The Smiley Smile Message Board

Does anyone else here like this 1980s gem, made by Michael Nesmith from The Monkees and The First National Band?


https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Parts-Movie-Robert-Ackerman/dp/B000009OV2

Yes I do. It's so quirky, and fast paced, easy to go back to for repeat viewings.

I think it's the best thing Nesmith has ever done. I can't listen to INFINITE RIDER ON THE BIG DOGMA without the Elephant Parts video clips for "Cruisin'" and "Magic" running through my mind's eye.

I don't follow the Monkees and their solo material closely, but I have heard great things about Nez's solo career.

But why are fans hard on Nez as some controlling and arrogant figure?

It is very good. This compilation is a good one for anyone wanting to get his best for a good price.
https://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Tuesday-Autobiographical-Riffs-Music/dp/B06XCCYTY3/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B06XCCYTY3&pd_rd_r=CJF4CRXRVJHB9FGD26PF&pd_rd_w=uD4Sa&pd_rd_wg=EDxdO&psc=1&refRID=CJF4CRXRVJHB9FGD26PF

Nez is known for wanting - as one of his songs says - Total Control. I was outraged when he finally did a solo tour a few years ago, playing very intimate venues, but to have a meet/greet with him was an extra $50. The following year, it was up to $100. I guess that's becoming standard for the 'big rock stars' these days, but I got to meet Micky, Davy and Peter (separately) for free after shows them did. Had each one of them sign a copy of Headquarters. It needs just one more signature.
BTW, the solo concert was great. He did only 1 or 2 of his Monkees songs, the rest was First National Band and solo material. Really awesome hearing those songs played live.

There are a couple of Nesmith comps that are good places to start. One of his early country rock stuff called THE EARLY STUFF and his later solo works called THE LATER STUFF that were both released on Rhino in the last 80''s. My favorite records of his are his first 3 solo albums that he did with his band The First National Band, MAGNETIC SOUTH, LOOSE SALUTE, & NEVADA FIGHTER all of which comprise the cream of his post-Monkees work. His later stuff is more pop and more "commercial" but still possesses his eccentricities and idiosyncrasies. INFINITE RIDER ON THE BIG DOGMA is probably the best of that bunch and wound up being the musical basis for ELEPHANT PARTS.

Nez has a reputation for being controlling when it came to his own work and the oftentimes uncompromising nature of his work meant that, among fans of the Monkees, he was never going to be as popular as Davy Jones. His unwillingness to do the reunion tours while Davy was still alive also rubbed many fans the wrong way.  My wife and I, both huge Monkees fans, saw him in 2012 and 2013 with the Monkees and again in 2013 on his solo tour. For the latter, we splurged and paid for the VIP session after the show since we had items and memorabilia that we had gotten signed by Davy, Micky, and Peter that we wanted to get signed by Nez. The experience itself was very different than a lot of the VIP/autograph sessions that now dominate the concert industry. The session was organized, but not in a way that made it feel like a cattle call. Everyone there was allowed one Monkees item each plus all of the solo Nez that they wanted to bring (my wife brought a 1967 pressing of PISCES AQUARIUS CAPRICORN AND JONES that we had gotten signed by the other three and I brought a rare 1968 Billboard advertisement for HEAD). While we were with Nez, we could pose for pictures and also converse with him, which I gamely tried to do (even with preparation, I was still awestruck!). Normally I would balk at the VIP thing, but this was such a rare instance and was such a cool experience for me, that I thought was worth the expense. Plus I got to shake his hand and tell him that he was one of the reasons why I wanted to play guitar. That made it worthwhile to me.

FYI, "thank you. Keep on playing" was his response to me.