By Ken Paulson
It takes some confidence to release a collection of songs associated with Harry Nilsson. Nilsson was a talented and often quirky songwriter, but the real magic of his recordings could be found in his incandescent voice – until he blew it out in notorious recordings with John Lennon on the Pussycats album.
So any attempt to cover Nilsson begins with a significant handicap – no one can sing like Harry.
The good news, though, is that This is the Town, A Tribute to Nilsson Vol. 1, is a charming collection of some of Nilsson’s most memorable songs, largely faithful, but not too faithful.
Two of Harry’s biggest hits were written by others- Fred Neil’s “Everybody’s Talkin’” and Pete Ham’s “Without You” are covered respectively by Tracy Bonham and Church of Betty – but the real treasures are drawn from Nilsson’s first three albums.
These just-before-stardom albums were fun and adventurous and Harry’s voice and compositions were sweet and often playful. Highlights include Jenny O’s “1941,” the Yellowbirds’ “Rainmaker” and the Wiyos’ “Nobody Cares About the Railroads Anymore.”
Nilsson’s daughter Annie contributed wonderful illustrations of her dad and a rendition of “Gotta Get Up” to boot.
This is the Town is both engaging and celebrative. We look forward to a second volume.
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