Michael Nesmith with Red Rhodes

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Deep Discount (U.S.) / Keymail Records (U.K.)
Picture Disc LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Deep Discount (U.S.) / Keymail Records (U.K.)

Cosmic Partners - The McCabe's Tapes spotlights Michael Nesmith with his longtime musical soul brother Red Rhodes and a small group of musicians as recorded on August 18, 1973 at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, California.  The performance was in support of Nesmith's final album for RCA Victor, Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash, and featured Danny Lane on drums and Colin Cameron on bass, with Rhodes, naturally, on pedal steel. The set boasted the Monkees-era Ranch Stash highlight "Some of Shelly's Blues" as well as favorites like "Joanne," "Grand Ennui," "Silver Moon," and "Propinquity (I've Just Begun to Care)."  This never-before-released soundboard mix (recorded in two-track stereo direct to reel-to-reel analog tape from the soundboard) has been mastered for 7a by the artist's oldest son and an accomplished musician his own right, Christian Nesmith. Needless to say, there have been no overdubs of any kind, and no remixing was possible, so Cosmic Partners represents Nesmith, Rhodes, and co. as you would have heard them over 46 years ago in Santa Monica.  Available on CD and picture disc vinyl; the vinyl edition lacks one spoken-word track but contains all of the music on the CD.