7a Records announces 50th anniversary edition of Nesmith's lone Second National Band album (UPDATED)4/12/2022  7a Records just announced a special 50th Anniversary Edition of Michael Nesmith's fourth album for RCA Records, Tantamount to Treason Volume 1. It will be made available on both compact disc and 180 gram aqua splatter vinyl on June 17, 2022. Originally released in 1972, Tantamount is the only album Nez recorded with the Second National Band, which included O.J. "Red" Rhodes (pedal steel), Michael Cohen (keyboards and Moog), Jack Ranelli (drums), José Feliciano (congas), and Johnny Meeks (bass). The First National Band, which had backed Michael on his initial solo efforts (Magnetic South, Loose Salute, and Nevada Fighter), disbanded in 1971. Red Rhodes was the only FNB member to soldier on with Nez. The album also features a contribution from Bill Chadwick ("Talking to the Wall"). 7a Records also recently announced a 50th Anniversary Edition of Michael's 1974 album And The Hits Just Keep On Comin'. Read more about the reissue of Tantamount To Treason Volume 1 and its updated cover art below, courtesy of 7a's official press release. Pre-orders are now available via Deep Discount and Amazon worldwide.  TRACK LISTING
PRESS RELEASEWe are proud to announce the 50th Anniversary Edition of "Tantamount To Treason, Volume One" by Michael Nesmith & The Second National Band - released on June 3rd. The 1972 album has been remastered, expanded with bonus tracks and given a brand new cover painting by Wilson McLean, who also painted the original album sleeve. The CD comes with a 32 page booklet, including extensive liner notes, previously unpublished photos and lyrics to all of the songs. The Vinyl is presented in a gatefold sleeve and is pressed on 180g Aqua coloured splatter Vinyl. The bonus tracks have never previously been released on vinyl. You can pre-order the album here: THE ALBUMBy late 1971, Michael Nesmith found himself confronted with dissenting opinions of his First National Band releases on RCA Records. Though critics generally lauded the music, radio audiences and the record buying public became less interested in the material with each subsequent release. Contemplating his next move under his RCA contract, Nesmith made some significant changes to his approach in recording new material, which would ultimately yield Tantamount to Treason, Volume One. Gone would be a supporting “band” in the sense of a collective partnership of musicians. Rather, an eclectic group of session musicians would be gathered to lay down what were arguably Nesmith’s most free-form, jazz-influenced and psychedelic country tracks of his career.  (Courtesy of 7a Records) UPDATE 5/30/2022: The latest issue of Uncut features a rave review of 7a's 50th anniversary edition of Michael Nesmith's Tantamount To Treason Volume One. Thanks to Glenn Gretlund for sharing it on 7a's Facebook page:  (Click to enlarge)
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 7a Records announced today that a special 50th Anniversary Edition of Michael Nesmith's album, And The Hits Just Keep On Comin', will be released on both compact disc and colored vinyl on May 13, 2022. The LP, Michael's fifth effort for RCA Records, was originally issued in 1972. It has been remastered and expanded with four bonus tracks. The CD edition comes with a 28-page color booklet, featuring extensive liner notes and previously unpublished photos. The vinyl edition comes in a gatefold sleeve and is pressed on 180 gram honey colored vinyl. Read more about the anniversary edition of Hits below, courtesy of 7a's official press release, and pre-orders are now available via Deep Discount!  TRACK LISTING
