Harry Nilsson
Band members Related acts
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- Harry Nilsson (RIP 1994) - vocals, keyboards
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- Bo-Pete - Foto-Fi Four
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Genre: pop Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Aerial Ballet Company: RCA Victor Catalog: LSP 3956 Year: 1967 Country/State: Brooklyn, New York Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor edge wear Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1603 Price: $20.00
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Yes, 1968's "Aerial Ballet" sounds a touch dated, but to my ears, that's always been part of the collection's charm. I'd argue it was Nilsson's best album and in my mind captures a young, highly talented and creative artist, rather than the troubled wreck he became at the end of his life. A largely original set, the tunes apparently reflected a great deal of autobiographical material, with tracks such as 'Together', 'Mr. Richland's Favorite Song' and 'I Said Goodbye To Me' serving as a wonderful example of Nilsson's knack for marrying breezy, sparkling melodies with darker lyrics. That juxtaposition of sunshine melodies with dark and depressing lyrics has always been one of the things that makes this such a fascinating album. Check out the way Nilsson set his ode to suicide to an easy-going waltz ('I Said Goodbye To Me'), or employed a Baroque feel to one of the best tunes ever written about loneliness ('One'). Admittedly, on occasional Nilsson got too clever for his own good. The country-tinged 'Cowboy' was simply dull, while 'Mr. Tinker' went overboard in and 'Eleanor Rigby'-style of social commentary genre. If you were going to start check his catalog out, this would be a great place to start.
"Aerial
Ballet" track listing:
1.) Good Old Desk (Nilsson) - 2:22 rating: **** stars Musically 'Good Old Desk' was one of the prettiest tunes Nilsson ever wrote. A perfect showcase for his beautiful voice and wonderful harmony vocals, it had one of those breezy melodies that you simply couldn't shake once you'd heard it. Lyrically it was strange, strange, strange ... "My old desk does an arabesque ..." Wikipedia had this info on the tune: "Guest-starring on Playboy After Dark, Nilsson told host Hugh Hefner the song was really about its initials... "G-O-D". Even though Nilsson later admitted that he was just joking around, it is still commonly believed that the song actually is about God." Thanks to YouTube you can see Nilsson singing the tune over a pre-recorded instrumental track for that Playboy After Dark segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shVTtFqJb4U Of course, a couple of years later he told Goldmine a different story "I bullshitted him [Heffner]. I thought it was funny. Nobody else thought it was funny!". Filmed for French television, YouTube also has two black and white promotional clips for the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DafgwTBk8pQ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZnJSW616Oo
The song was also tapped as a German single:
2.) Don't Leave Me (Nilsson) - 2:18 rating: *** stars Say what you will about the man, but in his younger days he sure had a magical voice with an uncanny ability to layer it across sophisticated arrangements. Another beautiful ballad that briefly displayed some of his vocal power, the only thing that kept this from the same heights as the other tunes were the extended scat singing segments. Shame he didn't edit them out and extend the tune for another minute or so. 3.) Mr. Richland's Favorite Song (Nilsson) - 2:12 rating: **** stars With kind of an English music hall flavor, the song was apparently about the rise and decline of a pop star. Wonder if he had any idea what the future held for his career ... Guess I can see why The Beatles became big fans ... geez, there was even a reference to the walrus. Wasn't the walrus Paul ? For anyone interested, Nilsson performed a slowed down, much darker version of the tune on his 1971 BBC television special "The Music of Nilsson": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs7fbdOdDjs 4.) Little Cowboy (Nilsson) - 1:20 rating: ** stars With a western melody, 'Little Cowboy' was clearly autobiographical, but the meaning was lost on me. \ 5.) Together (Nilsson) - 2:08 rating: **** stars With a McCartney-esque melody 'Together' was one of the album's most commercial and radio-friendly songs. With a tear-jerk lyric that would have made Paul McCartney proud, even the horns recalled a Beatles arrangement. YouTube has a black and white promo clip for the song at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66bVG15vINA Nilsson's Playboy appearance also included a performance of the tune. It starts at the 4 minute mark. Note that upper class white audiences probably shouldn't try clapping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shVTtFqJb4U The song was tapped as a Spanish single:
- 1969's 'Together / Rainmaker' (RCA Victor catalog number 3-10360)
(side
2) Written by Fred Neil, 'Everybody's Takin'' was the album's lone cover tune. If you've ever hard Neil's version, you'll know that Nilsson's cover didn't mess with the melody, rather sped the tune up a bit, ditching the stark folk feel for a more pop-oriented feel. RCA tapped it as the album's US single, but the song did little commercially and was quickly pulled. It was reissued a year later in conjunction with it's inclusion in the "Midnight Cowboy" soundtrack. Released a second time as a single, it became one of Nilsson's biggest hits and scored him a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Male. Bet Neil wasn't all that thrilled with the award ...
