Alice Cooper’s favourite songwriter of all time
While numerous songwriters have found their way into the life of Alice Cooper, one name is considerably more significant to him than the rest. Although artists such as Paul McCartney have penned songs close to his heart, nobody can compete with the unmatched brilliance of the late Laura Nyro.
Nyro, who released her debut album in 1968, was a true musician’s musician. Her records didn’t sell millions of copies but inspired countless musicians, including Cooper, Joni Mitchell, and Elton John. Despite Nyro’s music existing within the realm of soul and jazz, a great song transcends genre, which explains why Cooper considers her a cut above the rest.
When it came to melody, Nyro had the Midas touch and had a way of making everything turn to gold. Tragically, she died before reaching her 50th birthday due to ovarian cancer. However, her legacy lives on throughout the immense back catalogue that Nyro crafted throughout her three decades as a recording artist.
For Cooper, Nyro’s first two albums, More Than a New Discovery and Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, were the best of her career. He even claimed “there’s not one mistake anywhere” on the pair of releases, although the latter LP is his favourite.
Speaking to Forbes, Cooper said of the album: “That and her first album, you listen and there’s not one mistake anywhere on it. And you sit there and go, ‘That’s songwriting.'”
After also declaring his love for The Beatles and Burt Bacharach, Cooper continued: “Laura Nyro’s stuff was so personal, but it was so well written and so well sung. When I go to write with somebody, maybe I’ll go to their house and all of a sudden I see a Laura Nyro album or I’ll start out by saying Burt Bacharach. And I don’t care how heavy metal the guy is, they go, ‘Yeah, oh yeah.'”
Meanwhile, during another conversation with American Songwriter, Cooper said Nyro “is my favourite songwriter of all time”. Again, the rock veteran implored people to listen to Eli and the Thirteenth Confession: “That is amazing songwriting. I have worn out all of her albums.”
He continued: “I appreciate other writers. But nobody was ever in the league that Laura Nyro was in. I was hoping she’d be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class that I was in. I would have asked if I could induct her.”
Cooper went on to say how he holds the deepest admiration for the likes of Brian Wilson, Paul Simon, The Beatles and Burt Bacharach, but his love of Nyro exists on a higher level. “But Laura. She is the best of all. The first time I heard one of her songs – I think it was ‘Wedding Bell Blues’ or ‘Eli’s Coming,’ I thought Porgy and Bess. It reminded me of that. It has that Gershwin-esque thing to it, and her lyrics are so unique.”
Listen to ‘Eli’s Coming’ below.
