Or, How 10 CD's for a Penny Could Change Your Life
I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for a deal. Send me ten DVD's for 5 bucks? I'm there. Netflix? Done deal. Peapod? Sure -- bring the grocs right to the front door. I think I've even joined Columbia House and BMG Music Clubs about 5 times each -- immediately completing the terms of the deal and canceling. I mean, fair's fair, right? I take them up on their offer, I get my CDs and move on to the proverbial next town.
But there's an odd downside to this transient Club joining, at least in the musical arena...eventually you kinda have what ya want in the ole LP/CD collection. It forces your hand to look to things you might perhaps just half like, or hell, even hear for the first time.
And that's how I found Harry Nilsson...rolling the dice for a penny and pulling the lever for The Best of Harry Nilsson. And I had every reason for optimism given previous successes of this sort with T-Rex and Thin Lizzy. (Two bands I'll STILL champion to this day - don't start with me...)
What I didn't expect was the sheer pervasive genius of the songwriting, the character of the vocals, the wit, humor, melancholy and longing wrapped up in one performer. How could I have missed this? No wonder John and Paul pronounced Nilsson their favorite in '68...hell it was all there...the 'American Beatle.' And then came that familiar feeling...that buzz...the knowledge that there's a wealth of material out there that's "new." Well, at least it was to me, then.
And now it's ten or more years on from that moment and I still feel the same way, reviewing my LPs and CDs for this week's tribute to Harry. There's plenty to be said about the man and his music, but as I noted in this week's teaser, there are quite a few online doing it already and who have done a wonderful job of covering each and every base. My thanks go out to the very fine harrynilsson.com as well as For The Love Of Harry -- wonderful sites that can fill in the blanks for the curious as well as the converted.
So, timely? Probably not. Timeless? For certain. Sit back, relax, and download...and indeed, run out and purchase.
"Long ago, and far away..."
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