Michael Nesmith - Classic Reissues from the Edsel Label
Michael Nesmith - The Wichita Train Whistle Sings / Timerider (Edsel; EDSS 1007)
Michael Nesmith - From A Radio Engine To The Photon Wing / Infinite Rider On The Big Dogma (Edsel; EDSD 2005)
Michael Nesmith - Tropical Campfires (Edsel; EDSS 1008)
Michael Nesmith - Live At The Britt Festival (Edsel; EDSS 1009)
reviewed by Michael Macomber
Michael Nesmith has always been much more than a Monkee. A genuinely unique talent, Nesmith is responsible for some of the most intriguing songs released under the Monkees brand. In 1967, at the height of Monkees mania, Nesmith took 10 of his intriguing songs and turned them into an even more intriguing instrumental piece, The Wichita Train Whistle Sings.
Monkees chartbusters such as “Sweet Young Thing” and “You Just May Be The One” are turned into big band showstoppers, under the able baton of arranger/conductor Shorty Rogers. Nesmith and Rogers collaborated on the arrangements, which run the gamut, from a Burt Bacharach style take on “Don’t Call On Me” to the George Martin-esque “Tapioca Tundra.” “You Told Me” is a feast for lovers of good horn arrangements. “Carlisle Wheeling (Conversations)” struts along smoothly, swinging out like a mod rocker with a Duke Ellington fetish.
Falling somewhere between Benny Goodman and Frank Zappa, Nesmith’s Wichita Whistle is pure, mad genius. This is thanks in no small part to the incredible cast of musicians Nesmith assembled for this amazing two-day session. Doug Dillard’s banjo on “Don’t Cry Now” is an absolute kick. Larry Knechtel’s foreboding organ intro to “Nine Times Blue” would terrify the Phantom of the Opera. Earl Palmer and Hal Blaine, both contenders for the title of World’s Greatest Drummer, keep these tunes pumping along intensely, ably assisted by the inimitable Chuck Berghofer on bass. Cellist Edgar Lustgarten, trumpeter Jimmy Zito, trombonist Milt Bernhart, guitarists Tommy Tedesco and James Burton; the list of luminaries goes on and on.
With this work, Nesmith demonstrated that he was writing above and beyond the pop song form. His compositions were, and still are, something special and unclassifiable.
Edsel couples Wichita Whistle with an entirely different instrumental piece, Nesmith’s soundtrack to the 1982 science fiction film Timerider. A screaming metal guitar opus (Nesmith admits in the liner notes to being heavily influenced by The Scorpions), this record is coming from a whole ‘nother planet. While it may not bear repeated casual listenings, Timerider is an interesting ’80s period piece, and a testament to Nesmith’s versatility. The film, produced and co-written by Nesmith, was also an award winner, picking up the Best Screenplay trophy at the Fantafestival in Italy.
The second Edsel reissue pairs 1977’s From A Radio Engine To The Photon Wing with 1979’s Infinite Rider On The Big Dogma. The two albums stand in stark contrast to one another. Radio Engine, recorded in Nashville, has a sweet, warm country twang, while Infinite Rider, recorded in LA, is loud, heavy, and super funky. Both records, however, are masterpieces.
Radio Engine opens with what might be Nesmith’s most well known solo composition, Rio. This musical Margarita lifts the listener up above the clouds, for an imaginary trip to a tropical paradise. “Casablanca Moonlight” is coming from a similar place, with the added element of a search for an old fashioned cinematic experience. This LP has a generally cinematic feel, foreshadowing Nesmith’s early ’80s entry into the production end of the motion picture industry.
Nesmith’s lyrics throughout Radio Engine are contemplative and philosophical, pondering the big questions of life. “Wisdom Has Its Way” examines the whole nature of wisdom, and how it is rarely found in those who think they already have all the answers. “The Other Room” is an up tempo treatise on the question of self-determination. With a hip, finger-snappin’ rhythm and “doo-waddy-waddy” backing vocals, Nesmith guides the protagonist of the song from helpless despair to joyful triumph.
Infinite Rider is far more blunt, exploding with sarcasm and wonderful weirdness. The stream of consciousness lyrics of “Tonite” are fantastically freaky. When Nesmith says, “Everyone’s made out of little thin lines and sometimes their fingers are blue,” you know he isn’t at all happy about the situation. “Cruisin’” is a badass street story with an infectious groove. It could be considered disco in retrospect, but more properly, it is urban funk. Hearing a Texas boy like Nesmith exercising his funky city side is something else.
