This two-CD set brings together the three albums Michael Nesmith recorded with his group the First National Band in 1971 and 1972, Magnetic South, Loose Salute, and Nevada Fighter. In his liner notes to this set, Nesmith says that he always intended the three First National Band albums to be a... [+] Expand

This two-CD set brings together the three albums Michael Nesmith recorded with his group the First National Band in 1971 and 1972, Magnetic South, Loose Salute, and Nevada Fighter. In his liner notes to this set, Nesmith says that he always intended the three First National Band albums to be a trilogy, and while the individual albums do have subtle but distinct personalities of their own, they also play well as a set, with the laid-back Magnetic South easing comfortably into the slightly more rock-oriented Loose Salute and Nevada Fighter's addition of session men and a handful of covers leading the group into the sunset. Nesmith's notes also declare his status as "one of the pioneers of Country Rock" to be "nonsense," and while anyone whose listened to these albums might think Nez protests too much on this point, it's certainly true that his fusion of country's sound and rock & roll's soul was decidedly his own and bore little resemblance to that of anyone else working in the same direction. (He also was fortunate to have one of the best pedal steel players alive, Red Rhodes, in his band, and his playing alone would make these discs worth your time.) The First National Band albums were among the finest music of Michael Nesmith's solo career, and anyone interested in his body of work (or in country-rock and its best and most intelligent) would do well to pick up Complete. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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