- 1969's 'Everybody's Talkin'' b/w 'Don't Leave Me' (RCA Victor catalog number 47-9544) 2.) I Said Goodbye To Me (Nilsson) - 2:13 rating: **** stars Nice ballad with a waltz feel and a surprisingly dark lyric that was seemingly about suicide. 3.) Little Cowboy (Nilsson) - 0:49 rating: ** stars Other than demonstrating Nilsson could whistle, the largely instrumental 'Cowboy' refrain didn't do anything for me. 4.) Mr. Tinker (Nilsson) - 2:41 rating: *** stars Yeah, I loved Nilsson's toytown sound, but this one was just a little too cute for his own good. The absence of a good melody didn't help the song. 5.) One (Nilsson) - 2:50 Ah, few folks did loneliness and desperation as well as Nilsson. Ironically, lots of folks have heard 'One', but they know the Three Dog Night cover; it's amazing how many folks don't know Nilsson wrote it. Shame since Nilsson's version captured the sense of loneliness far better than the hit version. The song was tapped as the debut American single: - 1968's 'One' b/w 'Sister Marie' (RCA Victor catalog number 47-9462) 6.) The Wailing of Willow (Nilsson) - Ian Freebairn-Smith) - 1:57 rating: **** stars Hum, who would have thought a bossa nova flavored ballad could sound as classy ... I'm not sure I can explain why ... maybe the Sergio Mendes-styled harmonies ? One of my favorite tunes on the album. 7.) Bath (Nilsson) - 1:44 rating: **** stars Geez, leave it to Nilsson to paste a bouncy pop melody with a lyric that was supposedly about going home after an evening at a house of ill-repute. YouTube has another French television promo clip for the tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7x5k2_dHgE
For hardcore fans, original copies of the album included a thirteenth track - 'Daddy's Song'. An autobiographical tune seemingly inspired by his parent's divorce, it was another example of Nilsson juxtaposition a jaunty melody with a heartbreaking lyric. For some reason, the song was dropped from the album after The Monkees included an inferior cover on their "Head" album.
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Genre: pop Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Nilsson Sings Newman Company: RCA Victor Catalog: APL1-0203 Year: 1967 Country/State: Brooklyn, New York Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor edge wear Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1603 Price: $20.00
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Hum, Harry Nilsson with Randy Newman on backing vocals and keyboards. This is one of those albums that's attracted rave reviews from critics and listeners. It won Stereo Review's 1970 "Album of the Year" award and fans are simply passionate about the collection. Personally, I've never understood the appeal it holds for folks. Over a forty year period I've repeatedly tried to understand the collection's supposed charms, but in spite of a concerted effort to "get" it, the album's fascination has always escaped me. Strange since I love Nilsson's iconic voice and several of his early albums would be on my desert island list. I can hear parts of the collections charm. Newman wrote "articulate" tunes. No "moon in June" stuff here. Nilsson had a simply stunning voice and the multi-tracked vocals were technical stunning. Still, most of the album just leaves me at a loss.
