A Little Touch Of Schmilsson In The Night Expanded Edition

Oh, Harry, I wish you hadn't gone from us so soon. I bought the vinyl album way back when it was released, and listened to it countless times. Since I don't listen much to my vinyl collection these days, I was happy to find this digital version to add to my mp3 and pc so I can listen again when I'm at my computer or away from home. Nilsson is just not like anybody else. His voice is so full of emotional variation and so smooth, he just pulls you into each song. The songs are all old standards, which I love, and the way they are orchestrated makes these wonderful melodies even better. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say this has been and will always be one of my favorite albums ever. It's one I never tire of hearing, and if you like music other than rock, hip hop or whatever the latest fad is, this is one you should hear. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Harry Nilsson first and foremost was an extraordinary talented lyricist and composer. In this extended version of ' A Little Touch Of Schmilsson In The Night ' six additional tracks have been added not originally included in the first release of the album. Harry knew that his voice would never be better than it was at the time this album was recorded due to his penchant for being ' ON ON ' if you require my driff ( Frank Zappa Thing Fish ). Harry sings 18 old standards (the first 12 are the best) with an orchestra behind him arranged by Frank Sinatra's arranger Gordon Jenkins, and produced by Derek Taylor. What lovely sounds! I first purchased this album in the fall of 1973 after reading about it in a 'Stereo Magazine' . This is a great album to add to any CD collection.

It was like a member of Black Sabbath doing a collection of Yiddish folk songs. Nilsson has accomplished much in his earlier years, from a bank accountant supervisor, to a successful song writer, and performer. Nilsson had one personal flaw, he did what he wanted to without regards to its unintended consequences. Loving the music his long lost father, and loving mother surrounded him with, Harry set out to perform with the best arranger/conductor Gordon Jenkins, and to sing tunes he admired, with an unintended purity that only 40 years later, makes total sense. "As Time Goes By", "What'll I Do", or the laughable shtick of "Making Whoopee" shows a knowledge of these classics years before Rondstadt, or Stewart might even have guessed. The Bonus selections make this a sad, but beautiful tribute to songs that never die, and an epitaph to a genius who did not even know how to sing with a live orchestra and conductor, but pulled it off as every weird project he attempted did! Long lost, this is perhaps the most pure Nilsson you will ever own!

I vaguely knew who Harry Nilsson the songwriter was but had never paid much attention to him until I read up on something having to do with the old Troubadour in LA. This caused me to listen to a few of his recordings on YouTube and I quickly realized I had missed out on this man's work for many years - long after he passed away. In any event, this particular album is one he wanted to make of those great tunes from the Great American Songbook, and it's a little gem of a CD and one which I listen to often. From what I've been able to read, he did almost all the songs on a single take. Quite an accomplishment! Of course, Gordon Jenkins was an expert at wrapping a voice in the lushest possible way, but Nilsson's tender giving of these classic songs from the first half of the 20th century was just first rate in every way. He died too young and we can only wonder at what more he might have given to us.

l have been a Nilsson fan for as long as I can remember. I had Nilsson Schmilsson and it was a favorite. In that I'm a dinosaur, I had it in vinyl! I also had a tape of it. Does anyone else remember the days we would buy a vinyl album and then play it only once, while we made a tape of it? So many albums that were played only once! But I digress, as always. I decided to buy this CD because I was familiar with all but "Lazy Moon" but then I read that no one had recorded that song since 1909 and I'm not that old! I wasn't aware that Harry was so far ahead of his time. I'd be willing to bet that he was the first artist of his time to record an album of standards. My father, from whom I inherited my love of all kinds of music, had a Perry Como album that featured many of these songs. Some of the others, I knew from my Nat King Cole and Tony Bennett albums. If you're a Sinatra fan, you can't miss the Gordon Jenkins' influence on the album. The man was a genius and his expertise made the album all the better, without a doubt. I believed that no one could top Tony Bennett's version of "What'll I Do" but I must admit that Nilsson version is better. He sounded like he was older than his chronological age when he recorded this album. It just blows my mind that someone who sang "Jump into the Fire" could have sung "As Time goes By" the way he did. He caresses each note. It doesn't matter if you think you wouldn't like an album of old fashioned standards, if you like the sound of Harry Nilsson's voice, you owe it to yourself to buy this compilation and then sit back, toss the book aside, dim the lights, and get ready to hear some of the best renditions of these songs that has been recorded in the last fifty years!

Pretty good

J'adore mon album de Harry Nelsson A littletouch of schmilsson in the night magnifique merci

LP以来もうずっと聞いてなかったので、購入。何十年ぶりかで聞くアーヴィング・バーリン(だったと思う)の曲。懐かしい、と言うより彼の曲自体がもうすでに懐かしい時代のものなんですが。ニルソンの優しい声がまたぴったりとはまってバーボンと云うよりはコニャックを傾けながら聴いていたいところ。もっとも私は焼酎ですが。アレンジもすごくゆっくりとストリングスを生かし、洒落た大人の味わいです。当時この夜シュミでas time goes byをしっかり聴いて｢カサブランカ｣のあの曲はこんな曲なんだなあと認識したもの。この時からではなかったのかな、日本に再び(カサブランカ当時流行ったかどうかは分からないが)As time goes byがいろんなアーティストに歌われるようになったのは。この曲と並んで、｢誰とキスしているのかしら｣I wonder who's kissing her now ｢ラグタイムの子守歌｣Lullaby in rugtimeが私のお気に入り。

Das ist natürlich Geschmacksache, aber ich finde die CD ganz große Klasse !

I'm in my mid forties and I first heard this album back when my parents bought the vinyl in '73 or '74. Even back then as a kid I loved these songs and the orchestral arrangement of these classic 'standards' from the 1930's, forties and fifties. As for Harry Nilsson - the world is a poorer place without his singing talents. His vocal control and emotion is spot on and considering that the album was released when Glam-rock was all the rage - it was a brave move when this album hit the market - but it sold rather well by all accounts. The songs basically tell a story from first love, marriage, infidelity and of course - regret. The melancholic tunes will uplift and haunt in equal measure but one thing's for sure, this is a great addition to a music collection if you're serious about your music. My fave song on here - it would have to be 'Lullaby in ragtime' a song written by Danny Kaye's missus and used in the musical biopic - The Five Pennies. Lovely tune. Enjoy.

The real genius of this production is the way each song is linked to the next one. No pauses while you wait for the next song to begin. One of my all time favourite albums. Fantastic songs, brilliant arrangements, superb orchestra and the dulcet tones of Harry Nilsson. Perfection.