Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Nilsson, Harry - The Point: The Definitive Collector's Edition



A Charming Pop Fable for Adults and Children
It's hard to understand today how an album like "The Point" was produced. The album is very experimental in that it is a narrated fable, with musical transitions from one portion of the story to another. Note that this story album predates "A Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Rick Wakeman and Jeff Wayne's "War of the Worlds" by a number of years.

The tale is of one Oblio and his faithful Arrow. The two live in the land of points (everyone had a pointy head). For a time the two do quite well, but after a jealous child, son of a count, complained that Oblio had no point, there was a game to see whether Oblio had the ability to compete. Oblio defeated the count's child 2 out of 3. The count was outraged and went to the king to complain that the law was that all things in the land of point must have a point. A tribunal reviewed the case and banished Oblio and Arrow to the pointless forest.

Once in the forest Oblio and Arrow discover that the forest had many points. While...

The Point of it All
I first heard this album when I was living in a college dorm 16 years ago. I've been a fan ever since. This is the first time I've heard though, since that day.

The story and the characters behind them are a lot of fun and will appeal to kids and adults alike. The narration between songs is engaging and entertaining and does more than just tell a story. It has a point! What is the Point? You'll have to listen and find out for yourself. Although this album is sort of geared towards children, there seems to be a deeper wisdom under the surface of it all that people of all ages can learn from.

As for the music, it varies a little, starting off very strong with Everything's Got 'Em and Me and my Arrow. It seems to dip occasionally below these very high standards that are set at the start of the album, but there isn't a bad song on the album. For now, Me and My Arrow is my favorite song on the album and must be one of Nilsson's best songs.

It's a very cheerful album. This...

This CD has a great point
When I was little, we had the record and video of this. Recently, a friend got me the CD. I had forgotten how great this CD is. The songs are so beautiful, and the story is great, too. Who doesn't feel like they stand out, or that they have no "point" in life? Oblio, who has no point on his head, and is therefore an outcast. After a journy around the pointless forest, he learns that if everyone else has one, then he must have one too. Whenever I'm feeling down, I pop in this CD and things seem to be a little better and sunnier. And even when I'm not down, I pop it in and everything seems even better than it was before. A must for any collection. Even if you're not sure if you like Harry Nilsson, then buy this. Because you do. You just don't know it yet.

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