1 of 2 copies available
“Reads like the chronicle of a relentless seeker.”—Los Angeles Times
Michael Nesmith’s eclectic, electric life spanned his star-making role on The Monkees, his invention of the music video, and his critical contributions to movies, comedy, and the world of virtual reality. But above all, his is a seeker’s story, a pilgrimage in search of a set of principles to live by. That search took Nesmith from a childhood in Dallas to the set of The Monkees in Los Angeles to the heart of swinging London with John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix.
This funny, thoughtful, self-aware book is a window into an unexpected life, inflected at every turn by the surprising candor and absurdist humor of an American original.
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Release date
April 18, 2017 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781524755454
- File size: 290327 KB
- Duration: 10:04:50
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Reviews
-
In an episodic autobiography that follows no time line, former Monkees' guitarist Michael Nesmith movingly offers insights into his magical life. Nesmith's narration is a wonder: warm, engaging, conversational, much like a conversation with an old friend--which is precisely who Nesmith represents to Baby Boomers of a certain age. The well-written text is not expansive on his television performance years or the people who have been close to him. However, the pervasive influence of his late wealthy mother, who invented Liquid Paper, represents a consistent theme in a story that is otherwise a varied tapestry. Selectively revealing, Nesmith's metaphysical beliefs provide a solid underpinning for a fascinating listening experience. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine -
January 30, 2017
Nesmith may be most remembered for his role as the stoic guitarist in the Monkees, but his brilliant, candid, and humorous new autobiographical musings give readers a much clearer picture of his originality and inventiveness. In a breezy, conversational tone, he invites readers to join him as he looks back over his life to see how he’s come to this point. Nesmith doesn’t move chronologically through his life; instead, he riffs, letting one topic lead into another, building layer on layer of a life in music, television, and movies. He riffs on his deep friendships with Douglas Adams (from whom he gets the title of the book), Jack Nicholson, and Johnny Cash, among others. He tells his side of the now-well-known contentious backstory of the Monkees and the roles that the musicians played on the set of the television show, and the ways that his ceaseless creative drive led him to form his first post-Monkees band, the First National Band. Later Nesmith shot a video for his song “Rio” and tried to convince others, over 10 years before MTV came along, that there should be a broadcast outlet for music videos. Eventually, Nesmith started up Videoranch, where he developed a technique for hosting live shows and streaming them in the virtual world. Nesmith’s entertaining memoir reveals his creative genius, his canny ability never to take himself too seriously, and his restless questions about the value of spirituality.
-