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Author Topic: Monkees 50th anniversay - new album  (Read 9477 times)
Mr. Verlander
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« Reply #25 on: May 24, 2016, 03:20:50 PM »

"Magdalena" is top notch. I didn't expect much before I heard it, but it's really, really good. Mike and Mickey sound really good.
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Summertime Blooz
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« Reply #26 on: May 28, 2016, 09:42:18 PM »

This is a pretty good album that never attempts to be anything but pretty good. It's padded with outtakes which weaken the effort, and give the impression that everyone involved just wanted to get it over with. Birth Of An Accidental Hipster, a  delightful psych pop bauble by Paul Weller & Noel Gallagher, is one of a just a handful of tracks that generates any sparks. Sadly, Dolenz seems to be the only Monkee left who retains any trace of his younger voice's elasticity. Me & Magdelena Version 2 (a digital bonus track) which is totally different from the regular album version is another highlight. Not exactly the album of the Summer I was hoping for, but it still will get some repeated listens. I read that Barnes & Noble have an exclusive 7" that has another new Andy Partridge song. Gotta hear that one somehow.
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Lonely Summer
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« Reply #27 on: May 28, 2016, 11:17:40 PM »

Probably not a popular opinion, but I think the time for the Monkees to do a new album had passed some years back. I know it's getting raves right now, but that's typical for an older act with a new album (witness TWGMTR - seemed like everyone here loved it when it came out; not so much anymore). Unfortunately, the last time all 4 Monkees got together for an album, no one seemed to care.
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ArchStanton
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« Reply #28 on: May 29, 2016, 06:20:46 AM »

My recollections could be off, but I feel that this is getting better reviews than TWGMTR did (which I still love, for what it's worth). This is also the #1 album on Amazon, which is remarkable--did Radio ever make it that high there? I was thinking it didn't do as well on Amazon but did better in stores and on the QVC deal.

I like the record. The mish-mash nature of the record kind of works for me, but I can see where it would be off-putting to some. With all of the Rhino releases over the years, and my God have there been a lot, it's amazing there's anything left to use from the old days.

One frustration for me is the bonus songs. The digital version has "Me and Magdalena - Version 2" as well as a song called "Terrifying" which belongs on the album proper IMO (hell, they both do). Then I ordered a version on FYE that has another bonus song, "A Better World," which is also featured on a special vinyl record at Barnes & Nobles release along with the Partridge tune, "Love's What I Want." To add to the confusion. "Love's What I Want" can be found on the Japanese release.

I guess that's what you gotta do to sell records these days, but man, it'd be nice if the bonus tracks were all consolidated in one physical format somewhere. At least you could get it all on CD at Target for No Pier Pressure.

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Lonely Summer
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« Reply #29 on: May 29, 2016, 10:51:37 AM »

That's another aspect of the biz that makes me crazy, the selling of bonus tracks and multiple versions of the same album. For what it's worth, my 2 cents: if the surviving Monkees had just gotten together to record a couple new songs, ala Beatles Anthology, I might not be viewing the whole thing so cynically. I know that Nez was nearly blind a few years ago, but it still feels wrong that they waited till Davy died to do this. That said, I'm more interested in the cd than seeing them in concert. Just Micky and Peter going out as the Monkees? Sorry, that would be like Mike and Bruce touring as the Beach Boys.  Wink
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the professor
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« Reply #30 on: May 29, 2016, 12:42:20 PM »

Mike has said emphatically that he will join the boys for some shows as soon as he can, including some filming of a special concert. He i the fans and wants to assure them he will be part of it soon, after his book is done.

Radio, by the way, was #1 on Amazon.
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Rocky Raccoon
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« Reply #31 on: May 29, 2016, 03:09:43 PM »

That's another aspect of the biz that makes me crazy, the selling of bonus tracks and multiple versions of the same album. For what it's worth, my 2 cents: if the surviving Monkees had just gotten together to record a couple new songs, ala Beatles Anthology, I might not be viewing the whole thing so cynically. I know that Nez was nearly blind a few years ago, but it still feels wrong that they waited till Davy died to do this. That said, I'm more interested in the cd than seeing them in concert. Just Micky and Peter going out as the Monkees? Sorry, that would be like Mike and Bruce touring as the Beach Boys.  Wink


