Retro Music Review | Oldies, Reissues and New Releases with a Retro Sound

Michael Nesmith - Pacific Arts (CD/DVD; Edsel; EDSX 3004)

During his stint in the Monkees, Michael Nesmith spent a lot of time fighting the good fight for creative control. After leaving the manufactured pop group, he proceeded to demonstrate just how creative he could be, once he had control. Forming his own media company, Pacific Arts, in the 1970s, he released albums, produced films and television, pioneered the concept of music video as an art form, and even sold a pilot to Time Warner that was the basis for the development of MTV. The Edsel label’s new Nesmith CD/DVD compilation, Pacific Arts, features some of the company’s finest output… READ MORE

Jay and the Americans - Live From The Cafe Wha? / Blockbusters (BGO; BGOCD791)

During the turbulent 1960s, Jay and the Americans existed in a kind of bubble world, immune to political, social and musical trends. For over a decade, the squeaky clean pop vocal group released singles and albums that sounded like a throwback to a more innocent time. Despite being a walking, talking, crooning anachronism, the Americans were also a nearly unstoppable hitmaking machine. How did they do it? The evidence can be found on BGO’s new 2-on-1 CD reissue of a couple of long out of print Americans LPs, 1962’s Live From The Café Wha? and 1965’s Blockbusters… READ MORE