MICHAEL NESMITH/SONGS (12CDs) review: SPAZ explores the musical universe of Michael Nesmith!
THE LONG REVIEW:
Fifty-three years after he
stepped into the limelight with the release of The Monkees’ debut single in August of 1966, Michael Nesmith remains a musical enigma. The story of The Monkees
has been told so many times – perhaps TOO many times – so I’ll respectfully skip
over most of the details. One thing I will mention is how Nesmith seemed
slightly out of step with the Pop charts yet completely in step and confident
of his own musical vision. While Micky
Dolenz and Davy Jones handled
the bulk of the lead vocals for The Monkees’ glorious hits, Nesmith added a
sophisticated depth to the album tracks he wrote and/or produced. Although the
most naturally gifted as a songwriter in the band, his lead vocals were not
featured on a Monkees A-side until 1969, the year he graced the topside of two
singles in a row!
Often overlooked at the time,
Nesmith’s deep album tracks on the band’s albums are gems that have remained
fresh and were, at the time, musically prophetic – not many chart-topping Pop/Rock
artists were embracing American Folk and Country & Western in a business
still transitioning from Merseybeat to Psychedelia. However, times they were
a-changin’ and Country Rock was just around the corner…
Nesmith became extremely prolific
during his final two years with the Monkees, writing and recording an array of
melodic songs that defied genre classification. Were they Country? Pop? Both? Sadly,
a good portion of those recordings remained unreleased for decades, finally
seeing the light of day with various box sets and expanded editions that have
been released over the years. Nesmith’s recordings in ’68 and ‘69 laid the
foundation for what was to come. And with his exit from The Monkees in 1970,
the Nez magic truly took flight.
His four years in The Monkees may
be what he is best known for but the 24 years of recordings contained on the 12
CD set SONGS (Edsel Records)
is what we should base his musical legacy on. As a pioneer in Country Rock – alongside
The Byrds, Rick Nelson, Poco, etc. –
Michael Nesmith was a very unique artist, blessed with a stubborn vision that
bucked any trend in the music business. And more importantly, he was
unpredictable, switching gears and challenging himself each time that he felt
musically restless. This set might start
with his pioneering Country Rock recordings but it ends somewhere very
different. The journey this set takes is truly inspiring.
Nesmith was and is an extremely
intelligent songwriter, understanding the craft of creating art from the inside
out. Born and raised in Texas, he shared the air with legendary Texas
troubadours and drank from the same rivers of inspiration. During the years
covered on this box set – 1970 to 1994 – he continued to display a deep
appreciation of his roots even when he travelled down different musical
avenues. And while we are all familiar with his voice thanks to those ‘60s Pop
records, he utilized it to greater effect during his solo years. Never one to
just stand there and sing, he would inhabit the world inside each song. He could
switch from a classic Country crooner to a bemused narrator in the course of a
single line, never missing a beat. His phrasing was unique, often using
pronunciation of certain words to add to the mood. His dry wit that was so evident
during his TV stint in the ’60s added to the fun of a Nez release. And did I
mention that he could yodel? And pretty damn well, too!
Let’s begin with the RCA Records years…
The first three CDs of this box
set feature his work with his musical co-horts the First National Band (Red Rhodes on pedal steel guitar, drummer John Ware and bassist John
London). Rather than knock out slick and polished Country Music, Michael
and the boys keep it loose, raw, and grounded. But don’t think for a minute
that he turned his back on the Devil’s music – he still plenty of street cred as
he weaves the tangled Country, Folk, and Rock webs together flawlessly.
MAGNETIC SOUTH (Disc One)
officially introduced Nez’s Country Rock sound to the masses. While he was
always adding the Folk and Country elements to the Monkees records, this 1970
album was the first time he was able to share his musical vision over the
course of an entire record. Nesmith was certainly featured front and center, but
Rhodes’ pedal steel work was a key element to the band’s sound. Nesmith’s first
solo hit single, “Joanne,” is featured and it remains a mesmerizing and
haunting piece of work. Instead of just beginning and ending, “Joanne” seems to
materialize out of thin air and then vanish from whence it came in just over
three minutes. Magical! The album also featured gems like “Calico Girlfriend,”
“The Crippled Lion,” and a truncated “Nine Times Blue,” one of his finest
then-unreleased Monkees tracks.
LOOSE SALUTE (Disc Two)
travelled down a similar path but showed more confidence. Like the second
chapter in an ongoing story, the album’s highlights included “Silver Moon,” the
Psych Country of “Thanks For The Ride,” “Conversations” (an updated and
retitled version of the unreleased Monkees tune “Carlisle Wheeling”), and a
Country-fried hoedown take on “Listen To The Band.”
NEVADA FIGHTER (Disc
Three) had a cleaner, clearer production than the first two albums. Still
sticking to his guns, the album offered up another fine batch of songs
including “Propinquity (I’ve Just Begun To Care),” “Only Bound,” and the
rocking groove of the title track and “Grand Ennui.” (Discs One and Two contain
one bonus track each.)
Disc Four is 1972’s TANTAMOUNT
TO TREASON, VOLUME ONE, the first and only album backed by The Second National Band. The only
holdovers from the first band were Nesmith (obviously) and Red Rhodes. Kicking
off with the heavy stomp of “Mama Rocker,” TANTAMOUNT… was an album that took
quite a few musical detours while still remaining rooted in Country Rock and
Folk. “Wax Minute” (written by Richard Stekol) was a standout on the album
featuring one of his finest vocal performances (and a few killer hooks to
boot). The album is a varied mix that may have confused some folks looking for
“more of the same,” but thankfully, Nesmith challenged himself and the listener
with something a bit different. (The CD features two bonus tracks.)
