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Thread: The Monkees - Good Times! (June 10, 2016 on Rhino, Modern Songwriting guests)

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    Member mnprogger's Avatar
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    The Monkees - Good Times! (June 10, 2016 on Rhino, Modern Songwriting guests)

    http://allmediareviews.blogspot.com/...2015-2016.html

    The Monkees - Good Times! cover.jpg

    Produced by Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne. Songwriting contributions include: Rivers Cuomo (Weezer), Andy Partridge (XTC, The Dukes of Stratosphear), Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service), Noel Gallagher (Oasis), Zach Rogue (Rogue Wave)

    Nesmith, Tork, Harry Nilsson, Neil Diamond also have songs.

    http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ne...times-20160205

    The album has a hard release date of June 10th, though right now Schlesinger is busy creating music for the CW show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and formal recording sessions have yet to begin. "We've been talking a lot back and forth and sharing music via Dropbox," says Dolenz. "It's coming together fast, which isn't a bad thing since it forces you to make decisions. My job is just to come in and sing lead vocals. It's no different than the old days when we had to get everything done in three-hour sessions because that was the limit of the musician's union."
    Right now, he's focused on wrapping his head around the new songs. "We all agree that the lyrics in the Rivers Cuomo song needed to be aged up a little but," Dolenz says. "It sounds like it's about a little girl and I'm 70 years old, so Rivers is re-writing the lyrics." Noel Gallagher is still crafting lyrics for his contribution, though Dolenz says that Ben Gibbard's song "Me & Magdalena" and Zach Rogue's tune "Terrifying" are both in and ready to go. "They're all keeping with our sensibility," says Dolenz. "I just keep calling it that jangly guitar pop sound, though I used to call it 'progressive bubblegum.'"


    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...iglink20252-20

    Monkees? Good Times? Well, dyno-mite!

    The Monkees are ready to have some fun this year as the iconic band celebrates its 50th anniversary with a tour and the group s first new album in 20 years, appropriately titled GOOD TIMES.
    Much like The Monkees early albums, GOOD TIMES features tracks written specifically for the band by some of the music world s most gifted songwriters, including Rivers Cuomo (Weezer), Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie), Andy Partridge (XTC), and Zach Rogue (Rogue Wave). The album also includes songwriting contributions by Nesmith ( I Know What I Know ) and Tork as well as producer Schlesinger.

    To help bring the anniversary full circle, The Monkees completed songs for GOOD TIMES that were originally recorded & written for group during the 60s, including Love To Love by Neil Diamond, which features a vintage vocal by Jones. Harry Nilsson wrote the title track Good Times, which he recorded at a session with Nesmith in January 1968. The production was never completed, so the band returned to the original session tape (featuring Nilsson s guide vocal) and have created a duet with his close friend Dolenz. Good Times will mark the first time Dolenz and Nilsson have sung together since Dolenz May 1973 single Daybreak. Other vintage 1960 s tracks included on GOOD TIMES feature L.A. s famed Wrecking Crew of session musicians.

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    I thought Nesmith had well and truly had enough of The Monkees. Still, that seems to happen these days with a lot of artists as they get older - they get nostalgic for their heady early days and decide to do a reunion.

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    Member rapidfirerob's Avatar
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    Mike's been touring with them for a number of years now. I saw the three of them on tour in the Bay Area. Great fun.

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    Member Vic2012's Avatar
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    Never was into this band. I watched the show and liked some of their hits but the thought of actually owning their albums back in 1966 just never was an option for me. I always thought, why waste time with these "Pre-Fabs" when I've got The Beatles and The Rolling Stones? I get the fun, the nostalgia aspect of it though. Kinda like the last Beach Boys album. The intent to go back and capture a vibe (throw Santana in there too, I guess) is there. Nothing wrong with that, but I kinda get this "cash grab" feeling about it. Without Davey it can't really be a Monkees reunion. Whatever, enjoy.

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    The thing about The Monkees is that they were basically an entertainment unit, a vehicle for other people's songs: John Stewart, Nilsson, Boyce & Hart, Neil Diamond, and a small number written by the band members themselves. This makes it hard to evaluate them alongside singer/songwriter bands such as The Beatles or the Beach Boys, because whether I liked the Monkees or not at any given time depended on which song it happened to be.

