Mother's Spiritual
Encyclopedia
Mother's Spiritual is the eighth studio album by New York
-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro
and her ninth original album in total, including the 1977 live album
Season of Lights
.
The album was released at the beginning of 1984 after a year of difficult and expensive recording sessions, and came more than five years after its predecessor, 1978's well-received but poor-selling Nested
. Thanks to a small buzz surrounding Nyro's return to the spotlight after her second period of semi-retirement (the first came from 1972-1975), Mother's Spiritual became Nyro's last US chart entry, reaching #182 on the Billboard 200
chart.
Musically, Mother's Spiritual is the most serene and easygoing of all Laura Nyro albums, and was criticised in some quarters for being too sedate and maternal in comparison to her wild, adventurous, and experimental albums such as Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
and New York Tendaberry
.
Thematically, Nyro's concerns turned from passion and love
towards subjects of a more political and sociological nature, including environmentalism
, motherhood, and feminism
. It met with mixed reviews, and Nyro was lambasted in some quarters for "turning into a tree-hugger."
After being out of print in the U.S. for many years, Mother's Spiritual was finally released on CD in 2009. It was her last studio album for nine years, and she returned only in 1988 to stage a tour. The album represents Nyro's sole original output of the 1980s, during which time she concentrated mostly on raising her son Gil, born in 1978.
, at her Danbury
home and laid down solo demos of the songs as early as the spring of 1982. Then, Nyro and co-producer Roscoe Harring could not find a suitable recording place and spent three weeks recording at The Boogie Hotel on Long Island, NY - but Nyro was not satisfied with the outcome of the music.
Instead, she spent between $150,000 and $200,000 building a proper studio at her home as opposed to the mobile studio where Nested was recorded.
The album's arrangements are soft and wistful, but Nyro also desired a more fiery edge to the songs as well. One of her famous fans, Todd Rundgren
, however, was not particularly encouraging about Nyro's new sound.
Although there is some quite upbeat material ("Sophia", "Talk to a Green Tree", "The Brighter Song"), Mother's Spiritual is dominated by slow piano-driven songs. These were seen by some critics as close to New Age
music. Nyro would perform them live in concert for the rest of her career.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved considerable critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums Eli and the Thirteenth Confession and New York Tendaberry, and had commercial success with artists such as Barbra Streisand and The 5th...
and her ninth original album in total, including the 1977 live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
Season of Lights
Season of Lights
Season of Lights is the first live album by New York singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro.Columbia Records issued the album in the summer of 1977, taking the songs from various locations on Nyro's 1976 tour in support of her most recent studio album, Smile...
.
The album was released at the beginning of 1984 after a year of difficult and expensive recording sessions, and came more than five years after its predecessor, 1978's well-received but poor-selling Nested
Nested
Nested is the seventh studio album by Bronx-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro, released in 1978 by Columbia Records.Following on from her extensive tour to promote 1976's Smile, which resulted in the 1977 live album Season of Lights, Nyro retreated to her new home in Danbury,...
. Thanks to a small buzz surrounding Nyro's return to the spotlight after her second period of semi-retirement (the first came from 1972-1975), Mother's Spiritual became Nyro's last US chart entry, reaching #182 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart.
Musically, Mother's Spiritual is the most serene and easygoing of all Laura Nyro albums, and was criticised in some quarters for being too sedate and maternal in comparison to her wild, adventurous, and experimental albums such as Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
-References:*Michele Kort's biography Soul Picnic: The Music and Passion of Laura Nyro -External links:*[ Allmusic Laura Nyro biography entry.]**...
and New York Tendaberry
New York Tendaberry
New York Tendaberry is an album by New York-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro.It was released in the autumn of 1969 on the Columbia Records label, some 18 months after its predecessor, Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. It is generally considered by rock critics and Laura Nyro...
.
Thematically, Nyro's concerns turned from passion and love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
towards subjects of a more political and sociological nature, including environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, motherhood, and feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
. It met with mixed reviews, and Nyro was lambasted in some quarters for "turning into a tree-hugger."
After being out of print in the U.S. for many years, Mother's Spiritual was finally released on CD in 2009. It was her last studio album for nine years, and she returned only in 1988 to stage a tour. The album represents Nyro's sole original output of the 1980s, during which time she concentrated mostly on raising her son Gil, born in 1978.
Overview
The recording of Mother's Spiritual was punctuated by several difficult incidences. Nyro intended to record the album, as with predecessor NestedNested
Nested is the seventh studio album by Bronx-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro, released in 1978 by Columbia Records.Following on from her extensive tour to promote 1976's Smile, which resulted in the 1977 live album Season of Lights, Nyro retreated to her new home in Danbury,...
, at her Danbury
Danbury, Connecticut
Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
home and laid down solo demos of the songs as early as the spring of 1982. Then, Nyro and co-producer Roscoe Harring could not find a suitable recording place and spent three weeks recording at The Boogie Hotel on Long Island, NY - but Nyro was not satisfied with the outcome of the music.
Instead, she spent between $150,000 and $200,000 building a proper studio at her home as opposed to the mobile studio where Nested was recorded.
The album's arrangements are soft and wistful, but Nyro also desired a more fiery edge to the songs as well. One of her famous fans, Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
, however, was not particularly encouraging about Nyro's new sound.
Although there is some quite upbeat material ("Sophia", "Talk to a Green Tree", "The Brighter Song"), Mother's Spiritual is dominated by slow piano-driven songs. These were seen by some critics as close to New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
music. Nyro would perform them live in concert for the rest of her career.
Track listing
All songs by Laura Nyro.- "To a Child" – 3:53
- "The Right to Vote" – 3:02
- "A Wilderness" – 2:56
- "Melody in the Sky" – 3:45
- "Late for Love" – 2:57
- "A Free Thinker" – 3:15
- "Man in the Moon" – 2:55
- "Talk to a Green Tree" – 3:44
- "Trees of the Ages" – 3:39
- "The Brighter Song" – 2:30
- "Roadnotes" – 3:18
- "Sophia" – 4:39
- "Mother's Spiritual" – 3:12
- "Refrain" – 1:08
- "Man in the Moon" (live) - 3:28 Bonus Track on Japanese Import and Special Edition.
Personnel
- Voice, harmonies, acoustic and electric pianos an dulcimer on "Sophia": Laura NyroLaura NyroLaura Nyro was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved considerable critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums Eli and the Thirteenth Confession and New York Tendaberry, and had commercial success with artists such as Barbra Streisand and The 5th...
- Drums: Terry SilverlightTerry SilverlightTerry Silverlight is a jazz, pop, rock and R&B drummer, composer, producer, arranger and author.Silverlight was born in Newark, New Jersey and grew up in North Plainfield, New Jersey. He made his debut as a drummer on Barry Miles 's White Heat album, recorded in 1971 when Silverlight was fourteen...
- Bass: Lisa Sunshine
- Electric Guitar: John Bristow
- Synthesizer on "Man in the Moon" and "Trees of the Ages": Todd RundgrenTodd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
- Percussion: Nydia "Liberty" Mata
- Acoustic Guitar: Jan Nigro
- Violin: Julie Lyonn Lieberman
- Photography by Irene Young