Genre: rock
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Head
Company: Colgems
Catalog: 5008
Year: 1968
Country/State: US/UK
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: original metallic cover
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: not yet listed
Price: $50.00
Cost: $66.00
More than anxious
to capitalize on the band's popularity, Columbia leaped at the opportunity
to finance a Monkees film. Big mistake !!! Directed by Bob Rafelson (and
starring a bizarro cast including boxer Sonny Liston, Jack Nicholson, former
football player Ray Nitschke and Frank Zappa), anyone expecting a "Hard
Days Night" styled comedy was in for a major surprise. To their credit,
"Head" proved daring
and imaginative, though dense, fragmented and virtually impossible to
follow. Anti-war sentiments and non-too-subtle commentary on stardom (the
band is seen committing suicide jumping from a bridge) left Columbia
executives dumbfounded. Needless to say, the film proved a commercial
disaster. In spite of the fact it was their most creative album, 1968's
"Head" suffered from the film connection. Certainly far from their
most consistent set, interspersed with fragments of dialog, sound effects
and incidental music, highlights included Nesmith's blazing 'Circle Sky',
Jones' campy reading of Nilsson's 'Daddy's Song' and the psychedelic single
'Porpoise Song' (probably one of Carole King-Gerry Goffin's weirdest
efforts). Their poorest seller up to that point, the album faltered at # 45.
(The album was originally released with a metallic mirror cover.)
"Head" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Opening Ceremony - 1:19
2.) Porpoise Song (Theme from "Head") (Gerry Goffin - Carole King)
- 2:56
3.) Ditty Diego - War Chant - 1:27
4.) Circle Sky (MIke Nesmith) - 2:32
5.) Supplico - :49
6.) Can You Dig It (Peter Tork) - 3:19
(side 2)
1.) Gravy - :05
2.) Superstitious - :06
3.) As We Go Along (King - Stern) - 3:53
4.) Dandruff? - :40
5.) Daddy's Song (Harry Nilsson) - 2:29
6.) Poll - 1:12
7.) Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again (Peter Tork) - 2:37
9.) Swami - Plus Strings (Ken Thorne) - 5:16
The album also brought personal tensions to a head (ha!). Having just turned
in two of his most impressive songs ('Can You Dig It' and 'Long Title: Do I
Have To Do This All Over Again'), increasingly frustrated with the rock star
lifestyle, Tork bought out the remainder of his Colgems contract for a
then-whopping $160,000. Giving him kudos for showing the morale strength to
follow his beliefs, the decision also left Tork broke. Within a couple of
years he was left to working menial day jobs to pay his bills.