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    ^^^
    As you probably know, the Monkees were not a preexisting band that the TV show was based on. The band members were actors/musicians cast for the show.

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    Member chescorph's Avatar
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    Nesmith is sort of like the Bruford of the Monkees. He lends an air of credibility to any project he gets involved with.

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    Member Vic2012's Avatar
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    Currently watching an interesting documentary about The Monkees on youtube called "We Love The Monkees."

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSWLzht9FYc

    I'm about halfway into it. There's a part where Mickey Dolenz is talking about how they were not respected because they didn't play their instruments on the early studio albums. Mickey then explains that the session musicians they used were the same session cats that played for the Beach Boys, Byrds, Mamas and Papas, etc. Funny, if I had to pick my "favorite Monkee" it would be Mickey Dolenz. He wasn't a musician but he had the best voice in the group. The best Monkees songs (imo) are sung by Mickey.

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    ALL ACCESS Gruno's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bob_32_116 View Post
    The thing about The Monkees is that they were basically an entertainment unit, a vehicle for other people's songs: John Stewart, Nilsson, Boyce & Hart, Neil Diamond, and a small number written by the band members themselves. This makes it hard to evaluate them alongside singer/songwriter bands such as The Beatles or the Beach Boys, because whether I liked the Monkees or not at any given time depended on which song it happened to be.
    Yes, entertainment. Some just listen to music and enjoy it, no matter who is behind the writing or production.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Vic2012 View Post
    Never was into this band. I watched the show
    I almost quit my first garage band when the grudging consensus among its members was that we should play "Last Train to Clarksville," since it was a hit and there was so much hubbub about these guys. But the Pre-Fab Four was anathema then, a hype, and cartoonishly inauthentic in the post-Rubber Soul, post-"Like A Rolling Stone" era.

    Dug the TV show, though; quite radical at the time, and there's no denying the clout these guys developed as LA movers-and-shakers, opening doors for a new generation of film makers and actors who otherwise had been shunned by old school Hollywood; it didn't hurt to know these guys.
    Hell, they ain't even old-timey ! - Homer Stokes

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    Recently Resurrected zombywoof's Avatar
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    If Andy Partridge is writing, I'm interested!

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    Member mnprogger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vic2012 View Post
    Currently watching an interesting documentary about The Monkees on youtube called "We Love The Monkees."

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSWLzht9FYc

    I'm about halfway into it. There's a part where Mickey Dolenz is talking about how they were not respected because they didn't play their instruments on the early studio albums. Mickey then explains that the session musicians they used were the same session cats that played for the Beach Boys, Byrds, Mamas and Papas, etc. Funny, if I had to pick my "favorite Monkee" it would be Mickey Dolenz. He wasn't a musician but he had the best voice in the group. The best Monkees songs (imo) are sung by Mickey.
    you mean Micky?

    Micky was right, except for the fact Mike and Peter actually *did* play their instruments. Mike played on all of his own songs on those early records.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mogrooves View Post
    I almost quit my first garage band when the grudging consensus among its members was that we should play "Last Train to Clarksville," since it was a hit and there was so much hubbub about these guys.
    I heard "Clarksville" before I heard "Paperback Writer." Now that I've heard "Paperback Writer," I can't listen to "Clarksville" anymore without it sounding painfully derivative.

    The Monkees did have some really creative moments. Song by Micky Dolenz with good lyrics, and it was a hit in England as well:




    Song by Mike Nesmith with Micky playing one of the early Moogs. Sort of their take on "Tomorrow Never Knows," but a decent song in its own right:

    "Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)

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    Is Nesmith actually involved in this tour? Some of the things I have been seeing on the net the last few days seem to indicate that it is just Dolenz and Tork but not totally sure o that.

    I saw the Monkees live once on one of their re-union tours. It was just Jones, Tork, and Dolenz without Nesmith. Dolenz seemed to be an ok drummer and Tork played a little bit of everything over the course of the night. It was a fun show.

