I am not too familiar with Nilsson, aside from the very famous cover of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin". This is the shortest review I have written, for the same reason this song is so great.
The magic of "Early In The Morning" is the fact that it relies on the very simplest elements to create a really great sounding song.
The song features a typical major blues structure, with what sounds like an organ playing the solitary vamp. The only other instrument featured is Nilsson's vocal in all its anguish and blues flair.
Harry gives a biographical account of being left stranded after a fight with his girlfriend, and...its early in the morning. He ends up in a cafe and the waitress tells him, he sure "looks beat". Thats the story.
The reason this works so well, is the simplicity of musical elements and Harry's fantastic voice. The only noticeable effect being a touch of reverb on all elements, giving the song a slightly distant, washed out vibe, similar to what I expect you'd feel after an argument with your baby...early in the morning.
The song is a testament to the character and sound of Nilsson's great voice, which isn't exactly bombastic or pyrotechnical. Its inviting, cool and sounds like he's permanently hungover and its more interesting to me. Any other elements else would have spoilt the vibe entirely. The tone of the organ; muted but warm and inviting, and the reverb that gives Nilsson's voice this slightly lost, hungover feel - like he's walking home from the pub at 4am, half dead.
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