Nilsson - C or D?

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.

He also apparently finished his last album right before he died in 1994. Would love to hear that...

And??!? Sadly, I am Soul Seekless right now...

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.

"Put a lot of echo on it if you can..."

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.

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.

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?

"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...

"He'd come to town
and he would hound her for a couple o' days
And then he'd sail across the bubbly waves
And those were happier daaaaays
but 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...

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.

Son of Schmilsson is one of his I've never heard, but I'm seeking it out right now for this reason alone.

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...

http://www.lslproductions.com/wihn_home.html

There are some days where I think that Pussy Cats may be his best album.

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.

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

Just saw this. RIP.

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.

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.

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

Yes, you could get one very good album out of the three, shorn of dross like "How to Write a Song" et al.

https://i.imgur.com/utaGNbW.jpg

This came on and I was like “how did I not know that Lennon covered this?”

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

... and Lulu's version!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epxh3CetPo8

that Harpers Bizarre version is nice

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.

Lennon freely admitted he copped it too.