“Factions” is a rip roaring story of rebellion, featuring the wonderfully warped line, “She grew out of her pants/She’s a little too advanced/She’s the daughter of Rock and Roll.” Saxophonist Tom Saviano shines on the hauntingly romantic “Light,” tearing through a mind blowing solo. “Magic” is a doo wop disco ballad pastiche, with Nesmith affecting a Frankie Valli falsetto. “Capsule” brings it all back to the funk, with a relentless club beat backing up a description of the sad state of the media culture.
Edsel’s next reissue in the series, 1992’s Tropical Campfires, is a much more laid back affair. Nesmith strums his guitar tenderly in the flickering firelight, inviting the listener to join him beneath the stars. His renditions of Cole Porter’s Begin The Beguine and In The Still Of The Night are positively breathtaking. He delivers the iconic Latin classic Brazil gently, gloriously, magnificently. His voice has never sounded better.
Nesmith’s originals blend perfectly with these standards. His admiration for the natural wonders of the world is evident in the poetic lyrics of “Yellow Butterfly” and “Moon Over The Rio Grande.” The cowboy imagery that is a recurring motif in Nesmith’s work is used to great effect on “Laugh Kills Lonesome,” a catchy little grinner about the power of a good joke. “Twilight On The Trail” is another fine frontier number, featuring excellent pedal steel guitar courtesy of Red Rhodes.
Nesmith’s “Juliana” is an exquisite love song, like a dream transferred directly from his mind to tape. “For The Island” is awesome in its simplicity, with lyrics that change only slightly from verse to verse. The changes are small but significant, weaving an ironic and compelling tapestry. “I Am Not That” takes irony to the wall, with hilarious lyrical passages such as, “I am not a poet/I cannot make a rhyme/I do not know the big words/like shpritz and paradigm.”
If this record has a definitive track, it might very well be “Rising In Love.” Combining his love of the prairie with his love of love, Nesmith speaks of the American West and of Paris, in a way that would have no doubt appealed to the abovementioned Cole Porter. “Oh, give me land, lots of land, under starry skies above…”
Edsel’s fourth Nesmith reissue is the 1992 concert album, Live At The Britt Festival. Having just wrapped up recording on Tropical Campfires, Nesmith took his studio band to the festival and gave the crowd an evening they would not soon forget. His comical and self-effacing intro to the latter half of the set, where he plays tunes from the new LP, is priceless. It’s interesting to note that the crowd greets these songs not only with acceptance, but with absolute delight.
The band sounds fabulous, on both the Tropical Campfires material and on Nesmith classics such as “Papa Gene’s Blues” and “Different Drum.” In fact, the old songs benefit immensely from a fresh approach. Who knew “Papa Gene’s Blues” could actually be improved upon? John Jorgenson, Red Rhodes, Joe Chemay, John Hobbs, Luis Conte, and Nesmith do indeed improve upon it, bringing the presentation closer to the arrangement heard on Wichita Whistle. The vocal harmonies on the chorus are gorgeous.
“Propinquity,” from the 1971 Nevada Fighter LP, is another exquisite love ballad. Nesmith’s words are, as always, deeply felt and true right down to the bone. There is a wonderful contradiction in the melancholy tone of the song, set against a tale of newly discovered romance. “Propinquity” runs just under 6 minutes, and is by no means the longest song on the record. “Juliana” and “Joanne” are both longer, but still, none of these tunes seem to outstay their welcome. Nesmith has a way with long songs, making every moment so important, so enthralling, so heartfelt.
The shortest track on this disc, clocking in at under 2 minutes, is something called “5 Second Concerts,” in which Nesmith plays master of ceremonies to pianist John Hobbs, introducing clever little ditties such as “Moonlight And Day Sonata” (Beethoven meets Cole Porter), “Jaws The Knife” (Steven Spielberg meets Bobby Darin), and “There’s No Business Like Star Wars” (Ethel Merman meets Chewbacca).
It is this kind of creative perversity that sets Nesmith apart from other artists. He is a singular voice. He may not see the world the way record executives and promo people would like him to see it, but thank goodness for that.
