Nilsson is best known for the songs "Everybody's Talkin'","The Coconut Song", and "Best Friend" from television's "Courtship of Eddie's Father". His recording career started in 1967 and lasted, really, only 10 years. Drugs and alcohol did some pretty serious damage to his vocal chords by the late '70's, and his musical output was sporadic at best until his death in 1994. But "Aerial Pandemonium Ballet" shows Nilsson at his peak. Selecting tracks from the previously released albums "Pandemonium Shadow Show" and "Aerial Ballet", Nilsson shows why he's an underrated singer and songwriter. The songs were originally written around 1967, and they exibit a very innocent quality. "1941" is an autobiographical song of Nilsson's life. He grew up without a father, as the song matter-of-factly presents: "Well, in 1941 a happy father has a son. And by 1944 the father walks right out the door...". It's only appropriate that this song would be followed by "Daddy's Song". Originally recorded by The Monkees for their avante-garde film "Head" in 1968, Nilsson's orginal version wasn't released for fear of competing with the Monkee's version. "Daddy's Song" deals with the exuberance of playing with a father figure , but eventually losing that interaction. It's a light-hearted song that masks the pain of not having his father around, but Nilsson stills finds a way to make a positive light about the future: "But if and when I have a son, let it all be said and done, let the sadness pass him by". "Good Old Desk" is an amusing "Beatlesque" type of song. Nilsson finds away to appreciate and write about his desk like it's a good friend who's always there for him. "Bath" features great piano and a funky horn section while the cover of "River Deep-Mountain High" is almost a dead ringer in sound and production to Ike and Tina's version. Probably my favorite song on this release would be "Together". Nilsson added piano that almost sounds like harpsichord along with strings. It's a fast moving song vocally that talks about romantic relationships, and that "life isn't easy" sometimes when we fall in love with someone. Besides the hit "Everybody's Talkin'", "Aerial..." has four bonus tracks. "You Can't Do That" is a clever tribute to the Beatles, while the cover of John Lennon's "Isolation" comes off sounding more like a cocktail bar rendition of this song. Nilsson would later be known as Lennon's drinking buddy during Lennon's "Lost Weekend" period of the mid-70's. But, this shouldn't be Nilsson's only mark in life. He was a wonderful songwriter with a pure and effortless voice.
"Aerial..." would be a good cd for the casual fan who wants to know more about Harry Nilsson's career. The next step would be finding one of the many "greatest hit" collections of Nilsson that are out there, the best being "The Harry Nilsson Anthology". Anyone who appreciates the solid songwriting quality of Paul Simon, The Beatles, and even Billy Joel would appreciate the work of Nilsson.
