Monkees, The
Band members Related acts
- Mickey Dolenz
- vocals, drums, percussion (1967-70)
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- Michael
Blessing (aka Michael Nesmith)
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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
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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.) 1.) Opening Ceremony - 1:19 (side 2) 1.) Gravy - :05
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Genre: pop Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Instant Replay Company: Colgems Catalog: COL-113 Year: 1968 Country/State: US/UK Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+ Comments: original metallic cover Available: 1 GEMM catalog ID: 4346 Price: $40.00 Cost: $66.00
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Down to a trio following Tork's departure, "Instant Replay" appears to have been made under trying circumstances. Exemplified by some of the group photos on the back cover, the general caliber of the material made it clear the survivors weren't particularly happy to be with one another and were rapidly running out of creativity, let alone much enthusiasm for the band. A mixture of older, previously unreleased material and newer efforts which sounded suspiciously like solo efforts (a la Beatles White Album), little on the set was particularly impressive. As to be expected, Nesmith-penned country-rock efforts such as 'Don't Wait for Me' and the pretty 'While I Cry' provided most of the highlights. On the downside, Jones' MOR-moves like 'Don't Listen To Linda' and 'Me without You' were increasingly irritating (though his hysterical stab at hard rock 'You and I' was worth hearing). Usually good for an enjoyable track or two, this time around Dolenz's all-around weirdness ('Shorty Blackwell') took up way too much track time. Colgems tapped the album for a pair of singles:
- 1968's 'Tear Drop City' b/w 'A Man Without a Dream' (COLGEMS catalog number 5000) - 1969's 'Listen to the Band' b/w 'Someday Man' (COLGEMS catalog number 5004)
Both singles
charted, but were only minor hits. On the other hand, backed by a national tour and an NBC television special ("33 /3
Revolutions per Monkee"), the parent album actually managed to sell,
eventually hitting # 32.
1.) Through the Looking Glass (Tommy Boyce - Bobby Hart - Baldwin) - 2:41 (side 2) 1.) You and I
(Davy Jones - Bill Chadwick) - 2:10
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Changes Company: Colgems Catalog: COL-119 Year: 1969 Country/State: US/UK Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+ Comments: minor ring wear Available: SOLD GEMM catalog ID: SOLD Price: SOLD Cost: $66.00
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Although Jones had announced his intent to leave
the group, in the wake of Tork's hideous experience with Colgems, he
apparently reconsidered. Accordingly, 1970's "Changes"
found the enterprise down to a duo. With Jeff Barry brought in to handle
production chores, the set came off as little more than a career wake. With
Dolenz's 'Midnight Train' serving as the only original effort, the remainder
of the collection found Dolenz and Jones at the mercy of Barry and a gaggle
of other outside writers. Clearly uninspired by their surroundings, neither
principle seemed to put much effort into the set. Exemplified by material
such as 'Oh My My', 'Ticket On a Ferry Ride' and 'It's Got To Be Love' the
results were professional, if bland and quickly forgotten. Elsewhere, '99
Pounds' made it clear Jones' wasn't cutout for heavy metal. The only track
worth hearing more than once was the Boyce and Hart written and produced 'I
Never Thought It Particular'. With the collection failing to chart,
Dolenz and Jones officially killed the band.
1.) Oh My My (Jeff Barry - Andy Kim) - 2:57 (side 2) 1.) Tell Me Love (Jeff Barry) - 2:32
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Genre: pop Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Barrel Full of Monkees Company: Colgems Catalog: SCOS-1001 Year: 1971 Country/State: US/UK Grade (cover/record): VG / VG Comments: double LP set, minor ring and edge wear Available: 1 GEMM catalog ID: 5043 Price: $15.00
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The final Monkees release on Colgems, 1971's
"Barrel Full of Monkees"
was a double LP 20 track compilation. Apparently geared for the
children's market that grew up with the band's television program, the set
was actually quite good. Overlooking the absence of much in the
way of liner notes (but then do 10 year olds care about liner notes), the
compilation pulled together the band's radio hits, pseudo-hits and a couple
of their better album tracks. Curiously it didn't sell well. That
might have something to do with the fact fans had grown up and moved on to
other things, or perhaps something to do with the hideous cover art.
(The album shouldn't be confused with the Rhino Records release "Barrel
Full of Monkees: Music for Children" that featured an inferior track
listing.)
"Barrel
Full of Monkees" track listing: 2.) Cuddly Toy (Nilsson) - 2:45 3.) Star Collector (Carole King - Gerry Goffin) - 3:30 4.) What Am I Doin' Hangin' 'Round? (Lewis - Clarke) - 3:02 5.) Pleasant Valley Sunday (Carole King - Gerry Goffin) - 3:10
(side 2) 2.) Valleri (Boyce - Hart) - 2:16 3.) Randy Scouse Git (Mickey Dolenz) - 2:35 4.) I Wanna Be Free (Boyce - Hart) - 2:24 5.) Listen To The Band (Michael Nesmith) - 2:45
(side 3) 2.) She Hangs Out (Jeff Barry) - 2:33 3.) Gonna Buy Me A Dog (Boyce - Hart) - 2:28 4.) She (Boyce - Hart) - 2:27 5.) (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone (Boyce - Hart) - 2:25
(side
4) 2.) Your Auntie Grizelda (Keller - Hilderbrandt) - 2:28 3.) A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You (Neil Diamond) - 2:35 4.) Mary, Mary (Michael Nesmith) - 2:12 5.) Shades Of Gray (Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil) - 3:20
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Genre: pop Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Re-Focus Company: Bell Catalog: 6081 Year: 1972 Country/State: US/UK Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+ Comments: minor ring wear, cut lower corner Available: SOLD GEMM catalog ID: SOLD Price: SOLD
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With the band's television program going into
Saturday morning syndication, Bell Records took advantage of the new
audience to release the "best of" "Re-focus". Most of
the top-40 hits were here; the one odd (and interesting) choice being the
inclusion of Nesmith's 'Listen To the Band'. Given the set did
little sales wise, it's one of the rarer titles in the catalog.
"Re-focus" track listing: (side 2)
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