Son of Schmilsson
	Produced by Richard Perry
	Released on July 1972
	US CHART POSITION #12 . . . GOLD RECORD
	Find it at GEMM
78249-2 cover [high resolution scan]

K RONOMYTH 7.0: SON OF A (BELCH). Offhand genius mixed with off-the-leash eccentricity, there are some people who will tell you Son of Schmilsson is every bit the equal of Nilsson Schmilsson. Those people are filthy liars and not to be trusted. The anticipated followup to Harry’s breakthrough was a conceptual nightmare: a film crew circled the sessions hoping to make a movie of the making of the album, and producer Richard Perry had little hope of reigning in Nilsson’s idiosyncratic excesses in such an excessive atmosphere. The good news is that Nilsson’s genius and humor emerge intact. “Remember (Christmas),” “The Lottery Song,” “The Most Beautiful World in the World” and “You’re Breakin’ My Heart” are in line with his last album. The bad news is they brought a lot of baggage with them: the country send-up “Joy,” the sloppy “Take 54,” the morbid “I’d Rather Be Dead.” Son of Schmilsson is a restless, fitfully brilliant record that smacks of self-destruction at almost every corner. The 2006 remaster includes a better take of “Take 54” that sounds like “The Ballad of John and Yoko,” the likeable throwaway “What’s Your Sign?,” a nice, quiet version of Jimmy Webb’s “Campo de Encino” and the single from Son of Dracula, “Daybreak.” The four extra tracks make a difference, as quantity compensates for a perceived lack of quality in the original eleven. (The Japanese 2007 remaster reconciled these with the two alternate versions of “Joy” appended to the 2000 remaster.) As good as it is, it’s hard for me to hear Son of Schmilsson without thinking how much better it might have been if Nilsson hadn’t played the role of singer/songwriter/saboteur. Of not inconsequential interest to entomologists, Ringo Starr (Richie Snare) and George Harrison (Harrysong) consummate their affection for the artist with supporting roles on Son of Schmilsson, and in a sense this album served as a template for subsequent Richard Perry-produced albums by Ringo.

78249-2 back sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. TAKE 54    4:18
2. REMEMBER (CHRISTMAS)    4:06
3. JOY    3:43
4. TURN ON YOUR RADIO    2:39
5. YOU'RE BREAKIN' MY HEART    3:08
6. SPACEMAN    3:34
7. THE LOTTERY SONG    2:26
8. AT MY FRONT DOOR    (Ewart Abner/John Moore)    3:00
9. AMBUSH    5:22
10. I'D RATHER BE DEAD    (Harry Nilsson/Richard Perry)    3:20
11. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WORLD IN THE WORLD    3:34
    
    2000 CD reissue bonus tracks
    
12. JOY (DEMO VERSION: GUITAR)
13. JOY (DEMO VERSION: PIANO)
    
    2006 CD reissue bonus tracks
    
12. WHAT'S YOUR SIGN?    3:04
13. TAKE 54 (ALTERNATE TAKE)    3:38
14. CAMPO DE ENCINO    (Jimmy Webb)    4:54
15. DAYBREAK (SINGLE VERSION)    3:06
    
    2007 CD reissue bonus tracks
    
12. JOY (DEMO VERSION: GUITAR)
13. JOY (DEMO VERSION: PIANO)
14. WHAT'S YOUR SIGN?    3:04
15. TAKE 54 (ALTERNATE TAKE)    3:38
16. CAMPO DE ENCINO    (Jimmy Webb)    4:54
17. DAYBREAK (SINGLE VERSION)    3:06
    
    All songs written by Harry Nilsson unless noted
    

CREDITS

HARRY NILSSON -- vocals, electric piano, acoustic guitar
RAY COOPER -- percussion, congas, tambourine
PETER FRAMPTON -- electric guitar
NICKY HOPKINS -- piano
CHRIS SPEDDING -- bouzouki
RINGO STARR (RICHIE SNARE) -- drums
KLAUS VOORMANN -- bass, horns, electric guitar
Paul Buckmaster -- orchestral arrangement and conductor (6)
Gene Cipriano -- horns (15:2006)
Vincent De Rosa -- French horn (4)
David Duke -- French horn (4)
Herbie Flowers -- bass (12:2006)
Lowell George -- guitar (1)
George Harrison (George Harrysong) -- slide guitar (5), cowbell (15:2006)
Milt Holland -- percussion (1,7)
Kirby Johnson -- horn arrangement (4), arrangement (11)
Paul Keough -- guitar 911)
Bobby Keys -- saxophone, tenor sax
The Henry Krein Quartet -- rhythm section
Richard Mackey -- French horn (4)
Barry Morgan -- drums (3,5)
Del Newman -- string arrangement (2), additional orchestration (11)
Richard Perry -- percussion (6,11), arrangement and conductor (11)
Pop Arts String Quartet -- strings (2)
Jim Price -- trumpet, trombone, horn arrangement (9)
Red Rhodes -- pedal steel guitar (3)
The Senior Citizens of the Stepney & Pinner Choir-Club No. 6 -- vocals (10)
Graham Smith -- harmonica (12:2006)
Les Thatcher -- guitar (11)
Tuben -- French horn (4)
John Uribe -- acoustic guitar, lead guitar
Robin Cable -- engineer
Ken Scott -- engineer
Phillip MacDonald -- engineer
Michael Putland -- album cover and principal photography
Tom Hanley and Paul Misso -- additional photography
Peter Agapiou -- graphics and lettering

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