Nilsson - C or D?

Re. Tin Pan Alley silliness: when I revived this thread yesterday this was on my mind. It's one of the possibilities the Beatles opened for "rock" (cos yeah it was obv possible before them) but I think it's less followed through on than others of the possibilities they opened. Like, glam picked up on the silliness but with tongues in cheek---whereas for the Beatles & Nilsson it was more straight (Lou Reed fits in here somewhere too). But Nilsson's silliness usually is paired with ache, both early & late (and post Pussy Cats he's vey silly again).

his tin pan alley-ish lyrics are usually major bummers when you listen to them ...

he's a great lyricist even when he's in Tin Pan Alley mode, its more the ticky-tacky musical arrangements that I can't get into - usually a bit too arch and cutesy and baroque for their own good ("Paul's granny's music" as Lennon used to call it)

My buying Nilsson Schmilsson last year was my Classic Album Discovery purchase of the year.

After living with and loving his greatest hits for years and years, I finally bought my first proper album of his last year, too. Also Nilsson Schmilsson because that's the one that gets talked up the most. It's awesome, yes. But a month or two back I got Pandemonium Shadow Show and it is way better. Not sure why Nilsson Schmilsson gets so much critical love when the guy had a clearly consistent run of genius.

Nilsson Schmilsson has the hits, which is what keeps it on people's minds. I like that whole mid-career run, though.

Just now discovering HN, I've got Pandemonium Shadow Show, Aerial Ballet, Nilsson Schmilsson, Harry, The Point, and I'm going apeshit over how good all these records are. LUVLUVLUV the Beatles covers (esp "You Can't Do That") on his first two albums. Other favorite tracks at the mmt are "Down To The Valley", "Little Cowboy", "Everybody's Talkin'", "River Deep Mountain High". I saw "Popeye" recently and yes those songs are amazing, kind of traditional sounding yet with really inventive arrangements. The bonus stuff on "The Point" is wonderful, I really like this track a whole lot. It's an advert but it's probably one of the coolest adverts I've ever heard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x68-mnvyMpo

other favorite tracks at the mmt are "Down To The Valley"

Love that song too

It's an advert but it's probably one of the coolest adverts I've ever heard

Here's one he did for tv, for Duit on Mon Dei lp:
http://fortheloveofharry.blogspot.com/2010/01/duit-on-mon-dei-tv-commercial-1975.html

Neat item from that page:

According to Olive Films (via Paramount), Skidoo is set to be released on DVD for the first time in September, 2010. Harry wrote some of the music and even made an acting cameo in the 1968 film.

A neat little gift from the blog a few weeks back, a French TV Special from '68 featuring Harry and the surprisingly fetching Peggy March

ah, this guy..

a god among mortals

the best that ever was

happy birthday harry

"Well in 1941 a happy father had a son..."

the doc on dvd

I'm currently working on a dubstep track that samples the first couple of notes on "One".

This guy needs a broad reaching 4CD boxset.

From his earliest days, through his Monkees and Beatles days, to his last.

I reckons.

thanks for this revive reminding me about the doc dvd - anyone checked it out yet?

obv of interest for fans but a pretty clumsy movie

yeah my friend saw it, said there was some good footage, but not exactly a brilliant piece of filmmaking.

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.