Day 229: Harry Nilsson – Son of Schmilsson
It’s time to get into a bit of Harry Nilsson. I liked Nilsson Schmilsson when I listened to it on day 59 and I thought I should give this one a try because I liked the cover: it’s got Harry Nilsson as a vampire, shot at George Harrison’s Friar Park home. Reader, it can’t be bad.
Album cover courtesy of RCA Records
Son of Schmilsson was released in 1973 while his hit album Nilsson Schmilsson was still in the charts. It was his last album produced by Richard Perry, who said that Harry Nilsson ignored all of his advice when they were making it.
The opening track has the repeated lyric “I sang my balls off for you, baby”, which to me sounds like a jarringly modern turn of phrase. I googled “"my balls off" etymology” but unfortunately didn’t find when people first started using it. The song laments that the lack of a certain lady in his life causes him to not to be able to make a good song, with production and singing intentionally off-kilter. At the end of which there’s a goofy spooky horror segment, which as I have said about four million times is my favourite thing in the world. I’m intrigued right from the start.
I have no idea what Harry Nilsson is doing on this album, and I mean that as a compliment. It’s thoroughly silly, but somehow in a brilliant way, and you never really know what’s coming next. It’s theatrical and glam rock inspired, even a little bit Meat Loafish at times, although it was released before the time of the ‘Loaf. One of the more fun facts I’ve found out during this project is that when Meat Loaf died, the New York Times published an article setting the record straight that they categorically did not once refer to him as ‘Mr Loaf’ in an article. Anyway, it reminds me a little bit of Mr Loaf.
At the end, I’m not entirely sure what I’ve just heard. At one stage the album goes from a song about a spaceman to a song about winning the lottery to a song that starts with a burp. It’s clear that Harry Nilsson is letting loose and to do something that is propped up by his sense of humour after the success of Nilsson Schmilsson is a bold choice, especially after finding a fanbase with songs like “Without You”. But at least to me, this works.
I enjoy things that are a bit tongue in cheek, and this is definitely that. Harry Nilsson seems like a strange man and I unfortunately like strange men – I’m charmed, it’s an 8.5/10. Also, me looking into Harry Nilsson today has led me to discovering what looks like the most up my street film that’s ever been made: Son of Dracula, a musical starring Ringo Starr and Harry Nilsson, I’m pretty sure I’m watching that tonight.