Soon it will be Christmas.  And once again I will play Laura Nyro’s "Christmas In My Soul".

Forty years ago I was a freshman in college.  That makes me fifty seven years old.  Believe me, it’s weird.  The time does go by in the blink of an eye, but the funny thing is you remember everything.  At least I can.  Like going to the Fillmore East to see Laura Nyro the week before Christmas.

What did Brian Wilson sing…"I just wasn’t made for these times"?  It’s hard to imagine Laura Nyro in 2010.  In an era where even the most idiosyncratic pop star is fully accessible to his fans, and those who don’t even care, Laura Nyro was always one step removed.  You didn’t imagine her haunting the clubs of New York City, rather you felt she was at home, in a dark apartment, under a Chinese lamp reading, or sitting on the piano bench composing.

We’re drawn to genius because we can’t understand it.  We want to get ever closer to the flame, feeling we’ll be enlightened and elated.  That’s what’s wrong with too much of today’s music.  It feels rote, formulaic, genius is far too rare.  But to hear Laura Nyro, never mind see her in person, was to feel fully human, because she encapsulated the experience so well in her music.

She could do elation, like "Wedding Bell Blues".

She could do political, like "Poverty Train".

And she could do personal, like "Captain For Dark Mornings".

Laura Nyro was not one note, she covered the entire spectrum, and she didn’t look like a movie star, but us.

And she wasn’t a tireless self-promoter, not someone searching for the spotlight, rather the spotlight found her.  Talk about word of mouth…  If a singer-songwriter this good appeared in today’s era, the Internets would truly be a-buzzin’.

She wrote hits for others, she made successful albums herself.  But without a champion, Laura Nyro has been seemingly forgotten by today’s commentators, by the hipsters who determine who gets into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  But they’ll still be singing Laura  Nyro’s songs when Patti Smith is long gone, when Jon Bon Jovi has stopped overcharging to see him perform decades-old video hits.  Because great music maintains and remains.  Just turn on the radio…

You can still hear Three Dog Night sing "Eli’s Comin’".  Not to mention the 5th Dimension’s rendition of "Stoned Soul Picnic". And Barbra Streisand’s "Stoney End".  And you might even be exposed to Blood, Sweat & Tears’ "And When I Die".  And sometime in the future, after the demise of beat radio, artists will rediscover and cover Laura Nyro’s songs.

If you want to know the best, don’t look to the awards.  There’s campaigning, electors who want to appear hip…  Has anyone listened to Steely Dan’s "Two Against Nature" recently?  I don’t see them performing that one in its entirety.  And Herbie Hancock got a lifetime achievement Grammy, because his album of Joni Mitchell songs has been completely forgotten.

I saw Laura Nyro three times.

What blew my mind was how ethereal she was, how possessed.  It was the opposite of GaGa.  Nyro did not demand to be loved.  She didn’t whip out shtick so we wouldn’t be bored and go to the concession stand.  Rather we felt privileged to be in her presence, soaking up her greatness.

Sure, she was helped by David Geffen, but great talent always draws great businessmen.

But Geffen didn’t concoct her, didn’t mold her, he just paved the way for her to do her thing.

Most acts come and go.  But some are built to last.

That’s Laura Nyro.  The only people who don’t know it are the bozos who elected Dr. John and Tom Waits instead of her.  I thought death was supposed to be a good career move.  It hasn’t worked for Laura Nyro.

Oh, don’t get your knickers in a twist.  I like Dr. John and Tom Waits.  But I believe even both of them would testify they’re inferior to Laura Nyro.  Dr. John is a craftsman.  Tom Waits is certainly an artist, but he’s an acquired taste.  Whereas the truly great are mainstream.  That’s what the wannabes hate.  The truly superior are commercially successful, because their talent is undeniable.

Laura Nyro’s talent was undeniable.

I love my country as it dies
In war and pain before my eyes
I walk the streets where disrespect has been
The sins of politics, the politics of sin
The heartlessness that darkens my soul
On Christmas

Somehow our country has been turned topsy-turvy.  A patriot is one who asks no questions, always beams sunnily and says "my country, love it or leave it."  But a true patriot is one who questions the status quo, who agitates for something better.

Laura Nyro’s forty year old lyrics are as relevant today as they were back then.  The war is different, but the pain remains. And politics is more disheartening than ever, and the gap between the rich and the poor is a taboo that "artists" don’t write about, desirous of getting on the gravy train to riches themselves.

But no artist today can make as much as a banker.  Even though a performer actually composes songs and sings them and a banker creates nothing but profit for himself.

It’s time to save the country.

And the only people who are gonna do it are the artists.

Great artists don’t worry about public perception, they can endure hate, they’re in pursuit of truth.

The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame blew it.  They could have enlightened a whole new generation by inducting Laura Nyro. Instead they overlooked her once again.

Laura Nyro’s music remains available.  It’s waiting to be discovered by those not alive when she was.  Either you know what I’m talking about or you’ve got a treasure waiting.