4/5 for me. A great song. Perhaps a bit too much country for me, but a strong song well produced and performed.
Love this version; especially the ML2 version with the harmonica more prominent in the mix. One of Nez's best tunes in all versions. Live at the Palais' version is really good. 5/5
I've heard different stories. One was that Nez was unhappy with the UK press. Another was when he returned to the states and was handed the list of tour dates, which were a lot, and not what he agreed to .. that he decided to walk away. If you watch some of the UK TV interviews; Nez lovingly puts his arm around Davy telling the story of Hendrix and "Foxy Davy" ... but oh, the daggers coming from David's eyes towards Michael. I think Davy was used to running the live shows and didn't like Nez being in control. Nez was also stated saying he didn't feel the magic/spark that he felt in the past with the group. Paraphrasing. Davy was being ridiculous when it came to the movie. I also don't know how much the law suit with PBS played a part. I know he was in danger of going bankrupt if he lost. He won the countersuit and ended up with 20+ million. It was initially 50 mil but that was negotiated out of court. He was very hurt by the whole ordeal.
Meant to share this when Crippled Lion was being discussed. This was a solo performance at some of the concerts in the later 70s. Man, Red could play like no one else.
"Some Of Shelly's Blues" -- 5/5 Again, I prefer his solo version (on Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash), but this one's really nice. It's a well-written tune, and that comes across in every version and interpretation I've heard.
The Crippled Lion - Pleasant, but not the strongest of Nez’s songs. Some of Shelly’s Blues - Also pleasant, but I like it more than The Crippled Lion. I like the harmonica. Both songs suffer for me in that the pedal steel guitar is so high in the mix that it is a lead instrument. As a said previously, I’m not a fan of its use. I think it’s an interesting instrument and can appreciate the talent needed to play it, (I like Junior Brown) but most times I find it detracts from a song. I like Nez’s voice in both songs. To be honest, as much as I like Nez’s work as a Monkee, I’m not familiar with his solo work outside of Joanne . I’ve never been interested enough to check it out, so for these songs, they are the only versions that I know. It’s the same way for me with the Beatles. I know the group’s work backward and forward, but don’t know the solo work outside of the hits. With my confessions over, I’ll give the Crippled Lion a 3/5 and Some Of Shelly’s Blues a 4/5.
Yeah, the pedal steel can get on my nerves a little bit the song is top notch. Missing Links 2 on vinyl.....please Rhino! 5/5
Shelly's I like this song but I find it more applicable in the OK department and not particularly exceptional. 3/5
A great tune, but the lyrics are a bit creepy and dark in my eyes - a “shut up and stay with me, I don’t care how you feel” sorta deal. Still, 4/5.
Some Of Shelly's Blues- one of the better Nashville songs, still a bit too country for me, but still one I enjoy very much. 4/5
Yep. All versions of this song are fantastic. The “Monkees” Nashville version is still my favorite though. Just perfect. I really should’ve given “Nine Times Blue” the other day 6/5 (Not that it matters for scoring purposes). I won’t make that mistake today. “Shelley” gets 6/5 for this version, and probably for any other versions too.
Must admit, that has never occurred to me. I guess, today, that could be one way to read it. But I definitely don’t think that was Nez’s intent. I see it as “Maybe you’ve been hurt before, and you’re afraid to give your heart to someone again, but that’s not going to happen with me.” Or something like that.
The FNB “trilogy” is pretty fantastic, for sure. But I think I may like the one Second National Band album (Tantamount to Treason) and his last two albums for RCA (Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash and The Hits Keep On Comin’) even more. A fair number of familiar songs discussed here will reappear in new, rather different versions, but a lot of other originals (And a few covers) that may surprise you. Sample some stuff online and see what you think. Although I’m usually a physical media guy, the recent digital download versions from Sony, loaded with incredible bonus tracks (More familiar songs reinvented again) are the best I’ve ever heard those albums sound. A very eclectic bunch of albums! To just call them “country” or “country rock” really does them a disservice. Wonderfully eclectic. While we’re at it, there’s plenty of great solo Beatles too. At the very least, All Things Must Pass, Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, and Band on the Run are all musts.
Some of Shelly's Blues from Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash is as country as Nez got and the first version I heard. The song itself is a 5 again for me . The Monkees version may be near the bottom of my list of the versions but it is a great tune and still a 5. NGDB version is now my favorite and I listen to it often. Linda also does an excellent version. And I agree with pretty much everyone here that the Monkees were a great band and their eclectic offerings are one of their strengths, also around that time Nez was playing "country" music that not everyone enjoys as much as me. But Nesmith was in a different league than the other three when it came to the music and songs that is why Linda Ronstadt, Iain Matthews, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Earl Scruggs, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Susanna Hoffs, Andy Williams et. al covered his songs. There are 14 covers listed for Shelly's Blues on secondhandsongs.com, second only to Different Drum's 19, neither have been turned into a rap however.
Here’s the FNB version. Really, I say I like the “Monkees” version best but this one’s just as good. Just Mike accompanied by Red Rhodes (As is this entire fantastic album), playing beautifully:
Some of Shelly's Blues - 4/5 I like this version more than his solo cut from Stash. Despite the country feel, still not sure why this was left in the can from Colgems. Better if they released this as a single instead of "Good Clean Fun".
I love the lyrical change to "stay with me" in the last line of the FNB version, which he still does.
Both songs are excellent, but “Shelly” had more commercial potential. Leaving that and “Nine Times Blue” in the can are inexplicable.
Keep the versions coming! The LP with just Red Rhodes and Nez was And the Hits Just Keep Coming; Stash had more players on drums, fiddle, etc. by then he was just solo as well, with FNB being just the first three LP's.
Right... I mean, how many times have I heard this song and know what instruments are on it? Gonna fix that. Sorry, Monday morning and no coffee yet. Not firing on all thrusters. Thanks. EDIT: Just passed the 30 minute mark so now I can’t edit that post. AAARGH. The time limit is a drag.
