Harry Nilsson: Schmilsson

The late Harry Nilsson's creative and commercial peak, Nilsson Schmilsson showcases the singer/songwriter's light-hearted worldview to best advantage. It remains one of the best, most consistent and least dated albums from an early-1970s era not known for underplayed, unpretentious subtlety. Here you get strong interpretative singing (how ironic that this tunesmith's biggest hits were covers, such as Badfinger's "Without You"), inventive arranging (the hilarious, marble-mouthed "Coconut"), and distinctive melodicism (check out that lovely paean to the stars, "The Moonbeam Song"). In keeping with the domesticated figure on the cover--complete with housecoat, cigarette, and waiting refrigerator--the mood is laid-back and homey, Nilsson's multi-octave voice was never so full of life, and there's a palpable feeling of comfort in both the production and the material. Other LPs (like the John Lennon-produced Pussy Cats and the essential Nilsson Sings Newman) have their moments, but this is where to begin any Nilsson collection. --Don Harrison

Price: $37.98