CoDoDo: My Countdown to Micky Dolenz, part 5

It's almost here!  Micky Dolenz is in Phoenix -- he was live in studio on the morning news shows today -- and tomorrow night I'll be a raving fanboy at his concert at the Marquee in Tempe!  I've blogging some of my favorite Dolenz Monkees songs this week, and it's been building to this!  Two words:

Shorty Blackwell.

Apparently, Shorty Blackwell was the name of Micky's cat.  I didn't know that when I first heard this song as a kid -- the last song on their Instant Replay album.  For me, "Shorty Blackwell" was my first psychedelic tune, a weird symphony of operatic chanting, horns, and piano solos that plays on a variety of emotions, from whimsy to melancholy and everything in between. Yesterday, I mentioned this song in contrast to "As We Go Along."  "As We Go Along" is quiet, reflective, and organized.  "Shorty" is loud, brash, and outright messy -- proving that Micky's vocals can handle anything.

I could write on and on about the narrative of the song, and what it's meant to me, but I'll let it speak for itself.  Enjoy -- just as I'll enjoy Micky's show tomorrow night.  Yes, there will be a field report!

CoDoDo: My Countdown to Micky Dolenz, part 4

Micky Dolenz is coming to the Marquee in Tempe this Saturday, and I, a lifelong Monkees fan, am counting the days with a look at some of my favorite Dolenz tunes . . . but first . . .

Bonus!  Last Halloween, I dressed up as Micky, from his rug-wearing days during the Rainbow Room sessions!  The Rainbow Room is famously known as the setting for the "Daydream Believer" video, and a few other great songs from that era were "performed" there, too.  I found the rug (which, in my case, is actually a sheet) and the stripped shirt at Goodwill, but my buddy Jan miraculously provided the wig.  My girlfriend and I were visiting his family in Sedona and were about to karaoke in Old Town Cottonwood, when I said on a whim, "I really should've found a brown curly wig to complete this get-up."

"I think we have one!" Jan exclaimed, digging through a costume box.  Then, boom.  I was Micky in, ahem, no time.  It was a statewide effort!

Now, these posts are certainly not scheduled in any particular order.  In the past, I've tried to list my favorite Monkees tunes, and it's simply impossible to pick an absolute favorite. Tomorrow's post comes close, especially as Micky songs go -- and this would be a close second, by way of revealing the breadth of his talents.  I'll have to elaborate on the contrast tomorrow, lest I spoil the reveal now!

So, yes, today -- "As We Go Along," from the Monkees' controversial film Head.  Poorly received then, cult classic now, Head is a trip, and its soundtrack is honestly a great audio representation of the film.  I listened to the soundtrack long before I saw the movie -- maybe ten years passed between hearing that vinyl on my playroom turntable and finally catching the flick on late-night TBS.  I thought seeing the movie would bridge the eclectic soundbytes on the album with, I don't know, plot?  No such luck.  Head must be seen to be believed.  I love it.



In the both the film and on the record, "As We Go Along" is a reflective pause.  The other songs are simply bombastic, visually and audibly.  "As We Go Along" stands as a great ballad, then coupled with this montage from the film, it becomes a proclamation of exploration and growth, for better or worse.  I've read write-ups that the rhythm of the song made for a difficult recording session for Micky, something about the song's timing.  I'm not a musician -- I only know that he nails it.  It's timeless -- if, as the end of this video asks, anything can be.

CoDoDo: My Countdown to Micky Dolenz, part 3

I love the Monkees.  Always have, always will.  Micky Dolenz is performing this weekend at the Marquee in Tempe, so I'm posting thoughts on some of my favorite Dolenz-sung Monkees tunes.

Admittedly, this wasn't an easy list to limit to just one post per day, for a meager five days until Micky's Saturday night show.  I could've easily started a week ago, and I don't know if that would've been enough.  Still, I'm pinpointing songs that grab me every time I hear them -- that I can't help but sing along to -- and we're talking 30 years running.

By that standard, I have to include this tune: "All Of Your Toys."  This song wasn't released on one of the Monkees' nine original-run albums, yet it was recorded in one of their very first sessions as an actual band, playing their own instruments in studio.  That's right -- the Monkees fought for the rights to play their own instruments, after criticism called them out for having studio musicians, even as many other bands of that era did (and still do).  The guys' origin as a made-for-TV band probably had a lot to do with that undue commentary.  

So, this is a fitting tune for one of their "official first."  They really were the producers' playthings, until they clipped the strings -- which one of the lessons I've learned from them. "I'm A Believer" was a great tune, but had the Monkees not sought the chance to prove themselves, they may have been lost to the annals of music history.  This effort is proof of the pop music greatness that was to come, and a fandom that will last forever!

Thank You, Sun Devil Fan Fair!

This week's post is coming early, mostly to thank the folks that organized and attended the Sun Devil Fan Fair last Sunday at Arizona State University!  It was a great afternoon of geeky goodness, and I hope the event becomes a tradition!

Coming Soon: Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly #2?  Already?

That's right!  There's no rest for the weary!  Since Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly #1 is coming out a little later than I hoped (and see last week's post on how to order), I hopped on completing AACQ #2, hopefully in time for Phoenix Comic Con.  So, since this week ends tax season, here's a glimpse of Speed Cameron's encounter with the nefarious Sign Spinner, reappearing in this upcoming, action-packed issue!

Amazing Arizona Research

We'll take a break this week from my collection of Route 66 photos so I can share something more ASU-specific -- namely these scans from the ASU vs. Oregon State Football Program, circa September 1969!  I love the ads in that book -- so much so, some of them appeared in Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly #1.  There I plug again.

Cool Cosplay

The Sun Devil Fan Fair hosted a lot of great cosplayers, but here's my favorite -- someone donning the armor from last summer's Pacific Rim.

This Week's Intake

I've been devouring Kevin Smith's interview with Denny O'Neil on his podcast Fatman on Batman; not only does Denny offer great insight into the industry of comics, but he discusses the basic nature and necessity of storytelling in a way that makes it a compelling story all by itself.  I found his DC Comics Guide to Writing Comic Books at Bookman's this weekend and already started reading it, so this, coupled with some other thoughts about the importance of superheroes lately, is sure to shape Amazing Arizona Comics for years to come.

My wife, some friends, and I went to the Maricopa County Fair on Sunday night, as well, its last night of the year.  Three words: Deep.  Fried.  Coffee.  Starbucks, the ball is in your court.

The 12 Days of Christmas (Comics) #8: Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow -- Or Else!

Global warming would be a global truth . . . if not for that pesky groundhog every February, proving that weather prediction really is just a game of chance.  So, a crazed Al Gore* takes matters into his own hands, abducting the groundhog and dooming the world to a season of truly tumultuous climate!  Santa tracks down the villainous Veep, but is it too late to avoid inconvenient natural disaster? 

* You may remember a similarly crazed Al Gore appearing in Amazing Arizona Comics #2, when he tried to steal June Monsoon's powers with his global warming gun, resulting in the untimely destruction of the Tempe Town Lake dam!  Here's a panel from that very issue to refresh your memory.

Recall Campaign, part 2

Javier Balloon.  Cactus Ren.  Smoki.  The Snow Bird.  And Picacho Pete.  They are the Arizonauts of Earth-1070, and June Monsoon has joined them to recall the despotic Darkpaio!  See how it all turns out in Amazing Arizona Comics #8, debuting at Phoenix Comic Con this weekend!