Customer Reviews

Harry

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Besides his incredible voice, what I always loved about Nilsson was the sense of wonder he expressed in most of his songs. Even his early album covers had a childlike quality--until adulthood hit with Schmilsson. Several titles on this album show the innocent world Harry often evoked--"The Puppy Song", "Mother Nature's Son", "Simon Smith". You got the sense he wanted to hold on to his childhood for awhile longer. Listening now takes me back to the late 60's, when I was trying to hold on to my own childhood. It's nice to hear it now. This is one of his best albums--no major hits, just very good songwriting from Harry and well-chosen covers of Beatles and Randy Newman. Most Nilsson albums were very short, though--and I'd suggest you invest in the import instead, which pairs "Harry" with "Nilsson Sings Newman"--my favorite of his albums. NSN features 10 great Newman songs and is perfect for those who appreciate Randy's wit (but maybe not his voice). NSN was chosen as 1970 Album Of The Year by Stereo Review. Plus the import has 2 good bonus tracks never before released. It's a shame Harry Nilsson didn't leave us with more, but let's savor his talent and his love of great songs.

I've waited a long time for this to come out on CD. I was so pleased to know it was everybit as great as I remembered it. Such an incredible talent!! The songs are fun, thought provoking, reminiscent...they evoke all senses of human emotion. And that voice! What a voice, they just don't come any finer than that. He was truly blessed and we were truly blessed to be able to enjoy such talent. Many people have commented on his vocal decline due to alcohol and drugs. I had the pleasure of seeing Harry at Beatlefest 1992 and he had just gotten out of the hospital to come to this engagement to speak. He sang Without You and let me tell you, it was the most incredible experience to hear it live. Those notes were still there. I had the privelege of meeting him as well. Harry died a year later. He will always be missed.

I bought this in LP format when I was eleven and still find the music Harry's best. All the songs are about life. The best recording of Mr. Bojangles. My LP is so worn out there are no grooves. I looked for a replacement but was told many times it was out of print. I think it is great it is available.

I've been a Harry Nisson fan since the 70's and I wasn't aware of most of these songs, and for that I'm glad-the reason being that I get to enjoy them as if they were new. I think Harry Nilsson writes and sings some of the best songs you'll ever hear. He has an unequaled voice range and there's noone I'd rather sing along with in the car. When I'm not listening to Nilsson songs, I'm usually humming or whistling one-they grow on you!

The only bad news: this should have been released on CD years ago. I have been haunting the catalogs for years and assumed there was some legal snafu preventing its release. Here is Harry Nilsson at his prime (even if some later "screamers" were bigger "hits"), recorded before cigarettes and alcohol ravaged those unbelievably clear high notes. The songwriting is incredible, ranging from classic Americana nostalgia ("Nobody Cares About the Railroad Anymore", "Marching Down Broadway", "Rainmaker") to witty tongue-in-cheek ("Fairfax Rag") to some of the most beautiful love songs ever written (listen to "Maybe" and tell me I'm wrong).

Then there's the voice: What a range!

Folks, some of these songs are available on "Personal Best - A Harry Nilsson Anthology" (an excellent double CD overview of his career), but about half of these tunes haven't seen the light of day for a number of years. Wh! ! at a rarity: An album with no filler, no clinkers...every song a pleasant surprise.

You could do a lot worse.

My sister and I pillaged our older brothers' vinyl records as small children and memorized all the lyrics on "Harry." More than 20 years later I've rediscover it on CD and find I still remember every song. It is a marvelous collection of popular -- not so much rock n' roll -- music by someone revered by rock n' roll storytellers like the Beatles and Randy Newman. Look for Nilsson Sings Newman, a tribute to Randy, as a good companion album.

I first heard this album when I was a small child, and I still remember how I was immediately enchanted with the gorgeous sound of Nilsson's voice. While some may find parts of this work a bit dated, it still ranks as my favorite album of his. Any CD that contains songs as lovely as "I Guess the Lord Must Be In New York City," (my all-time favorite of his,) "Maybe," "Open Your Window," and the charmingly tongue-in-cheek "Nobody Cares About the Railroads Anymore," plus the best Lennon/McCartney cover ("Mother Nature's Son") anyone ever did, just has to be considered a must-have. Only Bill Martin's "City Life" comes off as sub-par.

It's the most tiresome of cliches to say "they don't make 'em like that anymore," but in the case of Harry Nilsson's music, the old line fits. He's greatly missed.

I just received HARRY and after 29 years he still has what I think is the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard by a male vocalist. It's to bad in our world today that we lost something as simple and wonderful as Harry Nilsson.

When the Beatles called Harry Nilsson their favorite group, they weren't kidding. The evidence is right here on "Harry"...the multitrack vocals, the voice that goes from a dark rumble to a crystal soprano. It's worth hearing.

One benefit of this album not having been released on CD with the rest of Harry's catalog is that now we get several excellent bonus tracks; the standout is the extremely rare "I Will Take You There" from the obscure movie Skidoo. But every song on this album is beautiful. Harry even does the definitive version of the Beatles' "Mother Nature's Son" that blows the original away.

Not technically a kid's album, but written from Harry's point of view growing up in the 40's. An absolute classic. You owe it to yourself to listen at least once.