Customer Reviews

Aerial Ballet

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In 2006, after painstakingly purchasing and comparing all the Nilsson domestic, European and Japanese CD versions, I posted a review on the best-audio edition of each title. That was split between four UK, one domestic and six Japan CD's.

However, time and technology have marched on. In Q307, the entire Nilsson pre-1978 catalog (except "The Son Of Dracula", announced but subsequently canceled), were remastered anew and released in mini-sleeve format by BMG Japan.

So, what was slightly confusing before, with all the different international and domestic versions, has now been simply resolved: In terms of the best audio available, the fifteen new BMG remasters are head-and-shoulders superior to any pre-existing Nilsson CD. While the older versions were no slouches, these new BMG's are absolutely GLORIOUS. And, finally, there's complete, matched-mastered sound through the entire catalog, in contrast to the dynamic range variations in the older releases from varying remastering schemes.

In A/B comparisons between the new and older versions, it is also obvious different masters were availed of, because there are snippets of additional audio on the BMG's that never appeared elsewhere.

In addition, there are now approximately seventy bonus tracks spread out through the new BMG set; demos, alternate takes, singles and non-album tracks. Only one previously-available track is not in residence on the BMG set: "Waiting", which is found only on the "Harry/Nilsson Sings Newman" UK 2-fer.

If you are a true Nilsson fan, then don't delay in getting these, as all mini-sleeve releases are limited edition. It is possible, of course, that BMG will release these as less expensive jewel-case releases down the road. However, as the original Nilsson LP jackets were often wonderfully imaginative affairs, having these exact replicas only heightens the joy of ownership.

Amazon only allows 10 product links per review, so below are the first ten titles. The remainder, you'll have to find on your own (TIP: look for the 2007 release date when searching):

Pandemonium Shadow Show
Aerial Ballet
Skidoo
Harry
Nilsson Sings Newman
The Point!
Nilsson Schmilsson
Aerial Pandemonium Ballet
Son Of Schmilsson
A Little Touch of Schmilsson In The Night
P*ssy Cats
Duit It On Mon Dei
Sandman
That's The Way It Is
Knnillssonn

WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?

Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.

Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.

Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.

Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.

All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs.

"Aerial Ballet" was Nilsson's second album. I've had this album in a variety of forms over the years; vinyl was the first and when it first appeared on CD ages ago I had it then as well. I picked up the combo import that has his first two albums plus "Aerial Pandomonium Ballet" which combines tracks from this album and Nilsson's first in remixed/re-recorded form. I recently picked up this Japanese remaster (which is simply a repressing of the 2002 as far as I can tell)in hopes that we might be getting a better version than the Camden edition which has his first two albums plus "Aerial Pandomonium Ballet" and is a European import.

This is certainly a five star album but I've docked this edition twos star for ear piercing, compressed sounding quality of the album. The bonus tracks are nice as is the packaging but can't make up for the trend towards compressed, harsh sounding CDs.

There's good news and bad news here. The good-this remaster has a wealthy of detail that was buried under noise reduction on previous editions and, as far as I can tell, it appears noise reduction hasn't been used here (EQ has eliminated most of the tape hiss).

The bad-this version suffers from peak limiting which can cause some distortion and there isn't much dynamic range here either due to compression. That means that much of the subtly of the instruments and, indeed, Nilsson's voice, can occasionally be lost in the presentation.

There are the bonus tracks that were tacked onto the Camden three-for 1 from 2000 included here as well including an early version of "Best Friend" the theme from the TV series "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" a popular 60's sitcom that starred Bil Bixby that Nilsson provided the music for. It's called "Girlfriend" and is a demo recording very much a diamond in the rough.

The packaging for the 2007 reissue and 2009 is the same--a replica of the LP sleeve with a lyric booklet in both Japanese and English. The label has customed artwork from Harry's own collection and I know I've seen it before but can't recall where (it may have been the original label although I doubt it).

There are no mastering credits here and also no indication if this comes from the original master tapes or some other source.

Conclusion: If you have a decent sounding version of this album which has good dynamic range on CD you may want to stay with that. The good news here is that it appears that if there is noise reduction it is minimal and there is a wealth more detail and it sounds quite good. This album is mastered perfectly for an ipod but might be a bit fatiguing on a high end stereo unit.

