Comments on: A manufactured image with no philosophies?

By: kwoff.com

kwoff.com — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:13:16 +0000

Hey Hey where the Monkeys

By: SJ

SJ — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 06:49:05 +0000

Good post, Don. There's also the MTV thing:

Nesmith recorded a number of LPs for his label, and had a moderate worldwide hit in 1977 with his song "Rio", the single taken from the album "From A Radio Engine To The Photon Wing". More importantly, Nesmith created a video clip for "Rio" which, in a roundabout way, helped spur Nesmith's creation of a television program called Pop Clips for the Nickelodeon cable network. The concept was sold to Time Warner/Amex, who developed it into the MTV network. His single "Cruisin'" was the first video of the MTV generation. Nesmith also won the first Grammy Award (1981) given for Video of the Year for his hour-long Elephant Parts and also had a short-lived series inspired by the video called "Television Parts".

By: Tony T.

Tony T. — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:39:59 +0000

Nesmith's Nevada Fighter is passable but has one super track in Grand Ennui.

By: derrida derider

derrida derider — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 01:15:04 +0000

Yes, their minders made the serious mistake of hiring Neil Diamond to write and arrange songs for them. Future pretty boy and pretty girl bands have gone out of their way to avoid that sort of mistake.

As Phil Spector said of the Spice Girl’s movie “it was just another p**n movie, except most p**n movies have better music”.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:31:00 +0000

If I never heard the word “authenticity” in relation to music ever again I would be most content.

By: Francis Xavier Holden

Francis Xavier Holden — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:13:22 +0000

As you point out The Pistols used to do Stepping Stone. And as to how authentic were they. Possibly just as manufactured as any group and certainly in the latter days it was the other members who prevented Sid from playing his instrument not some NYC svengali.

The little missed trend of the 70’s for “Super Groups” seemed to grant authenticity to manufactured groups such as Cream and ELP and the Eagles but not the Monkees. Even Jimi’s experience was put together by Chas Chandler not jimi – at least initially.

By: Don Arthur

Don Arthur — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:27:30 +0000

Amanda – I think you might be right about Hendrix. The remark may have been before the tour with the Monkees.

I’ve fixed up the text.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 19:53:32 +0000

Premature submitting on account of racing for the taxi.

I think I was going to say “Personally, I like them more than the Beatles” or somesuch. Not that that would be hard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwRjdYTYrKk

I have a CD “Papa Nez: A Loose Salute to Mike Nesmith”, a tribute CD of his solo stuff. It’s very good. The original TV show is also interesting for the musical guests it had on at the time, Zappa and Tim Buckley are two I recall blogging about.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 18:16:40 +0000

Did Jimi say that after touring with them, or before? I thought it was before.

I don’t think we can single out the Monkees’ songs as sanitized, deriative and sugary. I’ve always thought, rather, the songs are quite surprising in restrospect for being brave choices (even in the most manufactured period.) ie Last Train to Clarksville is about a guy going to the Vietnam War. Personally,

By: Nicholas Gruen

Nicholas Gruen — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 13:54:22 +0000

Davy Jones voice in ‘Daydream Believer’ is lovely.

By: Don Arthur

Don Arthur — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 13:07:18 +0000

Did I forget to mention that Mike Nesmith wrote a number of songs for the Monkees? Or that he had a solo career and was a pioneer of country-rock? Or that his mother invented Liquid Paper? Or that he produced the film Repo Man? I guess you just can't fit everything into one post.