poet, interviewer, musician, traveler
This one took me by surprise. I mean, nobody spins a Lou Reed record expecting happy pop music, but that’s what a lot of the songs are on New Sensations. They’re not vapid or simplistic, but they have backbeats and major chords and happy guitar solos. Lyrically, Reed is still willing to pull off some scabs, but even when he’s telling it like it is, there’s a knowing smile in his voice.
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Confession: I’m not much of a Laura Nyro fan. Everybody likes what they like, and she’s never particularly appealed to me. When I heard this album a couple weeks back, though, I looked at her in a new light. Nyro is joined on Gonna Take A Miracle by Labelle, and that makes all the difference. Her voice sounds strong and assured in this soul setting, and Labelle really ties the room together. Lots of Motown classics on this album, too, and you just can’t go wrong with the team of Holland-Dozier-Holland.
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Just judging by the cover, I wasn’t sure what to expect of this record. Honestly, I didn’t expect much. I was so, so wrong. Jazz singer Jeannie Trevor kills from start to finish on this 1965 album, her first as a leader. Her uncredited backing band (identified as St. Louis musicians, like Trevor) provides stellar accompaniment.
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