Harry Nilsson: Loneliness (1984) Online

From the series "clips at its infantry", "Harry Nilsson: Loneliness" might look and sound corny or even far too awkward but it has a certain charm, a quiet appeal that fulfills its purpose: to present the single (originally written by Yoko Ono, Nilsson remade this song along with other covers) and create an idea relevant to the music.

The images: early in the morning, Nilsson comes to his house, plays with a basketball, scores a nice 3 points, closely observed by Oliver Hardy (played by Chuck McCann) who is watering the plants in the backyard. A big house but filled of empty spaces, few objects to bring some memory. Apparently, his family is gone, wife and kids had gone and even his father (Timothy Leary and you read it correctly, THE Leary) is just a flashback of a past era. In between memories and smokes, the song goes on the lines of the singer being able to endure with poverty and humility but he can't endure loneliness. Thankfully, Nilsson is a great act both singing and performing the song, and the video matches the music in a nice way.

For those who only know Nilsson for his greatest hits from the 1970's, this is quite a departure that you might find it strange. Unlike most of his works, there's heavy use of synthesizers though a catchy song in any way, and his voice...well, it sounds like anyone else but him. As for the clip, what causes some estrangement is seeing the Oliver Hardy figure in it. McCann provided a genuine impersonation, it felt like the real Hardy but for the life of me I couldn't find a context for a comic to be there. A haunted house with memories...and the ghost of a comedian. Peculiar yet harmless, it's all brief.

Miles away from the classic and spectacular clips from the 1980's, this obscure video still deserves a comprehensive view in the light of themes presented and how they worked with effect, ten times better than the videos we have currently. 8/10