Skidoo / The Point

The Point Harry Nilsson wrote the entirely hummable songs (including the hit, "Me and My Arrow") for this charming, 1971 animation feature about a boy with a round head who is banished from the land of pointy-headed people. An allegory about nonconformism presented in a delightful way, thi...	Harry / Nilsson Sings Newman Two albums on one CD. Featuring 'Harry' (1969) and 'Nilsson Sings Newman' (1970). Bonus tracks, 'Waiting' and 'Snow'. Standard jewel case with slipcase. 2000 release. 20+ years before his 1994 death from a heart attack, American singer/ songwriter Harry Nilsson released several ...	Pandemonium Shadow Show/Aerial Ballet/Aerial Pandemonium Ballet Three Albums on Double CD: 'Pandemonium Shadow Show', 'Aerial Ballet' and 'Aerial Pandemonium Ballet' (A Remix Album). Includes Four Bonus Tracks..	Duit on Mon Dei / Sandman 2002 reissue combines the late singer/songwriter's 1975 album, 'Duit On Mon Dei' with 1976's 'Sandman' for the first time on one CD. Nilsson expert Curtis Armstrong wrote the liner notes for which he interviewed Perry Botkin & Van Dyke Parks. Slipcase. Camden Deluxe.	Son of Schmilsson Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. 2007.
Nilsson Schmilsson The late Harry Nilsson's creative and commercial peak, this LP showcases the singer-songwriter's lighthearted worldview to best advantage. It remains one of the best, most consistent, and least dated albums from an early-'70s era not known for underplayed, unpretentious subtlety....	Pussy Cats	As Time Goes By The complete recording session for 'A Little Touch Of Schmilsson In The Night'. 19 tracks, including 'Lazy Moon', 'For Me And My Gal', 'It Had To Be You', 'Always' and 'Makin' Whoopee!'. 1996 release on BMG's Camden label.	A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night	The Point! (Deluxe Packaging) Must everything have a point? That's the question posed by Harry Nilsson's 1971 pop parable of a well-rounded young boy named Oblio, from the Land of Point, who's cast apart from the community by those who resent his pointlessness. Conceived when the gifted singer-songwriter was ...

BEWARE! WARNING ABOUT THE BRITISH PRESSING!
On the advice of another reviewer here i chose the British BMG Entertainment International UK & Ireland Ltd. pressing of 2000, supposedly the best sound available. Unlike many reviewers here I bought it for the Skidoo soundtrack, a classic humdinger of a movie unavailable in video. Like many who have seen the film I felt Carol Channing singing the title song was not only unforgetable, but a standout. In fact to hear a clear unedited version was the reason I bought this CD. Unfortunately about half way through her song the master started to go pop...pop...pop... for almost 30 seconds. This is certainly a factory flaw. I tried playing my flawless brand new CD right out of shrink wrap on various high end CD players in different systems; the pops were still there! Maybe they used the master they did due to its otherwise crisp clean sound, but for me it was a heartbreaking disapointment i spent top dollar on and waited weeks for! I decided to give an extra 2 stars for the 2 splendid versions of I will take You There, and of course the wonderful story The Point, but try to buy the NON british version if there is one for the sake of what may be the best song on here; especially if you have seen the movie.

THIS PREVIOUSLY BEST-AUDIO VERSION NOW SUPERCEDED BY NEW '07 JAPAN REMASTER
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, and this CD was one of those titles. 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 Just in case you find this review after the `sleeve versions have sold out, here is a list of the previous best-in-audio jewel-case CD versions. I will re-post this review on each of the previous editions: Pandemonium Shadow Show/Aerial Ballet/Aerial Pandemonium Ballet (2CD) (2000) UK BMG/Camden Deluxe (catalog number) 74321 757422 The Point (2000) UK BMG/Camden Deluxe 74321 757432 Harry/Nilsson Sings Newman (2000) UK BMG/Camden Deluxe 74321 757442 Schmilsson (2004) RCA 82876 572652 Son Of Schmilsson (2000) UK BMG/Camden Deluxe 74321 757462 A Little Touch Of Schmilsson In The Night (2002) Japan K2 BVCM-37249 P*ssy Cats (2002) Japan K2 BVCM-37251 (the UK has one extra track not on the K2) Duit On Mon Dei (2002) Japan K2 BVCM-37252 Sandman (2002) Japan K2 BVCM-37253 That's The Way It Is (2002) Japan K2 BVCM-37254 Knnillssonn (2002) Japan K2 BVCM-37255 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 13.5MM X 13.5MM cardboard-sleeve, precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, everything else packaged with the original LP is precisely replicated and included, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and die cuts. An English-language lyric sheet is also included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics. Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have Japan-dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2 or 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 Japan-language promotional strip. The OBI often also lists the original album's release date, the Japan street date of that particular disc, the catalog number, and mastering info. Bonus tracks are always only listed on the OBI, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake copies of Japan `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. Also, there are older Japan mini-sleeve releases that have been supplanted with newer ones, usually with updated audio (such as JVC-Japan replacing older K2-mastered titles with new K2HD mastered releases). All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common with some of the Japanese companies (but, again, not always). Mini-sleeve collecting can get expensive quickly, so, if you're a novice, it is highly advisable to seek the advice of an experienced `sleeve collector!

Nilsson & Tipton were a fab combination
I can vouch for Greg Cleary's opinion of SKIDOO. It's utter crap. With the stunning exception of I CAN TAKE YOU THERE, which benefits enormously from George Tipton's brilliant orchestration. Tipton's harpsichord usage is far superior to, say, Brian Wilson's harpsichord usage in CAROLINE NO.

Childhood Memories
This is awesome!! When I was younger (I'm 19), my mother played The Point for my sisters and me all the time. Still to this day we sing the songs to each other. It's excellent that I could find this, as the original and everything....I'm totally impressed and overjoyed...:)

Buy it for "The Point"
"Skidoo" is mostly filler, i.e., instrumental soundtrack music. It's brassy, sort of like the filler music on the "Graduate" soundtrack. But the album does contain one great song ("I Will Take You There") and one good one ("Garbage Can Ballet") plus Nilsson's awe-inspiring rendition of the film credits, which is not something you will want to listen to every day but is an astounding feat of--for lack of a better term--musical athleticism. "The Point" is the real reason to buy this CD. It's a charming, whimsical children's story with several songs that wisely focus more on melody than on plot development. The alternating of narrative passages with songs does take some getting used to, but is worth it. I don't listen to "The Point" as often as my other Nilsson albums, because the story line makes it more like watching a movie or reading a book. Still, it is an impressive album that is historically significant because it closed out the first part of Nilsson's career, just before he moved into the more adult themes of the Schmilsson albums. Nilsson's narration of "The Point" reveals him to be a gifted comedian, and also provides some insight into his personality, particularly his love of the absurd. Now for the bonus tracks: "I Will Take You There" sounds quite similar to the original. (Unless you are a connoisseur of "alternate" versions of songs, which I am not.) "Girlfriend" is a bouncy, good-natured tune that I am glad to have here. "Down to the Valley" is a very good song that would have fit in well on "The Point." "Buy My Album" is incredibly annoying--a noisy joke that gets old very quickly. Be ready to leap for the controls before it comes on. The CD booklet, by the way, is thin and contains some brief but memorable liner notes. To sum up: This disc is a good value as long as it costs less than one-and-a-half of either of the originals. I would not want to waste my money buying "Skidoo" for its own sake, but it makes an interesting add-on to "The Point."