"Pandemonium Shadow Show" by NILSSON – October 1967 US Debut Album (March 1968 UK) on RCA Victor Records in Both Mono and Stereo Mixes, Plus June 1971 New Versions and Later Released Rarities from Both LPs – All Inside "The RCA Albums Collection" (July 2013 UK RCA/Legacy 17CD Clamshell Box Set with Vic Anesini Remasters and Mini LP Repro Artwork) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

Debut Album from 1967 and Remakes Album from 1971

Inside "The RCA Albums Collection" 17CD Box Set
 

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"…Echoes Of My Mind…."

 

Wow! 17CDs containing 14 full albums (Mono and Stereo variants of the first two LPs on CD for the first time), a whopping 66 Previously Unreleased Tracks, an equal amount of other Rarities from now deleted LP and CD compilations, Foreign Language Versions, Exclusive Single Mixes, Radio Spots and a 1968 Live BBC Recordings Session - and all of it remastered to gorgeous new clarity by Tape Supremo VIC ANESINI (Byrds, Simon & Garfunkel, Elvis Presley, Paul Simon, Jayhawks, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Carole King, Janis Joplin etc). There isn't even enough room to picture all the content on the back cover of the small clamshell box!

 

You could in truth argue that NILSSON doesn't actually warrant this kind of lavish treatment, but after hearing and seeing this gorgeous clamshell box set – you'll be rooting for Brooklyn's Harry Edward instead of poo-pooing his later (and admittedly) deeply patchy output. There's so much to love and enjoy on here…there really is.

 

To the debut - the first two albums "Pandemonium Shadow Show" (1967) and "Aerial Ballet" (1968) were issued in Mono and Stereo Mixed LPs and RCA Legacy have included both versions on Discs 1 and 2. Also, looking at the liner notes carefully, you notice that the first slew of RCA singles are listed under the Mono entry for each album and not the Stereo, because that's how they were released back in the day – in Mono. Nice touch.

 

So why have I included his second LP in a review of the debut? 

 

Fans will know that for his June 1971 album "Aerial Pandemonium Ballet" LP, Nilsson returned to the first two records from 1967 and 1968 and did new versions of their tracks. That LP and Bonuses is included in Disc 6 (see list below). On top of all that, there's three comprehensive Bonus Discs gathering up stragglers and Previously Unreleased material, each time themed – see "Nilsson Sessions 1968-1971" for items that cover the debut and remakes (Disc 16). So, let us dive into the shadows, the pandemonium and those Greyhound Bus midnight cowboys...

 

UK released July 2013 – "The RCA Albums Collection" by NILSSON on RCA/Legacy 88697915502 (Barcode 886979155022) is a 17CD Box Set and contains his Debut and Associated-Release material as follows:

 

Disc 1 – "Pandemonium Shadow Show" – 66:33 minutes:

1. Ten Little Indians [Side 1]

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 [Side 2]

8. There Will Never Be

9. Without Her

10. Freckles

11. It's Been So Long

12. River Deep - Mountain High

Tracks 1 to 12 are the STEREO version of his debut album - released October 1967 in the USA on RCA Victor LSP-3874 and March 1968 in the UK on RCA Victor SF 7928. Tracks 13 to 24 are the MONO version – released October 1967 in the USA on RCA Victor LPM-3874 and March 1968 in the UK on RCA Victor RD 7928

 

Disc 2 – "Aerial Ballet" – 59:33 minutes:

1. Daddy's Song [Side 1]

2. Good Old Desk

3. Don't Leave Me

4. Mr. Richland's Favorite Song

5. Little Cowboy (1:23 minutes)

6. Together

7. Everybody's Talkin' [Side 2]

8. I Said Goodbye To Me

9. Little Cowboy (00:51 minutes)

10. Mr. Tinker

11. One

12. The Wailing Of The Willow

13. Bath

Tracks 1 to 13 are the STEREO version of his 2nd album - released June 1968 in the USA on RCA Victor LSP-3956 and August 1968 in the UK on RCA Victor SF 7973. Tracks 14 to 26 are the MONO version – released July 1968 in the USA on RCA Victor LPM-3956 and August 1968 in the UK on RCA Victor RD 7973

Track 27 is a Bonus – "Aerial Ballet Radio Spot" from July 1968 and is Previously Unreleased

 

Disc 6 – "Aerial Pandemonium Ballet" – 54:23 minutes:

1. Introduction

2. 1941

3. Daddy's Song

4. Mr. Richland's Favorite Song

5. Good Old desk

6. Everybody's Talkin'

7. Bath

8. River Deep – Mountain High [Side 2]

9. Sleep Late, My Lady Friend

10. Don't Leave Me

11. Without Her

12. Together

13. One

14. Closing

Tracks 1 to 14 are his 6th album (remixes/new versions of tracks from the first two albums) – released June 1971 in the USA on RCA Victor LSP-4543 and in the UK on RCA SF 8326

 

Disc 6 BONUS TRACKS:

15. You Can’t Do That (Remix) - first issued on the expanded CD “Aerial Pandemonium Ballet” on Buddah Records in 2000

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) (on Italian EP RCA Italiana 45UP 62)

20. You Can't Do That (Italian Version) - Previously Unreleased

21. BBC Saturday Club Introduction by Brian Matthew - Previously Unreleased

22. 1941 (recorded live 5 Nov 1968 on BBC’s Saturday Club - Previously Unreleased)

23. Mr. Richland’s Favorite Song (recorded live 5 Nov 1968 on BBC’s Saturday Club - Previously Unreleased)

24. Nilsson Talks With Brian Matthews (recorded live 5 Nov 1968 on BBC’s Saturday Club - Previously Unreleased)

25. Together (recorded live 5 Nov 1968 on BBC’s Saturday Club - Previously Unreleased)

26. Good Old Desk (recorded live 5 Nov 1968 on BBC’s Saturday Club

27. Aerial Pandemonium Ballet Radio Spot (recorded July 1971, Previously Unreleased)

 

Disc 16 – "Nilsson Sessions 1968-1971" – 57:27 minutes:

1. You Are Here – Previously Unreleased

2. The Cast And Crew

3. Garbage Can Ballet

4. I Will Take You There (Tracks 2, 3 and 4 from the album "Skidoo – Original Soundtrack", 1968 LP on RCA LSO-1152)

5. Girlfriend (first issued on “Personal Best” CD anthology in 1995)

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) – non-album version released May 1970 in the USA on RCA Victor 74-0362, A

15. Buy My Album – B-side to 14

16. Joy (Alternate Version) – first issued on the expanded CD to "Aerial Pandemonium Ballet" on RCA in 2000

17. Blackbird (Beatles cover version – Previously Unreleased)

18. Paradise – Previously Unreleased

19. Lucille (Little Richard cover version – Previously Unreleased)

20. Early In The Morning (Alternate Version) (as per 16)

 

Put together by reissue champs ROB SANTOS and ANDREW SANDOVAL (have handled The Band and The Kinks to name but a few) - the chunky 48-page booklet is an informational brute – jammed full of endless details, photos, rare picture sleeves and a brief album-by-album breakdown of Nilsson on RCA by Sandoval. Whenever an album was a gatefold sleeve in the USA – the 5" card Repro Sleeves ape that and are very clearly rendered (they don't have inners or posters – but most of that info is in the booklet anyway).

 

But the best news is most definitely the SOUND – properly fab remasters by VIC ANESINI who has received unanimous praise for his handling of many prestigious catalogues (Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elvis Presley, Carole King, Janis Joplin, The Jayhawks and many more). When you hear for instance the Stereo take of "Cuddly Toy" or "Without Her" – the audio is beautiful. Move onto the smoochy early Seventies LPs with full orchestras and your Hi-Fi Room is filled with warmth and musical quality. To the tunes...

 

The audio punch of "Pandemonium Shadow Show" and "Aerial Ballet" is shocking – even now. Stuff like "Without Her" and "1941" are both lyrically and musically brilliant. Again that lovely delicacy comes into play with “Don’t Leave Me” and the truly classic "Midnight Cowboy" finisher "Everybody's Talkin". I still can’t hear it without thinking about Rizzo on the bus into Miami at the end of "Midnight Cowboy" – a cover of a Fred Neil gem – it's probably my all time favourite song (lyrics above). Nilsson was big-pals with the Fabs, who not only admired him, but championed his music (Lennon would become more than a drinking buddy in the Seventies). His 1967 debut then starting a trend for lesser-trodden Beatles cover versions, and here we get the Sgt. Peppers Side 1 beauty "She's Leaving Home" on an album in October 1967, mere months after 'Peppers' was released worldwide in June 1967.

 

The three compilations of Rarities use outtake Artwork photos from three key albums – Disc 1 "1967-1968" from the "Pandemonium Shadow Show" – Disc 2 "1968-1971" from "Harry", while Disc 3 "1971-1974" has "A Little Touch Of Schmilsson In The Night". I'd half expected the "Sessions" discs to be padded out with filler (and some it is), but there's still amazing stuff on here too. Most of the Alternate Takes find him looser – more natural – and their audio quality is top notch too. For the Remix/Remake album "Aerial Pandemonium Ballet", Nilsson returned to "1941", "Sleep Late, My Lady Friend" and the Phil Spector classic "River Deep, Mountain High" with typically lovely results.

 

His career would skyrocket with the Midnight Cowboy movie, his gorgeous take on Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" playing out the credits as the tears flowed in cinemas everywhere. But his "Pandemonium Shadow Show" debut is all but forgotten now. And it sure as Hell shouldn't be.

 

Sometimes reduced to below forty quid in many places (Februay 2022) – this beautifully presented box set for Nilsson is a winner on all fronts. 

 

More importantly, "The RCA Albums Collection" will allow you to rediscover his debut and everything after by this flawed but lovely romantic troubadour…