When I was just a young whippersnapper, you could throw a rock in any direction at the street corner of Main & 1st in Dodge City and it would hit a singer/songwriter. Now, they’re just about as extinct as the Griz, and we gotta protect ‘em. One of the best was a guy named Harry Nilsson, who wrote stuff for TV, movies, pop and rock, jammed with buddies like John Lennon and even did a bit of Tin Pan Alley. These 17 albums include not only all 14 of his RCA sessions, but 3 separate discs of undiscovered stuff like demos and out-takes (such as demos of “Coconut” and “One”). A two-fer disc of his “must haves” is also out there, so you’ve got to decide for yourself on the level of musical commitment.
I used to be in an a cappella group, and we salivated at every new Nilsson disc, as his material was just so juicy and fresh. The classic “Coconut” was a no-brainer, but when we tried “Jump Into the Fire,” we almost broke up the band. Other well known gems like “Without You” are presented in rare forms, such as Italian, which made me almost hit the roof when I first heard it living in Rome back in the 80s. Every collection should have his Nilsson Schmilsson disc from ’71, but his “Pussy Cats” and “…Touch of Schmilsson…” have wonderful moments as well. The music from the TV Show Special The Point with the delightful “Me and My Arrow,” which can melt even the coldest heart. A wild meeting with John Lennon, Ringo Starr and Keith Moon are on the famous (notorious) Pussy Cats, while his early interpretation of The Beatles’ “You Can’t Do That” is a kick.
What comes across through this voluminous collection is the reflections of a man who flirted with genius, or at least had more neural synapses that connected than most of us. Ideas are bouncing around all over the place, some of them stick to the wall, and others fall to the floor, but you hang in there with him because the rewards are so delightful. Agonizing ballads feel cozy right next to satirical ditties, and the way he rhymes a lyric is up there with the best from Tin Pan Alley. Maybe he was in the wrong decade with the right songs?
RCA/Legacy Recordings