Monkees' Micky Dolenz-Christian Nesmith-Circe Link EP is a delightful surprise

 By Steve Marinucci

7/7/2016

Solo projects appear and disappear with little ripple at times. But the Micky Dolenz-Christian Nesmith-Circle Link vinyl EP on 7a Records does not deserve to go quietly. It is a wonderful, if short, musical trip that's a pure delight. According to Christian Nesmith, Mike's son, the recordings came from his and Circe Link’s live streaming show when Dolenz was a guest. The songs are all acoustic versions.

Side A features a medley of two songs, “Porpoise Song” and “Good Morning, Good Morning.” “Porpoise Song,” probably the quintessential psychedelic tune, is much more relaxed here. And for maybe the first time, you can hear all the words! It goes into “Good Morning, Good Morning,” the “Sgt. Pepper” Beatles song that Dolenz saw being recording when he met the Beatles in London in 1966.

Side 2 opens with “Crying in the Rain,” the song written by Carole King and Harold Greenfield and done by many including the Everly Brothers, Peter & Gordon, Bobby Vee and Tammy Wynette. The version here is a great version that Dolenz, who normally is heard singing rock, sings very tenderly, backed by Nesmith and Link. It's followed by another Monkees song, “Randy Scouse Git,” which gets quite a different sound when it's done acoustically. 

Only 500 copies of the EP are being pressed on purple, translucent vinyl.  7a would not say for sure whether the tracks will be available on CD at a later date, but hopefully these songs will get wider distribution. They deserve it. And hopefully, there will be more where these tracks came from. 

Rating: Four stars (out of four).

7a Records also recently put out another unusual release featuring Dolenz, a two-CD “An Evening With Peter Noone & Micky Dolenz.” This is exactly what it says – a recorded talk between two music veterans, although in a room full of people.

The men discuss their careers – Noone talking about his performing at an early age and working with Herman's Hermits, while Dolenz talks about his pre-Monkees career, his audition for the show and what it was like being a Monkee. There's a lot of material between the two CDs, including several new stories.

You get to be a fly on the wall for their revelations. It's an unpretentious and casual conversation with no pressure.

Rating: Three stars