Harry Nilsson
The Point!
1971 RCA Victor
My travels to the library are good for my music collection in a few ways. The first, obviously, is that I’m adding to it, checking out albums that are either missing from my collection or albums I’ve been meaning to take a listen to. In the first and second “From the Library” columns, I discussed records by two of my favorite artists that had somehow slipped through my anal-retentive, perennially accumulating grasp. But the library is also good for stockpiling music; creating a nearly never ending current of new, good music that I can turn to. Some of it I’m completely unfamiliar with, like the subject of today’s “From the Library” column, Harry Nilsson. I vacillated between writing about Nilsson and another famed singer/songwriter, Tom Waits, both of whom I’ve never listened to and know nothing about. I’ve heard tremendous things about both, but Nilsson’s album The Point! is a new checkout from this past week, and being fresh in my mind, it won out.
A cursory glance at Wikipedia (which also provides many of the album facts in this and the following paragraph) tells me that The Point! is a children’s tale about a boy named Oblio. Oblio lives in a mythical place called the Pointed Village, where according to law everything must have a point, including its residents. Oblio has a round head, and this causes some problems for him and lessons are learned. Nilsson apparently said of the how he came to this idea, “I was on acid and I looked at the trees and I realized they all came to points, and the little branches came to points, and the houses came to a point. I thought, ‘Oh! Everything has a point, and if it doesn’t, then there’s a point to it.’” This whole project may sound like the delusions of a drug fueled madman, but I’ve heard dumber ideas for a concept album before.
An animated film of the same name was released in 1971, airing on ABC. Dustin Hoffman originally voiced the narrator, who was also the father of Oblio in the story. Mike Lookinland (Bobby Brady) performed the voice of Oblio. Later versions had to be released due to legal issues, with both Ringo Starr and Alan Thicke voicing the narrator in subsequent editions. There was even a 1975 live musical based on The Point!, with lead roles in the London production being performed by two members of the Monkees. Sadly, on the album version, Nilsson handles narration duties.
As someone who has never listened to Harry Nilsson, he showcases a very distinct Beatles sound throughout The Point! He had been a close friend to members of the Beatles, particularly John Lennon, and Nilsson’s succinct craftsmanship owes them a debt of gratitude. The album features a number of songs tied together by one to two minute long narrative tracks, where Nilsson tells Oblio’s tale and tries to give the listener a sense of what these songs are about. It doesn’t always work. Though the music is always pleasant, the story goes wayward several times. After Oblio is kicked out of the Pointed Village for being a roundhead, the following songs are about bodies decomposing in the sea and about how Thursdays are the craziest days of the week. Maybe it’s designed for kids and they eat this shit up, I’m not sure. But it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me even in the context of the simple storyline.
The music is always good but never attention getting. Third track “Me and My Arrow”, middle-of-the-record cuts “Think About Your Troubles” and “Thursday (Why I Did Not Go to Work Today), and penultimate track “Are You Sleeping?” are all quite charming 70s pop songs but really don’t radiate well and they sound dated. The album does succeed in creating a dreamlike and cheerfully otherworldly atmosphere, however, suitable for the fantastical subject matter of the record and the fantastical state of mind Nilsson was in when he came up with these ideas. The Point! comes off as a second-rate cross between Dr. Seuss and Sesame Street, but it does efficiently mimic enough of their elements to create an enjoyable experience.
Though The Point! doesn’t fit together very well, there is a real sense of adventure on this record. The subject matter obviously contributes, but these songs, while somewhat flat, are playful, whimsical, and charming. As a unit, The Point! works to at least create a fun and unique atmosphere unlike much else I’ve seen in pop.
C+
John Lacey
No comments:
Post a Comment