Michael Nesmith: S/D

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So, I'm digging into his solo albums from the early '70s -- right now, have And the Hits Just Keep on Comin'. It's fairly gorgeous -- just sumptuous pedal steel, acoustic guitar and voice. What else do I need and why?

Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 18 March 2006 19:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

get em all.

whatever (boglogger), Saturday, 18 March 2006 20:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

i'd say the one you've already got is the best - 'harmony constant' is fantastic

whatever (boglogger), Saturday, 18 March 2006 20:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

I just dl'd the first two tracks of Pretty Much Your Standard... (which were also terrific) before some asshole on slsk banned me.

Seriously, this stuff is a revelation.

Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 18 March 2006 20:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

I never checked past Infinite Rider... probably because I never saw his records in the racks....

Dave AKA Dave (dave225.3), Saturday, 18 March 2006 22:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

My fave is "Nevada Fighter." And his tracks on "Headquarters."

Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Sunday, 19 March 2006 04:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ranch Stash is my favourite of his LPs, though the Red/White/Blue trilogy is worth picking up too. Also all the solo material he recorded while still ostensibly in The Monkees (Carlisle Wheeling, Nine Times Blue, Saint Matthew et al).
Anyone any thoughts on The Prison?

harvey.w (harvey.w), Sunday, 19 March 2006 08:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm surprised that this thread's moving slowly: Nez is a key figure for the few serious musos I know.

I've only heard 'Magnetic South', which is fine - but I'm not a great country fan,so my judgement isn't worth much.

Bob Six (bobbysix), Sunday, 19 March 2006 15:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

he ain't country. be ye not afraid.

whatever (boglogger), Sunday, 19 March 2006 22:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

I dig the solo stuff a bunch, but nothing has captivated me as much as the album that Nesmith produced for his label (Countryside) by Red Rhodes, *Velvet Hammer in a Cowboy Band*. I've listened to that thing at least 50 times and I still can't figure out why it sounds so strange and bewildering to me. It's like a code I can't crack. It's so ambitious, and parts of it are downright hokey... but it transfixes me! It's really one of a kind. (Red played steel guitar on all of Nesmith's solo stuff and he also played on Van Dyke Parks' *Song Cycle*, The Notorious Byrd Brothers, and The Millenium's *Begin*. Howz that for a hipster trilogy!)

scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 19 March 2006 22:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

all the solo material he recorded while still ostensibly in The Monkees (Carlisle Wheeling, Nine Times Blue, Saint Matthew et al)

Seconded. Those are the three best, but also "The Crippled Lion," "Don't Wait for Me," and "While I Cry" are standouts.

He has a new one on the horizon called Rays that I gather will be New Agey like The Garden but I'll know for sure when I get my review copy.

D: his reworking of "Listen to the Band," I think on Nevada Fighter? No improvement over the first stab at it.

Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 20 March 2006 15:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

I liked the albums I heard a few years ago. Gonna play them again.

Herman G. Neuname, Wednesday, 8 August 2007 13:22 (5 years ago) Permalink

Not an album but, Elephant Parts!

Ms Misery, Wednesday, 8 August 2007 13:23 (5 years ago) Permalink

Nez is the man

Tom D., Wednesday, 8 August 2007 13:29 (5 years ago) Permalink

remember that "Lucy and Ramona, and her brother Sunset Sam" song from the early 80's?...possibly the only Nesmith video I've ever seen...

"Calico Girlfriend" is a great tune...I think The Monkees did a version of this, as well...

henry s, Wednesday, 8 August 2007 14:31 (5 years ago) Permalink

Yes, "Calico Girlfriend Samba" it's called.

Tom D., Wednesday, 8 August 2007 14:33 (5 years ago) Permalink

Hats off for Tapioca Tundra, the first three solo records, and Repo Man.

I remember hearing that MTV gave him a special award honoring his contribution to the music video form at their first awards ceremony, and he gave a speech denouncing the whole enterprise. Is that right?

dad a, Wednesday, 8 August 2007 14:47 (5 years ago) Permalink

I would love a compilation of just the Monkees' more country/folk/rural rock stuff. I would buy that.

QuantumNoise, Wednesday, 8 August 2007 15:11 (5 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

'harmony constant' was the song of our wedding

whatever, Friday, 15 May 2009 22:30 (4 years ago) Permalink

I love the Magnetic South album.

President Keyes, Friday, 15 May 2009 22:55 (4 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

'harmony constant' was the song of our wedding

Sweet. The Nez is still the man.

Aw naw, no' Annoni oan noo an' aw (Tom D.), Thursday, 30 July 2009 09:24 (3 years ago) Permalink

Drag City just reissued L.A. Turnaround by Bert Jansch, produced by the wooley one...nice!

henry s, Thursday, 30 July 2009 12:55 (3 years ago) Permalink

11 months pass...

