The Prison Original Mix from 1974 Pacific Arts Vinyl LP Edition

Nez took it off the record completely flat -- straight wire. All that can be heard is what he created four decades ago. The sound of easy speed and vinyl crackle.

For those only familiar with the remixes of The Prison, the space present in the original mix provides a new experience for the listen/reader. The elements of the music have room to breathe. Every aspect is interesting. Nez's guitar playing stands out here especially. The original mix brings to mind something Nez wrote in his liner notes for Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash: "Each one was whole ... and uniquely different from the other ... And based around the oneness was the music."

The Players:
Vocals and guitars: Michael Nesmith
Arp Odyssey: David Kempton
Steel guitar: Red Rhodes
Keyboard: Michael Cohen
Congas: Chura
Drums: Roland Rhythm 77 (played by Nez)
Background vocals: Don Whaley on "Dance Between the Raindrops", The Aanami Choir on "Marie's Theme"

You can take your Prison vinyl MP3 two ways: in one continuous track ($9.99) or seven individual tracks ($1.99 each).

The continuous track is great because it preserves the continuous nature of the album. It also saves you from having to flip over the record, though Nez did leave a short stretch of crackle between the sides.

To explain the purpose of the seven tracks, Nez would like to share a secret about The Prison: your attempts to align song with narrative were futile. As much as you might insist that "Marie's Theme" soundtracks Jason and Marie's goodbye -- or side one belongs with chapter one -- and even though Nez flat out stated at Drury Lane that "Dance Between the Raindrops" plays as Jason goes through the hole -- you had it all wrong, my friend. That's not how it works. How The Prison works is you don't have to sit down and do it all at once -- though you're of course welcome to -- but what makes the form itself infinite is that all parts line up. So sit down and contemplate a paragraph or a line while listening to whatever section of the soundtrack comes on shuffle. The songs and prose complement each other no matter how they are aligned. Infinite possibilities. Continuous play.

Nez would like to remind everyone to not touch the grooves of the MP3. And remember to store your MP3s upright in a cool, dry place to prevent warping.

**Please note that the digital booklet offered above is the same as the revised edition; it is not a digitized version of the original LP release.

Wanna go full analog? Order the original 1974 Pacific Arts LP box set (what Nez used to make the MP3) HERE