Tropical Campfires

by

Michael Nesmith

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"Tropical Campfires" is just one of many excellent Michael Nesmith albums released since Mike left the Monkees in 1970. It combines elements of Country, rock, latin-tinged music, and basically, that good ol' Mike Nesmith touch that makes so much of his music so special. His work with the Monkees was excellent, and, with few exceptions, his work solo, and with the First National Band, is excellent. This album also includes some of the last recorded work of the late, great Red Rhodes, Nesmith's friend and long time steel player. Get this album, you will not be sorry.

Having reviewed this most excellent piece of work, let me turn my attention to a not so excellent piece of.....work. Charles H. Levenson, you are indeed an idiot of the first order. You have no idea what you are talking about, nor do you have any idea what Michael Nesmith is all about. First of all,Nesmith did not get his gig with the Monkees because of "favors owed" or his so-called "connections. In truth, Nesmith came from a poor background, and had little or no money when he left Texas for LA. in the early sixties. He recieved his share of his mom's wealth long after the Monkees. Indeed, she didn't invent White Out until AFTER Mike left the band. And another thing, Mike Nesmith was not the first to leave the Monkees. Peter Tork left on December 31, 1968. Michael Nesmith left in the spring of 1970. You, are a moron.

Michael Nessmith,for those who might not remember,was once one of the four monkees,america's lame answer to the beatles..Nessmith got his job based largely on connections,or so it has been said..His family invented the product"white out",which covers over ink mistakes,and thus,at the time of the formation of that group Nesmith was being put forth by very rich people to whom favors were owed..indeed,in forming that group the auditions,while designed to appear open to all in fact favored insiders of all sorts..Mickey Dolentz,the drummer had been a child star appearing successfully in the teevee show"Circus Boy"..

Be this as it may,Nesmith was the first monkee to bail out of the group after the monkees teevee show faltered,and thier feature film"Head" tanked..Afterwards,flush with money both from "White out"and the monkees gig,Nesmith produced one-count'em-one hit single"Joanne"and then sank beneath the radar...

This did not,however,stop Nesmith from pumping out awful recordings,"Tropical Campfires" being among the latest of his stinkeroos..Nesmith had anticipated MTV and the musical video with his early production entitled"Elephant Parts",but generally his music is abstract,and its quality is erratic..In"Tropica Campfires"he subjects such standards as"Begin the Beguine"(from the stage production"Jubilee" from the 1920s)to his own bizarre reading,along with other non-familiar but equally appalling renditions..

Oh,yes,there are Mike Nesmith fans out there still..indeed,for a very small majority,his output since his stint with the monkees has been"better",but,for my money,whatever real impact Nesmith has made upon popular music remains as a part of the monkees,and this is because Nesmith did not himself write most of thier hits,and because the monkees,as a group,were manipulated by others,and were not really independent artists..I daresay that,given Nesmith's track record since leaving the group,and his many unsatisfactory album releases,it is fair to say that as a monkee Nesmith and his mates were merely paid performers,with other,more capable hands writing the tunes and providing the sparks that made the group a success