Nilsson - C or D?

actually, I really liked this -- along w/the Rush doc, one of the most comprehensive rock documentaries I've seen. unlike the rush doc, I wouldn't say Nilsson comes out more "likable" as a result of it. He comes out looking pretty flawed and tragic, but also incredibly well-loved by his friends/family/peers.

ditto on the boxset. total genius. "Nilsson Schmillson" is such a classic, and every album I've heard has some amazing, indispensible material

i thought the doc was pretty much inept. watch and it and see if you can figure out, for example, how he died. some good footage though, yeah.

didn't it say something about a big heart attack, and how that was a very nilsson way to go? I do remember the part about him talking to his kids the week before he died

they said he was in bad health and he knew he only had a few days to live (which is a bit odd as it is), and then they say very ominously that there was an earthquake and you're left wondering (a) if the earthquake killed him, (b) if he correctly predicted the date or his own heart attack, (c) if he just went to sleep one night and never woke up. they don't actually tell you. you only know he's dead 'cause they start talking about his funeral. they do a lot of this in the doc. it's really strange filmmaking.

was the doc on telly in the states? it wasn't here harrumph.

it is interesting to hear from all the people (producers, managers, whatnot) he left behind both on his way up and on his way down. they all sound like wounded ex-girlfriends who will go to their own graves wondering why harry left them.

i'm not aware of it having been on tv in the US. it had very brief theatrical runs in a few cities.

fcc otm abt the death sequence. that sort of elliptical stuff happened a few times throughout. pretty clumsy, but then a nilsson track'd come on and i was like "aw fuck it"

Watch the Smothers Brothers TV performance instead. It's like 30 minutes long and features all these great Point-era performances and stuff and silly skits inbetween and things. Really wonderful.

"Watch the Smothers Brothers TV performance instead. It's like 30 minutes long and features all these great Point-era performances and stuff and silly skits inbetween and things. Really wonderful."

This performance of "1941" is my favorite thing he ever did. Waaaay better than the album version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s51bRVVRah4

who cares about a box set? all but one or two of the albums are in print, and on two-fers no less. just dig in.

ans: Because his career was not a purely linear thing. There's a lot that predates his first album, and many projects that sit outside his "solo" works.

Make it like the Ramones' "life and times" with 3CDs, 1DVD and an inlaid book/history, and that would be brilliant.

Thanks. (in advance)

^ this is true. there's way more than enough genius nilsson to justify a 3 CD set, plus a booklet/DVD laying out the story. plus he fucking deserves it, and people deserve to know. that's reason enough.

Book, rather than booklet, but yes. Thanks.

Really really love this song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsX5BkBsrMk

As silly as those lyrics are, I think its one of the most beautiful songs ive ever heard.

just watched who is harry nilsson - pretty dece for a talkin head/old footage stando type scenario - realized i didnt really know much abt this guy

but now i do

Listening to "The Point" is probably the best introduction you could possibly have to this guy.

WHOA. Before opening this thread I ordered a copy of Son of Schmilsson this morning.

Listening to "The Point" is probably the best introduction you could possibly have to this guy.

Debatable

Well I think it's got the best concentration of amazing songs, and it's a really good one for showing off his vocal arrangements. "Son of Schmilsson" is pretty damn fine as well. <3 <3 <3 "The Most Beautiful World In The World". Really does dip into Beatles-level pop at a few points on that album.

It's a broad church

also just saw the doc. too much decline, not enough prime.

loved the sight of Otto Preminger in a blue hippie suit on Playboy After Dark, tho

yeah the doc tried a little too hard to cram everything into its chosen narrative and didnt really attempt to understand his music particularly past THIS GUY IS GREAT but it was p cool just for the presence of the man if nothing else

lol at everyone being all WHEN HARRY SHOWED UP AT YR DOOR U KNEW U WERE GONNA DO TONS OF DRUGS FOR DAYS ON END and then none of them actually telling the stories abt it smh

Just Say No to Harry, kids

xpost
Yeah, there were lots of moments of "Things were really crazy back then, kids", wink wink.

Also, what was the deal with dude with rainbow beard? That was probably more crazy than anything that happened in the 70s.

it was a Hudson, right?

lol at everyone being all WHEN HARRY SHOWED UP AT YR DOOR U KNEW U WERE GONNA DO TONS OF DRUGS FOR DAYS ON END and then none of them actually telling the stories abt it smh

found it really frustrating they'd spend so much time on vague shit like this when, whenever they did flesh out an anecdote, like the letter he wrote his infant son or how he won over his last wife with fruit, the details were amazing.

just gonna link to the review i wrote, since i think otherwise i'll wind up regurgitating the whole thing anyway

http://www.tinymixtapes.com/film/who-harry-nilsson-and-why-everybody-talkin-about-him

other ppl's drug stories are boring. also I think Robin Williams was being honest saying he couldn't remember most of it.

other ppl's drug stories are boring.

not as boring as repeated references to untold ones!

the flowers and melons story was p incredible

yeah picking up a 19-yo in an ice cream parlor doesnt usu work out in the long term

just give that bitch melons, melons man im tellin u

Rainbow Beard was the weirdest facial hair I've ever seen.

Agree w most ppl above, too many talking heads, too vague. I think most music docs these days make those mistakes. Even the "in depth" album-based ones are basically a series of people saying "This song is soooo good!". Mostly, I would rather have a complete compilation of archival videos. I guess this is where bootleggers step in to do the artist justice...

rainbow beard was jarringly nagl

I think the only song we heard all the way thru (in two pieces) was "Everybody's Talkin"

Have to say him marrying a nice Irish girl and having lots and lots of happy-looking kids was a good way to end a potentially really depressing life story.

if only he had made it past age 52 tho, eh

kids stay away from robin williams and youll lead a long healthy life

at least it's easier now to stay away from Lennon.

C or D: tracing a musician's downfall thru going from being John's pal to Ringo's.

lol

I did like the part of the doc where Harry describes writing "One" around a phone's busy signal.

someone seriously needs to release decent copies of those BBC specials.

the clips on youtube are amazing.

think i'm gonna watch this doc tonight since it seems to have shown up on netflix streaming.