Welcome to Rate Your Music
RYM is one of the largest music databases and communities online, which you can use in endless ways to discover new music. Learn about some of the ways you can use RYM for music discovery.
My Favorite 5: 1) Dedicated Friend 2) Lady of the Valley 3) Listen to the Band 4) Thanx For the Ride 5) Bye, Bye, Bye
Least Favorite: Tengo Amore
Released in the same year as his true debut album, Magnetic South, Loose Salute is another solid record from ex-Monkee Michael Nesmith. I wasn’t immediately impressed with this album to the same degree I was with Magnetic South, but it sounds better and better to me as I continue to listen.
“Silver Moon” was the single from the album, and is reminiscent of his previous single, “Joanne,” mostly due to his use of falsetto. The falsetto effect worked much better on the first single, however; on this song it is a bit annoying. Aside from the awkward falsetto, though, “Silver Moon” is a very nice song.
Nesmith takes on Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces” next. This could have been a big mistake, as there aren’t too many people who can sing as well as Patsy Cline, but Nesmith pulls it off surprisingly well. His vocal is quite good and the track itself is very tastefully done. “Thanx for the Ride” is a nice little reflective tune with some frenetic steel guitar work in the middle. It’s yet another example of a Nesmith song that gets more exciting as it progresses, especially as he sings higher and louder. This album is off to a pretty terrific start.
“Dedicated Friend” is the first rocker on the record. This song is a lot of fun, both musically and lyrically. You can count on one or two songs in this vain on any of Nesmith’s RCA albums. “Conversations” is the most introspective song on Loose Salute, and is about Nesmith searching his mind for memories of time spent with a woman, and how time has altered his perspective on things. It’s a pleasant ballad, but it takes a few listens to get into.
“Tengo Amore” is a Latin-flavored experiment, complete with Spanish lyrics and Latin percussion. I’ve always found the intro, which lasts well over a minute, to be very annoying. I don’t care much for the rest of the song, for that matter, and it’s not just the Spanish singing—I don’t like the verse in English, either. It’s not unlistenable or anything, but it’s one of my least favorites on the album.
A Monkees song is redone next, “Listen to the Band.” This new version is faster and more energetic, as well as more country-sounding (of course). I prefer this solo version, with its country-rock approach and lively piano. The fade-in intro is a weird effect that wasn’t necessary, but it doesn’t hurt the song. Another rocker, “Bye, Bye, Bye,” tells the tale of Nesmith ditching his trucking job and running off to Mexico, and how this sudden decision makes himself feel like a man for the first time. This tune has a nice groove and more great piano playing.
The record closes with two songs with “lady” in the title. The first, “Lady of the Valley,” is a quiet ballad that takes a few listens to appreciate. It comes across as boring at first, but it reveals itself to be a very striking, subtle song after awhile. Nesmith whips out his falsetto again for this one, and in this case it is very well used. The second “lady” song, “Hello Lady” is an unfortunate album-closer, with its grating, although admittedly catchy, chorus—there’s something almost robotic about it. I like the verses very much, but not enough to make up for the chorus. It’s not as bad as I used to think it was, but it’s not my favorite.
This is Nesmith’s second straight great album…with more to come!
(Owned on CD as part of the two-fer Magnetic South / Loose Salute)
Least Favorite: Tengo Amore
Released in the same year as his true debut album, Magnetic South, Loose Salute is another solid record from ex-Monkee Michael Nesmith. I wasn’t immediately impressed with this album to the same degree I was with Magnetic South, but it sounds better and better to me as I continue to listen.
“Silver Moon” was the single from the album, and is reminiscent of his previous single, “Joanne,” mostly due to his use of falsetto. The falsetto effect worked much better on the first single, however; on this song it is a bit annoying. Aside from the awkward falsetto, though, “Silver Moon” is a very nice song.
Nesmith takes on Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces” next. This could have been a big mistake, as there aren’t too many people who can sing as well as Patsy Cline, but Nesmith pulls it off surprisingly well. His vocal is quite good and the track itself is very tastefully done. “Thanx for the Ride” is a nice little reflective tune with some frenetic steel guitar work in the middle. It’s yet another example of a Nesmith song that gets more exciting as it progresses, especially as he sings higher and louder. This album is off to a pretty terrific start.
“Dedicated Friend” is the first rocker on the record. This song is a lot of fun, both musically and lyrically. You can count on one or two songs in this vain on any of Nesmith’s RCA albums. “Conversations” is the most introspective song on Loose Salute, and is about Nesmith searching his mind for memories of time spent with a woman, and how time has altered his perspective on things. It’s a pleasant ballad, but it takes a few listens to get into.
“Tengo Amore” is a Latin-flavored experiment, complete with Spanish lyrics and Latin percussion. I’ve always found the intro, which lasts well over a minute, to be very annoying. I don’t care much for the rest of the song, for that matter, and it’s not just the Spanish singing—I don’t like the verse in English, either. It’s not unlistenable or anything, but it’s one of my least favorites on the album.
A Monkees song is redone next, “Listen to the Band.” This new version is faster and more energetic, as well as more country-sounding (of course). I prefer this solo version, with its country-rock approach and lively piano. The fade-in intro is a weird effect that wasn’t necessary, but it doesn’t hurt the song. Another rocker, “Bye, Bye, Bye,” tells the tale of Nesmith ditching his trucking job and running off to Mexico, and how this sudden decision makes himself feel like a man for the first time. This tune has a nice groove and more great piano playing.
The record closes with two songs with “lady” in the title. The first, “Lady of the Valley,” is a quiet ballad that takes a few listens to appreciate. It comes across as boring at first, but it reveals itself to be a very striking, subtle song after awhile. Nesmith whips out his falsetto again for this one, and in this case it is very well used. The second “lady” song, “Hello Lady” is an unfortunate album-closer, with its grating, although admittedly catchy, chorus—there’s something almost robotic about it. I like the verses very much, but not enough to make up for the chorus. It’s not as bad as I used to think it was, but it’s not my favorite.
This is Nesmith’s second straight great album…with more to come!
(Owned on CD as part of the two-fer Magnetic South / Loose Salute)