View Larger
Rate it!
Avg: 4.5 (21 ratings)
- Date Released: January 1, 1967
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Style: Pop
- Label: RCA Records Label
- Copyright: (P) 2002 BMG
-
We Say...
It’s easy enough to see why the Beatles were enamored of Nilsson. His debut album was a one-man show of love of the Fab Four in its Sgt. Pepper’s mode. There’s the circus barker, the French horns, the production values, the harkening back to the kind of music hall tunes McCartney favored ("1941"), the crafty songwriting and the strong harmonies. The topper is a deft mash-up of Beatles tunes in "You Can’t Do That." But there’s also his faithful rendition of "She’s Leaving Home," his classical, shades-of-"Yesterday" tune, "Without Her." His rave-up of "River Deep, Mountain High" sounds out of place. But I, for one, am glad it’s there.
-
They Say...
Harry Nilsson's debut album, Pandemonium Shadow Show, was notoriously loved by the Beatles, and it's easy to see why. This is the only record of its time that feels akin to Sgt. Pepper, and in some ways, it's every bit as impressive. Nilsson works on a much smaller scale, leaning heavily on whimsy yet cutting it with sardonic humor and embellishing it with remarkable song and studiocraft; it's as if McCartney and Lennon were fused into the same body. Pandemonium can't help but feel like a cheeky show of strength by a remarkably gifted imp, spinning out psychedelic fantasias and jokes and trumping his idols by turning out a cover of "She's Leaving Home" (recorded ten days after Sgt. Pepper's release) that rivals the original. Beneath all the light playful melodies ("There Will Never Be" is swinging London, L.A. style) or glorious laments (he rarely equaled "Sleep Late, My Lady Friend"), there are serious strains: the lyrics of "Cuddly Toy" are as unsettling as the melody catchy, the circus-stomp "Ten Little Indians" is a darkly addictive retelling of the Ten Commandments, and "1941" is quietly heartbreaking beneath its jaunty cabaret. Throughout it all, Nilsson impresses with his humor, cleverness, and above all, how his songwriting blossoms under his shockingly inventive studiocraft. Psychedelic pop albums rarely came better than this, and it remains a thorough delight.
“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”
Rolling Stone
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
We'll give you 12 additional free credits to download this album and start your paid subscription.
Get 12 bonus credits on us if you download this album. Sweet!
| 01. |  |
Ten Little Indians |
2:50 |
|
| 02. | |
1941 |
2:41 |
|
| 03. | |
Cuddly Toy |
2:51 |
|
| 04. | |
She Sang Hymns Out Of Tune |
2:24 |
|
| 05. | |
You Can't Do That |
2:19 |
|
| 06. | |
Sleep Late, My Lady Friend |
2:44 |
|
| 07. | |
She's Leaving Home |
3:19 |
|
| 08. | |
There Will Never Be |
2:30 |
|
| 09. | |
Without Her |
2:18 |
|
| 10. | |
Freckles |
2:21 |
|
| 11. | |
It's Been So Long |
2:12 |
|
| 12. | |
River Deep, Mountain High |
4:24 |
|
| 13. | |
As I Wander Lonely |
2:00 |
|
| 14. | |
She Sang Hymns Out Of Tune
|
2:21 |
|
14 Total Tracks, 37:14 Total Length
Loading...
Playlists If you like Harry Nilsson, check out these member playlists
Explore music recommended by Harry Nilsson fans
Choose from over 7 million
music downloadseMusic features legendary and emerging artists in every genre: classic rock to classical,indie to international, soundtracks to spiritual, jazz to country and many more.
MP3 downloads work on any digital media player
With eMusic, you OWN your music without any restrictions. Burn music to a CD, play it on your computer, mobile phone or any digital media player - including iPod®, Zune® and Walkman®.
Songs available for 50¢ or less
eMusic subscriptions start at just $11.99 a month for 24 downloads - that's just 50¢ per song! And it gets better from there - our plans go as low as 42¢ per song!
Music Discovery
eMusic is about discovery. We make finding new music fun again with music recommendations from our award-winning team of music experts, member playlists and new music features.
Cancel anytime
With all the great music and site features we're pretty sure you will love eMusic. If not, no problem. You can cancel at any time and keep the music you have downloaded.
© 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC