Nyro sang of love, inscrutably
enigmatic romantic daredevils, getting drunk, lonely women, and sensual
desire with an infectious joie de vivre. The arrangements superbly complemented
the material with lively brass, wailing counterpoint backup vocals, and
Nyro's own ebullient piano. The 2002 CD reissue adds three previously
unreleased demos, with no instrumental accompaniment save piano, of "Lu,"
"Stoned Soul Picnic," and "Emmie."
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