Harry Nilsson - Son of Schmilsson

Like a lot of casual fans, I'd heard of Harry Nilsson much like I'd heard of Ernest Hemingway. I knew the name more than anything he's actually written. Over the years I knew of a couple of songs, particularly the beautiful "Without You" and of course "Everybody's Talkin'" from Midnight Cowboy. He had also covered songs by others, most notably Nilsson Sings Newman and others would cover his songs, from the Monkees to Three Dog Night.

That was it.

As a result of this depth of knowledge (sarcasm alert) I had pigeon-holed him into the '70s pop singer slot where soft rock went to die.

One of the albums that was on my radar was Nilsson Schmilsson from late 1971. It was the album that had "Without You" and the truly odd "Coconuts" but as fate would have it the album I found in the dollar bin was his 1972 follow up released while his previous album was still on the charts. It was called Son of Schmilsson so it was probably like a sequel, right?

The vinyl looked like a 50 year old record after a decent bender. There were a couple of obvious dings that made me sad, even after a clean they were still nasty looking, but oddly they didn't produce a lot of noise and didn't skip. The cherry on top was the original liner was still intact, yeah I needed a little tape but it was a crease not a tear. The insert unfolded into a great six panel poster of Harry Nilsson in his vampire costume (score). The gatefold had some wear, but the inside pictures were were awesome. I wish they'd label them for those of us who need help with faces. I got a few, but not all.

I dropped the needle and sat down on the couch reading along from the lyric sheet ... the first song "Take 54" set the tone for the album. Harry belts out, "I sang my balls off for you baby." as he recounts his struggle to lay down a track without his girl at his side. I had to remind myself this was released in 1972 this was rather risque, and if I was expecting to hear sweet pretty piano laments I was listening to the wrong record. The third track "Joy" is probably the best country song you've never heard. For a weird little throw away song you'd think he'd save his best work for better songs, "Now - if you haven't got an answer / Then you haven't got a question/ and if you haven't got a question / then you'd never have a problem" it goes on to conclude if everyone was happy there'd never be a love song. 

The closest we get to the piano love song, is the hauntingly beautiful "Remember (Christmas)" which shows off Harry's voice and Nicky Hopkins piano accompaniment. Of course in terms of love songs Harry wrote "You're Breakin' My Heart" where he gets George "Harrysong" Harrison to lay down slide guitar, while a young Peter Frampton lays down the guitar and the legend Red Rhodes played pedal steel. This is one of the best rock songs on the albums, and when Harry sings, 

You're breakin' my heart
You're Tearing it apart
So Fuck You

You feel it. I'm pretty sure at this point those expecting this record to be the sequel to Nilsson Schmilsson were feeling pretty unhappy and wondering where the pretty love songs were.

For an album where Harry seemed to be exercising his artistic muscles and doing what he wanted he was still crafting wonderful pop songs while burping and gargling and getting a group of senior citizens to sing:

I'd rather be dead - I'd rather be dead
I said dead that wet my bed

... and you know that after fifty years they're all dead now.

The album was recorded at Trident Studios in London and was produced by Richard Perry, who had produced Harry's previous album Nilsson Schmilsson, and I'm going to guess that it was a chore trying to keep this one from flying off into a million directions. 

Reading through the credits Harry assembled the best of the best to provide the soundscape. From George Harrison, who appeared on the wicked "You're Breakin' My Heart" to Ringo Starr (credited as Richie Snare) who played drums on several tracks. Peter Frampton is on the majority of the tracks. Sometimes he gets to lead, more often he's supporting the tracks. Nicky Hopkins who also played on several Rolling Stones records (among others) played piano on many of the songs. 

The last two verses from "The Most Beautiful World in the World"  are as poignant as they are cheeky, 

So when you get older
and over your shoulder
you look back to see
if it's real

Tell her she's beautiful
roll the world over
and give her a kiss
and a feel

To say this was a surprise to me is an understatement. I don't know what I was expecting, and maybe I was just in a really receptive mood - who knows, but for me to be enthralled with an album that came out when I was nine years old, is kind of awesome. It also lends new depth to the songs I already knew.

After all it was Hemingway who once wrote, "When you stop doing things for fun you might as well be dead." 

Sadly Harry Nilsson passed away at the age of 52 which is far too young.