Nilsson - C or D?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (547 of them)

Since way back when I've gotten even heavier into Nilsson. This line from xgau's consumer guide sums it up: Nilsson didn't just share an aesthetic with the Apple-era Beatles who loved him so much--he embodied that aesthetic. Utterly studio-bound, conceiving rock as a facet of pop, proud to be fey yet also proud to pound out the unprecedented lines "You're breakin' my heart/You're tearin' it apart/So fuck you," he was as fluent as songwriting got in the '60s, turning out White Album outtakes like "Salmon Falls" and "All I Think About Is You" well after his doppelganger Paul had died of whimsy and his soulmate John had discovered his roots. He's like a Bee Thousand-era Rob Pollard whose not craft or coherency-phobic. Oh, and a better voice.

I'm probably going to wind up snatching everything through Pussy Cats (already got that, Newman and Aerial Pandemonium Ballet) except Touch Of Schmillson, but I was wondering if anybody wanted to defend his post-Pussy Cats work. I've heard most of its really uninspired but I was wondering if anybody had a differing opinion.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 3 October 2004 22:18 (twenty-one years ago)

the popeye soundtrack is a lot of fun, is it really out of print? i didnt know that

― the great doxology of heckmondwike town (gareth), Sunday, 3 October 2004 22:20 (twenty-one years ago)

As I said upthread "Knillssonn" is pretty good - all of albums have good things on them, even the crap ones (and some of them are extremely crap). Mind you, my Nilssonmania period did not stretch to his 1980 album, "Flash Harry", which is supposed to be irredemably dire.

― Didoismus (Dada), Monday, 4 October 2004 11:49 (twenty-one years ago)

This seems to hold a kind of record for 'most often revived thread, without actually being that long..'

Anyhow, Got the Camden 2CD Aerial Pandemonium Ballet thing. Brilliant stuff. Got a couple of singles back in the day, "Daybreak" and "All I think about is you" which are both fine and grand. too.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 4 October 2004 12:01 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

...Listening to a Nilsson interview that I copped off of slsk...

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 01:20 (twenty years ago)

I got a secondhand copy of "the point!" dvd which I watched for the first time last week on thanksgiving. 'Charming' is exactly the right word for it.

― Billy Pilgrim (Billy Pilgrim), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 04:53 (twenty years ago)

I just found a whole album of demos for the Popeye album that are worth hearing. Actually properly arranged which is surprising given they are demos and there's 2 tracks that never made it onto the soundtrack.

― mms (mms), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 10:34 (twenty years ago)

As a newcomer, where should I start?

― Baaderonixx weaves a daisy chain for... SATAN!! (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 11:33 (twenty years ago)

Get the CD with the first album and "Aerial Ballet" on it. Can't go wrong. Well done RCA or whoever released it.

― Oh No, It's Dadaismus (and His Endless Stupid Jokes) (Dada), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 11:34 (twenty years ago)

Then the "Harry"/"Nilsson Sings Newman" CD. Well done again RCA.

― Oh No, It's Dadaismus (and His Endless Stupid Jokes) (Dada), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 11:36 (twenty years ago)

I would agree on those 2 as a place to start. As far as I know congrats are only due to RCA UK. Don't think these 2 on 1 discsw were released in the US.

― mms (mms), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 13:46 (twenty years ago)

Or maybe start with Personal Best, which is a 2-CD comp that encompasses his entire career...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:01 (twenty years ago)

Ah, then that's the next one to go for, "Harry / Newman" then. The "Aerial Pandemonium Ballet" one disappeared quite quickly, but I've seen some of the "Harry" recently.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:12 (twenty years ago)

W/ respect to those early records, there were two different reissues. If that era's your bag (and it is for me), you wanna get the double-disc British issue that has both of the original records, Pandemonium Shadow Show and Aerial Ballet, on one disc, and the remix record, Aerial Pandemonium Ballet on the other. In America, they only reissued the remix record, which does have the superior version of "Daddy's Song" (the gruffer vocal is outstanding) and is interesting, but is otherwise less essential than the original discs.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:27 (twenty years ago)

Plus the bonus tracks on those twofer reissues were all worthwhile (on the early albums at least), which can't always be said about bonus tracks on CD reissues.

― Oh No, It's Dadaismus (and His Endless Stupid Jokes) (Dada), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:31 (twenty years ago)

Yes — "Miss Butter's Lament" is among his best ever (which is why it's also on Personal Best, I suppose).

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:33 (twenty years ago)

... and why wasn't it on "Aerial Ballet"?!?!? After all, after "Daddy's Song" was dropped from the original album there was a big gaping hole in the first side of that record!

