Remember The Monkees? Originally a “fake” band designed for a television program in the 1960s, the members of the outfit banded together to gain more creative control over the music they produced, long after the television show in question came to an end in 1968. And one of the most important members of that band was Michael Nesmith.
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Nesmith was the kind of musician who shouldn’t be lost to time. His contributions to the band were important and including hits like “Mary, Mary”, “Listen To The Band”, and “The Girl I Knew Somewhere”. He also famously wrote “Different Drum”, which became an enormous hit for Stone Poneys, which famously featured Linda Ronstadt.
Nesmith was so much more than a member of a TV band. His country-psych work, in particular, is a point of interest in his career.
The Country-Psych Work of Michael Nesmith
After disconnecting himself from The Monkees, Michael Nesmith turned from the lovable Monkee Mike into a cosmonaut of sorts in country-psych music. The Monkees gave Nesmith a decent platform to start, but his most fascinating work came after he stepped out on his own and started making country-psych music in his signature colorful cowboy outfit.
By the time The Monkees ended, Nesmith had formed a stronger identity within the band. While still part of the band, he released his first non-Monkees album, The Wichita Train Whistle Sings, as part of a group called The First National Band.
Magnetic South would follow in 1970. It couldn’t be further from what one would expect from The Monkees. It’s a solid country-rock album with notable psychedelic elements.
Later, Loose Salute would show Nesmith really leaning into the psychedelic side of country-rock. It’s a highly experimental album with a cosmic flair. It’s really an incredible piece of work that showed Nesmith exploring different ways one could blend country music and psychedelia. It’s engaging, stimulating, and startlingly introspective. Tantamount To Treason Vol. 1 from 1972 would get even weirder in the best way possible. More albums would follow.
It’s so rare to witness a musician showcase their vision as clearly as Nesmith did once freed from the confines of The Monkees. The experience was akin to George Harrison launching his solo career toward the end of The Beatles’ lifespan. And for him to dive into highly intellectual psychedelic country music is an even more impressive feat.
Michael Nesmith passed away in 2021, and he left behind a catalog of music that any music historian or audiophile would delight in.
Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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