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We've long championed the extraordinary legacy of Laura Nyro here at The Second Disc, including with our own releases with Real Gone Music of A Little Magic, A Little Kindness: The Complete Mono Albums Collection and the first mono vinyl reissue of the singer-songwriter's debut More Than a New Discovery. Now, the U.K.'s Madfish label is returning her 1967-1978 catalogue for Verve and Columbia to vinyl in a new box set.
The 8-LP box set American Dreamer is due on July 30. The slipcased collection presents newly remastered versions of her original studio albums:
- More Than a New Discovery (1967)
- Eli and the Thirteenth Confession (1968)
- New York Tendaberry (1969)
- Christmas and the Beads of Sweat (1970)
- Gonna Take a Miracle - with Labelle (1971)
- Smile (1976); and
- Nested (1978).
The set does not include her final two Columbia long-players (1984's Mother's Spiritual and 1993's Walk the Dog and Light the Light) nor the posthumously-released Angel in the Dark (2001). Similarly, Laura's live albums including 1977's Season of Lights have not been included.
However, American Dreamer will also include a bonus eighth LP, Rarities and Live Recordings, of 15 previously issued gems including the mono single versions of "Stoney End" and "Eli's Comin';" the Bones Howe-produced "pop" single version of "Save the Country;" the demos of "Lu," "Stoned Soul Picnic," and "Emmie" from the 2002 CD reissue of Eli and the Thirteenth Confession; the outtake "In the Country Way" from the 2002 CD reissue of New York Tendaberry; four tracks ("Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," "O-o-h Child," "Up on the Roof") from Laura's May 30, 1971 Fillmore East set as released on CD in 2004; the demos of "Someone Loves You," "Get Me My Cap" from the CD expanded editions of Smile; and the live medley of "Emily" and "Nested" from the Nested expanded edition.
This collection features a 36-page booklet with liner notes by author Peter Doggett and appreciations from Elton John, Rosanne Cash, Rickie Lee Jones, Donald Fagen, Bette Midler, Alice Cooper, Graham Nash, and others; as well as new interviews with Todd Rundgren, Charlie Calello, Herb Bernstein, and others. There's no word yet on who handled the remastering or, in the case of More Than a New Discovery, whether the mono or stereo master was utilized. Each LP is adorned with a custom Madfish label.
Watch the promo unboxing video for American Dreamer at this link. The box celebrating this singular artist is due from the U.K.'s Madfish label on July 30. It's currently available for pre-order directly through Madfish at the Burning Shed Store or at Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada.
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A CD version would be nice.....
Yes, and likely cheaper. Non everything in this set is a must have, or on the level of the first 4 albums.
And here's the tricky bit: those first 4 albums have all been recently remastered on vinyl, the first one on the very good Real Gone edition; the other three, even better, with audiophile editions by Pure Pleasure and Analog Spark with AAA all analogue mastering directly from the tapes.
The video for this box set just says "remastered especially for these vinyl releases", so they probably made a digital transfer first. It's unlikely that the versions in this box are going to top the recent, all analogue releases, but it's quite possible we might get a CD box down the line, if they have the digital transfers to work on.
I am really not sure who this box is aimed at, for the reasons I said. The Nyro/vinyl fan probably already owns the superb reissues of the first 4.
I for one would love to have the bonus LP, but can easily resist the tentation of buying the whole box.
Agree about a CD version...the 8LP box is pricey but so are Iconoclassic CD reissues of Smile, Nested, Christmas & the Beads of Sweat and Season of Lights...and that killer mono twofer put together by Joe...I preordered that vinyl box mainly for all the albums on vinyl & that book...but may just cancel it & complete my Laura CD collection as this is not complete & I have most of the CD remasters...
The 8-LP box is $260.00 at Amazon. They're probably trying to entice fans with the bonus LP however since all the material on that LP is previously released it's not much on an enticement.
The 8-LP box set is $260.00 from Amazon.
Wow! $260??? Much as I’d love to have this set, that’s just way too overpriced. Better value than the recent Christopher Cross box given he had only one very good album in him with the debut.
A bargain, snatch it up!
It's 401,16 euros from amazon.it... lol
😉
Add my voice to the crowd who wants a CD edition.
+1 for a CD edition of that one.
Also if possible throw in some unreleased tracks, like the ones that are on her audition tape.
Really awkward release.
The video advertises it as "American Dreamer 1967-1978", but the albums released in 1976 and 1978 are not included.
It leaves out the live albums, but adds a bonus LP called "Rarities and live recordings"
It leaves out Nested, but includes the bonus tracks from Nested's expanded edition.
Seriously, it's hard to fathom what line of thinking can lead to these decisions
“Nested” is included in the set; see the photo and albums list above.
I'm holding out for a hopeful CD box set.
would of been nice if they would of used the with drawn cover of new york tedaberry. last sold for $2275.including booklet. good for inroduction to her work. also no live at the fillmore expanded,
Madfish's collections may look impressive on the surface, but the major labels will never give Madfish any truly unreleased material. Take, for example the label's 35-CD set by bluesman John Mayall. Universal Music (owner of Polydor and British Decca) wouldn't give Madfish any unreleased material, so Madfish added "Officially Unreleased material" by copying 7 CD's of concerts (5 of them audience recordings) from existing bootlegs. Two of these discs are very very poor sounding.
I hope that someday, Sony Music will offer a Laura Nyro CD boxed set and give us some actual Laura Nyro archival material.
The linked video shows "More Than A New Discovery" is in stereo, both on the label and cover.