― Oh No, It's Dadaismus (and His Endless Stupid Jokes) (Dada), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:35 (twenty years ago)

A good point.

You know, I wrote a song in the style of (Harry's lonely version of) "One" — the subject of which was Harry's rumoured death. It was called "Coffin Full of Stones" and, yes, recounted the Marianne Faithful story. You know that story, right, Dada?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:44 (twenty years ago)

I remember thinking that Marianne must have been at the crack pipe before she told that story but I can't remember the exact details of it

― Oh No, It's Dadaismus (and His Endless Stupid Jokes) (Dada), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:46 (twenty years ago)

Ha ha, that's about right — that his body was on the slab during the big LA earthquake in '94(?) and his body was lost into the ground. So, at his funeral, according to Marianne anyway, they put a bunch of rocks in his coffin so no one would notice. Regardless of its veracity, it's a great story — one I think the man himself would've appreciated...

"Cuddly Toy", btw, may be Harry's best song from that era. My gf (now fiance) positively adored that song — that is, until I told her what it was about...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:52 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

"Jump Into The Fire" is hot and trippy. I can't tell if I like or dislike the drums, however.

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Monday, 2 January 2006 11:31 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

I've read many accounts of Harry Nilsson's final recording from the mid-90s having been completed just before he died - yet no release. How is this possible? Am I to believe that it is unspeakably horrible and someone is blocking its release?

― Dominique (dleone), Friday, 3 March 2006 13:50 (twenty years ago)

Some of his later recordings were unspeakably horrible and were still released

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 3 March 2006 13:54 (twenty years ago)

i recommend the point for children (of all ages). ...sings newman is simply glorius - actually, i like rather a lot of nilsson.

― frenchbloke (frenchbloke), Friday, 3 March 2006 14:33 (twenty years ago)

I went through a period a year or two ago where I discovered Nilsson and couldn't stop buying his stupid records when I would see them for cheap at the thrift store. I now have one or two that I could live without (tried hard to like Son of Schmilsson and Touch of Schmilsson in the night...), but most of them have either grown on me or I loved them from minute one, so I'm starting to get back into picking them up. Finally got Nilsson Schmilsson and it's pretty much wall-to-wall stuff that will get stuck in my head for whole days at a time. "Gotta Get Up" is so fucking classic it's not funny. Generally I like him best when he applies himself to uptempo rock-flavored pop rather than pre-rock balladry; while obviously he has his moments with the latter, it's also where some of his worst pitfalls can be found... but when he keeps himself focused and the energy level high, it's all brilliance:

"He'd come to town
and he would hound her for a couple o' days
And then he'd sail across the bubbly waves
And those were happier daaaaays
but noooooooooooooooooooooooow..."

Aside from Schmilsson, The Point has to be my favorite of the ones I've got - the storytelling bits are way, way more enjoyable than they could have been, and the whole thing is very warm and sweet without being cloying. It's absolutely perfect for evenings spent inking comic books, or at least that's what I used it for.

Just yesterday picked up Rock N Roll, which seems to be a reissue of Spotlight on Nilsson, and also one of those rare records that doesn't seem to exist on AMG. Haven't gotten to really digest it yet - apparently Spotlight was a collection of minor studio recordings/demos from when he had access to a studio but before he had a contract of his own. Enjoyable but doesn't really jump out the speaker at least so far...

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Friday, 3 March 2006 16:40 (twenty years ago)

"Son of Schmilsson"

I love this record. It has to be one of the strangest follow ups to a smash-hit LP by a major artist. There's a strong "I'm not going to repeat the formula, but I'll mess up the expectations of my new fans instead" vibe to it that's fascinating (and makes the album title an intentional joke). God only knows what people who loved "Coconut" or "Without You" might have thought of "You're Breaking My Heart" when they first heard it.

And recording a song titled "I'd Rather Be Dead" with back up vocals from residents of a nursing home is twisted genius. Classic, I say.

― James, Friday, 3 March 2006 16:52 (twenty years ago)

Remember that it has "Remember" on it too (swoon)

― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 3 March 2006 16:55 (twenty years ago)

And recording a song titled "I'd Rather Be Dead" with back up vocals from residents of a nursing home is twisted genius. Classic, I say.

Son of Schmilsson is one of his I've never heard, but I'm seeking it out right now for this reason alone.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 4 March 2006 15:39 (twenty years ago)

Son of Schmilsson is great; I personally think "The Most Beautiful World in the World" is one of the funnier "nostalgic"/over the hill/death songs I've ever heard.

