Monday, April 28, 2014

Great non-Beatles song...

... with a random Beatles reference.
Nilsson...I just can't quit the guy. And for someone who operates a blog about The Beatles, this is fortuitous, as there's no shortage of shared history between the two acts. The list encompasses press conference plugs, surprise late-night phone calls, transatlantic visits, cover songs, tribute mash-ups, collaborations (both sonic and cinematic), epic booze-and-coke benders, best-man wedding duties, and so forth. I've already blogged about much of this, but here's one Nilsson-Fab intersection that I've yet to highlight: Harry's shout-out to The Beatles in "Don't Leave Me."
Off 1968's Aerial Ballet - a delightful hodgepodge dotted with classics - "Don't Leave Me" is full of the tricks, surprises, and wonders that have always set Nilsson apart. Foremost, take notice of how the song begins and where it is by the end. It's a full-on transformation: from subdued and plaintive to effervescent and whacky. In part, this is thanks to the range and elasticity of Nilsson's legendary voice. As with Roy Orbison, his vocal acrobatics often lead you on little adventures. There's also the unconventional use of just a single chorus, the closing half-minute stuffed with Nilsson's signature "nonsensical melodic mortar" (in the words of Grantland's Sean Fennessey), and - getting to the point of this post - the appropriation of "beep beep beep beep yeah" from "Drive My Car" that comes out of nowhere right in the middle of the track. Why is it there? Hardly matters. All I need to know is that it's Harry and The Beatles.

6 comments:

Joe said...

Aerial Ballet is, I think, Nilsson's best album. The song that follows Don't Leave Me - Mr Richland's Favorite Song - references The Walrus and the Carpenter, which I've always felt was another nod to the Beatles/Lennon.

Also, don't forget the "Ooh la la la" backing vocals in Little Cowboy - very Nowhere Man/You Won't See Me!

Curtis Honeycutt said...

My love for Nilsson is growing exponentially by the day; I initially learned about him via the documentary on Netflix, Who is Harry Nilsson (and Why is Everybody Talking About Him?). The Beatles connection is what hooked me, and over the past few months I've been tracking down his albums on vinyl, which has been kind of difficult for a few of them. Really good stuff. I think if (which is a big "if" and an exercise in futility at this point) The Beatles would have gotten back together, Nilsson would have been in the group, hands down. Ah, what might've been...

Barry Lenser said...

Joe: Aerial Ballet is definitely among my favorites of his. Probably second, after Son of Schmilsson. Next time I listen to AB I'll pay close attention to the other Beatles nods. Thx for the heads-up!

Barry Lenser said...

Curtis: Thanks for the comment! It's a true joy, isn't it, getting to know Nilsson and his work. Like you, I'm always on the hunt for his vinyl. Thus far I've collected everything from Spotlight on Nilsson to Duit on Mon Dei, but it's taken some patience. As soon as his records come in, they're usually gone.

Joe said...

Are the vinyl albums really that hard to come by? I was thinking of buying The Point for the comic insert, and looked it up on eBay. There seemed to be absolutely loads of Nilsson albums on there, most at reasonable prices too. Are any in particular difficult to find?

Barry Lenser said...

I have no doubt you're right, Joe, but I rarely venture online for vinyl. I'm a total brick-and-mortar guy (and there are tons of used vinyl shops where I live). In my experience, Nilsson's records get snatched up in a hurry, but that doesn't mean there aren't a decent amount in circulation.