Harry Nillsson – The RCA Album Collection – 17 CD – Sony Legacy – 30-07-2013
Ancora un titolo che era sfuggito tra i moltissimi cofanetti in uscita in questo periodo. Per la benemerita serie a prezzo super speciale della Sony/BMG esce finalmente (a fine mese) un volumetto dedicato all’opera omnia di Harry Nilsson (mancano praticamente solo Flash Harry e la colonna sonora di Popeye del 1980) e considerando che Nilsson si era ritirato quasi completamente dalle scene, salvo di tanto in tanto scrivere qualcosa per Musical, colonne sonore o canzoni per bambini, fino alla sua morte avvenuta per un attacco di cuore nel gennaio del 1994. Per completezza di informazione dal cofanetto manca anche Spotlight On Nilsson, un disco pubblicato dalla Tower Records nel 1966 e che comprendeva i suoi primi quattro 45 giri, lato A e B, e un paio di brani inediti. Ma se ne può fare tranquillamente a meno, cosa che non si può dire per il resto della sua produzione, che lo colloca tra i migliori cantautori americani in assoluto del periodo sixties e seventies.
Quasi tutto lo conoscono almeno per il brano Everybody’s Talkin’ (il tema del film Uomo Da Marciapede- Midnight Cowboy) peraltro scritta dall’altrettanto grande Fred Neil e anche l’altra sua canzone più famosa, Without You, era stata scritta da Pete Ham e Tom Evans, ovvero i Badfinger e, ironia della sorte, la versione di maggior successo, e una delle tantissime del brano che è diventato uno standard della musica pop, è quella di Mariah Carey. Ma in questo cofanetto, frugando tra le decine di brani sarè possibile trovare moltissimi gioiellini che rivaleggiano con il meglio della produzione pop dei Beatles ed in particolare di John Lennon, di cui fu grandissimo amico e anche collaboratore musicale a più riprese, soprattutto per l’album Pussy Cats registrato durante il famoso “Lost Weekend” di Lennon, quando se ne andò lontano da Yoko Ono per 18 mesi (il disco ricorda moltissimo come tipo di suono quelli di Lennon del periodo, Mind Games e Walls And Bridges, ma con il tocco di Nilsson aggiunto!) . Nel disco suona una quantità impressionante di musicisti e amici di bevute e altro, oltre a Nilsson e Lennon, che lo produsse, Ringo Starr, Jesse Ed Davis, Jim Horn, Jim Keltner, Bobby Keys, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Danny Kortchmar, Klaus Voorman, Keith Moon e decine di altri.
Ma anche negli altri album della sua produzione, suona il gotha della musica mondiale e, come potrete leggere nelle liste dei brani contenuti nei vari album, ci sono moltissime sorprese, a partire dalle due cover dei Beatles, You Can’t Do That e She’s Leaving Home nel primo album Pandemonium Shadow Show del 1967, che comprende anche una cover di River Deep Mountain High di Ike And Tina Turner, oltre alle proprie, bellissime 1941 e Without Her, ripresa dai Blood, Sweat And Tears. Nel secondo, Aerial ballet c’è Everybody’s Talkin’, molto tempo prima dell’uscita della colonna sonora. Nel 1970 Harry Nilsson pubblicherà un intero album dedicato a Randy Newman (quasi un suo omologo e altro grandissimo talento della musica americana), Nilsson Sings Newman. Comunque, ripeto, ogni disco ha la sua quota di piccole gemme di musica pop di sopraffina qualità e questa è l’occasione giusta per scoprirle. In più, oltre alle decine di bonus sparse sui vari album originali, sono stati aggiunti tre album completi di inediti e rarità, tra cui spiccano anche un paio di brani cantati in italiano.
