Don't think it's been mentioned yet, but there's 2 CD set called Mike
Nesmith & The First National Band "Complete" that was released on Pacific
Arts in 1993. FYI the band includes Red Rhodes on pedal steel and Glen D.
Hardin on piano. Obviously it contains all three of his band albums and
includes tracks like Joanne, Listen To The Band, I Fall To Pieces, Calico
Girlfriend and Tumbling Tumbleweeds.
There's a pretty interesting essay in the accompaning booklet with the
following quote from Mike: "It has been said that The First National Band
was one of the pioneers of Country Rock and was partly responsible for a
shift in popular music. I count this as nonsense for two reasons. First,
the classification of music by genre is silly and meaningless. Arbitrary
catergories such as Country Rock or R&B is fosteres by schools, perpetrated
by fools creates havoc in the business of arts and tends to oppress
artists. Even legitimate distinctions, such as opera from ballet only a
limited purpose. The only way to understand a musical form is to listen to
it, not talk about it. Second, I was not using Country or Rock as forms,
but was learning from artists who has a clear resonance with my own poetry
and then playing this music in the most natural way."
Jim, smilin'
NP: Willie Nelson-Moonlight Becomes You