PRESS RELEASEBy 1972 both Nesmith and his then record company RCA were dismayed at Nesmith’s lack of commercial success, following his early 1970 departure from The Monkees. Nesmith took the opportunity to blatantly poke fun at the situation he found himself in, titling his new album - that certainly would not yield a Top 40 hit – And the Hits Just Keep on Comin'. The album was a departure from his previous solo records, as it featured just Nesmith on acoustic 12-string guitar and the excellent Red Rhodes on pedal steel guitar, no other musicians were involved. The approach was simple, but it exposed a beauty in the poetry of Nesmith’s lyrics which was matched perfectly by Rhodes’ inspired playing. And The Hits Just Keep On Comin’ became Nesmith’s most critically acclaimed album and it is today generally viewed as an iconic ground-breaking marvel in the annals of country-rock music. To mark the album’s 50th anniversary, 7A Records have remastered the album and included four bonus track that will see their first ever release on vinyl. The album is released on CD with a 28 page color booklet featuring extensive liner notes and previously unseen photos, as well as on 180g colored vinyl in a gatefold sleeve.    UPDATE 6/1/2022: The latest issues of Record Collector and Mojo feature glowing reviews of 7a's 50th anniversary edition of Michael Nesmith's And The Hits Just Keep On Comin'. Thanks to Glenn Gretlund for sharing both on 7a's Facebook page. Record Collector Mojo  Back in 2018, Michael Nesmith's six early 1970s albums for RCA Records appeared on various digital and streaming platforms, and more surprisingly at the time, each album was chock-full of bonus tracks, many of them previously unreleased. Magnetic South (1970), Loose Salute (1970), Nevada Fighter (1971), Tantamount To Treason (1972), And the Hits Just Keep On Comin' (1972), and Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash (1973) have all seen various reissues over the years on both compact disc and vinyl. And since the CD re-releases featured scant bonus tracks, the 2018 digital/streaming versions of those albums marked the first time that the vaults were truly opened to reveal a plethora of previously unheard recordings by Nesmith and the First and Second National Band line-ups (including new versions of Monkees songs like "Circle Sky" and instrumental renditions of both "Magnolia Simms" and "Tapioca Tundra"). Now, courtesy of Real Gone Music, comes Different Drum: The Lost RCA Victor Recordings on compact disc, which collects all of those digital bonus tracks that had never been treated to a proper physical release. The CD has debuted at #98 on Billboard's Current Album Sales chart, and Videoranch recently shared a review of the set courtesy of Shindig:  UPDATE 5/18/2021: Courtesy of Videoranch, here's another review of Different Drum, this time from Record Collector:  UPDATE 7/5/2022: Different Drum: The Lost RCA Victor Recordings will be issued on "blue smoke" vinyl as a 2-LP set by Real Gone Music on August 5, 2022.
Thanks to Brian Marchese for alerting the Live Almanac about his latest podcast, featuring a unique interview with Michael Nesmith:
"Episode 23 of Where's That Sound Coming From? has been a long time coming, basically due to life getting a bit derailed. But I hope you'll agree that it was worth the wait. What we have here is not your average interview with Michael Nesmith. This is sort of grad-level Nez. Spirituality. Metaphysics. Creativity. Psychedelics. Turning away from the darkness of that era. Not a word about The Monkees. No MTV. No Country Rock Pioneer. No Liquid Paper. Have you noticed that most bios and interviews with Nez seem to gloss over The Prison (1974) and his life at the time? As a long time fan of Nez, The Prison for a long time was this mysterious work that I kept trying and failing to get into. Eventually I realized I wasn’t hearing the original work - I was hearing the touched up version Nez released in the 90s. A few years ago I finally heard the 1974 original, and it all came together. Plus, I sensed a psychedelic influence which turned out to be accurate. In this podcast, my long-winded intro is followed by Nez onstage in 1975 telling the plot of The Prison, and finally, the main course: my conversation, recorded in April 2019. Stuff gets very deep, very spiritual, puzzling, funny and always fascinating. Enjoy."
