I have stated my love of The Monkees here before (link to a Nights In what I wrote down there a bit) I thought I was a Monkees fan. It turns out I just knew of the singles and Headquarters really. Anyway I’ve been putting that right with one of those Amazon album collections and now I can call myself the 2nd biggest Monkees fan on The Afterword, maybe…. I’ve found myself reading up on them, their story and who did what (who knew Davy was the best drummer?) What I need to ask is where’s the best place to start to find more stuff like this? I know there are Nesmith fans here aplenty. Thanks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSYJDNSUkN8
DogFacedBoy says
This is no help but WAIDHR is my favourite Monkees tune atm.
DrJ says
I’ll be back later with a more detailed answer. Right now I’m getting ready to go out and see Squeeze…
Sewer Robot says
Jeeziz, that’s a very anachronistic and – if I may say – sexist way to describe the object of your affections…
Bamber says
I was at that this evening in Vicar St. Great gig. I saw them there five years ago and they were awful, just going through the motions but tonight was thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.
DrJ says
I thought they were fantastic. I last saw them in 1998 in Vicar Street when they had a jazz bassist and Jools Holland’s brother. That gig was awful and left me feeling very sad.
Tonight they looked like a real band again, even though it’s always the Glenn & Chris show. It helps that they have a great new album to be happy about. It was a pity there was only the one nineties song: nothing from the mighty Play and no Some Fanstastic Place. Next time!
retropath2 says
Oi!
retropath2 says
(That was for Sewbot.)
dai says
Need to type up my live review from about 2 months ago…
The Good Doctor says
You need to see their movie ‘Head’ – completely batshit bonkers and the music is out of this world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll2CpHgaudQ
deramdaze says
From the very first seconds of the film (the ‘opening of the bridge’ scene) you absolutely know “Head” is going to be brilliant.
Junior Wells says
paging @hp-saucecraft
Junior Wells says
can never work out that dashed protocol
DrJ says
Ok. So, I’m assuming the Monkees album compilation that you bought is the 10 CD complete album collection that came out earlier this year. That is a good one-stop shop, however there’s lots of great Monkees songs down behind the back of the sofa.
As far as Monkees multi-album boxesgo I prefer this 5cd box which seems to be going out of print. It has all the bonus tracks for each album as the CDs inside are the 1990s Rhino reissues. It still misses the essential Head soundtrack:
To get key rarities it’s worth buying the three volumes of Missing Links CDs which were compiled and put out between 86-96 if memory serves. These albums are not barrel scraping compilations like The Beatles Anthology but instead contain some of the band’s best music: The Live Circle Sky first appeared here, plus tracks like If I Ever Get To Saginaw Again, Rosemary and this Nez gem:
Some of the Missing Links tracks have been recycled onto the appropriate album reissue over the past few years, but they’re great on their own.
If you really want to do deep, Rhino Handmade have issued five of the Monkees albums as online-only 3Cd Deluxe boxes…that way madness lies.
As for Nez, you really do just need his first 5 albums, after that I find things can be a bit uneven. Thankfully the first five albums are now in one of those boxes:
And there’s a compilation called The Newer Stuff that has late 70s & 80s on it, including Rio. A shout out to Live At The Palais which is a sensational live record from 1978 where Nez plays overhauls of his “hits”. It sounds great and I only heard it for the first time last year.
I’d agree that Head is the bees knees and a rites of pass to becoming a total Monkees nut. I first saw it taped of the late 1980’s Nighttime Channel Four strand.
DrJ says
One more thing: the new album, Good Times! is essential. I’m not sure how they managed to pull it off, but they did.
Dave Ross says
Thanks DrJ the Monkees original album set is the one I have, barely a duff track on the whole lot. The Mike Nesmith one is on order. Head is the next stop for me, after that I must find the original series to watch back, after that I remember HP mentioning a Headquarters sessions thing that’s available. I adore all the outtake bits The Monkees did “The Walls of Jericho” for example. “Good Times” has been essential listening for the last couple of months………
Dave Ross says
@DrJ My 3 volumes of “Missing Links” arrived today via an Amazon seller. Interestingly and unexpectedly volumes 1 & 2 have come in long card Rhino cases with sealed CD’s inside. Volume 3 is without card case but is also sealed, I’m almost scared to open them. I Paid £20 each, have I been done or do I have a bargain?
Gonetoearth says
Another closet Monkees fan here; currently listening to Headquarters since I was hooked by this thread. I bought a CD of two Nez albums recently (And the hits just keep on coming’ and Pretty much your standard ranch stash) and can attest to their twangy goodness.