This was just a random thought that occurred to me during a recent morning commute. What if Micky Dolenz made an album with Syracuse's own power pop powerhouse The Flashcubes?
I don't know what prompted this oddball notion. I was listening to my iPod, so it's reasonable to presume I heard something by The Monkees or the 'Cubes, or by Dolenz solo, and my mind wandered to this pop music equivalent of the old World's Finest Comics starring Superman and Batman, "Your Two Favorite Heroes In One Adventure Together!" The voice of The Monkees combined with the force and melody of my favorite power pop group? This is not a bad idea, not bad at all.
It's not a likely idea. It's considerably more plausible than my personal rock 'n' roll fantasy of producing a Monkees album, and significantly less logical than Dolenz recording a new studio album with Michael Nesmith and the members of their current touring band (which probably won't happen, but could, and should). I'm not aware of any real-world connection between Dolenz and the individual members of The Flashcubes (bassist Gary Frenay, guitarists Paul Armstrong and Arty Lenin, and drummer Tommy Allen). The closest I can come up with is when Dolenz caught a 1980s New York City club appearance by Screen Test (Frenay, Lenin, and Allen), and once and future Monkee Peter Tork wound up joining Screen Test on stage. That's not much of a connection, and I'm not going to use it to justify this particular leap of fancy.
But it is a good idea. Dolenz is one of the most underrated singers in rockin' pop history, and I would love to hear him fronting a power pop combo. He's still doing some terrific stuff--"Livin' On Lies" and "Chance Of A Lifetime," two latter-day single sides included on the Dolenz set The MGM Singles Collection, both rise to the level of awesome--and he's been in fine voice on 21st century Monkees recordings. Dolenz and The Flashcubes? Man, I would reserve a copy of that project right now.
What sort of material should this hypothetical combo record? I would rule out remakes of any Monkees tunes--this shouldn't be a nostalgia thing--and would prefer to stay away from any song Dolenz has already rendered on record. I would absolutely wish for our Mick to throw himself into some Flashcubes songs, particularly Frenay's "Make Something Happen," Lenin's "Nothing Really Matters When You're Young," and Armstrong's "Your Own World" or "A Face In The Crowd," the latter performed as a duet by Dolenz and a younger singer like Kai Danzberg. Potential covers could include The Flamin' Groovies' "First Plane Home," Chris von Sneidern's "Annalisa," Eytan Mirsky's "American Splendor," John Hiatt's "Permanent Hurt," Pop Co-Op's "You Don't Love Me Anymore," The Bevis Frond's "He'd Be A Diamond" and/or "Aim Low," perhaps Neil Diamond's "Solitary Man." And they should write new songs, of course, and maybe solicit new material from others. Jesus, just take my money! Make TWO albums! Make FIVE...!
It ain't ever gonna be. I know, I know. But c'mon--don't you wish it would? Not a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all. Someone, somewhere: make something happen.
Sincerely,
Carl (I'm A Fan)
THE MONKEES
THE FLASHCUBES
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Our new compilation CD This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4 is now available from Kool Kat Musik! 29 tracks of irresistible rockin' pop, starring Pop Co-Op, Ray Paul, Circe Link & Christian Nesmith, Vegas With Randolph Featuring Lannie Flowers, The Slapbacks, P. Hux, Irene Peña, Michael Oliver & the Sacred Band Featuring Dave Merritt, The Rubinoos, Stepford Knives, The Grip Weeds, Popdudes, Ronnie Dark, The Flashcubes,Chris von Sneidern, The Bottle Kids, 1.4.5., The Smithereens, Paul Collins' Beat, The Hit Squad, The Rulers, The Legal Matters, Maura & the Bright Lights, Lisa Mychols, and Mr. Encrypto & the Cyphers. You gotta have it, so order it here. A digital download version (minus The Smithereens' track) is also available from Futureman Records.