Earlier this afternoon, Rolling Stone magazine's website published an interview with Michael Nesmith conducted by Andy Greene. In it, Nez speaks openly about a wide array of topics and people, including the post-Monkees days with Red Rhodes, his relationships with Peter Tork and Davy Jones, touring with Micky Dolenz in early 2020, the scope of The Monkees' legacy today, the recently issued Cosmic Partners live album from 7a Records, and much more:  UPDATE: Rolling Stone followed-up their interview with Nez by putting the spotlight on the opening track of his 1972 album, And the Hits Just Keep on Comin':
Zilch host Ken Mills welcomes Videoranch's Ed Heffelfinger and 7a Records co-founder Glenn Gretlund as they talk about 7a's Cosmic Partners - The McCabe's Tapes, available this Friday on CD and vinyl. And, a special guest turns up - Michael Nesmith himself!  Coming this week from 7a Records: "Cosmic Partners" Nesmith & Rhodes in rarely heard concert11/18/2019 Earlier this fall Glenn Gretlund and Iain Lee of 7a Records announced their latest release, Cosmic Partners: The McCabe's Tapes, a previously unreleased concert recorded on August 18, 1973 at McCabe's in Santa Monica, California. Featuring Michael Nesmith and a group of supporting musicians, including his longtime friend and musical partner, legendary pedal steel player Red Rhodes, the recording has been remastered by Christian Nesmith. This long lost performance originates from a mini-concert tour that was in support of what was to be Nesmith's final album for RCA, Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash. Nez is accompanied during this one-of-a-kind show by a rhythm section featuring Danny Lane on drums and Colin Cameron on bass, along with Rhodes on pedal steel, and they deliver performances of an array of Nesmith classics including "Joanne," "Silver Moon," "Some of Shelly's Blues," and "Grand Ennui." Cosmic Partners will be released in the United States this Friday, November 22, on compact disc with a 24-page booklet featuring previously unseen photographs and liner notes by Michael Nesmith. It will also be available as a limited edition 12" vinyl picture disc (1,000 copies). Customers in the United Kingdom can purchase the set right now! Check out a full preview of "Grand Ennui" from Cosmic Partners, courtesy of the Videoranch YouTube channel.  Since 2015, 7a Records and its proprietors Glenn Gretlund and Iain Lee have been producing Monkees-related projects, most recently issuing vintage and brand new live recordings by Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, and Michael Nesmith. Earlier this week, 7a announced their latest release, Cosmic Partners: The McCabe's Tapes, a previously unreleased concert recorded on August 18, 1973 at McCabe's in Santa Monica, California. Featuring Michael Nesmith and a group of supporting musicians, including his longtime friend and musical partner, legendary pedal steel player Red Rhodes, the recording has been remastered by Christian Nesmith. This long lost performance originates from a mini-concert tour that was in support of what was to be Nesmith's final album for RCA, Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash. Nez is accompanied during this one-of-a-kind show by a rhythm section featuring Danny Lane on drums and Colin Cameron on bass, along with Rhodes on pedal steel, and they deliver performances of an array of Nesmith classics including "Joanne," "Silver Moon," "Some of Shelly's Blues," and "Grand Ennui." Cosmic Partners is being issued this November on compact disc with a 24-page booklet featuring previously unseen photographs and liner notes by Michael Nesmith. It will also be available as a limited edition 12" vinyl picture disc (1,000 copies).  And now, thanks to 7a Records, you can listen to the very first audio sample from Cosmic Partners! A big thank you to both Glenn and Iain for providing this exclusive preview to The Monkees Live Almanac. US customers can pre-order the compact disc from Amazon and Deep Discount, while UK customers can pre-order the CD from Amazon or Keymailrecords. The picture disc vinyl LP is also available to pre-order in the US from Amazon and Deep Discount, and in the UK from Keymailrecords. Now, enjoy the sounds of Nez, Red, and company from Cosmic Partners: The McCabe's Tapes, from 7a Records! OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE BY 7A RECORDS FOR "COSMIC PARTNERS: THE McCABE'S TAPES"7a Records unearths rarely heard Michael Nesmith & Red Rhodes concert for release on CD & vinyl9/23/2019  THE PRESS RELEASE7a Records is delighted to announce the release of their third Michael Nesmith album. Recorded at McCabe's in Santa Monica, CA, on August 18th, 1973, "Cosmic Partners: The McCabe's Tapes" is a rare and previously unreleased concert recording featuring Nesmith and a small coterie of fellow musicians, including long time recording partner and pedal steel player Red Rhodes. Released as a lavishly packaged CD set with a 24 page booklet with previously unseen pictures and liner notes by Michael Nesmith. This recording is from a mini concert tour that was in support of what was to be Nesmith's final record on the RCA label, Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash. Consisting of a rhythm section featuring Danny Lane on drums and Colin Cameron on bass, and the legendary O.J. "Red" Rhodes on pedal steel, this would be the last performance of its kind and the beginning of an almost Homeric journey for Nesmith. On the heels of an inordinately successful Monkees TV show, the hangover from overnight celebrity, and the disappointments that so often follow such ascents, this forgotten and almost lost board mix in all its unvarnished glory (remastered here by Christian Nesmith, Michael's oldest son) stands as a ready witness to the spirit of a man full of heartache, a performer bruised by the claws of the star-maker machine, and an artist whose songs have become touchstones for our lives. What you hear is exactly as it happened with no overdubs or audio mumbo jumbo. The perfection you hear is totally for real.