From looking at the liner notes, it's not even really a band effort between the three guys.  Only five of the tracks have all three of them together and some of the songs are either Micky, Peter, or Mike solo with session musicians.  Even though it ended up sounding pretty good, it seems like it was kind of cut and pasted together and the three living Monkees were rarely actually in the studio together.
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Summertime Blooz
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« Reply #32 on: May 29, 2016, 04:25:29 PM »

You can hear 90 seconds of Love's What I Want, the Andy Partridge written Japanese bonus track on itunes Japan.
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the professor
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« Reply #33 on: May 29, 2016, 09:02:53 PM »

It's a band effort, after a fashion, in relation to modern recording. The solo efforts are by design: each Monkey has a song they have written and a solo performance. Many BB albums can be analyzed with similar divisions; that is, not every BB is on each track on each album. Mike did his work alone in the studio, by request, not because he does not love M and P but because he wanted artistic isolation, which they cherished and respected. The playing (much more than the BB on radio) and singing of the Monkees all comes from the heart and from an awareness of each other as collaborators.

It's a Monkees album, if you read beyond the stats.


That's another aspect of the biz that makes me crazy, the selling of bonus tracks and multiple versions of the same album. For what it's worth, my 2 cents: if the surviving Monkees had just gotten together to record a couple new songs, ala Beatles Anthology, I might not be viewing the whole thing so cynically. I know that Nez was nearly blind a few years ago, but it still feels wrong that they waited till Davy died to do this. That said, I'm more interested in the cd than seeing them in concert. Just Micky and Peter going out as the Monkees? Sorry, that would be like Mike and Bruce touring as the Beach Boys.  Wink


From looking at the liner notes, it's not even really a band effort between the three guys.  Only five of the tracks have all three of them together and some of the songs are either Micky, Peter, or Mike solo with session musicians.  Even though it ended up sounding pretty good, it seems like it was kind of cut and pasted together and the three living Monkees were rarely actually in the studio together.
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Lonely Summer
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« Reply #34 on: May 30, 2016, 12:06:21 PM »

That's another aspect of the biz that makes me crazy, the selling of bonus tracks and multiple versions of the same album. For what it's worth, my 2 cents: if the surviving Monkees had just gotten together to record a couple new songs, ala Beatles Anthology, I might not be viewing the whole thing so cynically. I know that Nez was nearly blind a few years ago, but it still feels wrong that they waited till Davy died to do this. That said, I'm more interested in the cd than seeing them in concert. Just Micky and Peter going out as the Monkees? Sorry, that would be like Mike and Bruce touring as the Beach Boys.  Wink


From looking at the liner notes, it's not even really a band effort between the three guys.  Only five of the tracks have all three of them together and some of the songs are either Micky, Peter, or Mike solo with session musicians.  Even though it ended up sounding pretty good, it seems like it was kind of cut and pasted together and the three living Monkees were rarely actually in the studio together.
Typical Monkees. "Pool It" was the same way. The guys didn't play on it, and refused to sing on each other's songs. Of course, that might not have mattered if a great record had been cobbled together from the sessions.
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joshferrell
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« Reply #35 on: May 31, 2016, 11:04:21 AM »

I got the new Monkee's cd "Good Times" and I like it.. It is better than "Pool It" and just as good if not better than "Justus" both of which are reunion albums, with Pool It featuring JUST Micky, Davy and Peter and Justus having all 4 on it, writing ,playing and producing each tracks similar to "Headquarters.This new cd is interesting for the fact that they actually not only have 3 new songs written by each Member one by Mike, one by Micky and one by Peter, another neat thing is that Davy Jones has been "Brought back from the grave" so to speak with a rare Monkees song called "Love to Love" written by Neil Diamond and released in the past on the missing links series, this version has been augmented with new background vocals although the music sounds the same, at least to these ears..this cd also has 4 songs dusted up from the vaults and finished. let;s go track by track..

