The Bottom Line: So the Monkees aren't ever going to get the respect the deserve, but on Greatest Hits (Rhino) listeners can get a taste of what the group was all about.
lambchops's Full Review: Greatest Hits by The Monkees
I didn’t grow up with music around the house (unless of course you can count my mother’s infatuation with all things related to bad 1970’s country music and her equally dire attraction to Christmas music). Though, with that said my parents did allow for pretty much any music in our home once I grew old enough to stop appreciating nursery rhymes and fun children’s songs.
Somewhere between that stage and discovering Bon Jovi (along with the rest of the MTV world) Nickelodeon brought something else to me—a band unlike anything else I’d heard. Of course, my young appreciation for them had nothing to do with the funny reruns of their successful television show—it had everything to do with the music. Right…that was it.
But even at the same time that I realize the Monkees wrote little music, I have to credit them with bringing to the public some of the most memorable pop songs of the late 1960’s. Great and wonderful in the same way as the Beatles? Maybe not, bit the fact remains that in less than five years, the band had about twenty top 100 singles. That is, of course, an amazing achievement for a group not often credited for helping to shape the pop landscape.
Were the Monkees a Beatles clone? Most certainly—that much is clear considering that they were actually cast rather than formed by two television executives (Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelson) looking to emulate the humor of A Hard Day’s Night. Though, with that said, Michael Nesmith (guitarist and songwriter), drummer Mickey Dolenz, singer Davy Jones, and bassist Peter Tork were cast over the likes of Harry Nilsson and Steven Stills. They were much more than just mere pretty boys—they could play and sing and write but were reduced in the long run to shadows of what they could have otherwise been.
Of course, anybody who has seen any sort of biography of the Monkees will know that the members were largely unhappy with the direction the producers wanted the band to take. They were molded to be little more than singers—the instruments you saw the four playing on the show were props. The songs they played were largely generated by professional songwriters (of course, this translated beautifully to mainstream success). But the group, some of which (mainly Nesmith), regarded themselves as serious musicians. The critics, already hip to the fact that they didn’t play their own instruments, chided the group. The Monkees revealed that they indeed were limited players in their releases and to prove their worth recorded Headquarters (1967). Though it sounded very little different than the other releases, it did prove that they could play and perform.
As months and years passed, the four attempted in their own ways to push the boundaries of what was known and expected. Their TV show was, while goofy, also in and of itself innovative. There had never been anything else like it on television. It blended live action plot (albeit light on story) with what can only be called humorous “music videos” intended to spotlight hits and future hits. This quick editing is most definitely what appealed to me as a child. The four, however questionable their musical ability, did go on tour live—and strangely enough did recruit a young and unknown Jimi Hendrix to open. Hendrix, clearly a strange mix with the Beatles, didn’t last long with the synthesized group. He was put aside after but a few dates.
In 1968, the group attempted to broaden their horizons. With increasing leanings toward psychaedelia on their albums, the Monkees also embarked on their own drug induced movie haze with Head. Head, regarded by most as the point at which audiences because disillusioned with the otherwise friendly band, was co-written by a young Jack Nicholson and featured what can only be called weird and addled with montages of psychedelic thought. By the time the year ended, Tork had left the group (despite the fact that Nesmith was the most likely candidate to break them). Soon thereafter the remaining three began to go their opposite directions with Nesmith continuing toward his goal as serious songwriter and musician. The remaining two (Dolenz and Jones) recorded the final rather dire recording in 1970—Changes.
So where does that leave us? It leaves us with a band that had nearly twenty hits in but half-a-decade. These kinds of groups are few and far between and often at the same time mocked by critics as they are lauded by fans. Most of this type go down in infamy (watch for many of the boy bands and “popular” solo artists to go this direction) while but a lucky few are rediscovered and find themselves cherished and rejuvenated years later. This, my friends, is where my early appreciation of the Monkees sprouted. Some fifteen years following their disintegration, the Monkees was picked up by Nickelodeon and a resurgence of fans was born.
I can still remember jamming as a kid to the opening credits (aka Theme from The Monkees)…you know ‘em as well as I do (these were culled from memory…)
Hey, hey, we’re the Monkees
And people say we monkey around.
But we’re too busy singing
To put anybody down.
We’re just tryin’ to be friendly,
Come and watch us sing and play,
We’re the young generation,
And we’ve got something to say.
So that, my friends, is precisely the reason why I am a happy owner and still an occasional listener of the outstanding 1995 greatest hits compilation released by Rhino and aptly titled Greatest Hits. There are indeed other similar releases but this is the most rewarding and wieldy of the bunch for folks seeking just one Monkees album.