"Tomorrow & Me" on And The Hits Just Keep On Comin'. well, the whole album really. *sigh*. is there anyone around now who is even remotely comparable to M.N. at his finest? hey, i think i'll churn out album after album of kosmik kountry GENIUS and i hope ya dig it. if not, whatever. its already in the air. you can't do anything about it.

scott seward, Friday, 16 July 2010 01:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

lightness of touch + depth of feeling. is that the hardest thing? to master. to show. to express. seems like it.

scott seward, Friday, 16 July 2010 01:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

not nearly as consistent, but some of those steve young records hit me in all the same spots. and i can't stan enough for the nesmith-produced "Valley Hi" LP by Ian Matthews...

not everything is a campfire (ian), Friday, 16 July 2010 02:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

valley hi rules.

there is an incantatory power to the best of Nesmith that is seriously out of this world. people mention "harmony constant" on this thead. man, just so amazing. i mean, there might be some guy in a bar somewhere doing something like this, but i haven't heard them. Gene is the only real comparison i can think of. listening to Two Sides To Every Story a couple weeks back...it just takes my breath away. don't even know how these guys channeled what they channeled. there might be a baby out there in the world that will do what they did in the future. reading that dylan chronicles book the other night it dawned on me yeah it basically took ALL OF RAP MUSIC in the 80's to do what he did. its not some everyday kinda thing.

scott seward, Friday, 16 July 2010 02:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

reading that dylan chronicles book the other night it dawned on me yeah it basically took ALL OF RAP MUSIC in the 80's to do what he did. its not some everyday kinda thing.

'he' refers to dylan, right? not nesmith. chronicles is a pretty impressive book. i blew through it the first time and am probably due for a re-skim of not a re-read...

not everything is a campfire (ian), Friday, 16 July 2010 02:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

not everything is a campfire (ian), Friday, 16 July 2010 02:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

Drag City just reissued L.A. Turnaround by Bert Jansch, produced by the wooley one...nice!

yeah, it's probably the best of the 3 Charisma Jansch records. Jansch recently came to Nashville in support of Neil Young (I went to the show to see Jansch and not Young, altho Young was cool and all), and was of course, amazing. I had the opportunity to interview and write about Jansch--big thrill for me--and we talked a lot about how great Red Rhodes was on Turnaround.

Anyway, I'm a fan of Loose Salute and Magnetic South. And "Grand Ennui" and "Propinquity." Also "Rose City Chimes" is a good song. Beyond that, I don't know his work so much. Sounds like I need to check out that Ian Matthews LP...

ebbjunior, Friday, 16 July 2010 02:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

The Matthews LP contains versions of Propinquity & Jackson Browne's "These Days" AND Red Rhodes, so you're in for a treat. I dunno where in TN you are, but I saw a copy of "Valley Hi" in Lost & Found Records in Knoxville earlier this week.

not everything is a campfire (ian), Friday, 16 July 2010 02:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

Tomorrow and Me is definitely on some next level shit.
There's not a person I've played that for who hasn't been affected.

Trip Maker, Friday, 16 July 2010 02:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

tantamount to treason is probably my fave nesmith album when all is said and done. a couple years back i played that thing like a maniac. searching, digging, stretching, gyrating, doing anything i could to understand how he did what he did to me when i played that thing. "you are my one" and "in the afternoon" gahshshshshshshshshhsldsnfiuhfihsbdvfuweihfuwifvbsdhvbsdhvbweibweifbdvibdviddb!!!!!! words fail me.

scott seward, Friday, 16 July 2010 02:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

RIP awesome live version of 'propinquity'

not everything is a campfire (ian), Monday, 17 January 2011 03:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

'harmony constant' was the song of our wedding
--whatever

It's funny -- it was in the running to be ours as well, but in the end the thing was at a photo studio in Union Square and a cosmic country song would probably have been a bit incongruous to the rest of the thing.

Also funny that I started this thread and The Candidate just managed to pop up on my iTunes this week after god know how long. This guy's amazing.

Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 17 January 2011 17:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

The Prison doesn't get talked abt on this thread really, but it's fucking fantastic.. haven't actually sat down and read the book along with the LP, but the LP is on-par with Tantamount to Treason in my book. Totally blissed out cosmic country.

one dis leads to another (ian), Thursday, 21 July 2011 22:54 (1 year ago) Permalink

I'd love to sit down with that. I guess I need to keep looking out for Mike.
Wouldn't mind a copy of that Red Rhodes lp, either.
Everything mentioned on this thread sounds great.
Too much music!

Trip Maker, Thursday, 21 July 2011 23:04 (1 year ago) Permalink

The Hits

bear, bear, bear, Friday, 22 July 2011 09:03 (1 year ago) Permalink

8 months pass...

No love for Tropical Campfires? I think it's great.

Mule, Wednesday, 18 April 2012 22:01 (1 year ago) Permalink

I listen to Valley Hi every day now.

Trip Maker, Wednesday, 18 April 2012 22:05 (1 year ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

"Mama Nantucket" is pretty much perfect as a song.

Ned Raggett, Friday, 10 August 2012 02:28 (10 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

love this dude so much

flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 14 September 2012 19:19 (9 months ago) Permalink

Still need vinyl copies of Ranch Stash and Hits Just Keep on Coming.
Dammit.

Yeah, love the Nez.

Trip Maker, Friday, 14 September 2012 19:21 (9 months ago) Permalink

7 months pass...

Nesmith's facebook posts are a treat.

timellison, Sunday, 21 April 2013 22:22 (1 month ago) Permalink


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