Personnel includes: Laura Nyro (vocals, piano); Charlie Calello (arranger, conductor).
Recorded in January & February 1968. Bonus track demos recorded on November 29, 1967.
Includes liner notes by Rick Petreycik.
Widely regarded as one of the finest moments in a stellar recording career, ELI & THE THIRTEENTH CONFESSION was a bold, original amalgam of jazz, soul, folk, and rock. Nyro's freewheeling, open-ended arrangements were brought into sharp focus by her clear, gospel-derived singing and incisive, poetic lyrics. There is a strong spiritual undercurrent at work here, investing even the darker songs with a timeless, celebratory feel. A testament to Nyro's songwriting abilities, ELI contained several songs that became hits for other artists, including "Stoned Soul Picnic" and "Eli's Comin," popularized by the Fifth Dimension and Three Dog Night, respectively.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (9/28/68, p.29) - "...Laura Nyro's music is a mixed marriage of diverse styles. Her melodies and lead vocal betray a Bacharach-David type of sophistication...the mark of an original and brilliant young talent..."
Q (10/02, p.131) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...A passionate mix of Brill Building pop, show tunes, blue-eyed soul and uninibited poetics..."
