Gonna Take A Miracle [CD]

The energy, vibrancy and pure sense of fun that was had during the making of ‘Gonna Take A Miracle’ are consistent throughout the album. Nyro’s vocals are perfectly complimented by Labelle’s and each song is brought lovingly to life by the artist’s sheer love of the music. Each song is given a brand new edge and will make you sing till your throat is raw.

The album opens with ‘I Met Him On Sunday’ whose intro lulls you into a false sense of relaxation before bursting to life with the ear-blistering harmonies that will set your headphones alight. This pattern is repeated throughout the album, which takes us on an aural road trip from the soft and dreamy renditions of ‘The Bells’, ‘The Wind’ and ‘Desiree’ right through to the hand-clapping, toe-tapping infectiousness of such anthems as ‘Dancing In The Street’, ‘Jimmy Mack’ and ‘Nowhere To Run’.

It’s difficult to chose a favourite song on this album but my own personal highlights include ‘You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me’, ‘Nowhere To Run’ and ‘It’s Gonna Take A Miracle’.

This collection of much-loved Motown classics is a timeless musical masterpiece in it’s own right. Not one song is out of place and the result is a beautifully crafted and complete tribute to the music that has inspired generations of artists.

This album still remains a firm favourite of mine many years after I was first introduced to it. If you want an album that you can sing your heart out to then ‘Gonna Take A Miracle’ is the one for you.

The result was GONNA TAKE A MIRACLE, an album that is generally regarded as Nyro's most widely accessible work. Opening with a near-acapella rendition of "I Met Him On A Sunday" that divides the song neatly between all four singers, Nyro then launches out on a host of other old favorites with her own voice shining like a diamond against the sultry stylings of LaBelle, giving each tune a noticeably different twist from its original incarnation.

Both "The Bells" and "Desiree" suddenly seem as if they had been written with Nyro alone in mind, beginning gently but building a series of dynamic shifts; "Spanish Harlem" is a beautifully rendered selection; and the more vibrant numbers like "Dancing In The Streets" and "Nowhere To Run" crackle with energy. This one of those rare releases of which you can truly say every single cut is first rate all the way.

The most powerful thing about the recording is, I think, its spontaneity. According to the liner notes by Amy Linden, the singers were having such a good time together that they didn't actually bother to record anything until the last day--and then they popped out one number after another with little preparation. In any other hands the results would probably have been extremely uneven, but with Nyro and LaBelle it has an enchanting immediacy. They just stepped up the mikes and did it, and their joy in both the music and each other rings through every single cut.

GONNA TAKE A MIRACLE is not Nyro's most personal statement, nor does it really offer her at the highwater mark of her artistry--but it is a beautiful little jewel that her fans will adore and which newcomers will likely find much easier to grasp than her more complex work. A truly vibrant, memorable, and just down right fun album. The remaster also offers Nyro performing live, doing brief intros of "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" and "O-o-h Child" to full length versions of "Natural Woman" and "Up On The Roof"--bonus tracks that truly deserve the title "bonus." Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Forget all those compilations aimed at the women's market with titles like 'The best girls night album ever' because none of them are but this really is.

Gonna take a miracle is simply one of the best albums ever recorded by anyone.