Album: Nilsson Schmilsson
Artist: Harry Nilsson
Born: Brooklyn, New York
Released: November 1971
Genre: Soft Rock
Influenced: Nick Lowe, Ron Sexsmith, Elliott Smith, Badly Drawn Boy
After a run of five British albums, it's back to the US west coast to explore the "LA weirdo" scene. The fact I just recently covered John Lennon is quite fitting, given that it was an off-hand comment by Lennon that would arouse wider public interest in Harry Nilsson. At a press conference in 1968, both Lennon and McCartney simply replied "Nilsson" to the question of who was their favourite act at the time. Lennon was particularly enthralled with Nilsson's second album, Pandemonium Shadow Show, while Nilsson's follow-up album, Aerial Ballet (also released in 1968), would contain two of his most famous songs: a cover of Fred Neil's Everybody's Talkin' and One. Nilsson was one of pop's true originals and his run of albums before getting to Nilsson Schmilsson, his seventh, include one of the first ever remix albums, a covers album of Randy Newman songs, a soundtrack and a concept album about a pointy-headed boy. Nilsson Schmilsson is the best introduction to his wide range of talents and interests, from the sublime singing of Without You to the catchy children's song, Coconut.
At the Green Man festival in 2013, we awoke every morning to the sound of Coconut coming out of the main tent in the family camping field. Rosie quickly learned the dance with some new-found friends and it was her favourite song for a while. The Moonbeam Song has the same lazy, languid feel and similar stream-of-consciousness lyrics. Nilsson mixes these novelty songs with one of the best pop vocal performances of all time on Without You, which may be a little schmaltzy for some but never fails to move me. Other highlights include Gotta Get Up (which you can imagine Nilsson singing in his dressing gown, as worn on the record's front cover) and Jump Into The Fire, both original compositions. The harder-rocking Jump Into The Fire shows another side to Nilsson's talents, while the covers show his love for old-time R&B. There's a music hall (or Tin Pan Alley, as the Americans say) feel to Nilsson as a performer and this, combined with his virtuoso singing and impish wit, makes his albums so refreshing and fun. Nilsson Schmilsson is my favourite of the lot.
After a run of five British albums, it's back to the US west coast to explore the "LA weirdo" scene. The fact I just recently covered John Lennon is quite fitting, given that it was an off-hand comment by Lennon that would arouse wider public interest in Harry Nilsson. At a press conference in 1968, both Lennon and McCartney simply replied "Nilsson" to the question of who was their favourite act at the time. Lennon was particularly enthralled with Nilsson's second album, Pandemonium Shadow Show, while Nilsson's follow-up album, Aerial Ballet (also released in 1968), would contain two of his most famous songs: a cover of Fred Neil's Everybody's Talkin' and One. Nilsson was one of pop's true originals and his run of albums before getting to Nilsson Schmilsson, his seventh, include one of the first ever remix albums, a covers album of Randy Newman songs, a soundtrack and a concept album about a pointy-headed boy. Nilsson Schmilsson is the best introduction to his wide range of talents and interests, from the sublime singing of Without You to the catchy children's song, Coconut.
At the Green Man festival in 2013, we awoke every morning to the sound of Coconut coming out of the main tent in the family camping field. Rosie quickly learned the dance with some new-found friends and it was her favourite song for a while. The Moonbeam Song has the same lazy, languid feel and similar stream-of-consciousness lyrics. Nilsson mixes these novelty songs with one of the best pop vocal performances of all time on Without You, which may be a little schmaltzy for some but never fails to move me. Other highlights include Gotta Get Up (which you can imagine Nilsson singing in his dressing gown, as worn on the record's front cover) and Jump Into The Fire, both original compositions. The harder-rocking Jump Into The Fire shows another side to Nilsson's talents, while the covers show his love for old-time R&B. There's a music hall (or Tin Pan Alley, as the Americans say) feel to Nilsson as a performer and this, combined with his virtuoso singing and impish wit, makes his albums so refreshing and fun. Nilsson Schmilsson is my favourite of the lot.
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