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…