Everybody's Talkin'

Some time ago, my daughter suggested that I watch this film documentary about singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson called "Who Is Harry Nilsson (and Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?) Well, I finally got around to seeing it and I gotta say it was an interesting, well assembled & tightly edited film. It was rather sad to see someone so blessed with talent deteriorate so quickly. Any film that makes you connect solidly with its subject emotionally is well worth the time and the ticket, so I'd recommend it heartily. Put it on your Netflix queue today. Here's the trailer.

There are lots of candid interviews in the film with the likes of the Smothers Brothers, Robin Williams, Brian Wilson, Yoko Ono, percussionist Ray Cooper, and Micky Dolenz as well as Harry's wives and kids. Of particular interest are the in-depth conversations with producer Richard Perry, and songwriters Jimmy Webb and Van Dyke Parks.

John Lennon, Anne Murray, Harry Nilsson, Alice Cooper & Micky Dolenz

Guitarist Joe Walsh was once referred to as "a complicated bunch of guys". That definitely applied to Harry. Blessed with a beautiful singing voice, he seemed hell-bent on destroying it. He never made it as any sort of musical superstar, but was certainly one of the most respected songwriters of his day. Ironically, two of his biggest hits were covers, despite his outsized songwriting talent. Harry also had some famous fans and ran with an interesting crowd, as you can see by this curious photo taken during a night out at the Troubadour in L.A. (What on earth was Anne Murray doing there with these drunken yahoos? It's like seeing Donny Osmond at a Motorhead concert!) But Harry was also very insecure, and chose high-profile friends that shared his proclivity for alcohol excess. He was a multi-millionaire that died broke; a victim of embezzlement. So despite his successes, Harry's story is a sad one. There's so much he could have achieved. As Alice Cooper once said in an interview, "I made multi-platinum selling albums while I was in blackouts (from drinking), and I will always wonder what else I could have done had I not been so impaired for all that time".

After watching this excellent film, I wanted to go back to Harry's original recordings for a good listen. The hits aside, I found myself really taken by the vulnerability and tenderness of some of his earlier songs, like the autobiographical "1941" and his unique discussion of God by referring to his "Good Old Desk". Although I've heard it a hundred times, Harry's cover version of "Without You" (written by Pete Ham of Badfinger), is both heartbreaking & definitive. Nilsson's version of that song does what Hendrix brought to "All Along The Watchtower"; a total maturing of the song's potential. It need not be covered ever again.

Harry's first hit was, of course, "Everybody's Talkin'". The song was recorded during the sessions for Harry's wonderful 1968 album, "Aerial Ballet", his third. The following year, it was chosen for the soundtrack of the Academy Award winning 1969 film, "Midnight Cowboy", which bears the distinction of being the first and only X-rated film to be awarded the Oscar for Best Picture. The rating was later changed to R, following an appeal.

Harry's early recordings have a childlike charm that was to fade away over the years, mostly due to Harry's own self-destructive efforts. So it's a very good thing that we have these recordings to enjoy and above all, to do as Harry asked us in song: remember.

Fred Neil in New York, mid-60's

"Everybody's Talkin'" was written by Fred Neil, one of the more compelling Folk-Rockers to emerge from Greenwich Village in the mid-60's. His albums showcased his low, rich voice on intensely personal and reflective compositions. His influence was subtle, but significant. Before forming The Lovin' Spoonful, John Sebastian played harmonica on Neil's first album, which also featured guitarist Felix Pappalardi, who went on to produce Cream. The Jefferson Airplane featured Fred's tune "Other Side Of This Life" prominently in their concerts, and dedicated a couple of songs ("Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil" and "House at Pooneil Corner") to him. On the B-side of Roy Orbison's signature single "Crying" is Neil’s "Candy Man", which remains one of Roy's better efforts. Stephen Stills has mentioned Fred Neil as an influence on his guitar playing. Most famously, Harry Nilsson took Fred's "Everybody’s Talkin'" into the Top Ten.

