Rays is an album by Michael Nesmith

Michael Nesmith

Robert Michael Nesmith is an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman, and philanthropist, best known as a member of the musical group The Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name...

, released in 2006. 2000 limited edition numbered copies were produced of the album. Nesmith described the album as a cinematic journey of sound with elements of swing, jazz and instrumental funk that forms what he calls "New Century Modern".

The album cover is a comic strip drawn by Drew Friedman and features Nesmith "driving" through five stages of his life with a quest to looking to fill his "appetite": 1) His earlier career in the Monkees, where he is seen driving a Pontiac GTO

Pontiac GTO

The Pontiac GTO is an automobile built by Pontiac Division of General Motors in the United States from 1964 to 1974, and by GM subsidiary Holden in Australia from 2004 to 2006. It is considered an innovative, and now classic muscle car of the 1960s and 1970s...

 and wearing his signature knit-cap; 2) His career as the frontman of the First National Band

First National Band

The First National Band was a short-lived American collaborative band, led by former Monkee Michael Nesmith, which issued three albums in the country rock genre in 1970–1971.-Pre-First National Band:...

, driving a Jeep

Jeep

Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...

; 3) His Elephant Parts

Elephant Parts

Elephant Parts is a collection of comedy and music videos made in 1981 by Michael Nesmith, former member of the Monkees. Nesmith produced the video through his company Pacific Arts, using money he inherited from his mother, the inventor of Liquid Paper...

-era career, where he is seen driving a pink Cadillac (referring to his song, Eldorado to the Moon); 4) His later life as an author, entrepreneur and philanthropist, driving a Rolls Royce

Rolls-Royce (car)

This a list of Rolls-Royce motor cars and includes vehicles produced by:*Rolls-Royce Limited *Rolls-Royce Motors , which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen...

 and asking, "where am I?"; 5) And in the center of the cartoon, Nesmith is sitting peacefully under a tree on a hill, content with himself, stating, "suddenly, I’m not as hungry as I’d thought".

Track listing

All songs written by Michael Nesmith.

1. "Zip Ribbon" – 3:05
2. "Dynaflow" – 4:11
3. "Friedrider " – 3:08
4. "Carhop" – 3:58
5. "Boomcar" – 3:43
6. "Best of It" – 2:29
7. "Ed's October Café" – 3:18
8. "Rays" – 3:37
9. "Bells" – 4:28
10. "Land o Pies" – 2:50
11. "There It Is" – 3:40
12. "Follows the Heart" – 3:12

Personnel

• Michael Nesmith – vocals, synthesizer, guitar, keyboards
• Gregg Bisonette-drums
• Luis Conte
  Luis Conte
  Luis Conte is a Cuban percussionist.-Early years:As a child in Cuba, Conte began his musical odyssey playing the guitar. However, he soon switched to percussion, and that has remained his mode since....
  
   – percussion
• John Hobbs – keyboards, keyboard bass
• Kurt Wagner
  Kurt Wagner (musician)
  Kurt Wagner is an American musician, and the singer and songwriter of the Nashville-based alternative-country band Lambchop.-Solo discography:Album*Kurt - tour only cd from European solo tourEP...
  
  – vocals

Production notes

• Michael Nesmith – producer, engineer, sampling, technician
• Richard Bryant – engineer, technician
• Drew Friedman – text, cover art
• Michael MacDonald – engineer, technician