The collection's been a long-standing critics
"Nilsson
Sings Newman" track listing:
1.) Vine St. (Randy Newman) - 2:59 rating: *** stars Written by Newman as an introduction to 'Vine Street' the first 40 seconds of the song were initially entitled 'Anita'. It's one of the most commercial things on this album. As for the rest of the tune, this keyboard powered ballad has always reminded me of 'The entertainer' from the film "The Sting". 2.) Love Story (Randy Newman) - 3:39 rating: *** stars Another pretty ballad and I certainly like Nilsson's version better than Newman's, but that isn't saying a great deal. The lyrics were at least kid of funny "'Well have a kid or maybe we'll rent one. He's got to be straight, we don't want a bent one.'" 3.) Yellow Man (Randy Newman) - 2:16 rating: ** stars 'Yellow Man' was aniother stark piano powered ballad. Pretty, but so what ? 4.) Caroline (Randy Newman) - 2:05 5.) Cowboy (Randy Newman) - 2:48
(side
2) 2.) I'll Be Home (Randy Newman) - 2:35 rating: **** stars One of two tunes that worked for me ... Stark like the rest, but the subtle band accompaniment worked and Nilsson's vocal have the tune a real sense of anticipation. 3.) Living without You (Randy Newman) - 2:35 rating: **** stars The other tune that I thought was a success - beautiful; just piano and multi-tracked Nilsson on vocals. 4.) Dayton, Ohio 1903 (Randy Newman) - 1:50 rating: *** stars A reflection on what was once life's simplicity? Beats me what the song was about. Pretty, but so what? 5.) So Long Dad (Randy Newman) - 2:35 rating: *** stars Nostalgic, sentimental, pretty, but another one where the song's appeal is simply lost to my ears.
Nilsson Sings Newman is an album of Randy Newman compositions sung by Harry Nilsson, with Newman on piano. The record was not a great commercial success, but it was critically praised, and helped Newman gain notice. It won a 1970 "Record of the Year" award from Stereo Review magazine, and remains a fan favorite. Recorded over six weeks in 1969, the album showcases Nilsson's voice multi-tracked in layers of tone and harmony. Its arrangements are otherwise spare and graceful. The LP record cover art is by Dean Torrence. Re-released on compact disc in 1995, followed by a 30th anniversary CD in 2000, the album has been called a studio masterpiece, and "the best exposition of the ballad in rock."[1]
Contents[hide]
Background[edit]In 1969, Nilsson's album Harry ended with one of Newman's songs: "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear". Years later, Nilsson told Paul Zollo that he was in awe of Newman writing so many songs, ones he thought were better than his own.[2] In 1968, Ricky Nelson released his concept album Perspective, a move to expand his musical horizons. The album included songs by Newman, Nilsson and others woven together to tell the story of the interactions of a famous family; author Kevin Courrier writes that this album may have been part of the inspiration for Nilsson Sings Newman.[2] Recording[edit]On August 20, 1969, Nilsson and Newman began to record the album.[2] After basic tracks were laid down, Nilsson spent six weeks overdubbing his voice to create layers and harmonies,[2] line by line.[3] As many as 118 overdubs were laid down for a single song.[2] Nilsson often reminds the listener that he is listening to the recording of a studio album. Nilsson's voice in the control room is heard on several songs, instructing the recording engineer to add more echo or remove a voice. On the album's final song "So Long Dad", amid a multi-Nilsson chorus of voices, Nilsson softly asks for "more first voice."[2] Louder, he counters himself by saying "actually I need more current voice. Forget the one that's saying 'more first voice.'"[2] Besides piano, other instruments were sometimes used in the studio, including bass drum, tambourine and various electronic keyboards. On the song "Cowboy", Nilsson used electronic harpsichord to bring in a different concluding theme, quoting John Barry's theme from the film Midnight Cowboy, an inside joke that referenced Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" from the same film, a major success for Nilsson earlier that year.[2] Newman was, according to Nilsson, "tired of the album when we were finished making it."[2] "For him it was just doing piano and voice ... over and over."[2] Nilsson explained "once I got the take down, I knew what I was going to do with it later. He didn't."[2] Newman said of his experience that he "was honored that a writer with Harry's talent would choose to do an album of someone else's songs."[2] Newman continued, "he was such a great singer, a virtuoso singer, really, and he could do so many things as a vocalist that I couldn't do—like hold a note."[2] A number of alternate takes and songs were recorded but left off the 1970 album. Two such songs were "Snow" and "Linda".[2] Newman wrote one song specifically for the album: "Caroline",[2] a straightforward love song.[3] Release and response[edit]
