ALBUM OF THE WEEK # 287 THE MONKEES - MORE OF THE MONKEES (1967)

[RJhog (Admin)]

Artist: The Monkees

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: No

Album: More Of The Monkees

Producer: Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart/Neil Sedaka/Carole Bayer Sager/Michael Nesmith/Jeff Barry/Jack Kelly/Gerry Goffin/Carole King

Disclaimer: All info that does not reside in my brain is gathered from wikipedia.com (mostly because Jon can't stand it) unless otherwise noted.

First off, that's a lot of producers.  Just had to get that out of the way. This week's Album of the Week is More Of The Monkees by none other than The Monkees.  Mention The Monkees, and you pretty much get an instant opinion of whether or not they are a real band.  Of course they are.  At least after this album.  You see, Michael Nesmith had to threaten bodily harm to Don Kirshner in order to have the band members more involved in the song writing and as the actual musicians.  

But this one was mostly written by others.  And the music was performed by others.  Nesmith himself wrote Mary, Mary, and even Glen Campbell performs some of the guitar work on the song.  Neil Diamond wrote a couple of the tunes, including the number one hit I'm A Believer.  The album itself went to number one, knocking out the debut by the band.  It spent 18 weeks in the top spot in the U.S., and it also crested at the top of the U.K. charts.  In addition to the aforementioned hit, (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone hit number 20 in the U.S.  Finally, the album has been certified 5 X Platinum by the RIAA.  

I have a cool little deluxe reissue from Rhino.  It has a mono version and a stereo version of the album, as well as bonus tracks on each disc.  I've posted the mono version to keep it as much like music was back in '67 as possible.  As for the discussion about whether or not they are a real band, I'll let you decide for yourself.  Meanwhile, check the album out and let me know what you think.

Tracks:

1. She 

2. When Love Comes Knockin' (At Your Door)

3. Mary, Mary

4. Hold On Girl (Help Is On It's Way)

5. Your Auntie Grizelda

6. I'm Not Your (Steppin' Stone)

Side Two:

7. Look Out, Here Comes Tomorrow

8. The Kind Of Girl I Could Love

9. The Day We Fall In Love

10. Sometime In The Morning

11. Laugh

12. I'm A Believer

[Scott]

Hey wait a minute, is this the AOTW or one of those albums you've been posting about Country/Americana?

[Jon]

Considering that the headline CLEARLY states "Album Of The Week # 287", what do you think??

[Jon]

This started off a little bit bland and I do like The Monkees. But it does pick up with "Your Auntie Grizelda" with it's total weirdness and is fine the rest of the way thru. To be honest, outside of a greatest hits disc, I have no Monkees. I don't think this will change that since 1/3 of the album was pretty bland, at least to me. But....2/3 was good. Now I'm so confused.

Yeah, I think they were a "real" band. I mean, why not? Just because they covered a lot of songs by outside writers doesn't mean they weren't real. Vanilla Fudge was real.

Anyways, 2/3 of a pleasant listen.  

[Scott]

Interesting...  She, Mary Mary, Auntie Grizelda, I'm Not Your (Steppin' Stone), are the obviously and extremely familiar tunes to me, they all must've been on the show at some point and after seeing and hearing these countless times they kinda get stuck in your brain and never leave!  Anyone remember when Mtv rebroadcast the series in the 80's?  I remember watching in the early 70's and I remember the rebroadcasts.  They got me twice!

Each Monkee gets a lead vocal which is good but its the closer, I'm A Believer, that defines this band, maybe that one and Last Train to Clarksville, and Daydream Believer, and maybe Marcia Brady...

Someone in my house owned the "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd." album had you posted that one I would be having some serious flashbacks now.  One of my favorite sixties tunes comes off that album, What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?" - still a pretty cool slice of 67 if you ask me. 

Tunes aren't really very good truth be told, but when they come with a flood of memories its undeniably awesome!

[Niels (Mod)]

I've never heard a Monkees-album in my life.

I've never seen a Monkees-show in my life.

I've read, that because of The Beatles, a show about a fictional band appeared on american TV in the 60's, and then I've heard maybe 3 songs, and they were actually pretty good songs, but to me, this is not a band, it's a TV-show about a "fake" Beatles. I have no idea if they wrote their own songs or if they played instruments. 

The first couple of songs are in fact not bad, but not very original, and I do prefer original bands.

All through the album, it sounds the same: Okay fairly good pop-songs, but it's something you've heard many times before. The "cute" Monkee, or whatever he's called , the midget, is annoying me with his oh so cute little voice. I perefer it, when "The drummer" sings.

"Your Auntie Grizelda" is a rip off-Ringo-song. 

Stepping Stone, and they suddently are The Byrds. Another fairly good track to the radio.

Starting side 2, and I'm pretty fast growing tired of this album 

"The Day We Fall In Love" is 100% Yyyyydddddrrrrkkkk  One of the worst "songs" I've ever heard!!!

"Sometime" and The Byrds is back. A copyband of a copyband?!!!!!

"Laugh" and we're back to copying The Beatles 100% once again. Crap!!!

"I'm A Believer" is an awesome song. Who wrote it? (Oh, Neil Diamond. Then I understand) Definitely the best Monkees-song of them all.

They should had made a few singles (Daydream Believer and I'm a Believer) and never an album.

More cartoon-band than KISS ever was.