The Lemon Pipers - "Green Tambourine" b/w "No Help From Me" 45 rpm single, 1967 (Pye International)

Is it even possible to loathe "Green Tambourine?" Which by the way, is a superb song/recording released in the latter half of 1967.  Sometimes considered to be 'bubble-gum rock' record, but to me, it's 2 minutes and 23 seconds of magic.  The group is The Lemon Pipers from Ohio, and the songwriters of the song are hardcore Brill Building culture.  Paul Leka wrote the song with Shelley Pinz but based on Pinz observing a musician playing and asking for money in front of the Brill Building.  It seems his main instrumentation was a tambourine.  With the help of Leka, he came up with the song, and it's a record that is very much tattooed on my soul.  I'm also fond of Leka's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye recorded by a fake band called Steam, but that's another tale. 

The beauty of 'Green Tambourine is the psychedelic touches that are totally commercial, due to the echo delay of some of the lyrics, as well as the use of the electric sitar.  The narrative of sorts is a musician who wants to play his 'green tambourine' which has a Piped Piper, almost gypsy touch to its melody.  It's sad, but the production and arrangement (by Leka) convey pathos as a concept.  A projection of inner-misery, which naturally is organic in the process of pop music.  I also recommend The Associates version as well, if one can find it.  

Nilsson - "Aerial Pandemonium Ballet" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1971 (RCA)

I have a "best of" on CD and this one vinyl album by Harry Nilsson.  My understanding that "Aerial Pandemonium Ballet" is an odd one by Harry.   With the success of "The Point" RCA wanted to re-release Nilsson's first two out-of-print albums: "Pandemonium Shadow Show" and "Aerial Ballet."  Nilsson thought else wise and decided to make a new album from songs from the early albums, but remixed and re-recorded in some cases.  So depends on how one looks at the original recordings and this updated collection.  I, on the other hand, can't make the comparison due that I only have this album, and never heard the first two albums by Harry.  

"Aerial Pandemonium Ballet" is an album full of promise but touches on heartache.  Nilsson knows how to walk the balance between observational narratives ("Good Old Desk") and painful past ("1941").   An incredible vocalist, while obviously a student/fan of The Beatles as well as an understanding of the Brill Building aesthetic; he's the bridge between those two worlds.  For me, I never followed his career after this album.   I think he evolved or moved on, and I pretty much stayed with this one album.