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    I always liked the fact that the decision of who was to play what instrument in their concerts was dictated by who was taller, so they could all be seen to best effect.

    The fact that the Monkees turned out to actually have a certain amount of talent, and took an interest in exercising some kind of control over their careers, was a big pain in the arse to the guy that masterminded the group. He then went ahead and created The Archies, who were much more cooperative. The Archies did not talk back, because they did not actually exist.

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    Member mnprogger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveSly View Post
    Is Nesmith actually involved in this tour? Some of the things I have been seeing on the net the last few days seem to indicate that it is just Dolenz and Tork but not totally sure o that.

    I saw the Monkees live once on one of their re-union tours. It was just Jones, Tork, and Dolenz without Nesmith. Dolenz seemed to be an ok drummer and Tork played a little bit of everything over the course of the night. It was a fun show.
    Mike isn't planning on going on the tour with them, but it wouldn't be surprising for him to show up, especially in LA. And maybe if they tour again in the Fall.

    Mike finally did go on tour in North America with The Monkees in 2012 and 2014 for the 1st time since they broke up in the late 60's.
    Last edited by mnprogger; 02-06-2016 at 11:39 PM.

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    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveSly View Post
    Is Nesmith actually involved in this tour? Some of the things I have been seeing on the net the last few days seem to indicate that it is just Dolenz and Tork but not totally sure o that.

    I saw the Monkees live once on one of their re-union tours. It was just Jones, Tork, and Dolenz without Nesmith. Dolenz seemed to be an ok drummer and Tork played a little bit of everything over the course of the night. It was a fun show.
    I saw them back in the eighties as headliners after a college football game with a few other sixties pop bands. I don't believe Nesmith was with them when I saw them either. This was around 1986 I believe.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Digital_Man View Post
    I saw them back in the eighties as headliners after a college football game with a few other sixties pop bands. I don't believe Nesmith was with them when I saw them either. This was around 1986 I believe.

    I took the ex to see this show in Cleveland on that tour, they headlined with Gary Puckett and Herman's Hermits supporting...
    -=Will you stand by me against the cold night, or are you afraid of the ice?=-

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    Quote Originally Posted by -=RTFR666=- View Post
    I took the ex to see this show in Cleveland on that tour, they headlined with Gary Puckett and Herman's Hermits supporting...
    That was the lineup when I saw them as well, so it must have been the same tour. I was surprised at how many Gary Puckett songs I knew and thought he was really good.

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    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by -=RTFR666=- View Post
    I took the ex to see this show in Cleveland on that tour, they headlined with Gary Puckett and Herman's Hermits supporting...
    The show I saw was after a Temple football game at Veterans stadium in Philadelphia. I just saw an article that said 42,000 plus people were there but there's no way there were that many. If there was then 80 percent had left before the concert. Anyway, The Monkees were definitely the headliners at this show(they were the last band to play)although I do believe Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Herman's Hermits and also the Grass Roots played. I think that's about it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveSly View Post
    That was the lineup when I saw them as well, so it must have been the same tour. I was surprised at how many Gary Puckett songs I knew and thought he was really good.
    Gary Puckett was a good singer, and the songs were mostly pretty good as well. I think he suffered from the fact that the songs all had a similar sort of sound about them, so while "Woman, Woman" (which was a cover) and "Young Girl" sounded like a breath of fresh air at the time, by the time a couple of years had gone by it was all sounding a bit samey. That's a shame, because I think he/they left the best songs until later.

    This one for example:

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by bob_32_116 View Post
    I always liked the fact that the decision of who was to play what instrument in their concerts was dictated by who was taller, so they could all be seen to best effect.

    The fact that the Monkees turned out to actually have a certain amount of talent, and took an interest in exercising some kind of control over their careers, was a big pain in the arse to the guy that masterminded the group. He then went ahead and created The Archies, who were much more cooperative. The Archies did not talk back, because they did not actually exist.
    Yeah, and he once bragged about how "The Archies outsold The Monkees". Yeah, maybe for one summer back in 1967, but I counter that the Monkees made better records (granted I've only heard one Archies song, but I'd bet dollars to donuts they didn't have a Valleri or a Randy Scouse Git or a Porpoise Song in their repertoire), and they seem to have had considerably more pop culture impact, given that I've never seen the Archies TV show ever, whereas The Monkees has been rerun regularly over the course of the decades.

