Say, fellows! What is the element common to all Mike Nesmith's albums, from The Wichita Train Whistle Sings, right up to his last, Tropical Campfire's? Yes, I know, he recorded a handful of studio albums after that, but they're listless, uninspired offerings that can safely be moved quietly to one side without troubling his otherwise impeccable œuvre [Fr. egg - Ed.]. Come back with me now - back, back - to the beginning of this paragraph. Do you know or can you guess? I'd hate to think you don't give a shit. Let's take a short break here to gaze at this swell Young Adult Seal Of Approval pitcher [above - Ed.], giving the monobrowed mouthbreathers among us time to think. Or something.
Apart from the uberswell Infinite Rider (here presented with two swell boners trx what should of been on the album - oboy!), Rhodes was like Nesmith's spirit animal or something. Before hooking up with Nez, he recorded a bunch of gas station rack steel guitar albums, and paid the mortgage with session work. Look it up on wiki, why doncha - what am I? The internet? But it was his long and inspirational partnership with the guy nobody's calling Ol' Woolhat any more that got him known outside of L.A. studios.
This post sponsored by Rabbi Ralph's Bikini Barn, Pismo Beach CA.
I'd like to claim first use of "liminal" in rock criticism history. I'm confident it'll eventually be picked up by writers who think "transitional", "one-two punch", and "sprawling" are neat terms.
ReplyDeleteIf you want these swell long-playing elpees, tell us about Nesmith's own crux of the biscuit (there's a clue in this sentence).
I've always found it interesting, how all the songs have one word titles. Have the videos ever seen the light of day?
ReplyDelete"Each track on Infinite Rider has only one word in its title. Yet, on the LP and unique inner sleeve, Nesmith listed each song with a parenthetical subtitle for each track."
Delete"The following videos were produced from Infinite Rider:
Magic
Tonight
Carioca
Cruisin'
Light"
- wiki
(Crux of the biscuit, Babs?)
I'm still trying to figure the Crux. Tuff one. But I did find that Red Rhodes did not play on Infinite Rider. I think it was Al Perkins played steel.
ReplyDeleteYup, I did say that Red isn't on the album in the piece.
DeleteAs an added invective to solve the biscuit conundrum, I'll add this -
ReplyDeletehttps://falsememoryfoam.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-michael-nesmith-radio-special-dept.html
- to the deliverables.
Are you referring to the Graham cracker, perchance?
DeleteI don't think so. Who used the phrase "crux of the biscuit"? What album is it connected to? How is this connected to a Nesmith album? Why should you care?
DeleteIf you have toenails to trim, you have a more meaningful way of passing the time than solving this.
There's always this
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZKq-VX3N5w
There is always that, and a still from it was used as the original banner for this very blog. Zappa is the right direction (as always).
Delete"Crux of the biscuit".... "is the apostrophe" is the title of a Zappa compilation, taking it's name from some typically gnomic utterance of Frank's. FZ, of course, turned up in Head with another non sequitur: "That song was pretty white" The movie Head, and its soundtrack, featured the Nesmith composition Circle Sky which was re-recorded and subsequently jettisoned from Michael Nesmith's 1973 album "Tantamount To Treason Vol. 1"
ReplyDeleteIt's not what you want but it's all I got.
You're half way there, Dr D! Bwaveaux! Well, a third, anyway ...
DeleteIncidentally, I have a fantastic piece from the venerable Sitarswami prepped to go, but youse lazy bums get bupkiss until this conundrum is demystified. Harsh? I don't make the rules.
ReplyDeleteWho does make the rools!! "Crux" to Zappa > Monkees "Head" I get ...but then,,, I'm lost!!! (Victor Mature as the Jolly Green Giant?? Ringo as Zappa?) I'm off to cut my toe nails!!! Catch ya's later!!!
DeleteYou're already wrong at Head. But as you're Anonymous, even if you got the answer you wouldn't get the prize.
DeleteAggravatingly, the answer is embedded in the screed. Right there in front of you.
Oops!! Sorry about the anon any mouse bit!! It's acherly ME!!! But still got it wrong!!
DeleteI'll take a stab at it. The song Apostrophe(') was written by Frank Zappa, Jack Bruce & Jim Gordon. Drummer Jim Gordon played on albums by both Frank Zappa & The Monkees. Is Jim Gordon the crux?
ReplyDeleteYou're right on the button up to (').
