Harry Nilsson

[AfricaBrass]

"It's all music" is accurate, but really too easy...nevertheless, I can't help but be interested in the way some people do some things...Phil Spector as "music" is not really that important to me, but Phil Spector as "creator of sound" and "sociological phenomenon" definitely is. Important and interesting.

As for Nilson, hey, as long as you have "songs", then the door is open for anybody/anything. Who comes through it and what they bring is liable to be any damn thing. It's always fun when somebody who's a little unique comes in with something that is also a little unique.

Life is a parade that is fun to both march in and spectate. And, if you can find the right wormhole, to do both at the same time. But sometimes, doing that makes your head explode from trying to find room for it all.

:tup

I wish we had a "Like" button around here.

I love when an artist brings something new to the table.

I can't count the number of hours I've sang along to Nilsson records and marveled at his talent. It's such a heartbreak what happened to his voice.

[crisp]

The RCA Albums Collection is released on July 29. 17 discs. £46.22 at Amazon UK.

Edit: more details here.

Edit #2: And I see from that Second Disc post that there's a biography coming up by jazz critic Alyn Shipton. What have I been missing? Has Nilsson got a lot to offer jazz fans? I only know Everybody's Talkin' and a few of his standards recordings.

Edited May 15, 2013 by crisp

[sgcim]

On my fave Harry LP, "Aerial Ballet" he records some great original tunes which are essentially standards. The only improvisation is his unique style of scatting, but the arrangements by George Tipton are very tasteful. Like Sinatra, without great arrangements HN is not so impressive. Tipton did the arr. for all his early stuff, which is the only HN I like. I HATE his rock crap.

Tipton put up his life savings to pay for HN's demos, which eventually got him his RCA recording contract.

HN fired his first record producer by telegram, and never spoke to him again.

The hapless guy appears in the documentary to tell his sad tale.

Then he screwed Tipton over royalties, and Tipton refused to appear in or be quoted in the doc.

The strange thing was that Tipton years later recorded an instrumental LP of all Nilsson material.

[crisp]

Interesting post. Thanks.

I listened to Nilsson Schmilsson on YouTube last night and thought it was OK, but not wonderful. I can see why Lennon and McCartney liked him. The best song was Without You, which of course he didn't write. I can't hear what is so great about his voice, which some rave about; was this after he ruined it?

I suspect that my feelings about him might be the same as towards the Stones: that the backstory is much more interesting than the music. I'd like to see that documentary.

[sgcim]

Interesting post. Thanks.

I listened to Nilsson Schmilsson on YouTube last night and thought it was OK, but not wonderful. I can see why Lennon and McCartney liked him. The best song was Without You, which of course he didn't write. I can't hear what is so great about his voice, which some rave about; was this after he ruined it?

I suspect that my feelings about him might be the same as towards the Stones: that the backstory is much more interesting than the music. I'd like to see that documentary.

Check out his early stuff. I can't listen to "Nilsson Schmilsson" or any of his later stuff, other than the standards LP.

[crisp]

The RCA Albums Collection is £36 at Amazon UK. About £2.10 a disc.

[BruceH]

I love Harry Nilsson. Such a talent.