Sunday, July 15, 2007

A lot of Esoteric Hooey for the Developmentally Stunted

Last night I saw one of several films from the "Mods & Rockers" series assembled by the American Cinematheque in Hollywood. Yes, HOLLYWOOD!!! It was a documentary called "Who is Harry Nilsson and Why is Everybody Talkin' About Him?" --actually, everybody isn't talking about him, which is why they can't find a proper distributor for the film.

unrelated cow etching

After the movie, there's was a live discussion with filmmaker John Scheinfeld who said that "the cracks were beginning to show" in terms of Harry's alcoholic spiral and tendency toward self-destruction on his Son of Schmilsson album. There were a couple of additional remarks generally downgrading the quality of work on that record. I would assert that they are wrong and that Son of Schmilsson is Harry's finest release. Perhaps the alcoholism actually made a positive creative contribution in this case.

Without the cracks there wouldn't be a story in any case.



There I said it.

Still, the only reason that I'm mentioning this at all is because I was fleeced 10 bucks just to park in a lot off Hollywood Blvd.. So naturally I have to blog about it to justify my folly.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Once again your blog catapults me ass over head to Nostalgiaville!

I bought Nilsson Schmilsson when I was in 7th or 8th grade, on the strength of its novelty radio hit, Coconut. The other songs turned out to be fun too. Man, he had a great voice!

(For extra stupid bonus nostalgia points, I probably bought the album at Mr. B For Music at the Peninsula Center. Sigh...)

Anonymous said...

TEN BUCKS to park? Holy cow! (or would it be Holy Sheep!-the fleecing, you know)

Did one bird deliver all of the bucks, or did you need several?

I believe pecking chickens played the piano on many of Nilsson's albums. I also think I probably first heard that there music on 93KHJ on my sister's 'Toot a Loop'

I'm in general agreement with you regarding 'Son of'-I think I got it based on "Spaceman", and came to like the rest of it as well.

Ahh, those were the days.

Something about Feeter Prampton. Don't remember what. Anecdote? foggy haze. Hmm.

Cocovan said...

Consider your folly justified!