ReplyDelete(')
ReplyDelete... a-a-aaaand?
DeleteApostrophe(')
DeleteThe crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe.
DeleteThat's not the answer to the question.
DeleteToe nails trimmed!! I'm gonna cut my nose hairs now!! I can't get this one!! Something to do with brackets and an apostrophe????
ReplyDeleteOne last try!! "The crux of the biscuit is the Apostrophe" .. off to cut my ear hairs now!!
ReplyDeleteWe're so very close. Yet impossibly distant from the correct answer.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete... a-a-aaaapostrophe?
Delete"a crux is difficult or impossible to interpret and resolve."
ReplyDeleteThe crux of your quiz is the crux. No biscuits or deliverables for no one.
A crux is of course also a cross. I happen to see that bikini babe is having a white cross on her attire, right above one of her...uhm...biscuits (x marks the spot?!). Will stare at that a while while waiting for further inspiration...or deliverables...
Taking "crux" to mean "cross", I always thought it was some allusion to a communion wafer.
DeleteZappa's interpretation of apostrophe was a clitoris, as represented in the album title by the diacritical marks ('). But this brings us no closer to the Nez connection.
Delete"The answer is embedded in the screed. Right there in front of you."
"Tell us about Nesmith's own crux of the biscuit ..."
ReplyDeletehuh whut? where more bikini pics?
ReplyDeleteI always thought biscuits had "crust." After all these years, I get edumicated. At any rate, the local Catlick Choich down the street was Saint Alfonso's & yes, they had pancake breakfasts...
ReplyDeleteThis grand bumper pack of Nesmith biscuits (those extra tracks really are extra) is staying on the shelf until youse bums climb off yer collective thumb and make the connection. Gee whiz.
ReplyDeleteOkay!! I cheated!! I'll own up to it!! I googled and found this ..."He appeared on the TeeVee show The Monkees, where he pretended to interview Mike Nesmith." ('He" being Zappa) ... am I anywhere near the answer?? 'cos not much hair left to trim!!
ReplyDeleteWe've had this already. It doesn't tell us what "Nesmith's own crux of the biscuit" is, nor where it is to be found (which is given away right up there in the piece!).
DeleteTropical Campfire's
ReplyDeleteWE HAVE A WINNAH!!!!!!! The apostrophe was present in the first editions of the album title (it's an accurate quote from a lyric), but removed later because it looked like a mistake. Mr Reeds will receive his *personal link* to the deliverables in a comment soon. As this is strictly an honor system of trust we live by here on th' IoF©, I am confident none of youse lazy-ass bums what didn't get the answer (obvious now, right?) will fraudulently profit from Mr. Reeds' acumen by clicking a link which ain't yours. You snoozed, you losed. Them's the breaks. Meanwhile, we must join together to carry Mr Reeds aloft on a victory lap of th' Isle™, in celebration of his triumph! Kudoski, Mr Reeds!
DeleteOthie Wothie e.g bloody oath.... ancient exclamations are called for.
DeleteHe obviously had an advantage, having two unseen or willfully obfuscated apostrophes in his user name! Ain't that right, Mr. "Me'n'the Reeds"? Huh? Huh? Ha-HA! I knew it! If somehow Mr. Invisible Apostrophes is dropped during the victory celebration, don't anyone be looking in my direction...
DeleteFarq,you bless me with praise undeserved.
DeleteDon't flatter yourself too much, Mr. Reeds. The bar is set pretty low here.
DeleteAnd yet we frequently pass underneath, consistently confusing Farq's quixotic quizzes with a limbo competition...
DeleteHow low, how low, how low can we go...?!
Dick Fosbury changed the world of limbo forever when he invented the "Fosbury Duck". a seemingly effortless way of slipping head first under the bar.
DeleteDoh!!!
ReplyDelete*makes L for LOSER sign*
DeletePRIVATE COMMENT FAO MR. REEDS - EVERYONE ELSE DON'T READ!
ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/xYhx6HSULxk
It was Red Rhodes and Sneaky Pete who inspired me to take up the pedal steel in 1973. A few years ago a friend brought me a sweatshirt with Pa Nes & the First National Band on the front. Besides being my favorite piece of clothing, it attracts two levels of attention: one, "oh the guy in The Monkees!" and, infinitely more knowing, "what a great country rock band" —often conveyed in a nod and a wink.
ReplyDelete