In February 1970, the album was released by RCA Records. The cover art was completed by Dean Torrence, known for his teaming with Jan Berry to create the rock and roll duo Jan and Dean. Since Berry's near-fatal auto accident in 1966, Torrence had become a graphic artist; his sepia tone scene depicted Nilsson driving an old American car through the countryside with Newman in the back seat.[2] The car is a 1938 Graham-Paige four-door sedan, rusty but working. The audio equipment and record review magazine Stereo Review named Nilsson Sings Newman their album of the year.[2] Even so, the album did not sell well, possibly because of the "idiosyncratic quality" of its ballads and the paucity of reviews.[2] Newman said in an interview how he personally went to assess the sales of the album at a record store in Los Angeles. He asked a clerk (who did not recognize him) "do you have any Nilsson albums?"[2] and the clerk guided him through each one, describing its sales and whether he recommended it. He came to Nilsson Sings Newman and said, "this is the one that nearly finished him off."[2] In one of the few reviews, the weekly magazine Cue in New York praised the artistry saying that "Nilsson was dealing with material as powerful as his own, but was free to concentrate entirely on his gifts as a performer."[1] Cue said that this album was free of the "overwhelmingly complex" personal expressions that came earlier from "Nilsson singing Nilsson, and Newman singing Newman".[1] In April 1970, Newman released his second album, 12 Songs, a collection featuring spare arrangements with simple instrumental parts underneath Newman's vocals, Ry Cooder providing an economical backdrop of slide guitar.[7] The song "Mama Told Me Not to Come", written four years earlier for Eric Burdon, was delivered in stripped-down form, and helped Newman establish himself as a composer of note. Newman appeared in solo engagements beginning in June 1970 on an NBC TV special hosted by Liza Minnelli.[2] "Mama Told Me Not to Come" yielded a #1 chart topper for Three Dog Night in July 1970.[7] Newman's career was in high gear. Nilsson's next recording project was the soundtrack for a children's fantasy film he conceived, titled The Point!, finished in 1971. His next popular release was Nilsson Schmilsson with its hit single "Without You" composed earlier by Badfinger.[7] Legacy[edit]
Randy
Newman performing in 2008
In 1993, Newman prepared to record an entire album of Nilsson songs, a returning of the favor 25 years later. Newman had never before recorded a Nilsson song.[2] After Nilsson's death in January 1994, the intended homage became a memorial, titled For The Love of Harry: Everybody Sings Nilsson. To leave room for participation by other artists, Newman sang only one song, "Remember (Christmas)", a sad and dreamy tune which opened the album.[2] Newman said, "I just hope Harry knew how great he was. He was always putting himself down, making fun of himself."[8] Nilsson Sings Newman was re-released as a CD in 1995.[9] In 2000, the 30th anniversary release was padded with five additional tracks. One was "Snow", unreleased in 1970 for lack of room on the LP, and four were alternate versions of songs that were on the original album. In 2000, Ben Wener of The Orange County Register wrote that "Newman's sly, dramatically structured impressionistic pop was ideally suited for Nilsson's theatrical tone ... It's not so much that Nilsson's takes are better than Newman's ... just refreshingly different—less wicked and vicious, more melancholy."[2] Artists who have expressed a fondness for the album include Rufus Wainwright, Ron Sexsmith, Jellyfish, Adrian Belew[2] and Shane Tutmarc.[10] The exhaustive All Music Guide says of Nilsson Sings Newman that it is "a subtle, graceful masterpiece where the pleasure is in the grace notes, small gestures, and in-jokes."[3] Once a listener has acquired a taste for Newman's idiosyncratic songs, "this is as sweet as honey."[3] Track listing[edit]All music and lyrics by Randy Newman.