In a post on Facebook yesterday, Michael Nesmith talked about The Palais Theatre in Melbourne, Australia, site of the recording of his 1977 live album and the current stop on his tour with Micky Dolenz. Nez ruminated about his band then and now, the slide guitar work of son Christian, and one of his best loved solo cuts, "Grand Ennui." Long ago memories include the "Live at the Palais" album I made here on the stage of the Palais. Quite a different venue it was in 1977. It has been remodeled and from the pictures I see is now a stunning reincarnation of the original. When I go to soundcheck I will listen for remnant noise of that concert -- although I doubt I will hear anything, really. Just see a low smoke from a dying fire burning my eyes. Here is the set list from last evening's performance by Micky, Michael, and the band, which included "Grand Ennui" in the second act, at The Palais Theatre in Melbourne, Australia, courtesy of Andrew Sandoval:  The label Music on Vinyl has issued a limited edition (1,000 copies) of Michael Nesmith's second album with The First National Band, 1970's Loose Salute, on 180 gram audiophile transparent vinyl. Thanks a lot to Live Almanac contributor Ben Belmares for providing his scans of the release.       In this very rare clip that was just uploaded to YouTube, Michael Nesmith performs "Propinquity" during what is seemingly an appearance on The David Frost Show in late 1971. Don't forget to check out the history of this Nesmith classic in a previous post on the Live Almanac's blog, and enjoy this great performance! Songs, a 12-CD collection that brings together Michael Nesmith's works for both RCA and Pacific Arts, is scheduled to be released by UK-based Edsel Records on April 5, 2019. The box set, however, is not a complete representation of Michael's solo output as the following albums are not included: The Wichita Train Whistle Sings, Live at the Palais, The Michael Nesmith Radio Special, Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (soundtrack), Live at The Britt Festival, Rays, and The Ocean. Four RCA-era bonus cuts are included in the track listings ("Rose City Chimes," "First National Dance," "Cantata & Fugue in C&W," "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette") and 7a Records co-founder Iain Lee has penned liner notes for the booklet. In June 2018, Michael Nesmith's 1970s RCA albums were issued digitally with previously unheard bonus tracks.  Amazon provides the following description of the box set: As a member of the first-ever manufactured group, Michael Nesmith needs little introduction. Aside from his ground-breaking projects in the field of music video and film production, he has enjoyed a solo career since he left the Monkees that has encompassed many styles of music, but has always been supported by his wonderful songwriting, alongside some very astute choices of songs he has covered. Nez signed to RCA in 1970 and in quick succession made three albums with The First National Band, which featured pedal steel guitarist extraordinaire O.J. 'Red' Rhodes. All three featured, in the main, his own compositions (including some he had tried out in Monkees sessions) plus some interesting covers, including both well-known country songs and songs by the likes of Harry Nilsson and Eric Clapton. Alongside the contemporary output of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, these albums form the foundation of Country Rock. Nesmith continued in this vein with three more albums for RCA in 1972 and 1973, the ironically-titled "…And The Hits Just Keep on Comin'" containing his own version of "Different Drum," a huge hit for Linda Ronstadt back in 1967. He formed his own production company, Pacific Arts, in 1975, the first release being "The Prison," "a book with a soundtrack," with songs to compliment the reading experience. A second example of this, "The Garden," was issued in 1994. 1977 saw the release of "From A Radio Engine To The Photon Wing," which featured the hit single "Rio." The video for this was instrumental in the birth of MTV. Moving away from country rock, follow-up albums further showcased Nesmith's songwriting, accompanied by songs by Cole Porter and others. This box set is the first time that Michael Nesmith's solo albums from both his RCA and Pacific Arts periods have been brought together in one compendium. The albums are in CD-sized facsimiles of the original sleeves, along with a booklet that compiles all the credits and liner notes from those sleeves. There are also four bonus tracks across the RCA albums. Booklet notes by broadcaster Iain Lee.  Last week, the Live Almanac covered the January 22 performance by Michael Nesmith and pedal steel extraordinaire Pete Finney at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, California. Michael and Pete performed a series of shows this month that highlighted the 1972 album And The Hits Just Keep On Comin' that was recorded by Nesmith and Red Rhodes. Sherri Hansen has now shared her set of photos from the show at the Coach House with the Live Almanac. Thanks, Sherri! Sherri also shared her video footage: Thank you very much to Kevin Barry for sharing his photos and videos from Michael Nesmith and Pete Finney's performance last evening at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, California. Nez and Pete will conclude this current round of shows highlighting the 1972 Nesmith album And The Hits Just Keep On Comin' in Mill Valley, California tomorrow night at the sold-out Sweetwater Music Hall.  (All photos by Kevin Barry)    The set list in San Juan Capistrano was the same as Tuesday night's show at the legendary Troubadour in West Hollywood. Notably, both Micky Dolenz and Chip Douglas were in attendance at the Troubadour.
