Michael Nesmith

Michael Nesmith's Elephant Parts is his first "video record" (as opposed to a phonographic record) and is a collection of music videos, sketch comedy, and commercial spoofs. Fans of The Kentucky Fried Movie, Amazon Women on the Moon, and UHF will find his parody/spoof shtick funny (if a little dated). Elephant Parts was the winner of the first video Grammy and became an NBC show called Television Parts, on which Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Whoopi Goldberg, and Garry Shandling performed. Some of the funnier sketches include Rock 'n' Roll Hospital, Neighborhood Nuclear Superiority, and the Pirate Alphabet. One called Foundation for the Tragically Hip is where the popular Canadian band found their name. Elephant Parts provides an interesting window into early-1980s video production and clearly influenced such artists as Julie Brown and Thomas Dolby. The music might not be on the same level as Michael Jackson, but Michael Nesmith contributed his own satirical, tongue-in-cheek voice to the early days of the music video medium. The DVD version also includes an in-person commentary by the ex-Monkee. ~ JT Griffith, All Music Guide