Harry Nilsson Son Of Schmilsson CD

SON OF SCHMILSSON was the follow-up to Harry Nilsson's most commercially successful album, NILSSON SCHMILSSON. Again produced by Richard Perry, it's a well-balanced set of semi-loopy rockers ("Take 54," "You're Breaking My Heart") and ballads, both lushly orchestrated ("Remember Christmas") and spare ("Turn On Your Radio"). The album includes the hit "Spaceman" and closes with one of the only pop songs to include the sound of gargling, "The Most Beautiful World in the World." As its predecessor does, this album enjoys a spirited sense of band interplay, which perfectly matches the material at hand. Musicians on board include the scantily pseudonym-shrouded George Harrison (George Harrysong) and Ringo Starr (Richie Snare).

Emboldened by a huge hit and hanging with Lennon and Starr, Harry Nilsson was ready to let it all go when it came time to record a follow-up to Nilsson Schmilsson. The very title of Son of Schmilsson implies that it's a de facto sequel to its smash predecessor but, as always with Nilsson, don't take everything at face value. Yes, he's back with producer Richard Perry and he's working from the same gleefully melodic, polished pop/rock territory as before, but this is an incredibly schizoid record; an album by an enormously gifted musician deciding that, since he's already becoming unhinged, he might as well indulge himself while he's at it. And, wow, are the results ever worth it. Opening with a song to a groupie -- he sang his balls off, baby, he nearly broke the microphone -- and ending with an ode to "The Most Beautiful World in the World," this record careens all over the place, bouncing from one idea to another, punctuated with B-horror movie sound effects, bizarre humor, profanity, and belches. There are song parodies, seemingly straight piano ballads, vulgar hard rock, lovely love songs, and a cheerful singalong with retirees at an old folks home who all proclaim, "I'd rather be dead than wet my bed." The sheer perversity of it all would be fascinating, yet if that's all it had to offer, it'd merely be a curiosity, the way his post-Pussy Cats records are. Instead, this is all married to a fantastic set of songs that illustrate what a skilled, versatile songsmith Nilsson was. No, it may not be the easiest album to warm to -- and it's just about the weirdest record to reach number 12 and go gold -- but if you appreciate Nilsson's musicality and weirdo humor, he never got any better. [This edition contains bonus tracks.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Additional Tracks

Liner Note Author: Curtis Armstrong.

Recording information: Apple Studios, London, England (03/??/1972-07/05/1973); CTS Studios, London, England (03/??/1972-07/05/1973); Trident Studios, London, England (03/??/1972-07/05/1973).

Photographers: Tom Hanley; Michael Putland; Paul Misso.

Arrangers: Richard Perry; Kirby Johnson.

Personnel: Harry Nilsson (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, electric piano); Harry Nilsson; Senior Citizens Of The Spency & Pinner Choir Club No, 6 (vocals); John Uribe (guitar, acoustic guitar); Paul Keough, LesThatcher, Lowell George (guitar); Chris Voormann (electric guitar); Pop Arts String Quartet (strings); Graham Smith (harmonica); Henry Krein (accordion); Bobby Keys (saxophone, tenor saxophone, horns); Jim Price (trumpet, horns, organ); David Duke, Richard Mackey, Vincent DeRosa (French horn); Gene Cipriano (horns); Richie Snare, Barry Morgan (drums); Ray Cooper (congas, tambourine, percussion); George Harrison (cowbells); Milt Holland, Richard Perry (percussion); Chris Spedding (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki); Peter Frampton (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Klaus Voormann (horns); Nicky Hopkins (piano).

Audio Mixer: Steve Rosenthal.

Q (9/00, p.127) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Hairier and madder, and at his commercial peak. But he didn't know that."
NME (Magazine) (9/23/00, p.35) - 7 out of 10 - "...This was where the choirboy with the subversive streak quit sweet-talking..."