1. Good times- a long lost Harry Nilsson song from 1968 dusted off and finished and yes Harry is actually singing on the track, I would describe it as sounding very 60's,it sounds like Micky's voice is from nowadays and not from back then, really cool song. this only features Micky and Mike.
2. You Bring the Summer- This track i the first on the cd to have all three surviving Monkees singing together, this sounds very 60's, very catchy tune. with a backward guitar, it kind of reminds me of the Beatles maybe something from "revolver".
3. She makes me laugh- another song to feature all three of the surviving members singing together.This is just a great song, very pretty lyrics, this was the first single from the cd and I can see why.
4. our own world- this one sounds like the theme ong for Crank Yankers...lol..no seriously it has a similar sound to that, but I would also describe it as sounding like XTC, it kinds of reminds me of "Your mother should know" or "Good day sunshine" by the Beatles a really upbeat happy song with a nice melody. and it features all 3 of the surviving members.
5. Gotta give it time- now this is one of those songs dusted off from the 60's,1967 to be exact, I'm almost sure it is Micky's original vocal from back then because he sounds younger, this one says on the liner notes that he is the only monkees singing and playing on this one, however there is a voice that sounds a lot like Mike singing in the back ground, however I have a feeling that the songwriter Jeff Barry may be the one singing because he did other songs with the Monkees back in the 60' where he is doing the background vocals in order to sound like other members of the group, most notably the "Changes" album . not a bad song but not great.
6. Me and Magdalina- this is easily one of he best songs on the cd, this only has Mike and Micky, peter is missing for some reason. Very modern sounding, almost like a song you may hear on a college radio station, very folk sounding. very mellow. I would love to see a video for this.
7. Whatevers right- a Boyce and hart song which I assume is from the 60's but it doesn't appear to be dusted off but appears to have been recorded now,of course it wouldn't have been written now since Tommy Boyce has been dead for awhile.
8. Love to Love- The one Davy Jones song that was put on the cd, it's kind of sad to hear it since he passed away. almost brought tear to my eyes. too bad they didn't update the music, but I guess they did the best with what they had.
9. Little Girl- a Peter Tork song this one only features Peter and not any of the other members, the interesting thing is that Peter says that he wrote this one for Davy to sing but he died and never recorded it.
10. Birth of an accidental hipster- I'm not a big fan of Oasis but this song is pretty good,yes this was writen by Noel Gallagher, it's 60's psychedelic at it's best, it reminds me of "Shorty Blackwell" another monkees song, also reminds me of the Beach Boys recording from the Smile era almost like "Heros and Villians" or "Good Vibrations" this one only features Mike and Micky again Peter seems to be missing from this one.
11. wasn't born to follow- another 60' song dusted off from the shelf this one was written by Carol King and is sung by Peter, the other monkess are missing. the voice sounds like Peter nowadays so I'm going to assume that the music is from back from 1968. this has a very folk sound to it.
12. I know what I know- The Michael Nesmith song of the cd, this only features him, the other monkees are not on it. it's a pretty song,with pretty lyrics, almost sounds like Paul McCartney in alot of ways. it's nice to hear Mike again on a monkees cd...
13. I was there (and I'm told I had a good time)- the Micky Dolenz song of the cd again, like Mike and Peters original songs, none of the other monkees are on it. This one sounds similar to "Come Together" or "Get Back" or maybe "Why don't we do it in the road" from the Beatles,it has a basic blues rift...

so all in all I liked the cd...just wished they had one more Davy Jones song on it.
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joshferrell
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« Reply #36 on: May 31, 2016, 11:13:40 AM »

Mike has said emphatically that he will join the boys for some shows as soon as he can, including some filming of a special concert. He i the fans and wants to assure them he will be part of it soon, after his book is done.

Radio, by the way, was #1 on Amazon.

so is good times
http://www.monkees.net/monkees-good-times-number-one-on-amazon/
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Summertime Blooz
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« Reply #37 on: June 03, 2016, 09:29:57 AM »

Someone was kind enough to post the two Barnes & Noble exclusives on Youtube for those of us who aren't made out of money:

Love's What I Want (the Andy Partridge song): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvq5ozeNvGU

A Better World (Peter Tork sings):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBNMJUAaHOM

I think these are both worthy tracks that should have made the album cut over old recycled stuff. Tork sounds a bit like he's struggling with his dentures, but I like the song. What do you think?
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ArchStanton
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« Reply #38 on: June 04, 2016, 05:51:13 AM »

They should've put it all on the album proper--even with the bonus songs, it still comes out to 51 minutes. And all four are worthy, although I think "A Better World" is a little saccharine in the lyrics (I know, it's the Monkees, that's kind of their deal).
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