A recent vinyl reissue of the "Fred Neil" album

Despite all of his influence, Fred Neil himself remained an enigmatic, mysterious figure. His recorded output was formidable, but sparse. During 1964, he recorded as a duo with Vince Martin, which yielded an album for Elektra, "Tear Down The Walls". His solo debut, "Bleecker & MacDougal", ranked as one of the best efforts from the era in which Folk was just beginning its transition to Rock. The most Blues-inclined of his albums, it contained some of his best songs, including "Little Bit Of Rain", "Other Side Of This Life", and "Candy Man". His artistic peak came with the next album, "Fred Neil", which made a full transition to electric instruments. Less bluesy in tone, the album featured "Everybody's Talkin'" along with an equal gem in "The Dolphins".

Fred Neil’s subsequent slide into obscurity was both strange and quick. His next album, "Sessions", from 1968, was a much more casual and slapdash affair that included some instrumental jamming. Always something of a recluse, he retreated to his home in Coconut Grove, Florida, living off the royalty checks from "Everybody's Talkin'", and didn't release any more new music, save for a 'Live' album in 1971. His obscurity was enforced by an absence of domestic CD reissues of his best work, a situation rectified with a well-done "Best of" compilation by Collectors’ Choice and the 2001 two-fer release of "Tear Down the Walls/Bleecker & MacDougal" by Elektra. He continued to play music, but only for those close to him. Ill with cancer, Fred Neil passed away on July 7, 2001, at his home in Florida.

Here is the rarely heard original recording of "Everybody's Talkin'", as performed by Fred Neil.

Bob Dylan, Karen Dalton & Fred Neil. New York 1961

What's important to remember about Fred Neil is that he was a peer of some of the biggest names in 60's Folk, including Bob Dylan, Eric Andersen, Karen Dalton, Tim Hardin, Richie Havens, John Sebastian, and Joni Mitchell, all of whom Neil performed with at one time or another. Dylan reportedly considered him to be a competitor. Folk legend Odetta said this about Fred's singing. "There are two voices I heard in my life that no microphone can possibly capture. Paul Robeson is one, and the other is Fred… when you hear him in person there are other levels… his voice is a healing instrument". So, the music of Fred Neil obviously goes well beyond "Everybody's Talkin'" and is well worth your looking into. You can find Fred's work at Amazon, or in the Folk section of your favorite independent emporium of musical curiosities.

The music of Harry Nilsson is available at The Big A, and of course, the aforementioned local record shop of your preference. Those of you who are already familiar with his work may jump in at your leisure, but I will direct our readers who are new to Harry's music to this very thorough, yet economical, Greatest Hits collection, which manages to cover all the essential tracks on one, well sequenced CD. There are several of his best works that are now available again on vinyl as well.

But if you're one of those that's just wild about Harry, then you simply can not bypass the outstanding boxed set, The RCA Albums Collection. The box contains a whopping 17 CD's of freshly remastered Schmilsson goodness, including bonus tracks on each album, plus 3 CD's worth of other rarities, all packaged in mini LP repro covers, and a lavish booklet. It should be scorable online for under $75 new. If that sounds spendy, 75 divided by 17 equals roughly $4.41 per disc. To me, that's a good deal, especially for one of the finest boxed sets released in recent years.

You should also know that there's a marvelous little Harry Nilsson tribute album floating around out there that is well worth your time. It's cheap too, especially if you can find it used. The album features a great cast of musicians and interesting song choices too. No doubt Harry would have been pleased.

I have to admit that this week's song choice was a difficult one, as there is such a wealth of excellent material to consider when dealing with Harry Nilsson. His songs have been recorded by many musical admirers. Harry also performed numerous covers himself throughout his recording career, including a collection of orchestral Pop standards, and an entire album of Randy Newman songs! Such is the extent of the choices that I can assure you we will be revisiting Harry again at another time. So please consider today's feature to be a mere introduction.