Description
It’s Dolenz’s first solo album in nine years, so for fans it’s a rare opportunity to hear how he’s doing. And from the sound of it, Micky Dolenz is doing really well….the 76-year-old sounds remarkably like his younger self. Any change with time adds texture to the arrangements he gave to his friend’s songs. It’s a credit to not just Dolenz but Nesmith’s songwriting, as well as Nez’s son Christian Nesmith’s skills as a producer.
The simple arrangements through most of the album serve to drive home the tribute. They let Nesmith’s songwriting shine through, both musically and lyrically, in a way they couldn’t do as well through the Monkees‘ rock and pop psychedelia. In addition to being a great tribute to Michael Nesmith sung by his friend and produced by his son, Dolenz Sings Nesmith shows that old dogs can learn new tricks. Whether the old dog is Dolenz himself—who sounds half his age across a variety of styles and genres—or whether the old dogs are the songs themselves—many of which still sound fresh 50 years after they were written—it’s an airtight case in favor of reexamining the classics.