Personnel[edit]
2 of 2
people found the following review helpful
on
January 2, 2011
Format: Audio CD
I remember back in the day not
knowing who the heck Harry Nilsson was until a great magazine called
"Stereo Review" contained an article boosting Harry as the
best thing next to white bread. Well I went out and bought the
album. This is the one that made me a fan of good ol Harry. The
voice is right on and at its best singing the witty songs of Randy
Newman. The sound on this release is perfection, clean with every
inflection Harry produced. The liner notes are also informative and
entertaining.
This album has so many of my favorites and so many that have been covered by other artist. BUT once you hear Harry this is the only version to really be considered. A couple of my favorites, "So Long Dad" , "Yellow Man" the beautiful "Caroline" wow. Never much cared for "The Behive State" seems out of place as someone else mentioned on here. SO glad some realized the importance of this record to give it specal treatment in this 30th Anniversary Edition. Thank you guys.
4 of 5
people found the following review helpful
on
March 21, 2000
Format: Audio CD
Oh My God! I am floored by
this disc. Sound is amazing, truly amazing. I must admit that I was
less than impressed with the Buddha reissue of Pussy Cats, which
does not sound anything like this disc nor was the packaging as
good. Try to imagine liner notes that you can't read becaus they are
printed over pictures. Anyway back to this album, Buddha does Harry
right with a beautiful tribute to a classic record. Opening tribute
from Randy Nilsson and touching insight into the recording of this
masterpiece from Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean (I never knew he
illustrated the cover) I hope that buddha does the rest of Harry's
LP's this way. Please do Son Of next!
2 of 2
people found the following review helpful
on
June 6, 2007
Format: Audio CD
I've been trying various
Nilsson records out over the last few weeks and this is the one that
finally got me. Holy cow. For my tastes, a true overlooked classic.
Of course, the songs are great. The vocals (incredible harmonies)
are heartbreaking. And then Newman on piano -- you can't ask for
much more.
Highly recommended.
1 of 1
people found the following review helpful
on
March 7, 2011
Format: Audio CDVerified
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This was one of my favorite
albums in the early 70's. My father played it many times and I'm
happy to say it is just as good as I remember. Harry Nilsson was one
of the few greats. He was a songwriter himself and a very good one,
but in this album he pays tribute to Randy Newman, who just won a
second Academy Award for his song We Belong Together from Toy Story
3. Randy played the piano on the album and does a wonderful job, but
Nilsson makes the songs come to life with his wonderful voice. This
CD also includes some different takes of a few songs, which while
interesting are really not as good as the ones he chose for the
album. I also found it fun to hear some innocent things that today
in our so very PC world would never have made it. Take Yellow Man,
for instance. A cute, catchy tune, but man, everyone would think he
was a bigot today for writing it and Harry also for singing it. One
of my very favorites, Carolyn, shows the control he had over his
voice, which was more a musical instrument if you ask me. If you
like Harry Nilsson, this is a must for your collection.
1 of 1
people found the following review helpful
on
May 8, 2014
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This is interesting piece of
nostalgia AND another example of the genius of Randy Newman, who
remains tge best interpreter of his own work.
1 of 1
people found the following review helpful
on
January 5, 2013
Format: Audio CD
I love this CD because I am a
Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman fan of old...would highly recommend
to you if you are the same.
on
August 20, 2013
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I love Harry's voice (much
more than I enjoy Randy Newman's (sorry)) and this album which was
critically acclaimed at the time of release but not a hit with the
public is a rare treat. Harking back to earlier times, with an
unmistakable American stamp (released at a time when the British
influences are in full swing) this album is sweet, sad and
sentimental. Singer songwriters united!!
on
June 10, 2014
Format: MP3 MusicVerified
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I worship Harry Nilsson. This
is a wonderful album with my only slight criticism being that some
of the arrangements seem to be a little underworked. But the guys
voice is at it's incomparable peak and these tunes are, for me,
among the best of Newman's considerable body of work. Vine Street is
the masterpiece here (surpasses Van Dyke Park's also wonderful
rendition), but 'It's So Hard' is very moving, Yellow Man is a
definite upgrade from the Newman original and this package includeds
a number of intersting alternate takes. It's not Schimillson
(nothing is) and is for sure in Nilsson's second tier of work, but
really all told a beautiful and wonderfully generous take on some
fine songs by a man who new a fine song when he saw one. It's so
great that at the same time he was making this record he was writing
his own unqualified masterpieces and still chose to take the time
out to do this homage to a gifted comtemporary.
