The Monkees

by The Monkees

Overview

The Monkees' first album was a huge success, following on the number one single "Last Train to Clarksville." The Monkees spent 78 weeks on the Billboard chart including an astounding 13 weeks at number one. The record wasn't only a commercial juggernaut, it also stands as one of the great debuts of all time, and while the record and the group have faced criticism from rock purists through the ages, it stands the test of time perfectly well, sounding as alive and as much fun 40 years later. Prefabricated? Yes. After a fast buck? Yes. Exhilarating? Yes! Fab? Definitely! The music may have been created by studio cats instead of the band themselves but the pros weren't merely phoning it in. Listen to the aggressive guitars on "Saturday's Child," the raw romp of "Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day," or the cascading wall of guitars and fiddles on "Sweet Young Thing," and you know they weren't just padding their bank accounts. They were playing some real rock & roll and you can credit the producers for that. Producers Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart aren't craftsmen on the level of Phil Spector (who was actually approached to produce the band but probably laughed the Monkees' team right out the door), but they knew how to craft razor-sharp and exciting pop tunes with lots of spark, soul, and the occasional psychedelic touch. And they knew how to get great vocals from their group. While the Monkees themselves didn't do much more than sing, the singing they did was first-rate. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better pop/rock vocalist than Micky Dolenz; his work on "Take a Giant Step" and "Last Train to Clarksville" is thrilling and bursting with life. The other lead vocalist, Davy Jones, thankfully doesn't get a chance to show off his full range of annoyingly whimsical mannerisms; Boyce and Hart keep him under wraps and his vocals on "I Wanna Be Free" and "I'll Be True to You" are achingly sweet, even a little soulful in a very British way. Boyce and Hart weren't the only great producers involved with the record, as a listen to "Papa Gene's Blues" and "Sweet Young Thing" show that Mike Nesmith also knew how to produce great pop music, despite what Don Kirshner may have thought. The various producers, supervisors, and coordinators were also savants when it came to both writing (in Boyce, Hart, and Nesmith's case) and picking songs for the group. Indeed, the only songs that feel like filler are the rudimentary rocker "Let's Dance On" and the silly "Gonna Buy Me a Dog," but even these throwaways are charming and stand up to repeated listens. It's easy to see why kids were buying this record as fast as the label could press them up. Despite the origins of the group and the behind-the-scenes machinations, the music itself is young, exciting, and free. Who cares who did what and who didn't do what when the results are as rock-solid as "Last Train to Clarksville" or "Sweet Young Thing"? You could stack The Monkees up against almost any record of 1966 and the competition would be fierce, with this record coming out on top except in only a few cases. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	08/06/1996
Label:	Sundazed
UPC:	0090771504517

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Monkees   Primary Artist
Hal Blaine   Guest Artist,Drums
Glen Campbell   Guest Artist,Guitar
James Burton   Guest Artist,Guitar
Sonny Osborne   Banjo
Bobby Hart   Harp,Organ,Piano,Autoharp,Glockenspiel,Vocals (Background)
Bonnie Douglas   Violin
Chip Douglas   Bass,Vocals (Background)
Larry Knechtel   Bass,Organ,Keyboards
Felton Jarvis   Guitar
Donald Peake   Guitar
Gene Estes   Percussion,Tambourine
Wayne Moss   Guitar
Davy Jones   Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Al Casey   Guitar,Guitar
Jim Helms   Guitar
Jimmy Bryant   Bass,Fiddle,Violin
Keith Allison   Harmonica
Norbert Putnam   Guitar (Bass)
Michael Nesmith   Guitar,Vocals,Vocal Harmony,Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Michael Rubin   Harpsichord
Micky Dolenz   Drums,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Vocal Harmony,Vocals (Background)
Billy Lewis   Drums
Tommy Boyce   Guitar,Vocals,Vibraphone,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Frederick Seykora   Cello
Paul Shure   Violin
Bob Cooper   Oboe
Gary Coleman   Percussion
Louis Shelton   Guitar
Jack Keller   Piano
Larry Taylor   Bass,Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Louie Shelton   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Peter Tork   Bass,Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Bass),Piano (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Jim Gordon   Drums
Ron Hicklin   Vocals (Background)
Michael Cohen   Keyboards
Michel Rubini   Harp,Organ,Harpsichord
Mike Deasy   Guitar
Gerry McGee   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Myra Kestenbaum   Viola
Wayne Erwin   Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
David Walters   Percussion
Frank DeVito   Drums,Percussion
Mike Deasy Sr.   Guitar
William Pitman   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Fred Seykora   Cello
Joseph Ditullio   Cello
Bob West   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Bill Lewis   Drums
David Briggs   Organ
Don Peake   Guitar
Michael Deasy   Guitar,Violin
Kenneth Buttrey   Drums
James Helms   Guitar
Michael Rubini   Clavinet,Harpsichord

Technical Credits

David Hassinger   Engineer
Hank Cicalo   Engineer
Patrick Milligan   Musician
Andrew Sandoval   Liner Notes
Bobby Hart   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Felton Jarvis   Producer
Carole King   Composer,Lyricist
David Gates   Composer
Russ Titelman   Composer
Don Kirshner   Composer
Donald Peake   Arranger
Richie Schmitt   Engineer
Michael Nesmith   Arranger,Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Al Pachucki   Engineer
Tommy Boyce   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Gerry Goffin   Composer,Lyricist
Jack Keller   Producer
Roger Atkins   Composer
Michael Martin Murphey   Composer
Henry Lewy   Engineer
Steve Venet   Composer
Russ Titleman   Composer
Andy R.   Engineer
Don Peake   Arranger
Marty Eck   Musician