The Prison: A Book with a Soundtrack | ||||
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Soundtrack album by | ||||
Released | November 1974 | |||
Length | 49:10 | |||
Label | Pacific Arts | |||
Producer | Michael Nesmith | |||
Michael Nesmith chronology | ||||
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The Prison - A Book with a Soundtrack (or simply The Prison) is Michael Nesmith's seventh solo album of his post-Monkees career and his first to be released under his own record label, Pacific Arts. It includes a novella meant to be read while listening to the album as its "soundtrack". Nesmith recorded a companion novella/album entitled The Garden , released in 1994. According to Nesmith's website (Videoranch), a third installment titled The Ocean has been released and completes the Infinitia trilogy [1]
The Prison and The Garden were re-released together on CD in 2004 by Video Ranch.
Allmusic called The Prison "a brilliant multimedia concept marrying the personal and inner visual experience of Michael "Papa Nez" Nesmith's novella with the aural medium of an equally original soundtrack." Robert Christgau called it a "ghastly boxed audio-allegory-with-book." [2]
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
"The Prison" was dramatically remixed by Michael Nesmith for CD release on "Rio Records" in 1990, and again in 2007 on "Edsel Records". Some changes on both remixes include the removal or addition of drum machines, extra reverb on vocals (in the case of the 2007 remix, a new or alternate lead vocal track in places), and many other changes.
Although the iTunes download of "The Prison" is credited in the iTunes store as the 1990 remix, it is actually the 2007 remix. As of September 2013, the original mix that appeared on vinyl has not been officially released on CD. However, according to Videoranch.com, on "Wednesday, August 16, 2017, Nez opened up a sealed box set [of "The Prison"] from 1974" and proceeded to digitally transfer sides one and two, taking it "off the record completely flat - straight wire. All that can be heard is what he created four decades ago." This digital transfer is currently available to download from Videoranch.com - as individual MP3 files ($1.99 each) or as one long continuous MP3 file ($9.99) at 320 kbps. [4]
All songs by Michael Nesmith.
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Michael Nesmith began recording music in 1963. In his early career, Nesmith went under the pseudonym Michael Blessing. In 1966, Nesmith was cast in The Monkees, where he is largely known as his Monkees' persona "Mike". Of the twelve studio albums The Monkees released, Nesmith performed, produced, and wrote songs on ten of the albums. As a solo artist, Nesmith's musical library includes 13 studio albums, a movie soundtrack, and an instrumental album of his songs, which consists of both solo works and works by the First National Band, which Nesmith fronted in the early 1970s. His library of music was primarily recorded on either RCA Records or his own label, Pacific Arts.
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