Michael Nesmith speaks to REBEAT about his solo albums, The Monkees, First National Band, and more1/11/2019
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This August, the ever-prolific 7a Records issued Live at The Troubadour by Michael Nesmith & The First National Band Redux as a limited edition 2LP gatefold on 180g opaque gold vinyl. The set also happens to feature a special bonus performance of the song "Rio." A compact disc version was also released. And now, thanks (as always) to Ben Belmares, you can take a look at the LP version of Live at The Troubadour below. Thanks, Ben! Before you do, don't forget to order your copy of Live at The Troubadour on Amazon US or Amazon UK!   (Click images to enlarge)        
Last night, Michael Nesmith & The First National Band Redux closed their September tour with a show at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Micky Dolenz was in attendance, and posted the following message on Twitter:
Thanks to John McCutcheon of Monkee45s.net for sharing the set list from the FNB Redux show at the Paramount Theatre in Austin on September 8:
The surviving Monkees, Nesmith, Dolenz, and Peter Tork — Davy Jones died of a heart attack in 2012 — recorded a well-received comeback album, “Good Times!,” in 2016. True to form, Nesmith was not enthralled when the band asked him to take part in a follow-up, a Christmas album. But he relented, cutting two songs for the upcoming release, covers of “The Christmas Song” and “Snowfall,” the weird seasonal standard written by Claude Thornhill. Speculation surrounding new Monkees recordings has abounded since June 2017 when Fountains of Wayne guitarist Jody Porter, who played on the 2016 Monkees album Good Times! (which was produced by his bandmate Adam Schlesinger), commented on Facebook that he would soon be in Los Angeles to work on a new Monkees LP.
Even before that, Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze, the legendary new wave group responsible for songs like "Tempted and "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell), told Iain Lee on his UK radio show that he was writing songs for another Monkees album. Be sure to stay tuned to The Monkees Live Almanac for further updates, which should be coming shortly! Houston Chronicle previews opening night of Michael Nesmith & First National Band Redux tour9/4/2018  Subscribers to the Videoranch email list were given a heads-up today on some of the items that will be available at the merchandise booth during this September's Michael Nesmith & The First National Band Redux tour. The photos and descriptions provided in the email appear below. And don't forget to sign up for updates from Videoranch!
Limited Edition Hand Screen Printed Poster ($35) (Only 150 copies printed)  Essay examines previously unheard bonus tracks from new editions of Michael Nesmith's RCA albums6/23/2018 Earlier this month, Michael Nesmith's 1970s-era albums for RCA Records appeared suddenly on various platforms, and more surprisingly, each album was chock-full of bonus tracks. As we all send our best wishes to Nez, take a look at Brian Marchese's brand new essay that examines the bonus content on these latest issues of Michael's RCA output.  Thanks to Sherri Hansen for uploading this great rendition of a Nez classic!  The Monkees Live Almanac is happy to share the official press releases from 7a Records announcing their latest project: a live recording documenting Michael Nesmith's historic return to the Troubadour in Los Angeles with the First National Band Redux! Thank you very much to 7a co-founders Glenn Gretlund and Iain Lee for passing along all of the details. Don't forget to follow 7a Records on Facebook and Twitter. And you can read more about 7a's past releases in the archives of the Live Almanac. THE PRESS RELEASE2-LP GATEFOLD VINYL DETAILS COMPACT DISC DETAILS
OFFICIAL PREVIEW VIDEO
Nez demoed "Propinquity," a song he wrote for his first wife, Phyllis, in 1966:
He later recorded it during the famed Nashville sessions in 1968, but this version remained in the Monkees vaults until its appearance in 1996 on Missing Links Volume Three:
The song was given its first official release in 1971 on The First National Band's third album, Nevada Fighter:
A reworked version appeared on Live at the Palais in 1978:
Finally, this performance of "Propinquity" is taken from Live at the Britt Festival, a video and compact disc recorded on June 19, 1992 at the Britt Festival in Jacksonville, Oregon:
The influential trilogy of First National Band albums are now available on colored vinyl from Sundazed Music. As always, I'd like to say thank you to Ben Belmares for his fantastic scans that can't be beat. Great job, Ben! Magnetic South   (Click to enlarge)     Loose Salute   (Click to enlarge)     Nevada Fighter   (Click to enlarge)     Michael Nesmith & The First National Band Redux September tour: Dates, Venues, Cities, Ticket Links6/5/2018 
Michael Nesmith & The First National Band Redux have announced that they will return to the road in September 2018!
This past January during a 5-date jaunt throughout California, Nez brought new life to his initial post-Monkees outfit. Originally consisting of Nez, Red Rhodes, John London, and John Ware, the group released three albums between 1970 and 1971, but their live performance history was fairly limited. Ignored and almost shunned by audiences and peers during their heyday, the music of the First National Band has since been cited by critics and contemporaries as a pioneering influence in the country rock genre. In one of the more unexpected moves of Michael's career, a reconstituted First National Band hit the road in early 2018 with Christian Nesmith (guitar), Jonathan Nesmith (piano/guitar/vocals), Circe Link (vocals), Christopher Allis (drums), Jason Chesney (bass), Amy Spear (vocals), and Pete Finney (pedal steel). Sadly, original members Rhodes and London have passed away, but Ware gave his blessing to the project and wished everyone well. The limited run of concerts by the First National Band Redux, as they were dubbed, were ultimately a critical and commercial triumph. Here are the dates for the group's September tour. Half of the shows go on sale this Friday, June 8. Stay tuned to the Live Almanac for future on sale dates as they are made available.
September 7: The Heights Theater / Houston, Texas
September 8: Paramount Theatre / Austin, Texas September 9: The Kessler Theater / Dallas, Texas September 11: CMA Theater / Nashville, Tennessee September 13: Old Town School of Folk Music / Chicago, Illinois September 14: Royal Oak Music Theatre / Royal Oak, Michigan September 15: The Kent Stage / Kent, Ohio September 17: The Birchmere / Alexandria, Virginia September 19: Somerville Theatre / Somerville, Massachusetts September 20: The Concert Hall at New York Society for Ethical Culture / New York, New York September 22: The Colonial Theatre / Phoenixville, Pennsylvania September 23: The Ridgefield Playhouse / Ridgefield, Connecticut
UPDATE 7/13/18: Videoranch has confirmed that despite Michael's recent illness that postponed the final four dates of "The Mike Nesmith & Micky Dolenz Show" tour, the September concerts with the First National Band Redux are indeed happening:
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