Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson

Harry Nilsson – Nilsson Schmilsson
RCA, 1971
Acquired: Half Price Books, Used, 2007
Price: $2

Thanks to the Walkmen for covering Nilsson's Pussy Cats. If they hadn't done that, I never would have got into Harry Nilsson. At least not until later on. This record is very cool, in my opinion. Yes, it has that weird “Coconut” song, but “Gotta Get Up” is a total jam and the whole A Side is a really awesome mix of post-Blood on the Tracks pre-Jesus Freak Bob Dylan-esque stuff and if you don't own this, well, you can pry find it at a second hand shop for a couple bucks. It's not as rad as the weirdo-pop he achieved on Pussy Cats with John Lennon, but it's a cool record from the 70s that predated cool, kind of. At least the kind of cool we associate with cool bands today. Plus the cover features Nilsson in a bathrobe, which I think is neat. The Beatles influence is thick, but that doesn't stop Nilsson from displaying his own quirks, which ultimately make this record really cool. AND his version of Bad Finger's “Without You” cuts any sort of sappiness and turns it into a sweeping ode to desperation carried by fucking pitch perfect vocal dynamics.