The Garden (Michael Nesmith album)

Infobox Album
Name = The Garden
Type = Album
Artist = Michael Nesmith


Released = 1994
Recorded = Oct 1991-Sep 1993
Genre = Rock
Length = 55:48
Label = Rio
Producer = Michael Nesmith
Reviews = * Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fifexqehld6e link]
Last album = "Complete First National Band Recordings"
(1993)
This album = "The Garden"
(1994)
Next album = "Live at the Britt Festival"
(1999)

"The Garden" is Michael Nesmith's 11th full studio album and was released in 1994. "The Garden" is a companion release to Nesmith's 1974 album/book, "The Prison". Both "The Garden" and "The Prison" are written to have the music complement a novel included in the release (also written by Nesmith). "The Prison" and "The Garden" were re-released together on CD in 2004 by Video Ranch.

The idea is for listeners to read the novel while simultaneously listening to the recording. Even though "The Garden" was released on Nesmith's record company, Rio Records, the novella/album concept was the driving force behind Nesmith's multimedia company Pacific Arts.

In the liner notes, Nesmith states "The Garden" is not a sequel in the strictest sense of the term — meaning that there isn't a true continuation of the narrative which began in "The Prison". Instead, they are correlated thematically and stylistically as both are presented in a linear and consecutive approach. Each of "The Garden's" seven chapters are also visually enhanced, if not somewhat inspired by a series of Claude Monet paintings. There is a much more subtle connection between the prose and these unqualified masterworks, yet he is able to relate them in a contextual sense [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=5288&aid=155887] .

The All Music Guide writes "the music retains Nesmith's inimitable and signature sound, yet compared to his most concurrent effort, Tropical Campfires (1992), The Garden is exceedingly ethereal and more often than not instrumental. There are vocals that feature not only the artist, but also his children Jason — who is likewise the central character in the short story — Christian, and Jessica. The backing band also includes Christian Nesmith as well as most of the musicians the senior Nez had collaborated with on the aforementioned Tropical Campfires, most notably Desert Rose Band string man John Jorgenson (guitar/sax/bassoon/mandolin/oboe/bandurila/mandocello), Joe Chemay (bass), and John Hobbs (keyboards), as well as studio maven Sid Page(violin)" [Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide, 2007] .

Track Listing

All songs written by Michael Nesmith.
# "Garden's Glow" – 7:29
# "Ficus Carica" – 5:10
# "City" – 10:06
# "Hills of Time" – 7:38
# "Flowers Dancing" – 6:36
# "Wisteria" – 11:28
# "Life Becoming" – 7:21

References