This isn't a perfect remaster but it is worthwhile getting for the content if you can't find a better mastered version. It's one of Harry's finest early albums.

My take--it's NOT worth the additional money. I'd try to find a domestic release of this and, failing that, even the Camden 3 album ("Aerial", "Pandomonium" and "Aerial Pandomonium" remix album) is better sounding than this edition.

I'd also recommend:

Nilsson SchmilssonThe Point! (Deluxe Packaging)Son of SchmilssonHarryKnnillssonn

Confounding, at least at first. When John Lennon first heard Nlsson in 1968, he wanted to steel Harry from RCA and sign him to the freshly picked Apple. Paul agreed.

Now, let's take a minute: It is 1968. You are the biggest artist in the world. You have just formed your own label. Hendrix, Cream, any of the booming heavy bands are probably yours for the asking. That green apple, for the moment, symbolizes the Beatles unlimited resources and the unlimiited possibilities of the era.

And you single out......with all due respect.......Nilsson? The guy is almost doing chidren's music.

But when you listen to Arial Ballet, a few times, it begins to make sense. On two levels

In a sense, Nelsson's gentle, witty, storybook folk go back, in spirit if not notes, to the pub songs the Beatles heard as chidren. The first material they probably tried to play on their guitars. Think of the first track on Ariel Ballet, and it has an almost circus juggler sense of musicianship.

Yet, just as things were getting 1968 heavy--riots in the streets, Lennon talking about warm guns, fixes and monkey's--Nillson throws back to the innocent side that was getting so quickly lost: In 1967 it was summer of love, Paul fixing the hole where the rain gets in. In 1968, MLK and RFK and Chicago, the eagle picking John's eye and the worm licking his bone.


Ariel Ballet has the whimsical, pastoral, peaceful feel that was slipping away as things began to unravel: drugs, assinations. Nillson, here, seems to pull it all back in a plausable way. Plus his jazzy singing is great.

Some of this, "Little Cowboy," seems ridiculous now, but as a long long ago storybook, well, let's just say "don't leave this album. Things are gonna work out fine."

Don't throw your money away on those 2007 Japanese remasters! They're loud, they're clipped! The U.K. pressings suffer from using sources too far removed from the now-deteriorated two-track master. The original 1995 pressing sounds great, is relatively easy to find and at this late date, isn't likely to be surpassed with yet-another remastering. Same applies to 'Pandemonium Shadow Show.'

As "Daddy's Song" opens Aerial Ballet with a cheeky saunter, it's clear that Harry Nilsson decided to pick up where he left off with his debut, offering another round of effervescent, devilishly clever pop, equal parts lite psychedelia, pretty ballads, and music hall cabaret. It's not a carbon copy, however. In one sense, he entrenches himself a little bit, emphasizing his lighter edges and humor, writing songs so cheerfully lightweight - a love song about his mom and dad, an ode to his favorite desk, an address or two to a "Little Cowboy" - that it may be a little too cloying for some tastes. Those are balanced by a couple of major steps forward, namely "Everybody's Talkin'" and "One." The former finds Nilsson adopting a rolling folk-pop backing for a Fred Neil song, making it into an instant, Grammy-winning classic. The latter was the greatest song he had written to date, a haunting tale of loneliness reminiscent of McCartney, yet with its own voice. These are the songs anchoring an album that may be a little lightweight, but it's engagingly, deliberately lightweight. If it's a bit dated, it wears its old charms well. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG
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A love song to a piece of furniture? Leave it to Harry Nilsson. Also leave it to him to make it the opening song on his second album, 'Aerial Ballet.' By describing his surroundings and his workplace, "My Old Desk" successfully gives fans a charming character sketch of Nilsson; and it really does make you want to know more. Musically, its slightly ragtime/nursery rhyme melody fits the subject perfectly. Canadian singer/songwriter Ron Sexsmith cut a fine version of this for 1995's 'Everybody Sings Nilsson' tribute record.

