Michael Nesmith was
taken away from us too soon, and here is a small sampling of his unique and
creative music we can still enjoy.
“Papa
Gene’s Blues”
(from The Monkees, 1966)
From the
very beginning, Michael is proud of his musical background and is pleased to
share songwriting credits among Gerry Goffin/Carole King, Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart,
and Neil Diamond. This contribution blends in well with the other soft pop/rock
tunes for their debut, but his country influence stands out. His catchy lyrics
are perfectly captured by his easy-going vocals and guitar licks.
I have no more than I did before
But now I've got all that I need
For I love you, and I know you love me
Words to
live by, indeed! The song is so much fun, one wants to pick up a washboard and
play along! Also from the start, Michael lets us know he will have fun naming
songs whose titles are not anywhere to be found! Such is the case here.
"Tapioca Tundra"
(from The Birds, The Bees, & The Monkees, 1968)
Released
as the B-side to the #3 hit "Vallerie," this song peaked on its own at
#34. When Michael wasn't sharing his love of Country Rock, he was
sharing his esoteric and thoughtful lyrics, as heard here.
Midnight looks right standing more at ease
Silhouettes and figures stay
Close to what he had to say
And one more time the faded dream
Is saddened by the news
It cannot be a part of me
For not it's a part of you
According to Micheal, "the song itself is about the moment when the performer realizes
that the songs he/she sings belong to the people — the fans and the
crowds — that love the song, and the performer is only there in service
to that relationship. " (monkeeslivealmanac.com)
“Circle
Sky”
(from
the HEAD Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1968)
At this
point in his career, Michael is getting more comfortable with delivering darker,
more experimental music and lyrics. The strength of this song ironically lies
in the fact that his vocals are deliberately in the background with the
aggressive guitar riffs almost overpowering him. Making it more an effort for
the listener to grab the lyrics makes them more effective.
It’s a very extraordinary scene
To those who don't understand
But what you have seen you must believe
If you can
If you can
In the
movie, scenes of the band are edited among shots of the war and fans screaming,
and the viewer never quite knows if the fans are screaming in hysteria at the
Monkees performing or screaming in horror at the images of the war. Both,
perhaps?
“Listen
to the Band”
(from
The Monkees Present Micky, Davy, Michael, 1969)
At this
point for the Monkees, they have full control over their songs, both musically
and lyrically, Michael is only too happy to bring country rock to the
mainstream. Michael’s easy-flowing voice
is interspersed with “the band” – an equally enjoyable brass section.
Hey, hey, mercy woman plays a song,
and no one listens,
I need help I'm falling again.
Regretfully, they were not many people listening to this
song at the time, which was a shame. It was the first Monkees single penned by
Michael, but the diversion from their previous material might have been a
reason why it stalled it at #63 on the Billboard Hot 100. The boys would
eventually include it in their live set pieces to, yes, introduce their back-up
musicians. In the hands of lesser rock bands, this would have been obvious and
trite, but the Monkees made it sincere and professional.
“Good Clean Fun”
(from
The Monkees Present Micky, Davy, Michael, 1969)
Michael wants
to write about good clean fun, and so he does, but he just doesn’t find it
necessary to mention the title anywhere in the song! Listeners are treated to
full-blown country enjoyment here, complete with banjo and his signature
effortless voice.
But now my path heads home
And your patient time alone
Has brought me even closer to you, dear
Abandoning any musical reference to pop music, Michel lets
it be known he is now a country artist. Unfortunately, the song would peak at #
82 but would later be released in “Best Of” compilations.
Thank you, Michael, for sharing your multiple gifts with us
and for letting it be an honor to
listen to the band.
