On November 11, 1971, Harry Nilsson released his seventh studio album, Nilsson Schmilsson. It would become his best-performing album, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 in Australia. The album also garnered Nilsson several Grammy nominations, including Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (which he won for the pained ballad, “Without You”), Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
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In celebration of what is this album’s 54th anniversary at the time of this writing, we’re diving back into Nilsson Schmilsson to revisit the best songs from the album. Full disclosure: this writer would disagree that “Without You” needs a spot on this list. We’ll let the accolades Nilsson received for it in 1971 be enough.
“Gotta Get Up”
“Gotta Get Up” is among the best of the best when it comes to album openers of the 1970s. The plodding piano introduction acts as a pseudo-alarm clock, as if Harry Nilsson was rolling out of bed just in time for the downbeat of Nilsson Schmilsson. The track speaks to the universal experience of transitioning from childhood to adulthood, and all of the pains and joys that exist therein. “Gotta get up, gotta get out, gotta get home before the mornin’ comes.”
“The Moonbeam Song”
A literal sleeper from Nilsson Schmilsson, this Harry Nilsson track is a perfect early 1970s lullaby describing the trek of a moonbeam cutting a path of light across a “windowpane,” “weathervane,” and “moving train.” The song’s sleepy swing and Nilsson’s layered vocals create a dreamy effect that evokes images of the grays and blues of the earth at night. “Blown there by a windbeam who searches for the moonbeam, who was last seen looking at the tracks of the careless wind beam.”
“Coconut”
To be clear, this writer believes this song should come with a bit of a disclaimer. “Coconut”, the second track on the B-side to Nilsson Schmilsson, is not a faultless track. Is it a little weird that Harry Nilsson puts on a fake Jamaican accent when he’s singing as the “doctor?” Yes, definitely. But the rest of the song is an absolute vibe. The calypso feel makes the song feel fresh and exciting even as it stays on the same chord for nearly four minutes straight.
“Let the Good Times Roll”
Harry Nilsson embodied early American rock ‘n’ roll with his rendition of the 1956 Shirley and Lee track, “Let the Good Times Roll”. Countless artists have covered it since then, including Roy Orbison and Rising Sons. Nilsson’s version on Nilsson Schmilsson is among the best. The heavy piano introduction is almost reminiscent of “Gotta Get Up”, and the lackadaisical rock beat that follows seems to start nodding heads and tapping toes automatically. Interestingly, it probably could have performed well as a single, but Nilsson never released it as one.
“Jump into the Fire”
Martin Scorsese fans might recognize Harry Nilsson’s “Jump into the Fire” from the 1990 gangster flick, Goodfellas. But the song stands on its own as a great track, even without watching Ray Liotta get tailed by a helicopter on his way to Robert DeNiro’s house. The song’s driving guitar riff and Nilsson’s cascading vocals create a unique sonic landscape that is unlike anything else on Nilsson Schmilsson. Indeed, not many people can transition from songs like “Coconut” to “Let the Good Times Roll” to “Jump into the Fire” as seamlessly as Nilsson.
Photo by Stan Meagher/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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