Michael Nesmith & The First National Band "Magnetic South" 1970

           

  I like the Monkees as much as the next guy, but I am crazy about Mike Nesmith.  Every album he released is good, and most of them are great.  When I talk to people about country rock, Gram Parsons inevitably comes up.  I in no way want to negate the contribution (which is vast) that Gram made to country rock, but Mike Nesmith created an entirely different strain, that is in many ways far more appealing.  I know.  I know.  I have already upset you.  Please just hear me out. 

                Mike’s solo career technically started before he joined the Monkees, but it wasn’t until after the Monkees broke up that he got his footing.  His first solo album was an instrumental album that is quite good, but lacks his wonderful singing.  “Magnetic South” is his first proper record with the First National Band.  Everything on this album feels fresh and brings together the best aspects of 60’s pop and country music.  A better name for the genre would be 60’s country pop.  There is a fresh bounciness to the rhythms that melds cleanly with the wonderful gliding steel guitar playing of Red Rhodes.   

        

      “Calico Girlfriend” starts the album off with a bang.  To me, this is the quintessential Nesmith song, and the one I would pick if I could only play one of his tunes for somebody.  Mike’s deep, warm, double-tracked vocal sits atop a swift choppy snare and a steel guitar which arpeggiates some wonderful chords.  I have always been perplexed and intrigued by the slight volume drop at the 1:20 mark.  It feels like someone is talking to you, and then suddenly puts a blanket over their head before finishing their sentence.  It is a strange and wonderful feeling that sets the listener up perfectly for one of the most exciting moments on the record; the double-tracked octave steel guitar solo leaves me with a smile every time I hear it.  It feels like a rush of birds being set free at a wedding or other joyous occasion.   

                My wife was the one to point out that Mike not only sings on “Nine Times Blue,” but whispers the lines as well.  I gave this record to her, and it ended up staying in her car for weeks.  We seriously had a period in our lives when we pretty much only listened to Mike Nesmith for a while.  The drive time of many a surf trip was spent listening to this and it’s follow up “Loose Salute.”  It’s so wonderful when you find a record that you and your loved ones can enjoy together.  Mike Nesmith certainly brought us a lot of joy. 

                     “Little Red Rider” makes use of some interesting rhythm patterns that really aren’t very country at all.  There're actually pretty funky.  The bass also plays a catchy melody that lies back lazily.  Check out how the steel guitar plays a plucky palm muted figure in the background.  Until you hear the strange altered chord it plays on top of the groove, it sounds like something a regular guitar would play.  The last three chords of the song are pretty thick too.  They make me feel a like I have cough syrup head.     

                “Joanne” was the hit on the album, but has never been my favorite.  It does feature the famous major to minor chord change that Nesmith never stopped using.  If you are not a music person, listen to the chord change at 0:50.  The gentle softening of the sound is obtained by changing only one note in the chord.  If you think of chords like colors, changing from C to F to G would be like changing from Green to Blue to Red.  Changing from F to F minor (like Mike does right here) would be like changing from light Blue to dark Blue.  He does this at least once on every record he has made. 

                Other highlights on the record include my wife’s favorite “Mama Nantucket.”  This is the fastest and most rockin’ song on here. They lyrics are cryptic and it’s fun to try and figure out what the heck he is talking about. 

Oh, Bobby with a dollar,

He was sure he found the answer
But it might take a little time

Playing follow the leader
He was sure would be a winner
But I had other things on my mind

What?  It’s just weird and awesome.  I guess you could say the chorus is yodeled, but it’s not overt or in your face.  It sounds quite nice to me. 

                The closing track, “Beyond the Blue Horizon,” is probably the most psychedelic of the lot, but more so in planning than in tone.  It starts off with acoustic guitar, steel guitar, and farm sounds.  Mike teases the melody by singing very softly.  As the song builds, the organ and bass drum become more prominent.  It feels like you are drive up a mountain that the sun is about to pop over.  The song peaks with some thrilling singing by Mike.  After that, he lets you enjoy your sunny drive down the mountain as the song fades.  Listen as each instrument fades out one by one.   

Tones:  One of the most fun parts to this record is Red Rhodes’s steel guitar.  He seems to be from the Speedy West school of playing (as in, let’s make the steel guitar fun and exciting).  His tones are bright and shimmery, but it’s his ideas that are so fun.  In the fantastically short “First National Rag,” he creates a sound at the end that feels like a fountain bursting for the first time.  It’s explosively jubilant.  Mike’s guitar also has a wonderfully dry sound.  He was a big fan of Jimmy Rogers, so I am assuming that was what he was going for.

Cover Note:  I love embroidery in general, and this is no exception.  The cover pretty much sums up every adjective about the music inside: American, detailed, creative, and warm.  I also love the calming blue.

Price paid:  I seem to remember playing $8.00-$10.00 for this one.  Mine has a couple of skips on it, but is pretty clean otherwise.  I seldom see if for less than $15.00 (don’t pay more than that), and it is never in a bargain bin.  I got mine at a record show. 