The combination of a great
singer like Nilsson and a great songwriter like Newman makes this
album perfect. It's hard to believe that this album was seen as a
misstep in Nilsson's career at the time. It is also a good
introduction to Randy Newman's earlier work for people who just know
him for his Disney/Pixar songs.
on
August 16, 2013
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This is a truly wonderful
collection of songs from two amazing artists. Nobody sings it better
than Nilsson and nobody writes them better than Newman. The
mastering is perfection! Most highly recommended!
on
December 30, 2012
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This is a brilliant album by a
uniquely gifted singer interpreting the songs of a uniquely gifted
songwriter. There are some cuts on this album that are so good, I
listen to them over and over.
3 of 5
people found the following review helpful
on
March 22, 2006
Format: Audio CD
Nilsson and Newman, two boys
mystified by rock and roll, were meant for one another.
HARRY reflects Nilsson's penchant for British music hall: 4 stars. It opens with Nilsson alone, where he can display his skill as a crooner for our times, somehow uniting town-park gazebo Americana, Washington Park folk, and British music hall. No one else comes close. He has a gorgeous voice, but he is not Sinatra as claimed at the time. Settings fit songs and voice well. High standards throughout. Stand-out: tr 10-Lord must be in New York City. Adding NILSSON SINGS NEWMAN ups the ante. I have searched for this album for decades; it is one of the best albums of all time and a personal favorite: 5 stars. [64:35]
on
December 12, 2013
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I first heard this album when
it was released. It's unfortunate that this album was a cutout
almost immediately. IT IS STILL A MASTERPIECE! Thank you, Randy.
Thank you, Harry.
on
April 23, 2014
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Originally got this album when
it first came out in the early 1970's. Always loved it , still have
the original, but CD's are just easier. Still a " 5 STAR "
recording !
on
October 22, 2014
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Worth it for the bonus
tracks....I was hoping some of the original editorial bleed over
might be gone, but it's ok. Still great and the demos are way cool.
3 of 5
people found the following review helpful
on
April 27, 2005
Format: Audio CD
Kalo is dead-right about this
being a lieder recital. But don't let that turn you off. Like Rob
Damn said, THE BEEHIVE STATE is an utter dud. But even worse is
COWBOY, which ends in a cascading cacophony-tribute to John Barry's
THEME FROM MIDNIGHT COWBOY. Like Unkle Joe said, LIVING WITHOUT YOU
is the clincher. The sung-by-Harry version is infinitely superior to
the sung-by-Randy version due to the fact that Harry had an actual
voice and could actually sing. Randy's lonely echoed piano chords
are incredibly eloquent.
on
September 20, 2013
Format: Audio CDVerified
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Nilssons voice will pull you
in. Sung with feeling on every track. I have listened to over and
over again. Have not gotten sick of it yet.
on
March 17, 2015
Format: MP3 MusicVerified
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Amazing vocalism and effects
pioneering from the early 70s. Randy Newmans songs are surreal and
haunting when sung by Harry Nilsson.
