Genre: rock
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Christmas and the Beads of Sweat
Company: Columbia
Catalog: KC-20359
Year: 1970
Country/State: Bronx, New York
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: minor ring wear
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5067
Price: $10.00
There's no arguing what a talented artist the late Laura Nyro was. That said, at least to my ears her catalog can be challenging to get into. 1970's "Christmas and the Beads of Sweat" serves as a perfect example of those comments. Separately produced by Arif Mardin and Felix Cavaliere, the collection found Nyro churning out an album that mixed her jazz roots with a distinctive soul feel. At least to my ears that resulted in an album with an almost schizophrenic feel. Bolstered by support from an all star cast of sessions players including the Muscles Shoals 'Swampers' crowd half of the album was extremely commercial. Displaying a true affection and talent for blue-eyed soul, highlights included the oddly titled 'When I Was a Freeport and You Were the Main Drag' and the horn propelled 'Blackpatch'. At the other end of the spectrum, exemplified by the four Cavaliere-produced songs on side two, tracks like the extended 'Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp' and 'Beads of Sweat' showcased Nyro's sensitive singer/songwriter moves. Stark, haunting and often framed in pseudo-jazzy arrangements these songs were equally impressive, but not particularly accessible and when stretched out to seven or eight minutes ('Map To the Treasure'), started to wear out their welcome. And then there was the album's lone non-original - 'Up On the Roof' which stood as an indicator of what Nyro would do with her next release "Gonna Take a Miracle".
Columbia also tapped the album for a pair of singles:
- 1970's 'When I Was a Freeport and You Were the Main Drag' b/w 'Been a Train' (Columbia catalog number 4-45298)
- 1970's 'Up On the Roof' b/w 'New York Tendaberry' (Columbia catalog number 4-45430)
Certainly an interesting album, but perhaps not the place for the curious, or casual fan to start with.
"Christmas
and the Beads of Sweat" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Brown
Earth (Laura Nyro) - 4:11
2.) When I Was a Freeport and You Were the Main Drag
(Laura Nyro) - 2:46
3.) Blackpatch (Laura Nyro) -
3:36
4.) Been On a Train (Laura
Nyro) - 5:52
5.) Up On the Roof (Gerry Goffin - Carole King) - 3:15
(side
2)
1.) Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp
(Laura Nyro) - 5:34
2.) Map To the Treasure
(Laura Nyro) - 8:09
3.) Beads of Sweat (Laura
Nyro) - 4:44
4.) Christmas In My Soul
(Laura Nyro) - 7:04
For anyone interested, there's a wonderful Nyro tribute website at: