http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.67336&variant=artist-playlists&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rssIf you compared the Monkees to the Byrds (the bands have been pitted against each other ever since the Byrds penned "So You Want To Be A Rock & Roll Star" in response to the overnight success of the Monkees), you would also have to compare the Monkees' Michael Nesmith to the Byrds' Chris Hillman. Like Hillman, Nesmith first hit pay dirt in a band that was immediately pigeonholed by the music media as "America's answer to the Beatles." Both men were the multi-instrumentalists and consummate professionals of their respective groups, and their musical bases were deeply rooted in the fertile soils of folk and country music. And like Hillman, Nesmith dabbled in psychedelic country rock before embarking upon a solo career that continues to thrive to this day. Comparisons with Hillman aside, Nesmith followed the rhythm of a different drum. He wrote hit singles for Linda Ronstadt, Olivia Newton-John, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and his own country rock outfit, the First National Band, among others. But there is much debate over just who was the first to invent the country rock sound, of which Nesmith is most certainly a pioneer. Nesmith wrote and produced "Papa Genes Blues" and "Sweet Young Thing" on the first Monkees album -- songs that may very well be the first country rock songs ever recorded -- and he recorded the experimentally twangy <I>Wichita Train Whistle Sings</I> in November 1967 as well as the defining country rock album <i>Magnetic South</i> in 1970. However, it has also been documented that Gram Parsons' International Submarine Band was playing and recording electric country music as early as 1966, while the Byrds injected a Beatles-esque backbeat to the old country standard "Oh! Susannah" in 1965. Still, others contend that it was the Everly Brothers who fused twang with rock long before anyone else. In any case, Nesmith forged ahead, assembling a new group, the Second National Band (which included pedal steel guru Red Rhodes), before venturing off to pursue various solo projects. In addition to playing an important role in the history of country rock, Nesmith also made music television history. Not many people know that he essentially invented MTV. He put together a half-hour show named <I>Popclips</I>, which consisted of Top 40 music videos, and eventually sold the concept (as well as the show itself) to Warner Amex, who turned it into MTV: Music Television. Today, Nesmith continues to make music. Some categorize his balance of rootsy songwriting and innovative sensibilities as adult alternative, but listen closely to his latter-day work, and you'll notice a seasoned singer-songwriter sensibility akin to David Gates' or Jackson Browne's, coupled with a bit of the grit found in Nesmith's tone-heavy twang of yesteryear. - Eric SheaAdult Alternativeen720Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:38:54 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.67336&variant=artist-playlists&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss If you compared the Monkees to the Byrds (the bands have been pitted against each other ever since the Byrds penned "So You Want To Be A Rock & Roll Star" in response to the overnight success of the Monkees), you would also have to compare the Monkees' Michael Nesmith to the Byrds' Chris Hillman. Like Hillman, Nesmith first hit pay dirt in a band that was immediately pigeonholed by the music media as "America's answer to the Beatles." Both men were the multi-instrumentalists and consummate professionals of their respective groups, and their musical bases were deeply rooted in the fertile soils of folk and country music. And like Hillman, Nesmith dabbled in psychedelic country rock before embarking upon a solo career that continues to thrive to this day. Comparisons with Hillman aside, Nesmith followed the rhythm of a different drum. He wrote hit singles for Linda Ronstadt, Olivia Newton-John, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and his own country rock outfit, the First National Band, among others. But there is much debate over just who was the first to invent the country rock sound, of which Nesmith is most certainly a pioneer. Nesmith wrote and produced "Papa Genes Blues" and "Sweet Young Thing" on the first Monkees album -- songs that may very well be the first country rock songs ever recorded -- and he recorded the experimentally twangy <I>Wichita Train Whistle Sings</I> in November 1967 as well as the defining country rock album <i>Magnetic South</i> in 1970. However, it has also been documented that Gram Parsons' International Submarine Band was playing and recording electric country music as early as 1966, while the Byrds injected a Beatles-esque backbeat to the old country standard "Oh! Susannah" in 1965. Still, others contend that it was the Everly Brothers who fused twang with rock long before anyone else. In any case, Nesmith forged ahead, assembling a new group, the Second National Band (which included pedal steel guru Red Rhodes), before venturing off to pursue various solo projects. In addition to playing an important role in the history of country rock, Nesmith also made music television history. Not many people know that he essentially invented MTV. He put together a half-hour show named <I>Popclips</I>, which consisted of Top 40 music videos, and eventually sold the concept (as well as the show itself) to Warner Amex, who turned it into MTV: Music Television. Today, Nesmith continues to make music. Some categorize his balance of rootsy songwriting and innovative sensibilities as adult alternative, but listen closely to his latter-day work, and you'll notice a seasoned singer-songwriter sensibility akin to David Gates' or Jackson Browne's, coupled with a bit of the grit found in Nesmith's tone-heavy twang of yesteryear. - Eric Shea http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.30737905&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Mon, 2 Nov 2009 10:52:25 -0800 Playlists Featuring Michael Nesmith on Rhapsody Online 30737905 ply.30737905 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.30737905&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.29953435&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:12:52 -0700 Playlists Featuring Michael Nesmith on Rhapsody Online 29953435 ply.29953435 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.29953435&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.26593490&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:01:06 -0700 Playlists Featuring Michael Nesmith on Rhapsody Online 26593490 ply.26593490 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.26593490&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.25278092&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Sun, 28 Dec 2008 11:21:19 -0800 Playlists Featuring Michael Nesmith on Rhapsody Online 25278092 ply.25278092 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.25278092&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.24735933&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:03:17 -0800 Playlists Featuring Michael Nesmith on Rhapsody Online 24735933 ply.24735933 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.24735933&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.23848610&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:13:31 -0800 Playlists Featuring Michael Nesmith on Rhapsody Online 23848610 ply.23848610 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.23848610&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.23848609&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:03:13 -0800 Playlists Featuring Michael Nesmith on Rhapsody Online 23848609 ply.23848609 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.23848609&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.21631053&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:11:03 -0700 Playlists Featuring Michael Nesmith on Rhapsody Online 21631053 ply.21631053 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.21631053&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.20356723&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss Country Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:39:03 -0800 Playlists Featuring Michael Nesmith on Rhapsody Online 20356723 ply.20356723 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.20356723&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.19054974&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Mon, 7 Sep 2009 09:54:28 -0700 Playlists Featuring Michael Nesmith on Rhapsody Online 19054974 ply.19054974 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.19054974&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.16566028&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss Rock/Pop Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:13:19 -0800 Playlists Featuring Michael Nesmith on Rhapsody Online 16566028 ply.16566028 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.16566028&variant=play&rws=%2Fmichael-nesmith%2Fplaylists.rss 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