Qui sotto trovate una dettagliatissima lista di tutti i contenuti del Box:
Disc 1 PANDEMONIUM SHADOW SHOW (Stereo and Mono)
STEREO
1. Ten Little Indians
2. 1941
3. Cuddly Toy
4. She Sang Hymns Out Of Tune
5. You Can’t Do That
6. Sleep Late, My Lady Friend
7. She’s Leaving Home
8. There Will Never Be
9. Without Her
10. Freckles
11. It’s Been So Long
12. River Deep – Mountain High
MONO
13. Ten Little Indians
14. 1941
15. Cuddly Toy
16. She Sang Hymns Out Of Tune
17. You Can’t Do That
18. Sleep Late, My Lady Friend
19. She’s Leaving Home
20. There Will Never Be
21. Without Her
22. Freckles
23. It’s Been So Long
24. River Deep – Mountain High
Disc 2 AERIAL BALLET (Stereo and Mono)
STEREO
1. Daddy’s Song
2. Good Old Desk
3. Don’t Leave Me
4. Mr. Richland’s Favorite Song
5. Little Cowboy
6. Together
7. Everybody’s Talkin’
8. I Said Goodbye To Me
9. Little Cowboy
10. Mr. Tinker
11. One
12. The Wailing Of The Willow
13. Bath
MONO
14. Daddy’s Song
15. Good Old Desk
16. Don’t Leave Me
17. Mr. Richland’s Favorite Song
18. Little Cowboy
19. Together
20. Everybody’s Talkin’
21. I Said Goodbye To Me
22. Little Cowboy
23. Mr. Tinker
24. One
25. The Wailing Of The Willow
26. Bath
BONUS TRACK
27. Aerial Ballet radio spot (previously unreleased)
Disc 3 HARRY
1. The Puppy Song
2. Nobody Cares About The Railroads Anymore
3. Open Your Window
4. Mother Nature’s Son
5. Fairfax Rag
6. City Life
7. Mournin’ Glory Story
8. Maybe
9. Marchin’ Down Broadway
10. I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City
11. Rainmaker
12. Mr. Bojangles
13. Simon Smith And His Amazing Dancing Bear
BONUS TRACKS
14. I Will Take You There – single mix
15. Waiting (from the motion picture Jenny)
16. Rainmaker – single mix
17. Mournin’ Glory Story – UK single (previously unissued on CD)
18. Garbage Can Ballet – alternate (previously unreleased)
19. Harry Radio Spot (previously unreleased)
20. Voices Of Vista radio spots (previously unreleased)
Disc 4 NILSSON SINGS NEWMAN
1. Vine St.
2. Love Story
3. Yellow Man
4. Caroline
5. Cowboy
6. The Beehive State
7. I’ll Be Home
8. Living Without You
9. Dayton, Ohio 1903
10. So Long Dad
BONUS TRACKS
11. Snow
12. Love Story – alternate version
13. Cowboy – alternate version
14. I’ll Be Home – alternate version
15. Living Without You – alternate version
Tracks 11-15 first issued on Nilsson Sings Newman (Buddha CD 74465 99703 2, Released 2000)
Disc 5 THE POINT!
1. Everything’s Got ‘Em
2. The Town
3. Me And My Arrow
4. The Game
5. Poli High
6. The Trial And Banishment
7. Think About Your Troubles
8. The Pointed Man
9. Life Line
10. The Birds
11. P.O.V. Waltz
12. The Clearing In The Woods
13. Are You Sleeping?
14. Oblio’s Return
BONUS TRACKS
15. Think About Your Troubles – alternate version
16. Life Line – alternate version
17. Down To The Valley – alternate mix/extended ending
18. I’ll Never Leave You
19. The Point! Travel Brochure radio spot w/ Bill Martin (previously unreleased)
Tracks 15-18 first issued on The Point! (BMG Heritage CD 07863 65128 2, Released 2002)
Disc 6 AERIAL PANDEMONIUM BALLET
1. Introduction
2. 1941 – slowed down track and remixed
3. Daddy’s Song – new vocals, guitar/piano out of sync
4. Mr. Richland’s Favorite Song – new background vocals and remixed
5. Good Old Desk – slowed down track and remixed
6. Everybody’s Talkin’ – dumped second voice and remixed
7. Bath – re-eq’d original tracks
8. River Deep-Mountain High – new vocals and remixed
9. Sleep Late, My Lady Friend – remixed
10. Don’t Leave Me – remixed
11. Without Her – new vocals and remixed
12. Together – new vocals, edited out bridge and remixed
13. One – remixed
14. Closing
BONUS TRACKS
15. You Can’t Do That – remix
16. It’s Been So Long – Italian version (previously unreleased)
17. Sleep Late, My Lady Friend – Italian version (previously unreleased)
18. Without Her – Italian version (previously unreleased)
19. Cuddly Toy – Italian version (previously unreleased)
20. You Can’t Do That – Italian version (previously unreleased)
21. BBC Saturday Club intro (previously unreleased)
21. 1941 – Live on BBC’s Saturday Club (previously unreleased)
23. Mr. Richland’s Favorite Song – Live on BBC’s Saturday Club (unreleased)
24. Nilsson talks with Brian Matthew (previously unreleased)
25. Together – Live on BBC’s Saturday Club (previously unreleased)
26. Good Old Desk – Live on BBC’s Saturday Club (previously unreleased)
27. Aerial Pandemonium Ballet radio spot (previously unreleased)
Disc 7 NILSSON SCHMILSSON
1. Gotta Get Up
2. Driving Along
3. Early In The Morning
4. The Moonbeam Song
5. Down
6. Without You
7. Coconut
8. Let The Good Times Roll
9. Jump Into The Fire
10. I’ll Never Leave You
BONUS TRACKS
11. Si No Estas Tu – Spanish version Of “Without You”
12. How Can I Be Sure Of You
13. The Moonbeam Song – demo
14. Lamaze
15. Old Forgotten Soldier
16. Gotta Get Up – alternate version
17. Nilsson Schmilsson radio spots
Tracks 12-17 first issued on Nilsson Schmilsson (RCA/BMG CD 82876 57265 2, released 2004)
