― Tom May (Tom May), Sunday, 9 March 2003 19:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
Joy to the world was a beautiful girl But to me Joy meant only sorrow
― christoff (christoff), Monday, 10 March 2003 20:19 (twenty-one years ago) link
Does anyone have either of those two double-CD sets comprised from his last late 70s records? I like the few songs I have from them on comps, and I'm intrigued...
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:27 (twenty years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 08:32 (twenty years ago) link
Thoughts about his best record? Those first three are all filled with absolutely brilliant pop confections, but also some filler. Pussy Cats is pretty terrific in places -- "Don't Forget Me" being one of his best twisted ballads.
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 16:18 (twenty years ago) link
You're not the only choo choo train,That was left out in the rain,The day after Santa came.You're not the only cherry delight,That was left in the night,And gave up without a fight.
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 16:25 (twenty years ago) link
― ron (ron), Thursday, 25 September 2003 00:08 (twenty years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 25 September 2003 10:16 (twenty years ago) link
He also apparently finished his last album right before he died in 1994. Would love to hear that...
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 25 September 2003 21:02 (twenty years ago) link
― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 25 September 2003 21:34 (twenty years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 25 September 2003 21:36 (twenty years ago) link
And??!? Sadly, I am Soul Seekless right now...
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 25 September 2003 21:50 (twenty years ago) link
― M Specktor (M Specktor), Thursday, 25 September 2003 22:58 (twenty years ago) link
― adaml (adaml), Sunday, 19 October 2003 01:35 (twenty years ago) link
Hours later I caught Harry heading for the hotel bar with friends and I asked him about a rumor I heard that their might be a POINT II in the works (animated sequel and album to The Point) and he said there was some talks about it. He said he wanted to call it "Back To The Point". Obviously, it was never made - but he did seem to have some fondness for The Point. At this point in his career Harry's voice was raspier than ever - and he never did recover to the point where he released anything like his earlier albums. I think he had just done the Popeye Soundtrack, which of course he didn't sing himself. But now hearing that there may be demos to it I certainly would love to hear what that sounded like.
My last recollection about Harry is a bittersweet one... he decided to join the Beatlefest house band onstage during one of their sets, and although it got a standing ovation from the audience - it was more out of appreciation for the man than it was for the vocal performance anyone was hearing that night. Harry was obviously drinking and at times when he spoke you either couldn't hear him or understand him - but I remember just the same how everybody went crazy for him. How could you not? I mean - this was Nilsson.
― Donald, Friday, 11 June 2004 15:33 (nineteen years ago) link
― briania (briania), Friday, 11 June 2004 18:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 12 June 2004 14:44 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 12 June 2004 15:57 (nineteen years ago) link
"Put a lot of echo on it if you can..."
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Saturday, 12 June 2004 17:35 (nineteen years ago) link
I'm probably going to wind up snatching everything through Pussy Cats (already got that, Newman and Aerial Pandemonium Ballet) except Touch Of Schmillson, but I was wondering if anybody wanted to defend his post-Pussy Cats work. I've heard most of its really uninspired but I was wondering if anybody had a differing opinion.
― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 3 October 2004 22:18 (nineteen years ago) link
― the great doxology of heckmondwike town (gareth), Sunday, 3 October 2004 22:20 (nineteen years ago) link
― Didoismus (Dada), Monday, 4 October 2004 11:49 (nineteen years ago) link
Anyhow, Got the Camden 2CD Aerial Pandemonium Ballet thing. Brilliant stuff. Got a couple of singles back in the day, "Daybreak" and "All I think about is you" which are both fine and grand. too.
― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 4 October 2004 12:01 (nineteen years ago) link
― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 01:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― Billy Pilgrim (Billy Pilgrim), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 04:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― mms (mms), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 10:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― Baaderonixx weaves a daisy chain for... SATAN!! (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 11:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― Oh No, It's Dadaismus (and His Endless Stupid Jokes) (Dada), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 11:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― Oh No, It's Dadaismus (and His Endless Stupid Jokes) (Dada), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 11:36 (eighteen years ago) link
― mms (mms), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 13:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― Oh No, It's Dadaismus (and His Endless Stupid Jokes) (Dada), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― Oh No, It's Dadaismus (and His Endless Stupid Jokes) (Dada), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:35 (eighteen years ago) link
You know, I wrote a song in the style of (Harry's lonely version of) "One" — the subject of which was Harry's rumoured death. It was called "Coffin Full of Stones" and, yes, recounted the Marianne Faithful story. You know that story, right, Dada?
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― Oh No, It's Dadaismus (and His Endless Stupid Jokes) (Dada), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:46 (eighteen years ago) link
"Cuddly Toy", btw, may be Harry's best song from that era. My gf (now fiance) positively adored that song — that is, until I told her what it was about...
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 15:52 (eighteen years ago) link
― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Monday, 2 January 2006 11:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dominique (dleone), Friday, 3 March 2006 13:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 3 March 2006 13:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― frenchbloke (frenchbloke), Friday, 3 March 2006 14:33 (eighteen years ago) link
"He'd come to townand he would hound her for a couple o' daysAnd then he'd sail across the bubbly wavesAnd those were happier daaaaaysbut noooooooooooooooooooooooow..."
Aside from Schmilsson, The Point has to be my favorite of the ones I've got - the storytelling bits are way, way more enjoyable than they could have been, and the whole thing is very warm and sweet without being cloying. It's absolutely perfect for evenings spent inking comic books, or at least that's what I used it for.
Just yesterday picked up Rock N Roll, which seems to be a reissue of Spotlight on Nilsson, and also one of those rare records that doesn't seem to exist on AMG. Haven't gotten to really digest it yet - apparently Spotlight was a collection of minor studio recordings/demos from when he had access to a studio but before he had a contract of his own. Enjoyable but doesn't really jump out the speaker at least so far...
― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Friday, 3 March 2006 16:40 (eighteen years ago) link
I love this record. It has to be one of the strangest follow ups to a smash-hit LP by a major artist. There's a strong "I'm not going to repeat the formula, but I'll mess up the expectations of my new fans instead" vibe to it that's fascinating (and makes the album title an intentional joke). God only knows what people who loved "Coconut" or "Without You" might have thought of "You're Breaking My Heart" when they first heard it.
And recording a song titled "I'd Rather Be Dead" with back up vocals from residents of a nursing home is twisted genius. Classic, I say.
― James, Friday, 3 March 2006 16:52 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rotatey Diskers With Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 3 March 2006 16:55 (eighteen years ago) link
Son of Schmilsson is one of his I've never heard, but I'm seeking it out right now for this reason alone.
― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 4 March 2006 15:39 (eighteen years ago) link
I see only one mention of Sandman on here -- which I've never heard; is it really bad? Can't say I'm not curious...
― mike powell (mike powell), Saturday, 4 March 2006 15:48 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dominique (dleone), Saturday, 4 March 2006 16:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― Beta (abeta), Saturday, 4 March 2006 16:05 (eighteen years ago) link
wow, almost didnt recognize his voice on that sample track
― “Hakuna Matata,” a nihilist philosophy (One Eye Open), Thursday, 26 September 2019 12:17 (four years ago) link
UCLA sounds completely in keeping with latter day Nilsson. Title track, agree, sounds like nothing else he did. I would love to hear the demos as well.
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 27 September 2019 19:23 (four years ago) link
https://i.imgur.com/Boy1C5O.png
dude was ahead of his time...
https://open.spotify.com/track/6fvIzrJ6boUDFF19fH4S2s?si=a48JN0ddSVeLd89E0LCCDQ
― corrs unplugged, Monday, 14 October 2019 07:28 (four years ago) link
There are some days where I think that Pussy Cats may be his best album.
― Mr. Cacciatore (Moodles), Wednesday, 21 October 2020 23:36 (three years ago) link
It's been reported that Zak Nilsson (Harry's son) has passed away after a long struggle with colon cancer.
I didn't know this, but when Paul McCartney heard he was starting chemo, he sent him this letter.
― birdistheword, Friday, 5 March 2021 02:07 (three years ago) link
Confirmed on the Nilsson FB page.e
He appears w/Mom & Dad in the upper corner of the Son of... gatefold.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2176/9085/products/R-682504-1350386714-1971_jpeg_1024x1024.jpg?v=1598380339
― "what are you DOING to fleetwood mac??" (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 5 March 2021 02:24 (three years ago) link
Just saw this. RIP.
― The Ballad of Mel Cooley (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 5 March 2021 04:15 (three years ago) link
Recently picked up ... That's the Way it Is as I continue very slowly filling in his post-Pussy Cats records. It's good! STE at Allmusic always gave me the sense this was the nadir of his recorded output, but it's feeling very consistent with Knnillssonn and Sandman, just wayyy more reliant on covers and therefore less compositionally or melodically surprising. If you like 50% or more of those records, you'd probably like 50% or more of this one.
― Bobo Honk, real name, no gimmicks (Doctor Casino), Friday, 2 July 2021 14:11 (two years ago) link
That run of three albums: "Duit on Mon Dei", "Sandman" and "...That's the Way It Is", is pretty dire compared to the rest of his discography, although there's definitely good (even great) stuff on all those albums. "Knnillsson" is different beast entirely.
― Are Animated Dads Getting Hotter? (Tom D.), Friday, 2 July 2021 14:22 (two years ago) link
i hardly ever put them on individually, but there are enough good tracks across all of them to put together a pretty good album-length playlist imo
― nobody like my rap (One Eye Open), Friday, 2 July 2021 15:36 (two years ago) link
Yes, you could get one very good album out of the three, shorn of dross like "How to Write a Song" et al.
― Are Animated Dads Getting Hotter? (Tom D.), Friday, 2 July 2021 16:11 (two years ago) link
https://i.imgur.com/utaGNbW.jpgThis came on and I was like “how did I not know that Lennon covered this?”
― calstars, Thursday, 10 August 2023 00:54 (nine months ago) link
Interesting to compare Nilsson's "Vine Street" to Van Dyke Parks' version starting off "Song Cycle"...
Or Harpers Bizarre's version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEkbPrsoX_c
― Hunky Tory (Tom D.), Saturday, 6 April 2024 15:55 (one month ago) link
... and Lulu's version!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epxh3CetPo8
that Harpers Bizarre version is nice
― Muad'Doob (Moodles), Monday, 8 April 2024 13:31 (one month ago) link
This came on and I was like “how did I not know that Lennon covered this?”
Because he didn't? Lennon used the same string arrangement for "#9 Dream."
Nilsson's version is a cover tho ... of a Jimmy Cliff song.
― Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 8 April 2024 15:44 (one month ago) link
Lennon freely admitted he copped it too.
― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 8 April 2024 15:46 (one month ago) link
Even in the depths of my Nilsson obsession - admittedly a long time ago now - I had no idea he had recorded an entire (unreleased) album of Yoko Ono songs. It was recorded in the mid 80s and there's been talk for a while of releasing it - Sean Lennon is involved in the release somewhere - no sign of it yet.
Anyway Harry's voice is pretty grizzled, though a lot less than Dennis Wilson's on Pacific Ocean Blue for instance, but he can still sell a song. I've not heard all of it but I really like what I've heard and it's fascinating to hear him singing to an all electronic backing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLmWj_SZAm0
― I've left the box of soup near your shoes (Tom D.), Wednesday, 22 May 2024 09:05 (yesterday) link
something very surreal about that. idk if it's him sounding like Huey Lewis or the massive amounts of reverb on everything, it just sounds wrong for Nilsson. good tune though!
― frogbs, Wednesday, 22 May 2024 14:45 (yesterday) link