[2017-07-07] Laura Nyro "A Little Magic, A Little Kindness: The Complete Mono Albums Collection" 2CD set (Real Gone)

Linda · **Posted:** Tue May 09, 2017 7:21 pm

Description
Can you surry? Can you picnic? Laura Nyro, to use her own fanciful word, surried onto the scene 50 years ago with the release of her debut album More Than a New Discovery. Its title was certainly apt. Throughout the course of her life, Nyro wrote and introduced some of the most beloved popular songs of all time with her singular fusion of pop, jazz, R&B, soul, Broadway, and folk sounds. Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records are proud to celebrate the golden anniversary of Laura Nyro's debut with a landmark 2-CD collection. A Little Magic, A Little Kindness: The Complete Mono Albums Collection features, for the very first time on CD, both of Nyro's original mono albums newlyremastered by Vic Anesini at Sony's Battery Studios from the original master tapes. More Than a New Discovery, originally released on Verve Folkways in 1967, premiered the songs that Barbra Streisand, Blood Sweat and Tears, and The 5th Dimension would all take up the charts, including "Stoney End," "And When I Die," "Blowin' Away," and perhaps the most famous song Nyro ever wrote, "Wedding Bell Blues." This special edition restores the original album sequence and mono mix from the very first version of the album. In 1968, Nyro moved to Columbia Records for her most acclaimed album, Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. Its songs were once again adopted by other artists such as Three Dog Night, Frankie Valli, and of course, The 5th Dimension. Featuring "Eli's Comin'," "Emmie," "Sweet Blindness," and the era-defining "Stoned Soul Picnic," this ultra-rare album – thought by many Nyro connoisseurs to be superior to the familiar stereo version – also makes its maiden appearance on CD. A handful of bonus tracks round out this special package, including the Bones Howe-produced "pop" version of "Save the Country," and the CD debuts of the Verve "censored" single version of "Stoney End" and the single mix of "Eli's Comin'." The Second Disc's Joe Marchese provides new liner notes. A Little Magic, A Little Kindness: The Complete Mono Albums Collection pays tribute to one of pop's most enduring iconoclasts. It's a soul picnic you won't want to miss.

Tracklist
[CD1]
1. Goodbye Joe
2. Billy's Blues
3. And When I Die
4. Stoney End
5. Lazy Susan
6. Hands Off the Man (Flim Flam Man)
7. Wedding Bell Blues
8. Buy and Sell
9. He's a Runner
10. Blowin' Away
11. I Never Meant to Hurt You
12. California Shoeshine Boys
13. Stoney End (Original Single Version with Alternate Lyrics)

[CD2]
1. Luckie
2. Lu
3. Sweet Blindness
4. Poverty Train
5. Lonely Women
6. Eli's Coming
7. Timer
8. Stoned Soul Picnic
9. Emmie
10. Woman's Blues
11. Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe)
12. December's Boudoir
13. The Confession
14. Eli's Coming (Mono Single Version)
15. Save the Country (Non-LP Single Version)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0727YYD44/?tag=imwan-20

Rokin Robin of Locksley · 20 Oct 2007

Wow, thanks so much Linda for the heads up!! This is so HUGE!! A lot of / most (?) Laura fans say the mono of More Than A New Discovery is the best version of that album, due to extreme less distortion and no added reverb as compared to the stereo. I've never heard it. It's so extremely rare. And Eli in mono is even rarer. And including the rare 45s!! (I will admit I sent an email to Real Gone several months ago and asked them to put together a CD package of all of Laura's A + B sides, maybe that helped get this out! I'll take partial credit, ha...)

Christmas is coming early, wow. Did I say this is HUGE??

:yahoo:

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Jason Michael · 30 May 2012

I am in for this. Very cool package.

Glenn S. · 30 Oct 2006

I have the remastered stereo Eli on CD, and while I love the music there is something about the sound that I find irritating. I wonder if the mono version is better in this regard?

Rokin Robin of Locksley · 20 Oct 2007

Found this...

Seth · 12 Jul 2006

I need to check my vinyl and see if I have either of these albums in mono. (I'll get the CD set regardless...)

Greg Carrier · 25 Nov 2006

Robin's image says Vic Anesini mastered this. He's one of the VERY best. I was in anyway, but now I'm REALLY in.

Rokin Robin of Locksley · 20 Oct 2007

cover blow-up:

Greg Carrier · 25 Nov 2006

Laura Nyro was a goddess, btw.

Seth · 12 Jul 2006

Rokin Robin of Locksley wrote:

Wow, thanks so much Linda for the heads up!! This is so HUGE!! A lot of / most (?) Laura fans say the mono of More Than A New Discovery is the best version of that album, due to extreme less distortion and no added reverb as compared to the stereo. I've never heard it. It's so extremely rare. And Eli in mono is even rarer. And including the rare 45s!! (I will admit I sent an email to Real Gone several months ago and asked them to put together a CD package of all of Laura's A + B sides, maybe that helped get this out! I'll take partial credit, ha...)

Christmas is coming early, wow. Did I say this is HUGE??

:yahoo:

.

I checked this morning and it turns out what I have on vinyl is (at least in the organized part of my LPs - may also have some more LPs and 45s but they are currently not organized):

More Than A New Discovery - MONO - Verve Folkways FT 3020
The First Songs... (the later version of the above album with a different song order) - STEREO - Verve Forecast (not Folkways) FTS 3020

My mono copy is in much berttter condition than the apparently more common stereo, especially the cover. Both versions have a sticker saying it "contains the hit Wedding Bell Blues".

