The common saying about Harry Nilsson is that there are people that love him and people that don’t know about him yet.
From the late sixties to the early eighties, Nilsson released a string of brilliant albums, and though the singer songwriter was known a great friend of the Beatles, Keith Moon, and Randy Newman, his own legacy is sadly unappreciated. While Nilsson had several major hits, including “Everybody’s Talkin'” (the theme song for Midnight Cowboy), and “Without You”, a #1 single, much of his work is only very recently being released on CD and digitally. Music lovers will be hard pressed to find any artist whose catalog is more enjoyable, though, and with the newly released remasters of some of Nilsson’s more popular works, there’s never been a better time to be a Nilsson fan.
Here’s a list of Harry Nilsson’s greatest albums, and the best tracks on each for those of us with musical ADD.
5. Harry
For Beatles fans looking for a new kick, this album provided a lot of fantastic moments, such as the melodic “Rainmaker” and one of the nicest sounding Beatles covers of all times, “Mother Nature’s Son.” The World War II ditty “Marching Down Broadway” is ridiculously catchy (and written by Harry’s mom, by the way), and the rest of the songs each contribute something different so that this album serves as the first point where Nilsson’s eclecticism was given center stage. There are more consistent Nilsson albums, but the tunefulness and strength of Harry’s voice put this one in the top five.
Best Tracks: “Nobody Cares About The Railroads Anymore,” which feels a lot like a McCartney song, and “Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear,” Nilsson’s first Randy Newman cover.
4. The Point
When Nilsson set out to do an acid-influenced children’s album, he didn’t skimp on the music or phone in the story–which was really quite remarkable, since most ’70s concept albums were deficient in either one or the other.
It’s obvious that a lot of work went into The Point, which links each song with narratives that tell the story of Oblio, the boy with no point on his head, living in the land of Point, in which people all have points on their heads. It’s funny, beautiful, and way above the heads of many kids–which is maybe the Point, anyway, since even adults will need to grow into the album a bit. A fantastic message, fantastic music, and Harry’s wit make the Point a classic and one of the few children’s albums that stand up to adult ears.
Best Tracks: “Think About Your Troubles,” a somber and harmony drenched piece about the nature of worrying, and the bouncy yet laid back “Me And My Arrow,” which made the singles charts.
3. Nilsson Schmilsson
Nilsson’s most popular album serves as a great introduction to the singer’s talents and eccentricities. From the Lennon-esque bounce of the opening “Driving Along” and “Got To Get Up” to the Badfinger cover, “Without You,” to the faux-calypso “Coconut,” this is a great example of Harry’s ability to perform music from every conceivable genre while still sounding uniquely like Harry Nilsson.
Best Tracks: “Without You,” a tremendous and almost operatic ballad, “Jump Into The Fire,” by far Harry’s most rock-influenced song, and “The Moonbeam Song”, which captures Harry at the peak of his talent for arranging harmonies.
2. Son of Schmilsson
Harry’s most bizarre album was his follow up to Nilsson Schmilsson, the appropriately titled Son of Schmilsson. It’s a shocking album for anyone who listened to early Nilsson, as Harry frequently talks to his audience, belches, and curses throughout the record, with several novelty numbers that are ridiculous but still meaningful. Nilsson fans are exceptionally fond of “I’d Rather Be Dead (Than Wet My Bed),” in which Nilsson brought an entire nursing home worth of senior citizens into the studio to act as the chorus. In true Nilsonnian fashion, the elderly were treated with a high degree of respect, and everyone ended up a bit drunk on sherry by the end of the recording session.
Best Tracks: “The Lottery Song” and “I’d Rather Be Dead”, which are each silly and earnest at the same time–classic traits of Harry Nilsson songwriting. Oh, and “You’re Breaking My Heart,” which understandably didn’t get a lot of radio play (a quick listen will show you why).
1. Nilsson Sings Newman
While Harry Nilsson was known primarily as a songwriter, some of his most famous songs were covers. He seemed to be able to bring out the emotional content in any song to a brilliant shine, sometimes creating a better end product than the original songwriter.
It didn’t come as a great surprise, then, when Nilsson covered an entire set of Randy Newman songs, with Newman himself playing piano on all of the tracks. In contrast with much of Newman’s early work, the arrangements are desolate, usually consisting of just piano and Harry’s voice, overdubbed repeatedly to create complex harmonies. There’s no sweeter, sadder, or more heartfelt album in all of Nilsson’s work, and it may be Newman’s best album, too. When the album was released, it was critically acclaimed but didn’t do much on the charts–it’s a real shame, as this is one of the greatest masterpieces in 70’s music. It’s an acquired taste, like most of Newman and Nilsson’s work, but it’s worth acquiring.
Best Tracks: “Living Without You” and “I’ll Be Home,” which form an incredible two-song emotional punch and a fantastic reminder of how many different feelings music can represent.