This past Thursday night in Seattle, Washington, Michael Nesmith, along with pedal steel guitarist Pete Finney and special guest Ben Gibbard, performed the first in a series of shows highlighting his classic 1972 album, And The Hits Just Keep On Comin'. Here is the set list, thanks to Andrew Sandoval: Two Different Roads Tomorrow & Me Some of Shelly's Blues Keys To The Car Listening The Upside Of Goodbye With Special Guest Ben Gibbard Papa Gene's Blues Joanne The Crippled Lion Keep On The Candidate Propinquity Encore Different Drum Nine Times Blue Marie's Theme Silver Moon  Michael Nesmith speaks to REBEAT about his solo albums, The Monkees, First National Band, and more1/11/2019 Recently on Facebook, Michael Nesmith talked about his upcoming tour with pedal steel guitarist Pete Finney that will highlight his 1972 album, And The Hits Just Keep On Comin', and more:  (Photo courtesy of Videoranch) Here is a message from the stream. The show you are about to see is a show Red Rhodes and I put together in 1974 based loosely on the “Hits” album (And the Hits Just Keep On Comin’, 1972) we had just made. The record was different from the live show by a difference so subtle I hadn’t noticed, until night after night of playing, on one of those nights, we got airborne. For me this music is the most fun to play especially when Red would hit the secret switch. Magic. Untethered to space and time. Riding the space unconfined. Then, sadly Red was gone, and with him, his little secret switch. So it appeared that after the few shows we did in England, and a few in the States, the career of the First National Band would end. To say I wandered a few years is an embarrassing understatement -- but I did, always waiting for the little switch. I found it after playing a short tour with Pete Finney. I found out he had the switch, too. Turns out, all steel-players do --- some use it, some don’t. The switch comes bound to the steel-player and then includes whatever instrument they are playing so the sound is unique to their musical swirl. Come ride those swirls with Pete Finney and me and let him slide us away to this land and time where we all play. Best, Nez Don't miss Nez and Pete this January! And in the event you haven't heard, Ben Gibbard & Scott McCaughey will be the duo's special guests on opening night in Seattle! Ben is the lead vocalist and guitarist of Death Cab For Cutie who also wrote "Me & Magdalena" for The Monkees' 2016 album, Good Times! Scott is a respected singer/singwriter whose band The Minus 5 released Of Monkees and Men in 2016, described as "an imaginative tribute to the Monkees’ legacy in music and popular culture." Scott also co-wrote the title track with Peter Buck (R.E.M.) from The Monkees' new holiday album, Christmas Party, and was closely aligned with R.E.M. as an auxiliary musician in the studio and on stage with the group from 1994 until their their breakup in 2011. Here's a complete list of tour dates and ticket links for Michael Nesmith and Pete Finney in January 2019: January 17: Neptune Theatre / Seattle, Washington January 19: The Rogue Theater / Grants Pass, Oregon January 20: Sofia Center For The Arts / Sacramento, California January 22: Troubadour / West Hollywood, California January 24: The Coach House / San Juan Capistrano, California January 26: Sweetwater Music Hall / Mill Valley, California  |
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