The Point! is a weird album. Is it a story? Is it an album? It's the type of thing I would have loved as a kid, and it's a bit strange I never heard it until I was an adult. That said, I didn't even know the album existed until I heard Blackalicious' Blazing Arrow, which sampled "Me and My Arrow" throughout the album. Even then, someone had to point the source out to me. Then that information sat in the recesses of my mind until I came across a used copy of the LP.
If you haven't heard The Point!, or much Harry Nilsson, you'll need to prepare yourself for a strange and mystical journey through an imaginary land. Picture, "Puff the Magic Dragon" with a full blown plot line, and you'll get the picture. It's kitschy, playful and fun. It features amazing songs, great voiceovers, and it's one of those rare albums that leaves you feeling satisfied when you finish it.
The story follows Oblio, a boy who was born with a rounded head in a world where everyone's heads have points on them. (He's "pointless." Get it?) Anyhow, he plays some games and wins, then the dude he beats gets pissed and has him kicked out of the land. So, Oblio and his dog wander around the Pointless Forest. They find a dude who tells them some stuff, then, BAM!, they realize everyone has a point.
Okay, so yes, that sounds really childish, or children's storybook like. But the storybook nature of it is what makes it so interesting. The entire album is incredibly engaging because it hooks you both with the story and the song chorus. It's also inevitable that if you're listening to it in a public place, someone is guaranteed to ask you if you're having "story time." That might sound a bit embarrassing, but honestly, since the word evokes the feeling of sitting cross-legged on the carpet with a smile, it's not too bad.
This is what The Point! Is made for. It's adult story time. It's the most relaxing thing you can do after a hard day of work, or if you need something to do with the family. Throw on The Point!, grab some hot chocolate, take a seat on the carpet in front of your stereo and let Harry Nilsson tell you a story for forty minutes. I wish they still made albums like this. I really do.