What really peaks my interest about the Rhino Greatest Hits is that it is lengthy, but not so much so as to bore me. In fact, as an extra bonus the more recent incarnation(s) of the Monkees aren’t even touched on until the final two songs—That Was Then, This is Now and Heart and Soul. What does that mean for casual fans? Well, basically with no effort and very little pain listeners will enjoy and already be familiar with the first eighteen songs. It is by no means complete (it misses She, Take a Giant Step, and Tapioca Tundra to name a few), but does touch all the bases that are indeed necessary for folks (like myself) who came to know and love the Monkees sometime in the 1980’s.
The three #1 hit singles included are ingrained in my very being. Even had I not watched the reruns of the television show I would know the like the back of my freckled hand. Last Train to Clarksville, I’m a Believer and Daydream Believer are all lovely tracks. However, the only one of the three that ranks among my personal favorites from the group is Daydream Believer. The melody is one of the most memorable of the bunch and the line “cheer up sleepy Jean, oh what can it mean” are the ones that always come to me first when I think of the Monkees.
If this album provides any education to listeners is it that as the foursome continued on under the auspices of television big-wigs their music changed for the better. There’s little question that the earliest hits are worth hearing, but I think there are some truly excellent somewhat obscured gems hidden behind all the pomp and circumstance. (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone represents a moment when I believe that the Monkees shone most wonderfully. It’s a pointed, somewhat more “rocking” song than many of their sappy bubblegum pop (Pleasant Valley Sunday, I Wanna Be Free). I’m not even sure I remember the song from childhood but in the context of this album, it is without question a standout.
Speaking of standouts, I also appreciate Nesmith’s Mary, Mary. Though it may not stand the test as time as well as Steppin’ Stone, it is still a groovy pop track with a clearly creative slant. I think what makes the song special has everything to do with the percussion. Also worth mentioning is A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You. The Neil Diamond song is cute with an up-tempo melody and a memorable chorus. It’s the kind of track that makes me smile and some days, well, a smile is enough to make me happy.
Mickey Dolenz flexes his writing chops on Randy Scouse Git. The tin pan chunk-chunking melody make for an interesting listen. It is a strange bird—not quite pop and not quite rock but nonetheless the offensively titled song (it’s English slang for horny jerk from Liverpool) proves that the Monkees have more to offer than just pretty faces and funny jokes. Another oddity is Words. The harmonies (provided by Tork and Dolenz), chimes, organ, and guitars are obviously psychedelic in nature. Though, the catchy melody helps to make it a memorable and completely appealing song.
As this collection draws to a close, I find myself less and less interested in the material. D.W. Washburn (Lieber/Stoller) is one minor exception. It’s not exactly consumer friendly with the return to the chunk-chunking depression era horns and tin pan sentiment. But it is interesting and entertaining as far as I’m concerned. Another exception is the grand Porpoise Song, the only representation from the film Head available on this compilation. Driven by an organ and written by the combination of Carole King and Gerry Goffin, the track is the freest and strangest inclusion here. The layers of harmonies and instruments are a clear homage to the style of John Lennon. It all works very well—and despite the overall craziness of the whole thing it even managed to be a minor hit.
The last three songs are absolutely forgettable. Listen to the Band is a platform for Nesmith’s career as a writer of a new genre of music—country-rock. I’m not fond of the song even if I do respect that they are trying to get people to actually listen rather pre-judge. The worst moments are without question the last two songs here. I have no interest in hearing the Monkees strumming on electric guitars and thumping on synthesizers. I remember both of the songs here from 1987 and remember not at all being impressed—I’m still not.
The Monkees story has already been cemented in musical annals everywhere. They were artificially assembled by a couple of guys who knew more about TV than music, but in the end I think the Monkees had the last laugh. The songs they performed and/or wrote are all in good fun. And like it or not, but the Monkees influenced many a kid who watched them on Nickelodeon in the 1980’s.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. (Theme From) The Monkees (1966, The Monkees)
02. Last Train to Clarksville (1966, The Monkees)
03. I Wanna Be Free (1966, The Monkees)
04. I’m a Believer (1967, More of The Monkees)
05. (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone (1967, More of The Monkees)
06. Mary, Mary (1967, More of The Monkees)
07. A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You (1967, single)
08. The Girl I Knew Somewhere (1967, Headquarters)
09. Randy Scouse Git (1967, Headquarters)
10. Pleasant Valley Sunday (1967, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.)
11. Words (1967, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.)
12. Daydream Believer (1968, The Birds, the Bees & The Monkees)
13. Goin’ Down (1967, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.)
14. Valleri (1968, The Birds, the Bees & The Monkees)
15. D.W. Washburn (1968, single)
16. It’s Nice to Be With You (1968, single)
17. Porpoise Song (1968, Head)
18. Listen to the Band (1969, The Monkees Present)
19. That Was Then, This Is Now (1987, single)
20. Heart and Soul (1987, single)
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