Customer Reviews

Harry Nilsson - All-Time Greatest Hits

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Harry Nilsson was one of those talent singer-songwriters, like Randy Newman (whose "Caroline" he covers on this album), whose reputation exceeds their popularity. With Harry's musical career, irony abounds. His hit song "One" was a big hit for somebody else, namely Three Dog Night, while his hits "Everybody's Talkin'" from "Midnight Cowboy" and "Without You" were written by others. He could write a wonderful nonsense song like "Coconut" and then turn out something more serious like "I Guess the Lord Must Be In New York City." The Ringo Starr movie "Son of Dracula" inspired "Daybreak," while Nilsson achieved some small degree of immortality by doing the script and songs for animated television special "The Point," the best known of which is "Me and My Arrow." Then, when he works in a cover of "As Time Goes By," you have to figure he has pretty much covered all the bases. This is a fine collection of Nilsson songs, although it would have been nice to hear some of his other songs that were successfully covered such as "Ten Little Indians" (The Yardbirds) and "Cuddly Toy" (The Monkees).

After hearing his redition of "Remember" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" during the movie "You've Got Mail," I was haunted by the timbre of his voice. I purchased this CD and was so lucky to have "With Out You" as one of this artist's hits. A true monument to this performer.

There are currently three Nilsson Greatest Hits packages and this is by far the best selection of songs, with no conspicuous omissions. Nilsson was fabulous and so under-appreciated today. I loved him as a child in the 70's and grew up on his dulcet-toned voice filtering through the house. I figured anyone that hung out with Ringo and John Lennon had to be the apex of cool, and he certainly was that. This album encompases his greatest hits as well as some of his lesser known ballads. Not only could Harry write beautiful songs, he sang some awesome cover versions, such as "Over the Rainbow," which would give even Judy Garland a run for her money.

I think the most lovely track here is "Remember," which had a brief revival when it was included in the trivial Tom Hanks movie, "You've Got Mail." This introduced Nilsson to a generation who was robbed of his talent through his premature and untimely death. This is a good collection of his work. I can't imagine anyone with good taste not appreciating this man's body of work. Beautiful stuff.

I have only spent 30 years searching for the singer who took the Badfinger song, "Without You", to number 1 in 1972 (I thought the title was "I Can't Live, If Living Is Without You". In any event, Harry Nilsson was the best singer most people probably never heard of. Another fabulous song on this CD is "Nobody Cares About The Railroads Anymore" Wonderful. The songs that we all know about: "Everybody's Talking", "One", "Coconut", "Me And My Arrow" and "As Time Goes By" are here and Mr. Nilsson's rich voice should really be known and appreciated by all. Buy this CD if you love great music.

Harry Nilsson is an iconoclast that defies all labels. His humor wit and creativity create musical scenarios that are memorable. He rubbed noses with the best of them(John Lennon, Cher) though he was as good or better than the best.Who can forget the breezy and wistful "Everybody's Talkin'", or the harrowing paen "Without You". The silly sweetness of "My Old Desk" shows his imaginative child-like side.His Vaudvillian nature is captivating and this set does a good job describing his many sides! A deceased genius, I encourage you to try this set!

Nillson's life is a tragic story of waste as he was an exceptionally talented singer and songwriter who fell because of alcoholism. His early death was a shock to many and a dsiappointment to those of us who saw his songwriting excellence. Blessed with a sweet crooner's voice, he could wail "Everybody's talking" so superbly and achingly that the song just begs you to sing to it on any long lonely car/truck ride. It is male crooning at its best.
His beautiful "I guess the Lord must be in N. Y. City" shows this same skill. His sweet and quaint side in "My old desk" and "Me and my arrow" show a sensitive artist. After teaming up with producer Richard Perry, he had a number of hits. So what happened? Drink. John Lennon's "Lost year' was spent drinking brandy alexanders with Nillson who had ceased being a creative force. Sigh. Such loss. His songs live on, though.

Harry Nilsson.Is my fave!!!!!!!!!My love of his music began with Me and my arrow (at age 10),Everybodys talking (at age 17),And now Remember.I did'nt know about the movie (You've got mail)I took my daughter to see it and I recognized his voice in some of the songs.I had to wait for all the credits to get over to see for myself.Is the voice Harrys'? Harry Nielsson? And I was right, it was. I was thrilled.So here I am posting my response,I love his voice.And the way he makes up stories to suit the music.His voice is one I could listen to all my life.Harry keep writing and singing with that wonderful voice of yours!!!!!!!Bie now....

This is a great collection of Harrys' work for a quick Nilsson fix. Although I do like the song "Everybody's Talkin'" I think that Harrys' self-penned "I guess the lord must be in new york city" should have been chosen for "Midnight Cowboy" instead of the Fred Neil song. No matter who remakes it, Harry will always have the best version of "Without you," Its better than the original Badfinger version and DEFINITLY better than the Mariah Carey or whoever the hell the female vocalist was that ruined the song a couple years back. I also have a partialness to Nilssons' version of "One" over 3 Dog Nights. Sorry Chuck! all and all its a good collection. I do have to say I enjoyed The Harpers' Bizzare's cover of "poly High" a little more than Harrys' yet I like both Harrys' and Harpers' reditions of "Simon Smith and his amazing dancing bear" equally. Just so there is no confusion and so no one is accidentally mislead. Harry Nilsson unfortunally passed away in the mid 1980's, I beleive I heard it was a heart attack :(

Harry Nilsson has left the world some music that will always be classic. There are songs on here I didn't even know Harry recorded. Two thumbs up on this c.d.

I, too, had to watch the credits roll at the end of You've Got Mail. Nillson's "The Lord Must Be in New York City" was skillfully inserted in the soundtrack at a dramatic moment that added to the performances of Hanks and Ryan, much the same way that the audience was seduced by nostalgic music additions to Sleepless in Seattle. Curiously, the soundtrack CD offers Sinead O'Connor's version.

We hope that Harry enjoys the well deserved exposure to his work that You've Got Mail brings.