I also have :
Eli - the normal stereo version (with the later red/gold Columbia label)

Charlie · **Joined:** 23 Dec 2014 **Posts:** 14200

Bump: This is now available for pre-order.

Rokin Robin of Locksley · 20 Oct 2007

Seth wrote:

I checked this morning and it turns out what I have on vinyl is (at least in the organized part of my LPs - may also have some more LPs and 45s but they are currently not organized):

More Than A New Discovery - MONO - Verve Folkways FT 3020
The First Songs... (the later version of the above album with a different song order) - STEREO - Verve Forecast (not Folkways) FTS 3020

My mono copy is in much berttter condition than the apparently more common stereo, especially the cover. Both versions have a sticker saying it "contains the hit Wedding Bell Blues".

I also have :
Eli - the normal stereo version (with the later red/gold Columbia label)

Excellent Seth! So you've got the original MONO issue, and the 2nd STEREO issue. I don't have either yet, always wanted to get an original MONO and original STEREO, as both had the best sound of any reissues that came after. The 2nd STEREO supposedly has added reverb, distortion, and some channel switching. The 3rd STEREO = the 1st on Columbia may have added even more reverb, ugh...

Seth · 12 Jul 2006

Rokin Robin of Locksley wrote:

Seth wrote:

I checked this morning and it turns out what I have on vinyl is (at least in the organized part of my LPs - may also have some more LPs and 45s but they are currently not organized):

More Than A New Discovery - MONO - Verve Folkways FT 3020
The First Songs... (the later version of the above album with a different song order) - STEREO - Verve Forecast (not Folkways) FTS 3020

My mono copy is in much berttter condition than the apparently more common stereo, especially the cover. Both versions have a sticker saying it "contains the hit Wedding Bell Blues".

I also have :
Eli - the normal stereo version (with the later red/gold Columbia label)

Excellent Seth! So you've got the original MONO issue, and the 2nd STEREO issue. I don't have either yet, always wanted to get an original MONO and original STEREO, as both had the best sound of any reissues that came after. The 2nd STEREO supposedly has added reverb, distortion, and some channel switching. The 3rd STEREO = the 1st on Columbia may have added even more reverb, ugh...

Yeah, I played a little of each last night and while I wasn't sure I heard that much reverb on the stereo, the mono definitely sounded better. However, my opinion may be skewed partly because the stereo copy is quite scratchy and noisy (the mono isn't silent either, but it's in better condition).

Rick A · 23 Jul 2006

This is going to be SO GREAT! :thumbsup:

Pre-ordered. I love Laura so......

Rokin Robin of Locksley · 20 Oct 2007

Mine arrived 2 weeks early! Sorry Linda, I ordered directly from Real Gone, as Amazon's pre-order kept going in and out of availability. Didn't wanna take a chance...

My review: absolutely spectacular! The 1st mono disc More Than A New Discovery is the original dedicated mono mix, the 2nd mono disc Eli & The 13th Confession is a fold down. Discovery sounds incredible. No distortion on any of Laura's vocals, none of the instruments, none nowhere no how, totally incredible! Unlike all the stereo reissues, which had obvious distortion on loud passages, and lots of echo. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, Laura's voice is crystal clear, felt I was hearing this album for the first time. I had several religious experiences getting thru it all! Plus this being a dedicated mono mix, I was hearing little bits of stuff throughout that I hadn't heard before, nothing major, but it was there.

Excellent booklet too, long article on the history of these 2 albums, and the alternative bonus cuts, quotes from her bio, nice photos.

I hope someday the original stereo master tapes will be found, but it's possible that if they are, they won't sound this good.

Sis boom bah !!

Glenn S. · 30 Oct 2006

How does the Eli album sound? I find the Stereo remaster to be pretty hard on the ears.

Greg Carrier · 25 Nov 2006

Glenn S. wrote:

How does the Eli album sound? I find the Stereo remaster to be pretty hard on the ears.

Glenn, there is an Audio Fidelity SACD that sounds really good, btw. Hoping this mono version sounds good, though.

Murdog · 29 Sep 2006

Man, I am loving this CD. I have the Rev-Ola "More Than A New Discovery" where the running order is wrong (I think it matches the Columbia "First Songs" order) and for some reason, always feel queasy when I hear it. I don't know if it's some perfectionism in me that wants the right order or if maybe there is some audiophile appreciation spilling over in my brain and there's something off with Rev-Ola's mastering. On that one, it seems like the opener "Wedding Bell Blues" just clobbers me over the head. "California Shoe Shine Boys" sounded like the proverbial nails on a chalk borad. Maybe some things really are meant to be mono and in the right sequence!

Anyway, the Real Gone edition is fantastic. The sound is warm and natural and complete and the songs sound more engaging than ever before. I like the white - radio only - label reproduction. Eli and the Thirteenth Confession is great to have in this format as well. There is such soul on these albums; such an intelligent mix of folk, jazz, and r&b, fun, social awareness, and "love stuff." The two albums, more than ever before for me, sound like they seamlessly meld with one another. It's fun to have the radio edit of Stoney End too.

jackeboy · **Joined:** 24 Dec 2008 **Posts:** 72

I bought this for the First album, but the real revelation is the mono version of Eli. it is far superior to the last remaster on Columbia. The sound is clearer, and the mix sounds much less cluttered.As for the first album. after hearing it in this order i thought, Yes that makes much more sense. This is amazing. Real Gone did a fantastic job on this one.

[2017-07-07] Laura Nyro "A Little Magic, A Little Kindness: The Complete Mono Albums Collection" 2CD set (Real Gone)

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