If you've ever been charmed in even a small way by the music of Harry Nilsson, run, don't walk, and pick up the DVD "Who Is Harry Nilsson (and Why Is Everybody Talking About Him?"), which hits the streets Tuesday. It is a fantastic tribute to a man whose music still stands out after all these years.
Director John Scheinfeld does it perfectly, gathering together all the right people to talk about him. Of course, there's Una, his widow, and Diane, his second wife, and his children. There are freshly filmed interviews with Yoko Ono, the Smothers Brothers, Randy Newman (who Nilsson paid a huge tribute to by doing an entire album of his songs), Van Dyke Parks, Brian Wilson, Micky Dolenz, May Pang, Gerry Beckley, Pythons Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam, Jimmy Webb and Paul Williams, plus there is vintage footage of John Lennon and Ringo Starr.
The memories are wonderful. The Smothers Brothers recall the infamous incident at the Troubadour when Nilsson and John Lennon got tossed out of the club. Micky Dolenz recalls what a partier Nilsson was. Randy Newman and Van Dyke Parks talks about his work as a songwriter. And there's a ton of his glorious music. The DVD also comes with over 90 minutes of bonus features, including extended interviews and deleted scenes.
Harry's final years, his campaign for gun control laws after the death of John Lennon and his decline are mentioned, though much more time is spent on his good times rather than the bad. The story ends sadly with his passing, but his music lives on, as will this wonderful documentary that's as charming as the music he left behind.
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Comments
Been waiting to own this for a very long time...
Me too! I'm delighted to finally have it. It's wonderful!
saw it in nyc last month. moved beyond tears....incredible! really! will go buy it today and watch it again and again.,,,,,
Rock 'n' Roll is a strange beast. It created so many of our heroes, but took them from us way too soon.
Oh how I adore Harry Nilsson. Odd that Ringo (archival footage only) didn't agree to an interview tho? He was almost certainly asked??
He was, but Harry is a very emotional subject for Ringo, which is why he allowed use of the vintage footage rather than a live interview.
This is a general comment and not a direct response to Joe's comments:
When a person loses someone with whom they shared an incredible bond with, the pain sometimes never goes away. We sometimes expect celebrities to be above pain and loss and contiue to talk freely about anything.
Sometimes we need to step back and respect the wishes and actions of those that we don't even know or have ever met.
Think about that the next time one decides to criticize another's actions or reactions. Especially with a former Beatle!
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