    Oh, and then that same record producer, later discovered (and ripped off, apparently) Kansas.

  23. #23
    One thing about The Monkees you hear is "Oh, but they didn't play their own instruments". Well, neither did anyone else who was recording in LA at the time. In fact, I just saw a great documentary on the topic a few months ago, called The Wrecking Crew. That's not the Beach Boys playing on Pet Sounds or Smiley Smile, that's not the Association playing on Windy or Cherish, that's not Gary Lewis And The Playboys on This Diamond Ring, and it's not the Marketts on Out Of Limits either (in fact, the Marketts, as an actual band, didn't even exist when Out Of Limits was recorded. The band was formed later after the single was a hit, and they "needed" to go on tour). Oh, and apart from Roger McGuinn, that's not The Byrds on Mr Tambourine Man and it's respective B-side (the only time nearly the entire original Byrds got shoehorned out of their own record, incidentally).

    Even in the 70's and 80's (possibly to this very day) there are lots of records where studio rats deputized for band members. Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Kiss, Cheap Trick, and Chicago all made use of studio deputies at one point or another. Billy Sherwood once told me Outside/Inside by The Tubes was "pretty much Toto pretending to be The Tubes".

    So that whole "they didn't play on their own records" thing smacks of ignorance and/or hypocrisy.

    While it's true they did a lot of songs by outside songwriters, once Kirshner got his ass fired by Col-Gems (and that's exactly what happened because he put out a single he wasn't unauthorized to release), they actually did a lot of their own songs. Eight out of fourteen songs on Headquarters (the first album they did after Kirshner was deposed) were written or co-written by band members. OK, so on the subsequent albums the outside songwriters outnumber the group written songs, but so what? Some of those are great tunes.

    It's also worth noting that the Monkees are remembered as "bubblegum teenyboppers", the truth is the TV show, the movie (don't tell me you've never seen Head) and even some of the music were rather satirical. Especially during the second season, the TV show took a "biting the hand that feeds" approach to commenting on the TV industry and the blatantly manufactured aspect of the group.

    There's one episode where the plot hinges on the band walking off the set because they tired of doing the same story every week (the rest of the episode is basically an extended "romp" in Paris, whilst Bob Rafelson figures out how to rework the script so it will be "different", though as I recall it's invariably trivial stuff he changes). One episode had Peter selling his soul so he could play the harp (kinda like the Faustian covenant they had agreed when they were cast on the show), with the band blatantly flaunting the fact that, at the time, you couldn't say the hell on TV (at one point, Mickey even looks directly into the camera and says that's the scariest thing of all).

    In Head, the band had some very major anti-war themes. One sequence takes place on a battlefield, with Peter being stopped by a photographer from Life magazine for a photo. They even sort of draw parallels between warfare and contact sports (Gary Trudeau would take a similar swipe at football in Doonesbury a decade later). The movie also features Circle Sky, an awesome anti-war song written and sung by Mike (and the version in the movie is a live take, recorded in concert, and guess what! There's only four people onstage! So they're definitely playing their own instruments there). It should be noted that Last Train From Clarkesville was also an anti-war song (it's about a soldier going off to fight in the war, which is why "I don't know if I'm coming home again").

    They were quite possibly the first rock group, certainly one of the first, to use a Moog synthesizer on a record, after Mickey bought one of the first ones from Beaver and Krause at the Monterey Pop Festival. Daily Nightly has already been mentioned, but there was also Star Collector, a great Goffin/King composition.

    And how can you deny the excellence of songs like Valleri, The Girl I Knew Somewhere (which wasn't on any of the original albums, but appeared on the TV show a few times, and guess what! It was written by Mike!), Words, The Porpoise Song, Zor And Zam, A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You, Look Out Here Comes Tomorrow, etc?!

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    Is that Catwoman from the Batman TV show in the latter video? Meowww!

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