Bottom line:  Like I said, my wife and I love Mike Nesmith.  I do feel like I have given this to a lot of people and told them how amazing the record is.  Funny thing is, I have never gotten amazing feedback from people on it.  Maybe it’s too country for my friends who like 60’s pop, and too pop for my friends who are into more country stuff.  I have actually stopped suggesting it to people as a result.  That is fine with me though.  I am just going to hang out with my wife and son, and keep this little lost classic in the family.    

Speedy West "Steel Guitar" 1960

                In both its pedal and non-pedal forms, steel guitar is one of my favorite instruments.  It’s a highly emotional instrument with very few limits.  While many instruments (such as horns) are limited to single notes, steel guitars can play single note melodies, double note harmonies, and full complex chords.  Notes can also be slid into, and volume and tone (thanks to electricity) can be altered to great effect.  Speedy West makes use of every sound imaginable from this amazing instrument.  He also creates sounds that are other worldly and downright weird.  If you are looking for a record that contains only pleasant background steel guitar playing, then “Steel Guitar” is not your record.  If you are looking for a record with playing that is fun, playful, strange, bombastic, innovative, and smile inducing, then “Steel Guitar” is your record. 

                “Speedin’ West” starts things off with a vivacious beat and some fancy twin lead playing.  I would be interested in talking to Speedy to see what kind of emotion he was trying to express in this song.  There is a playful, cartoon jubilance that bounces straight off this song into your ears.  The solos are about as zany as you can get.  You might be fooled into thinking Speedy was just messing around if the things he came up with weren’t so difficult to play and express.  If you tried to convey what Speedy plays with only words and facial expressions, it would be extremely difficult.  Either that or people would think you are a delightful maniac. 

                There is a lumbering exotic vibe to “West of Samoa.”  A slippery low guitar, which descends like a boa constrictor down a tree, sets the tone.  In the background, birdcalls (an Exotica staple) are created by an electric guitar.  It’s only an approximation of a birdcall, which makes it sound that much stranger.  The main melody is a wonderful Hawaiian tune that drips with humidity.  It’s lazy, breezy, and calm.  Back and forth, the two parts of the song alternate between the dark and the daylight.  It’s the perfect mix of eeriness and beauty. 

                It is important to recognize the work of Jimmy Bryant, who plays guitar on this album as well.  Not doing so would be like not mentioning Art Garfunkel when you talk about Paul Simon, or Billy Strayhorn when you talk about Duke Ellington.  Speedy and Jimmy were musical partners and pushed each other on their respective instruments.  Jimmy incorporated a lot of Be-Bop into his country licks.  He was also the first guitarist to kill it on the Telecaster.  This guy absolutely rips, and his Telecaster really gave him as distinctive tone compared to other jazz and country players of the day.  Take a song like “Caffeine Patrol.”  Jimmy trades solos with Speedy, and starts with some lyrical and catchy playing that experiments with wide intervals between notes.  In his second break, he pulls out some straight up Charlie Parker Bop, that sounds like a line of freshly blown bubbles popping in succession.   

                Other highlights on this album include “This Ain’t the Blues,” which has Speedy creating some vocal like effects on the steel.  As I listen to this song, the sounds (which I love) remind me of my high school Spanish class (which I loathed.)  I remember my teacher showing us how to “roll our R’s” with our tongues.  Speedy actually creates a similar sound as he plays the melody.  “Stealin’ the Moonlight” is a slow moving beauty with some juicy triplets that keeps things interesting.  This is exactly the song you (as in me) would want to hear at 1:30 in the morning at a smoky bar.  Also, pay attention to Jimmy Bryant’s dazzling guitar lick at the very end of the song.

Tones:  Picture the craziest Psychedelic 60’s album cover you can imagine.  That is what Speedy’s playing sounds like to me.  He is able to create some of the most out there tones on the steel guitar that I have ever encountered.  Sometimes it sounds like a synthesizer, and sometimes it sounds like a squirt of water in the face. He also gets some great wah wah sounds by playing with his tone control.  It’s not all weird though; he can also rein it in and play sweetly and elegantly. 

Cover note:  Lots of steel guitars!  Did I mention I like the look of steel guitars as well?  They are so simple, sleek and clean.  I count at least 18 (some are just pieces though) on the cover.  I like the purple one to the left of Speedy’s head best. 

Price Paid:  $1 or $2 at a record show at the fairgrounds.  It did not have an inner sleeve, but it looked like it was in good condition (which it was.)  I had never heard of Speedy, I just knew I liked steel guitars, and his name sounded awesome (which it is.)  It is one of my great pleasures in life to be able to try new music on vinyl for small amounts of money.  Some are duds, but then you find fun stuff like this.  What a joy!

Bottom line.  Good for people who like Country, Jazz, Texas Swing, Hawaiian, Exotica, and novelty music.  It’s the kind of record that you can play for your family because it’s fun on a superficial level.  They can be diggin’ how fun it sounds, but you can be grooving on all the cool technical stuff Speedy and Jimmy play.  Not only that, you can point out all of the amazing musicianship to your buddies who are music lovers like you.  $3, $4, or $5 would be a nice asking price. One more thing, this is not a stereo recording.  It plays in glorious mono!