Harry Nilsson

Nilsson added his voice -- slight, yet very distinctive -- to the outer fringes of the singer/songwriter movement. His early writing and singing hinted of a close familiarity with the work of Burt Bacharach and Hal David as well as Bob Dylan. "Everbody's Talkin' " (used in the film Midnight Cowboy) and "One" (a hit for Three Dog Night) are the catchiest examples of his orchestrated folk rock; both are included on Aerial Ballet. Along with the now-deleted late-'60s records The Pandemonium Shadow Show and Harry, this album earned Nilsson a cult following and a variety of well-placed fans. (In 1971, Nilsson selected and remixed tracks from his first two albums to create the whimsically titled Aerial Pandemonium Ballet, which might have legitimate claim to be the first-ever remix album.) The Point!, the soundtrack for an animated television special, positions seven sweetly melodic little song snatches between installments of a hippie-era children's fable.

Somewhere in between the underrated Nilsson Sings Newman and his 1971 breakthrough, Harry Nilsson discovered rock & roll. Perhaps exposure to Newman's acute cynicism and corrosive insights toughened Nilsson's artistic stance. Many Newman fanciers insist that Nilsson gently waters down the impact of these songs, but his polished vocal style puts Newman's point across with unaccustomed subtlety. Nilsson Sings Newman offers a fine introduction to either artist.

The juiced-up charge that illuminates Nilsson Schmilsson quickly turns into a hangover on subsequent followups. But what a party! A guest list of studio-session heavies brings in the rock element, while producer Richard Perry harnesses Nilsson's diffuse genius to a variety of musical settings. "Without You" could be a Perry Como outake, and "Jump Into the Fire" throbs like a funkier Humble Pie or James Gang. In between those extremes, cuts like "Down" and "Gotta Get Up" temper the melodic ache of Nilsson's older work with exuberance and humor. Son of Schmilsson lays on the sloppy charm with a trowel. Though several cuts -- most notably "Spacemen" -- could hold their own on Nilsson Schmilsson, the album's title isn't as ironic as Nilsson obviously intends. A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night finds Nilsson reaching for prerock elegance; despite the presence of Sinatra arranger Gordon Jenkins, it winds up sounding like self-conscious Muzak. The out-of-print Pussy Cats is a dark companion piece to John Lennon's Rock 'n' Roll; produced and accompanied by the former Beatle, Nilsson barrels through soul-baring cover versions of sacred cows like Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues." Unsettling stuff, but fans of Neil Young's Tonight's the Night or Bryan Ferry's These Foolish Things should be intrigued by Pussy Cats -- if they can find it.

Harry Nilsson continued releasing albums until his death in 1994 to little notice or effect. Save for a couple of tracks on the now-deleted That's the Way It Is (including a revelatory cover of America's "I Need You"!) from 1976, his lost years are mostly worth rediscovering insofar as they've been anthologized. (There are three best-ofs on the market, the best and most thoroughgoing being the two-CD Personal Best.) And as Nilsson's best work proves, even the friendliest clown routines often possess a fascinating yet tragic dimension. (MARK COLEMAN/MICHAELANGELO MATOS)

From the 2004 The New Rolling Stone Album Guide