From what I understand, Harry wanted to record this album before his vocal chords became too shredded from his indulgent habits. That's the story that I've always operated under, at least. However, if you compare his voice on Aerial Ballet to this, there is already a noticeable change. It's also noticeable between Nilsson Sings Newman and this, and even Nilsson Schmilsson and this. Harry's voice seemed to get just a bit lower and a bit rougher on each release, culminating with his voice on Pussy Cats. He sort of leveled out after that, and he could hit some high notes again on Knnillssonn. I just find it interesting to hear the different iterations of his voice, as he was quite talented throughout his career.
Anyway, I like Harry's singing on "A Little Touch." He delivers the songs quite nicely, and the backing band does a nice job too. I hadn't been familiar with any of the songs prior to hearing the album, which I would attribute to their age. I feel it's difficult for many of the songs from the pre-rock 'n' roll days to get exposure, so I'm grateful to Harry for turning me on to these classics. I like how the album cover details each song; a nice way to acknowledge the original artists in a bigger way than just singing their songs. I get the feeling that Harry really cared about what he was singing.
My favorite tracks are probably the first and last, being Lazy Moon and As Time Goes By respectively, but all of the tracks have grown on me substantially. The bonus tracks included with the CD are a nice extra as well, as the songs are all done in the same style (and are from the same session, I believe). Also, as an interesting side note, on the bonus track Trust in Me, the backing band plays a riff that later shows up in Old Bones on Harry's 1977 album "Knnillssonn."
Perhaps my favorite moment on the album is at the beginning of As Time Goes By. At around 23 seconds in, the band repeats the same riff a few times, adding a few more instruments each time. The final addition is of drums right after a brief swell in the sound. The rhythm that the drums break into in combination with the band is so cool, and I feel like a song could be crafted from that sound they made for a fleeting few seconds. I usually shy away from using the last track of an album as the album's showcase, but this isn't a concept album nor is the last song a particularly grandiose conclusive medley; it's just a nice song that wraps things up well. Here it is on YouTube:
Overall, this album is pretty nice. It doesn't have the antics of albums like Son of Schmilsson or much the vocal acrobatics of his early career, but it strikes a very solid mood. Harry's vocals and the big band backing go together quite well. Perhaps my invigorated interest in this style comes from my recent infatuation with classical music. Both are firmly entrenched in eras beyond our own, but when you get past the cliches and overuse, there's some fantastic music to be found. I have the album as part of Harry Nillson's "RCA Albums Collection" CD box set as well as on the original vinyl. Here's a link to the box set on Amazon, which is one of the better musical investments I've made.
Thanks for reading, and I hope my writing wasn't too disjointed! Feel free to leave your thoughts on the album or Harry Nilsson in general. If you enjoy the album, this is Harry performing most all of it in concert with Gordon Jenkins conducting:
