The Beat Of Michael Nesmith’s Own Drum
A new collection digs into the solo career of the most musically diverse Monkee
One could argue that being a Monkee stunted Michael Nesmith’s career as a musician.
Yes, he found fame and some fortune, but he always chafed against the group’s creative restrictions (especially in the recording studio). He was first out of the gate with a solo album, The Wichita Train Whistle Sings, released in 1968 while he was still in the band. When he finally freed himself from the shackles of pre-fabricated four, he headed full-on into country rock, followed by other innovative ventures (such as developing the concept for MTV). The Monkees were relegated to the past; until this century, he largely avoided appearing with the reunited band.
Press play to hear a narrated version of this story, presented by AudioHopper.
Different Drum: The Lost RCA Victor Recordings (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) looks at those early post-Monkees years (1970-73) when he was finding his musical footing. It’s an album’s worth of alternate takes and backing tracks, first released as digital-only bonus tracks when Nesmith’s catalogue was being revamped for digital/streaming services, and now available on CD to satiate lovers of physical media.
It’s clear that had had he chosen to, Nesmith could’ve pursued a more pop-oriented path. Yet his work for RCA (five albums, credited to the First National Band, the Second National Band, and Nesmith as a solo artist) has him mining his country roots, while taking the time to revisit a few songs from his already notable catalogue.
The song “Different Drum” itself, for example, illustrates how his songs so easily straddled the pop/country divide. The Stone Poneys (with Linda Ronstadt on lead vocals) leaned pop when they recorded the song, and had the hit. Nesmith’s version (which appeared on 1972’s And the Hits Just Keep On Comin’) goes the other way, featuring the pedal steel guitar of Orville J. “Red” Rhodes; this album’s alternate version also features a cold opening, as opposed to the final version’s guitar intro. There’s a slower, heavier version of “Circle Sky,” a more brooding rendition that stands in contrast to the fiery, rollicking rocker heard in the Monkees’ film Head (live in the film, a studio take on the soundtrack). “Listen to the Band” (one of his best Monkees tracks) takes the opposite approach, a stately number in its Monkees incarnation, a hoedown when he re-recorded it with the First National Band (this album offers a slower, alternate version of the backing track).
“Tapioca Tundra” and “Magnolia Sims” were also previously recorded for Monkees’ albums, in dramatically different arrangements from those featured on Different Drum, which are steeped in pure country. Both tracks are instrumentals, which is a disappointment, as it would’ve been fascinating to hear what Nesmith could bring to these revamped concoctions vocally. There might be too many instrumentals (about a third of the tracks) on this album for some tastes. They’re entertaining to listen to once, but are probably only played again by aficionados. Though, admittedly, that’s who this release is aimed at.
AUDIO: Michael Nesmith “Circle Sky”
But overall, there’s plenty of good stuff here to sink your teeth into. Both “American Airman” and “Six Days on the Road” are bonafide outtakes, songs not released at the time on any of Nesmith’s RCA albums, both addressing the trials and tribulations of the touring life; searching for that next meal (the former song) and popping speed (the latter). An extended “Bye, Bye, Bye,” without the sheen of the released version (on 1970’s Loose Salute), has a grittier appeal. There’s even a sneak peak at a future project, the melancholy “Marie’s Theme,” destined to turn up on The Prison: A Book with a Soundtrack (1974), a box set that came with a book that was meant to read while listening to the record. Nesmith’s songs always have a playful element to them, especially lyrically. It gives his work an idiosyncratic touch that leaves you with a smile.
The album concludes with some radio promos for Nesmith’s Loose Salute album that displays his off-kilter humor; instead of plugging his latest release, he gives the thumbs up to his favorite albums of the moment, Derek & the Dominoes’ Layla and Morton Sobotnick’s Silver Apples of the Moon (“I never really liked electronic music, but a friend turned me on to this particular album and it’s really something different!”).
Musically, Michael Nesmith has marched to the beat of a different drum throughout his entire career — and it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
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December 15, 2020 -
March 8, 2021
Monkees relegated to the past “until this century”?
You do recall Monkeemania Redux in 1986, don’t you? That was huge.
The Monkees, with and without Nez, continued to be “on-again, off-again” ever since.
Tours, some new recordings along the way (Mostly lousy, except for 2016’s remarkable Good Times! album that is), but also lots of great archival releases: The Missing Links series in the early 90s, and wonderful box sets for most of the groups albums (At the time, even The Beatles weren’t getting such treatment). It’s all proven there was more merit to The Monkees than just a handful of (great) pop hits. Even their forgotten movie (HEAD) got reevaluated as a psychedelic cult classic.
Anyhow, The Monkees project may have held Nez back in some ways, but it also brought his songs, and country-rock in general, to millions of listeners.
In that sense, he had a greater impact than Gram Parsons and The Byrds. More people heard “Papa Gene’s Blues” “Sweet Young Thing,” and “You Just May Be the One,” to name a few, than Sweetheart of the Rodeo.
Perhaps best of all were Nez’s Nashville sessions in 1968. The sessions were for “The Monkees,” but only a handful of songs were released at the time (“Listen to the Band” and “Good Clean Fun” among them).
Far too many gems were left in the can until the 90s, however, such as “Nine Times Blue,” “St. Matthew,” “Propinquity,” and “Some of Shelly’s Blues.” Thankfully, a few of them were rerecorded by Nez in the 70s for his terrific albums mentioned in this article.
Anyhow, looking forward to this collection. The digital reissues are nice, but having the physical product is preferable. I would love for Real Gone to do deluxe reissues of Nez’s RCA album catalogue. The digital remasters are the best those albums have sounded, so to have them on CD would be sweet.
Great, underrated albums. As the writer Ben Fong-Torres once said, they’re “The best music you’ve never heard.” Unless you have, and then you know how good they are.
Hi Guy, this was my quote: “The Monkees were relegated to the past; until this century, he largely avoided appearing with the reunited band.” I am referring to the Monkees being in the past *for Nesmith*. There were reunions, yes, but they were largely *without Nesmith*. Hence the second part of the sentence: “he [meaning Nesmith] largely avoided appearing with the reunited band.”
Real Gone Music is a great reissue label, you should write to them about releasing more of Nesmith’s work.
Thanks for writing!