Album of the Day — August 5
Harry Nilsson — Nilsson Schmilsson
05.August.2020
Harry Nilsson
Nilsson Schmilsson
1971
Whether or not most people are aware of it or not, the influence of Harry Nilsson on music is rather considerable.
First, commanding a 3.5-octave vocal range, Nilsson was one of the first to layer and overdub vocals …with his vocals.
Nilsson experimented in such a way that some of his songs sound almost like full-on vocal bands. That kind of vocal overdubbing is much more common today than it was in the late ’60s or early ’70s.
Nilsson was so adept that at a press conference in 1968, the Beatles name checked Nilsson as “their favorite American band.”
Second, he was one of the few artists to achieve any kind of commercial success without touring regularly. Nilsson’s songs were built in such a way, and he was so committed to his work, that performing them live was challenging. At his commercial peak, artists followed the album -> tour, album -> tour pattern …Harry Nilsson actively defied that pattern. This kind of defiance and rebelliousness continue to influence both mainstream and indie artists today.
