This one GROWS on ya
Charles A Galupi | Euless, Texas | 04/05/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"When I first got it, I didn't get it... I prefered the more straight ahead Loose Salute and Magnetic South. But the more I listened, the more this grew on me. Nevada Fighter contains, along with the great tracks "Grand Ennui" and "I've Just Begun to Care" (along with a wealth of First National Band classics; what ever became of the rest of the band?!?) one of Nesmith's best songs: "Texas Morning". Unfortunately it is tied into an odd take of the classic "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." Tantamount to Treason is a bit harder to take, but will grow on you, too. Opening with the HOT "Mama Rocker" (how would the Band sound doing this?), the album drifts a little. There is definately a sythesizer on "Lazy Lady"; "You Are My One" phases slowly from left to right and back again and drifts into a latin beat ala "Tengo Amore"; "Highway 99 With Melange" might be better suited to one of Leon Russell's albums. But through it all, Nesmith's easy voice is an anchor, and there are more than enough good musical moments to make up for the odd ones. "Wax Minute" is a good laid back Nesmith track, hinting at the Latin flavors to come later in the decade. And one of my favorites is "Bonaparte's Retreat." I had this tape in the car on my way to the airport for a weekend away, sang it under my breath all weekend, and popped it back in the instant I was homeward bound. The bonus tracks ARE worth the price of the CD, especially "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke!"... but don't skip the rest of the CD when you get it."
Tantamount To Excellence
Thomas Magnum | NJ, USA | 06/05/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Nevada Fighter finds Mike Nesmith again recording some excellent country-rock. With the help of The First National Band songs like the amazing title track and the rolling "Grand Ennui" bounce along with a flair. Mr. Nesmith can also slows things down like on the pretty "I've Just Begun To Care" and "Here I Am". He takes us out on the range with cowboy rhythms of "Texas Morning" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds". Harry Nilsson got his big writing break from The Monkees and Mr. Nesmith again takes on one of his songs, "The Rainmaker". For the recording of Tantamount To Treason two of the members of the group left. Luckily the irreplaceable Red Rhodes stayed and new band was christened The Second National Band. Treason contains some of tremendous songs like "Wax Minute", "Bonaparte's Retreat", "Talking To The Wall" and "In The Afternoon"."
Mixed Bag On 2-Disc Set
Wil | AL | 04/20/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Michael Nesmith scored another homerun with his third solo album, Nevada Fighter, presented here with the weaker, less effective Tantamount To Treason.
Nevada Fighter is without doubt the best of the First National Band Trilogy. Strong country rockers like Grand Ennui and the title track alone make this one a good disc. But it only gets better with the bittersweet Here I Am, the gentle Texas Morning, Rainmaker, and a song Nez originally penned during his Monkees' days, Propinquity (I've just begun to care)(compare it to the version found on Missing Links, Volume 3). The only thing that takes away from the album is that he only penned 1/2 of the songs himself; I am personally a fan of his songwriting, especially his lyrics. Not that the covers are sub-par (well, maybe the hokey Tumbling Tumbleweeds), but having songs written by Nesmith always is a plus.
He followed up that album with a slightly artsy disc that found Nesmith a bit out of focus, musically. Mama Rocker is great, with its Jerry Lee Lewis piano, and his extended atmospheric soundscapes that fade in and out of Bonaparte's Retreat are interesting, but most of the disc falters. Lazy Lady and Talking To the Wall have flashes of greatness, but not enough to measure up to Nesmith's high potential. It sounds like he was trying to create a concept album, but with other people's songs mixed in with his own(he once again filled out an album with half cover versions and half originals). Maybe it was the introduction of the Moog synth that gave the album an odd edge to it. I don't know, but the songs don't touch me in the way his first three albums do.
Luckily, we also have bonus tracks here, and they are all interesting, especially Smoke Smoke Smoke and Cantata and Fugue in C&W. All in all, you have to get this disc simply for Nevada Fighter and the bonus songs. Papa Nez is still better than any other's of the same genre, even in his weaker moments."