I see only one mention of Sandman on here -- which I've never heard; is it really bad? Can't say I'm not curious...

― mike powell (mike powell), Saturday, 4 March 2006 15:48 (twenty years ago)

I'm not so sure about Son of. Pussy Cats actually gets a lot more of me than that one, which seems very tossed off in places.

― Dominique (dleone), Saturday, 4 March 2006 16:02 (twenty years ago)

Son of... and Touch of... are getting reissued with "bonus tracks"

― Beta (abeta), Saturday, 4 March 2006 16:05 (twenty years ago)

Is anyone else excited about the new Nilsson documetary? The trailer is available here:

http://www.lslproductions.com/wihn_home.html

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Saturday, 4 March 2006 17:49 (twenty years ago)

I didn't even know about it, but I'm excited now!

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 4 March 2006 18:10 (twenty years ago)

yeah, really want to see that - read about at AiCN, and hope it's out on DVD soon

― Dominique (dleone), Saturday, 4 March 2006 19:21 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

I first heard 1941 in 1967, I think, but it was done by someone other than Nillson. Is anyone out there aware of who did the cover? It was released as a single (this is pre-album radio), but it never went anywhere on the charts and I couldn't even find it in the stores. This dates me completely, but I'd love to have that cover version to add to my collection. Any clues?

― Melisse D, Sunday, 19 March 2006 11:46 (twenty years ago)

I have a cover of 1941 by Canadian singer/songwriter Tom Northcott, on a Warners 45 which must have been issued circa 67/68. It's a good version, though lacking a little of the melancholy of Nilsson's take, and was certainly never a hit in the UK or US (though it may have been in Canada: where are you?). Could it be the one you're looking for?

― harvey.w (harvey.w), Sunday, 19 March 2006 12:05 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

oh man "Pussy Cats" is like the greatest album i've bought this year. nilsson's injured voice is a thing of beauty. 200 drugged-up musicians on every track -- Keith Moon on congas? why the hell not! it's like the most bad-idea-fueled thing i've ever heard. as greil marcus didn't say but should have, it is both the first punk album and the last one.

― A|ex P@reene (Pareene), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 19:35 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

i just bought some australian import 3-disc nilsson anthology at virgin for 10 bucks. i've sort've been meaning to dig into him forever, and this anthology seems on the spotty side but even so it has more or less convinced me that i need to go buy everything he recorded. i can't decide if he's a better singer or songwriter. singer. songwriter. singer. hmm. hard call. the version of "subterranean homesick blues" from pussy cats is my new favorite dylan cover.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 10 July 2006 04:46 (nineteen years ago)

('jump into the fire,' holy shit)

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 10 July 2006 06:03 (nineteen years ago)

The new remaster of Son of Schmilsson is aces. One of the bonus tracks is his last top 40 side, the awesome "Daybreak" from "Son of Dracula"

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Monday, 10 July 2006 18:39 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.lslproductions.com/wihn_home.html

Seattle Weekly says it "breaks no new ground" but still

― W i l l (common_person), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 18:26 (nineteen years ago)

I'll be at the head of the queue come the British premiere!

― Dadaismus (Are we in love like I think we be?) (Dada), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 08:12 (nineteen years ago)

Heard about this a while ago. Can't wait to see it. In fact living near Edinburgh maybe I should see if it's on at the film festival!

― mms (mms), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 08:35 (nineteen years ago)

doesn't appear to be. damn.

― mms (mms), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 08:36 (nineteen years ago)

This seems to hold a kind of record for 'most often revived thread, without actually being that long..'

How true.

I dug up an old single, Kenny Everett singing 2 nilsson songs. How about that!

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 12:49 (nineteen years ago)

What songs?

― Dadaismus (Are we in love like I think we be?) (Dada), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 12:53 (nineteen years ago)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y161/MarkGrout/P6190168.jpg
There we go. "Without Her" is on the b-side.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 13:02 (nineteen years ago)

ahem.. Actual size.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 13:03 (nineteen years ago)

Interesting

― Dadaismus (Are we in love like I think we be?) (Dada), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 13:09 (nineteen years ago)

Wow. This I have never heard of. Love Everett and Nilsson so this is very interesting. Was searching about and if you look at the second last post on this page

http://chilled.cream.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=812&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=20

then there is an mp3 of Harry Nilsson from an Everett radio show that's worth hearing. Unfortunately none of the other links on the thread appear to work.

― mms (mms), Wednesday, 19 July 2006 13:23 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 447 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.