Harry Nilsson, The Point! (1971)

Saturday mornings now I get up early. I have a son, one year old Oscar. He gets up early. And that means I do too. Sometimes I woke up before he does. And when that happens I go and get myself a coffee – or get one started. I get his breakfast ready and I choose some music for us to start the day. Today it was this Harry Nilsson album (almost any Harry Nilsson album is a great way to start any day). And Oscar and I sat in the den, he playing with toys, me watching him point at things – his favourite new thing to do. Everything is interesting to him – and that’s pretty cool. It’s good to be interested in (almost) everything. You can narrow it down later. And so my head started swimming with thoughts of how this album is the perfect middle ground between The Beatles and Lawrence Arabia. It is, I decided, as if Ringo had made an album – but only if he had a hand from Brian or Dennis Wilson. Just as you have Nilsson pegged as a Beatles disciple/devotee (which he was) you hear so much of The Beach Boys too. Well I did when listening to The Point! this morning. Fabulous album. And Oscar was, in his own way, taking it in too. The first of several listens for him no doubt. He bum-wiggled in appreciation, he shuffled toward more toys, taking turns in choosing a special one to hug and then hand to me. The record finished and Oscar let out a happy sigh as he buried his head into my chest. Smiling, tired again, thoughtful. Wise already. He totally got The Point!

Sample Track: Me And My Arrow

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