Named Stereo Review's album of the year (and, really, can you ask for a better endorsement than that?) upon its release and generally regarded as the album that introduced Randy Newman the songwriter to a wide audience, Nilsson Sings Newman has gained a reputation of being an minor masterwork. This, in a way, is misguiding, since this isn't an obvious record, where the songs are delivered simply and directly. It's deliberately an album of subtle pleasures, crafted, as the liner notes state, line by line in the studio. As such, the preponderance of quiet piano-and-voice tracks (featuring Newman himself on piano, Nilsson on vocals) means the record can slip away upon the first few listens, especially for anyone expecting an undeniable masterpiece. Yet, a masterpiece is what this is, albeit a subtle, graceful masterpiece where the pleasure is in the grace notes, small gestures, and in-jokes. Not to say that this is devoid of emotion; it's just that the emotion is subdued, whether it's on a straightforward love song ("Caroline") or a tongue-in-cheek tale like "Love Story." For an album that introduced a songwriter as idiosyncratic as Newman, it's only appropriate that Nilsson's interpretations are every bit as original as the songs. His clear intonation and sweet, high voice are more palatable than Randy's slurred, bluesy growl, but the wild thing is, these versions demand that the listeners surrender to Nilsson's own terms. He's created gentle, intricate arrangements of tuneful yet clever songs, and as such, the album may be as much an acquired taste as Newman. Once you've acquired that taste, this is as sweet as honey.
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Genre: pop Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Harry Company: RCA Victor Catalog: SP-4197 Year: 1969 Country/State: Brooklyn, New York Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve Available: SOLD Catalog ID: SOLD 4 Price: SOLD $9.00 Cost: $1.00
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Harry Nilsson is a guy I've really tried to cultivate a liking and appreciation for. Unfortunately about the best thing I can say is that Nilsson was clearly an immensely talented guy who may simply be too sophisticated for my simpleton tastes.
The first couple of times I played 1969's self-produced "Harry" I remember thinking 'this is what a Randy Newman album would sound like if Newman could sing and carry a tune'. A truly bizarre mix of period piece originals balanced with a couple of interesting pop covers, the set's simply too diverse and eclectic to accurately describe. Nilsson himself seems to have been torn between underscoring his credentials as a true 'artist' and proving that he had what it took to be commercially successful. Fans are drawn to the set's musical diversity and Nilsson's thoughtful lyrics ('Nobody Cares About the Railroads Anymore' and ''City Life), along with his rather warped sense of humor ('Fairfax Rag'). I'll readily admit that most of it is wasted on me. While Nilsson had a great voice, it all sounded a little measured and precious to my ears. Tracks like 'Nobody Cares About the Railroads Anymore' and 'Mourning Glory Story' (with an admirable commentary on homelessness) are liable to give many of you ugly flashbacks to being stuck in some horrible high school English or History class ... The best songs are also the most commercial ones - a pretty cover of Paul McCartney's 'Mother Nature's Son', 'Rainmaker' and 'I Guess the Lord Must Be In New York City' (the latter was originally written for and passed over for the film "Midnight Cowboy".
"Harry" track listing:
1.) The Puppy Song (Harry Nilsson) - 2:58 2.) Nobody Cares About the Railroads Anymore (Harry Nilsson) - 2:47 3.) Open Your Window (Harry Nilsson) - 2:08 4.) Mother Nature's Son (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 2:42 5,) Fairfax Rag (Martin) - 2:14 6.) City Life (Martin) - 2:31
(side
2) 2.) Maybe (Harry Nilsson) - 3:20 3.) Marchin' Down Broadway (Harry Nilsson) - 0:59 4.) I Guess the Lord Must Be In New York City (Harry Nilsson) - 2:44 5.) Rainmaker (Harry Nilsson - Martin) - 2:33 6.) Mr. Bonjangles (Walker) - 3:53 7.) Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (Randy Newman) - 2:47
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Genre: pop Rating: * (1 star) Title: ... That's the Way It Is Company: RCA Victor Catalog: APL1-1119 Year: 1976 Country/State: Brooklyn, New York Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1209 Price: $9.00 Cost: $1.00
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I guess if you had to do most things in life thirteen times over that task would begin to become repetitive and dull. That might help explain why Harry Nilsson's thirteenth studio album - 1976's "... That's the Way It Is" was so bad. Seriously, in spite of support from an amazing cast of friends and sessions players (I counted close to 100 names in the liner notes), this collection had virtually nothing tp recommend it. In fact, the five tracks on side one may be the single worst collection of performances I've got in my extensive record collection. Having listened to this one repeatedly over the years, I've always been left with the impression Nilsson simply wasn't interested in his career at this point in time. In fact, the album cover showing him reclining in a living room reading a Penthouse magazine while surrounded by empty liquor bottles and cigarettes served as the perfect career summation. With the exception of his collaboration with Dr. John ('Daylight Has Caught Me'), the few Nilsson originals were simply boring. The cover tunes were even worse; seemingly haphazardly selected and uninspired in their performances. Nilsson's work ranged from bland ('She Sits Down On Me') to outright horrendous ('Moonshine Bandit'), with a couple of tunes sounding like he was totally out of it. The fact this thing actually managed to hit # 156 on the US album charts is a miracle. As a teenager I can remember seeing stacks of them at my local Kemp Mill store (gosh, remember record stores ...).