Disc 8 SON OF SCHMILSSON
1. Take 54
2. Remember (Christmas)
3. Joy
4. Turn On Your Radio
5. You’re Breakin’ My Heart
6. Spaceman
7. The Lottery Song
8. At My Front Door
9. Ambush
10. I’d Rather Be Dead
11. The Most Beautiful World In The World
BONUS TRACKS
12. What’s Your Sign?
13. Take 54 – alternate
14. Campo De Encino
15. Daybreak – single version
16. It Had To Be You/I’d Rather Be Dead
17. Son Of Schmilsson radio spot
Tracks 12-16 first issued on Son Of Schmilsson (RCA/Legacy CD 82876 78249 2, released 2006)
Disc 9 A LITTLE TOUCH OF SCHMILSSON IN THE NIGHT
1. Lazy Moon
2. For Me And My Gal
3. It Had To Be You
4. Always
5. Makin’ Whoopee!
6. You Made Me Love You (I Didn’t Want To Do It)
7. Lullaby In Ragtime
8. I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now
9. What’ll I Do
10. Nevertheless (I’m In Love With You)
11. This Is All I Ask
12. As Time Goes By
BONUS TRACKS
13. I’m Always Chasing Rainbows
14. Make Believe
15. Trust In Me
16. It’s Only A Paper Moon
17. Thanks For The Memory
18. Over The Rainbow
Tracks 13-18 first issued on A Touch More Schmilsson In The Night (RCA Germany 90251, released 1988)
Disc 10 PUSSY CATS
1. Many Rivers To Cross
2. Subterranean Homesick Blues
3. Don’t Forget Me
4. All My Life
5. Old Forgotten Soldier
6. Save The Last Dance For Me
7. Mucho Mungo/Mt. Elga
8. Loop De Loop
9. Black Sails
10. Rock Around The Clock
BONUS TRACKS
11. Down By The Sea
12. The Flying Saucer Song
13. Turn Out The Light
14. Save The Last Dance For Me – alternate
15. Don’t Forget Me – demo
16. Black Sails – demo
17. Pussy Cats radio spots with Eddie Lawrence (previously unreleased)
Tracks 11-16 first issued on Pussy Cats (Buddha CD 74465 99815 2, released 1999)
Disc 11 DUIT ON MON DEI
1. Jesus Christ You’re Tall
2. It’s A Jungle Out There
3. Down By The Sea
4. Kojak Columbo
5. Easier For Me
6. Turn Out The Light
7. Salmon Falls
8. Puget Sound
9. What’s Your Sign?
10. Home
11. Good For God
BONUS TRACK
12. Goin’ Down – alternate (previously unreleased)
Disc 12 SANDMAN
1. I’ll Take A Tango
2. Something True
3. Pretty Soon There’ll Be Nothing Left For Everybody
4. The Ivy Covered Walls
5. Here’s Why I Did Not Go To Work Today
6. The Flying Saucer Song
7. How To Write A Song
8. Jesus Christ You’re Tall
9. Will She Miss Me?
BONUS TRACK
10. A Tree Out In The Yard (Central Park) (previously unreleased)
Disc 13 …THAT’S THE WAY IT IS
1. That Is All
2. Just One Look/Baby I’m Yours
3. Moonshine Bandit
4. I Need You
5. A Thousand Miles Away
6. Sail Away
7. She Sits Down On Me
8. Daylight Has Caught Me
9. Zombie Jamboree (Back To Back)
10. That Is All – Reprise
BONUS TRACK
11. . . . That’s The Way It Is radio spot (previously unreleased)
