The early 70s saw a great slew of talented singer-songwriters coming to prominence or acheiving their peak thereabouts.Among the flowering of talent were names such as James Taylor,Joni Mitchell,Jackson Browne,Nick Drake,Harry Chapin..and er...Gilbert O' Sullivan.The latter has long been a "guilty pleasure" of mine,but why so guilty I wonder ?
So if you want to toast our Gilbert with a "Naploean Shandy" do it here.

And just what is your point exactly to praise and snark at the same time?

GOS is a world class songwriter whose last LP as a damn sight better than Sir Pauls

I've never hidden my love of Gilbert O' Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)" single from the Fall of '72. Even as a kid, it was a song which made me stop to ponder the sadness of the guy in the song.

I'm a big fan of his. Too bad his stuff rarely is released state side these days. I have all of his albums on CD except By Larry, which never even appears on ebay anymore. It's been on my ebay favorites list for a couple of years now and I can't recall getting an email about a listing on ebay for it...

Boxfan,

My intention was to praise Gilbert O' Sullivan.

That long list of singer-songwriters that I listed as good as they are,form the usual candidates selected by the critics for praise and often overshadow equally brilliant songwriters of the same period.Gilbert O' Sullivan unfortunately may have been taken less seriously, because unlike most of that crowd above who often wrote emotionally heavy or even preaching material, chose instead to write songs that contained humorous lyrics and were deliberately intented to bring a wry smile to your face.Take for example"Matrimony",where Sullivan writes of a couple showing up late for the altar like "two frozen peas",and of course the line,"When I'm drinking my Bonaparte Shandy/eating more than enough apple pies" from "Nothing Rhymed".

My point is not to ridicule O'Sullivan,but rather to suggest that he was a writer of very well-crafted songs that employed intelligent and witty lyrics that appealed to the greater pop sensibility, than the type of songcraft that was coming to terms with the end of 60's idealism and general burnout that gave way to the 70s.Certainly lighter than most of the fayre around at the time,because of the clever use of humour in the songs,and pretty unique in making light of the human experience.

Still, why does a major label have to take the mickey by calling one best of,"The Berry Vest Of" ?

We can be satisfied in the knowledge that "Alone Again" (Narturally), and "Nothing Rhymed" stand as two of the greatest pop songs ever written.Period.

Yes it was a Bonaparte, and not Napoleon Shandy as I earlier suggested!

O'Sullivan is featured on Petula Clark's "Duets" album singing "Can't Get You To Love Me" with Petula. It's a really great track. I can't find the album right now so I don't know when it was recorded, but I'm pretty sure this release was the first time on CD for the track.
Really good album, by the way.

"The Berry Vest of" has got to be one of the corniest, worst titles I've ever come across. Good thing there are American comps out there showing more respect. I really only know "Alone Again" and "Matrimony" - oh, yes, and "Claire".

WTH did I just watch? It looks like they spent $100 bucks for that video. And that cant be his real hair?. He looks kinda creepy.

Another oddity is that Gilbert chose Hurricane Smith's song that was on the charts at the same time as Gilbert's Alone Again #1 hit.

Worse than "Papa's Got a Brown New Robe"?

The image alone creeps me out.