''Pussy Cats'' Starring The Walkmen (2006)

Image credit: The Walkmen: David Nicolas

HARDY HAR HARRY The Walkmen pay tribute to Nilsson with their affectionate re-creation of his besotted 1974 Lennon-produced Pussy Cats

You can smell the booze on Harry Nilsson's 1974 LP Pussy Cats, produced by pal John Lennon during his dissolute ''lost weekend'' period. The messy set of covers and originals is generally dismissed as a footnote. Yet sentimental New York indie rockers the Walkmen re-create it in all its hoarse, wasted, over-arranged glory. Worth the effort? Sure, bartender — hic! — why not? Nilsson's songs are wickedly wry, and the vibe is intoxicating. Still, like the first version, you sense the party was more fun to attend than ''Pussy Cats'' Starring The Walkmen is to hear.