The sarcastically-titled AND
THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMIN’ (Disc Five) was an album of acoustic
tracks recorded by Nesmith and Rhodes. More intimate than his previous albums, AND
THE HITS… was filled with top notch material including “Roll With The
Flow,” “The Upside of Good-Bye,” ‘Lady Love,” and Nesmith’s solo version of
“Different Drum,” a Nez-penned 1967 hit for The Stone Poneys (featuring Linda
Ronstadt).
1973’s PRETTY MUCH YOUR STANDARD RANCH
STASH (Disc Six) was a near-perfect album. By album #6 in a three year
period, you’d think he would run out of good songs but that was most certainly
not the case here. OK, so “Some Of Shelly’s Blues” was an unreleased Monkees
song but it sounded fresh as a daisy alongside the wonderful “Prairie Lullaby,”
“Continuing,” and ‘Winonah.” While not exactly a mis-step, “The Back Porch And
A Fruit Jar Full Of Iced Tea” was an eight minute Prog-Country song that still
boggles the mind. Fun to listen to, the song sounded out of place on this
otherwise stellar collection of tracks. With that being said, it showed that
Nesmith was never afraid to try something new.
Oh, and that thing I just said
about him trying something new? Yeah,
that.
1974’s THE PRISON (Disc Seven) was
Nesmith’s first album on his own Pacific
Arts label. Leaving the majors and operating as an independent artist meant
that Michael could do whatever the hell he wanted. And a book with a soundtrack
was exactly what the hell he wanted to do. Wait… what? THE PRISON was an
ambitious concept album even without the ‘book’ that came with the LP. Changing
course, musically, the album featured a lush combination of acoustic guitars
and keyboards (synthesizer, piano, organ). And yes, Red Rhodes is on board for
the ride, too. The songs were more layered than previous albums, allowing the
mood of the song to be just as important as the lyrics. While some may have
been confused by the change of musical direction, this was a refreshing move
that pointed in the direction he was headed in…
After a three year break, Michael
returned in 1977 with FROM A RADIO ENGINE TO THE PHOTON WING
(Disc Eight). Referring to this album as a return to form would be an insult to
the previous seven albums so we’ll just say that this release found Nesmith dipping
his toes back into the Pop/Rock world. However, it wasn’t just a standard Pop
album – it was a Michael Nesmith album, which means that there were plenty of
surprises to be found. The single edit of the album opener “Rio” was a hit and
featured a pioneering video that paved the way for the MTV revolution. The
album successfully mixed Pop, Latin, Tropical, and World Music rhythms
alongside hints of Country, Gospel, Folk, and the Blues. His return to the Pop
universe coincided with Punk and New Wave, which meant the album was criminally
overlooked by music fans, who were turning their backs on the old guard and
making way for the new generation. Still, FROM A RADIO ENGINE… was a fun album
that was just part of Nesmith’s creative rebirth as a multimedia pioneer.
Supposedly conceived as an audio
and video album, 1979’s INFINITE RIDER ON THE BIG DOGMA (Disc
Nine) is a bona fide Rock album in every sense of the world. Possibly energized
by the electricity that New Wave brought to the charts, INFINITE RIDER… was a
revved up mix of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Pop, Music Hall, Funk, and whatever Nesmith
could throw into the mix. “Magic” was an homage to ‘50s rock with Michael
singing in falsetto while “Cruisin’” embraced funky New Wave. Nesmith still
showed his softer side on the album as well, making the album a well-rounded
affair and a long-time favorite of his devoted fanbase.
Although Nesmith started on a new
album in 1980, he abandoned it as other aspects of his business (videos, movies,
Elephant Parts, etc.) consumed his time. In 1989, Rhino Records released two
compilations of Nesmith’s solo material. THE OLDER STUFF contained classics
from his early ‘70s catalog while THE NEWER STUFF featured material lifted
off of FROM A RADIO ENGINE…. and INFINTE RIDER… plus eight songs from
the abandoned 1980 album. Disc Ten in this box features only those unreleased
songs from THE NEWER STUFF, each of which are quality additions to his
catalog. Sounding like the perfect mix of the previous two albums (albeit with
more synths), it is a shame that these weren’t released in the early ‘80s. “Tanya”
is one of the loveliest songs recorded during this creative time in his career.
On the other hand, “Tahiti Condo” is one of the goofiest songs in his catalog…
but that is certainly not a bad thing. Consider this disc the third part to this
Pacific Arts trilogy.
1992’s TROPICAL CAMPFIRES (Disc
Eleven) was his first album of ‘new’ material in 13 years. Blending Pop, Folk,
Country, Latin, and other genres, this was an album that took in all aspects of
his career. “Moon Over The Rio Grande,” a gentle update of the Country Rock of
old, was proof that he was still able to add a fresh twist to the music that he
had embraced so lovingly decades before. The album is remarkably warm and
inviting, much like Michael and his band were gathered around a campfire (in
Reno? No, Rio…) and creating something fresh from out of the influences that
raced through his veins sinCe his youthful days in Texas. And Red Rhodes was
along for the ride, too!
Two years later, Nesmith released
THE
GARDEN (Disc Twelve), a sequel to THE PRISON and the second release in
a proposed trilogy. THE GARDEN was a mostly instrumental release that could
easily fall into the New Age, Folk, or Soundtrack categories. The tracks offered up warm and comforting musical
journeys often adding a mild bit of tension with some well-placed electric
guitar solos. “Life Becoming,” the only track to feature vocals, is a powerful
closer to the album. And coincidentally, to this box set as well.
THE SHORT REVIEW:
Essential!
Keep on truckin’