"Harry" track listing:
1.) That Is It (George Harrison) - 3:02 rating: ** stars Funny but I can remember thinking that both the song arrangement and Nilsson's falsetto sounded quite similar to the George Harrison original (off of 1973's "Living in the Material World" which was ahrdly one of Harrison's creative zeniths). Since I was never a big fan of the original tune, I can't say the cover did much for me. 2.) Just One Look / Baby. I'm Young (Gregory Carrol - Doris Payne / Van McCoy) - 3:17 rating: * star Judging by his decision to cover these pop classics, I'm guessing Nilsson was either suffering from writer's block, or was simply desperate. Former Supreme member Lynda Lawrence 'basically swept the floor with Nilsson on this medley. Simply bland and forgettable with about as much chemistry as a day old Egg McMUffin ....
- 1976's 'Just One Look - Baby, I'm Yours' b/w 'That Is All' (RCA Victor catalog number PB-10759) 3.) Moonshine Bandit (Harry Nilsson - Danny Kortchmar) - 3:26 rating: * star Hum, Brooklyn guy trying to pull of a reggae tune ... not a good idea, especially when the song is a s lightweight and lame as 'Moonshine Bandit'. Hideous comes to mind. Geez, 10cc's 'Bloody Tourists' was even better than this one. 4.) I Need You (Gerry Beckley) - 3:14 rating: * star The band America was still selling tons of records in '76 which probably explains Nilsson's decision to cover one of their hits. Unfortunately, his cover managed to lose the original's charm, coming off as a mixture of shrill and desperate. Seriously bad. 5.) A Thousand Miles Away - (James Sheppard - William Miller) - 2:50 rating: * star Bland soul edged ballad that couldn't figure out whether to play it straight, or for laughs. Nilsson sound totally out of it on this one. Give me The Heartbeats' original any day of the week.
(side 2) 1.) Sail Away (Randy Newman) - 3:40 rating: **** stars One of Randy Newman's most impressive tunes, the "slaver's sales pitch" lyrics were stunning ... even as a teenager I was forced to think long and hard about them. Hard to believe I'm saying this, but even though Nilsson had a better voice than Newman, Newman's original knocked the crap out of this cover. Why RCA decided to tap it as a single is a complete mystery to me.
- 1976's 'Sail Away' b/w 'Moonshine Bandit' (RCA Victor catalog number PB-10634) 2.) She Sits Down On Me (Austin Talbot) - 3:55 rating: * star Plodding and completely forgettable 20s-jazz-styked tune that wasn't even that entertaining. 3.) Daylight Has Caught Me (Nilsson - Malcolm Rebennack) - 3:47 rating: **** stars Given how bad the rest of the album was, this collaboration with Dr. John stood as a breath of fresh air. Nice melody and Nilsson actually sounded mildly interested in the tune. Nothing great, but then the baseline for comparisons was so low. 4.) Zombie Jamboree (Conrad E. Mauge, Jr.) - 3:02 rating: *** stars Zombies and reggae ... in theory the combination should have been entertaining, but Nilsson managed to make it thoroughly dull. 5.) That Is It (reprise) (George Harrison) - 1:52 rating: *** stars So why not go out with a whimper ? Even hardcore Beatles fanatics are liable to find this one a waste.
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