When successful singer
and writer of songs
Harry Nilsson
schmoosed his foray
into the Great American Songbook
he little knew
it would ruin his career.
A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night
was a decade before such
sentimental standards
would slip down easily
sumptuously
with the richness
of a cocktail
knowingly too sweet
but too delicious to pass up.
The ninth album
following a trail
of hit songs
embedded in each one
nothing prepared his fans
for this shift in pace
and orchestrations
that out Hollywooded Hollywood.
Frank Sinatra’s arranger
sewed the songs together
slipping seamlessly
from track to track
in a welter of schmaltz
that should make us sick
but succeeds In pulling at
our heartstrings.
All the emotional
tricks of film scores
with swooping glissandos
of silvery strings
dramatic pauses
and sudden quietening
that make way for
heart-rending lyrics.
I can’t recall
When or where
Nilson whispered
pure emotion
in my ears
or the joy of rediscovering
this iced gem
decades after
Nilsson bombed
his career.
Wikipedia
told me the sorry tale
but I was too awash with the joy
of rediscovery
to truly sympathise
and if there is a heaven
then he is surely there
and I hope he hears
my tribute and my
sincere judgement
that this beauty
was simply
ahead of its time…
© Andrew Wilson, 2023
Intro
Lazy Moon
For Me and My Gal
It Had to be You
Always
Makin’ Whoopee
You Made Me Love You
Lullaby in Ragtime
I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now
What’ll I Do
Nevertheless (I’m in Love With You)
This is All I Ask
As Time Goes By
I’m Always Chasing Rainbows
Make Believe
Trust in Me
It’s Only a Paper Moon
Thanks for the Memory
Over the Rainbow
Outro
Written for a musical evening over at dVerse – Poetics – The Poet’s Pub where tonight the theme is Musical Muses, hosted this evening by msjadeli…
He had the perfect voice for these songs. But fans often only want more of the same, unfortunately.
Too true! Now, so many singers have followed his example, Rod Stewart, George Michael to name a few, but this one still does it for me.
Frewin, what a wonderful poem for a first class musical genius. I haven’t heard this album yet, and how kind of you to include a link to it. I will give it a listen tonight 🙂 I love his music in all of its forms. By the playlist it looks like covers? Not sure what had him imploding but I hope it wasn’t because people didn’t like his forward-thinking choice of album.
Just finished listening to it. Sensitive and beautiful, just like he was.
So glad you liked it, the arrangements and the way the songs are linked, often with fragments from one of the other songs – magic…
‘As time goes by’ ….. one of my favorites! Your poetry did Mr. Nilsson proud!
Mine too and thank you for the comment and for visiting…