Personal Best: The Harry Nilsson Anthology

Performer: Harry Nilsson
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: Producers include: Rick Jarrad, Harry Nilsson, Richard Perry, Derek Taylor, John Lennon. Compilation producer: Paul Williams. Engineers include: Robin Geoffrey Cable, Ken Scott, Phil McDonald. Includes liner notes by Derek Taylor, Dawn Eden and Paul Williams. Digitally remastered by Eddie Tallia and James P. Nichols. To effectively convey the full wonder of Harry Nilsson's songs and recordings, two discs really represent a minimum. PERSONAL BEST includes the hits, along with enough other important album tracks and rarities to make an effective case for the enduring merits of Nilsson (however, anyone interested in a collection of the hits alone should investigate his ALL-TIME GREATEST HITS). Nilsson wrote songs for other artists before breaking into the charts on his own. He was a romantic and jesting writer and stylist of great range and taste. Ironically, over the course of his hit-making years, a couple of his biggest hits were written by others--"Everybody's Talkin'" (by Fred Neil) and "Without You" (by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of Badfinger). Nilsson was involved in the preparation of this anthology at the time of his early death in 1994.

Rolling Stone (8/10/95, p.60) - "...combine[s] melodic genius and verbal intelligence with grace and ingenuity..." Entertainment Weekly (2/24-3/3/95, p.120) - "...The sublime tenor, who died [in 1994], left behind a bewilderingly mercurial catalog, ranging from neo-barbershop to Ray Charles-style soul, to kiddie ditties, to rudimentary rock. This collection takes in all that, along with chart-toppers..." - Rating: A Village Voice (2/20/96) - Tied for #7 on the Reissues list of Village Voice's 1995 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.

Though he's best known for his versions of other people's songs (Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'," Badfinger's "Without You," an entire album of Randy Newman songs), Nilsson was a skilled composer, and is recognized as a pop craftsman of the first order. As a songwriter, he placed tunes with the Monkees, the Yardbirds and others. As a singer he managed to wring greatly expressive range from his uniquely flexible voice, and is recognized as a pop craftsman of the first order.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25