A wonderful and well-crafted ballad, "Don't Leave Me" was another one of the standouts on 'Aerial Ballet.' Musically, the song has strong Broadway show tune echoes, and its breezy melody is not unlike Burt Bacharach's classic work of this period. It's basically a simple love song, but part of Nilsson's genius was the many different and original ways he could express longing. The song was recorded by pop singer John Cowan on 'Everybody Sings Nilsson,' and provided that album with one of its highlights.

A fabulous study of a a popular entertainer's effect on a young, impressionable fan, "Mr. Richland's Favorite Song" is one of the minor standouts on 'Aerial Ballet.' Musically, it has a looping, ragtime melody, and this fits the mournful quality of the lyrics perfectly. It sounds as though it could have been written during the Great Depression. According to legend, this was John Lennon's favorite track when he heard an acetate of the album, and may possibly reflect in the title, which seems to have nothing to do with the song.

The breezy ballad "Together" is a graceful pop tune with mild and elegant classical touches. In this aspect, it's not unlike Jimmy Webb's more celebrated compositions of the period. There is a sense of syncopation in the melody, and this provides the hook in this hopeful love song. - Matthew Greenwald, AMG
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Nilsson's cover of the Fred Neil song "Everybody's Talkin'" bulleted into the Top Ten of the pop charts in October of 1969. Also used in the film Midnight Cowboy, the song's theme was ideal for the story of two male drifters on the make in New York City. Nilsson discovered Neil's song while listening to demo tapes in search of a hit. Perhaps what appealed to the singer was the freedom, shrouded in regret and loss, implied in the lyric. He told Paul Zollo of SongTalk magazine, "It's always over the next fence, or around the next corner." The Nilsson arrangement captures the breeziness of that sentiment while also fusing it with the appropriate measure of melancholy. It's a potent combination of elements: brushes flit on the snare drum while keyboards rise and swell, a string section joins, and a guitar plucks out the super-gentle melody in a simple arrangement for the ages.

Nilsson takes on despair and loneliness in his self-explanatory song "One." In a simple chamber pop, electric piano arrangement with strings and wind instruments, Nilsson's piece is a stark and moving meditation on the plight of the lonely. Three Dog Night took the song into the Top Ten in 1969 with an over-the-top rendition ("Num-BAH-One"), which featured their near-operatic vocal attack. In 1994, Aimee Mann reprised the song in its retro arrangement for the Nilsson tribute album. That version reappeared on the 1999 soundtrack to the film Magnolia, complete with Jon Brion's eerie keyboard sounds miming Nilsson's original version note-for-note. - Denise Sullivan, AMG

Harry Nilsson has the unfortunate legacy of being known for hits that are not penned by him but are covers instead e.g. "Without You" and that's not because he didn't write much either. This album has every track at least part written by him save one and that one is the hit and the strongest track i.e. "Everybody's Talkin'" by Fred Neil and truth be told is the major reason behind my purchase of this album.

That's not to imply that this album is just made of that one fabulous track plus fillers although it would be safe to say that Fred Neil's composition stands out head over shoulders over the rest of the tracks. Other tracks that are quite good are "The Wailing of the Willow" which he co-wrote and "One". This album in terms of length and indeed writing style reminds me a lot of Mason Williams' "Phonograph Record" but at least the stand-out hit there, "Classical Gas" wasn't a cover. Nilsson writes in a similarly humorous style and a few of the tracks reminds me of John Lennon's "Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite" from the "Sgt. Pepper's ... Band" album. Think of the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" days and you'll get a fair idea of what the majority of the tracks here are like. There are 3 bonus tracks here: "Sister Marie", "Miss Butter's Lament" and "Girlfriend" which sound raw compared to the main course. Overall, the sound quality is very good given that this is a late 60's album and so the remastering job is top notch.

Now this version of the album comes in a very well designed mini-lp sleeve replica with good quality cardboard and fine detailed representation of the original lp sleeve. It also includes a 20-page booklet printed on glossy paper. As far as mlps designs go, this one ranks among the best and I wish all mlps releases can be this good. Great packaging, great sound quality makes this great value as well.

Highly recommended for Nilsson fans and definitely worth the "upgrade"!

Not only is this a great album, but Aerosmith's name was inspired by the title of this album