Disc 14 KNNILLSSONN
1. All I Think About Is You
2. I Never Thought I’d Get This Lonely
3. Who Done It?
4. Lean On Me
5. Goin’ Down
6. Old Bones
7. Sweet Surrender
8. Blanket For A Sail
9. Laughin’ Man
10. Perfect Day
BONUS TRACKS
11. Ain’t It Kinda Wonderful (from The World’s Greatest Lover)
12. Sweet Lorraine – Nilsson & Dr. John (previously unreleased)
13. Shuffle Off To Buffalo (previously unreleased)
14. Ballin’ The Jack – Nilsson & Dr. John (previously unreleased)
15. All I Think About Is You – Harry Nilsson & Dr. John (previously unreleased)
16. Knnillssonn radio spot (previously unreleased)
Disc 15 NILSSON SESSIONS 1967-1968
1. 1941 – demo (previously unreleased)
2. World – demo (previously unreleased)
3. Signs – demo (previously unreleased)
4. Cuddly Toy – demo (previously unreleased)
5. This Could Be The Night – demo
6. As I Wander Lonely
7. The Family (previously unreleased)
8. Miss Butter’s Lament
9. Mr. Tinker – alternate version (previously unreleased)
10. Leggenda (Italian Single)
11. Sister Marie (previously unreleased stereo remix)
12. She Wandered Through The Garden Fence (previously unreleased)
13. One – alternate version (previously unreleased)
14. I Said Goodbye To Me – alternate version (previously unreleased)
15. Searchin’ (previously unreleased)
16. She’s Just Laughing At Me (previously unreleased)
17. Together – alternate version (previously unreleased)
18. Bath – alternate version (previously unreleased)
Tracks 6 & 8 first issued on Personal Best: The Harry Nilsson Anthology (RCA CD 07863 66354 2, released 1995). Tracks 1-16 recorded 1967; tracks 17-18 recorded 1968.
Disc 16 NILSSON SESSIONS 1968-1971
1. You Are Here (previously unreleased)
2. The Cast And Crew (from Skidoo)
3. Garbage Can Ballet (from Skidoo)
4. I Will Take You There (from Skidoo)
5. Girlfriend
6. Wasting My Time – alternate mix (previously unreleased)
7. Rainmaker – alternate version (previously unreleased)
8. Open Your Window – alternate take (previously unreleased)
9. Postcard (previously unreleased)
10. Think About Your Troubles – alternate version (previously unreleased)
11. Marry Me A Little (previously unreleased)
12. Ballin’ The Jack (previously unreleased)
13. Gotta Get Up – demo (previously unreleased)
14. Down To The Valley – single mix
15. Buy My Album – single mix
16. Joy – alternate version
17. Blackbird (previously unreleased)
18. Paradise (previously unreleased)
19. Lucille (previously unreleased)
20. Early In The Morning – alternate version
Tracks 2-4 first issued on Skidoo RCA 1152, released 1968. Track 5 first issued on Personal Best: The Harry Nilsson Anthology (RCA CD 07863 66354 2, released 1995). Tracks 16 & 20 first issued on Aerial Pandemonium Ballet (Buddha CD 74465 99704 2, released 2000). Tracks 1-8 recorded 1968; tracks 9-11 recorded 1969; tracks 12-17 recorded 1970; tracks 18-20, 1971.
Disc 17 NILSSON SESSIONS 1971-1974
1. Walk Right Back
2. Jump Into The Fire – alternate version (previously unreleased)
3. Isolation
4. Without You – demo
5. Driving Along – demo
6. Gotta Get Up – demo
7. Coconut – demo
8. Old Forgotten Soldier – alternate demo
9. Down – demo
10. The Moonbeam Song – alternate demo
11. Jump Into the Fire
12. Per Chi – Italian Version Of “Without You”
13. Joy – guitar demo
14. Joy – piano demo
15. You Made Me Love You (I Didn’t Want To Do It) – alternate version
16. Lullaby In Ragtime – alternate version
17. Always – alternate version
18. It Had To Be You – alternate version
19. I Want You To Sit On My Face (previously unreleased)
20. A Souvenir – Also Sprach Schmilsson Schmixon (previously unreleased)
Tracks 1 & 3 first issued on Aerial Pandemonium Ballet (Buddha CD 74465 99704 2, released 2000). Tracks 4-10 first issued on Nilsson Schmilsson (UK Camden Deluxe CD 74321 75742 2, released 2000). Tracks 13 & 14 first issued on Son Of Schmilsson (UK Camden Deluxe CD 74321 75746 2, released 2000). Tracks 15-18 first issued on A Touch More Schmilsson In The Night (RCA Germany 90251, released 1988). Tracks 1-12 recorded 1971; tracks 13 & 14 recorded 1972; tracks 15-19 recorded 1973; track 20 recorded 1974.