I've Come to Bury The Monkees, NOT to Praise Them!

Martha Washington

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HEY!!
I read something Spike said on another thread and realized I haven't had a real good CHAW on the Monkees for a while.

anybody love them or hate them?
me, I've got a good measure of both.
I think they are one of Rock and Roll's dog gonedest stories and enjoy taking both sides in any discussion about them.
MonkeesLogo3inchMOV.gif

I guess that's just the sort of fellow I am.
 

Zombeels

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I really like the Monkees. Yes we know they were a fabricated band made of 2 actors (Jones & Dolenz) and 2 muscicians (Nesmith & Tork). I could do without the personna of Davy Jones but then again I never was a 12 year old girl. I really liked the voices of Dolenz and Nesmith and Mickey got pretty good at the drums (thanks Barbata). I like how they even poked fun at themselves in the Movie "Head". They had some really catchy pop songs and even experimented a little into the psych-rock. Some of Nesmith's material could also be recognised as starting the country-rock genre.
 

Music Wench

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I was a kid when the Monkees came out and I loved them. My favorite Monkee was Mickey Dolenz. Loved his quirky sense of humor and he was just plain goofy. Of course Davy Jones was the heart throb but for some reason I didn't like him as much as I liked Mickey.

Great memories and great pop songs. Used to watch them every weekend, quite faithfully. Pleasant Valley Sunday, Last Train To Clarksville, I'm A Believer....wow, think I might go see if I can find some Monkees music...
 

Joey Self

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Ahem. I just HAPPEN to have a Monkees tournament drawn up, which we might do after the Steely Dan.

That is all.

JcS
 

Nirvanadude

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I don't think I've heard enough of them to really form an opinion.

I've heard the mainstream- I'm a Believer, Valerie ect. but not much else.

I enjoyed the TV show when I was a kid though
 

kath

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i love the monnnkees. yeah, i was a wee wenchetta, too... i worshipped the show. i had a crush on davey. all that silly stuff. BUT... but the songs are great. they sound better now than they ever have to me. (is it just me, getting old and mushily sentimental, longing for the days of pleasant valley sundays and silly striped pants with bad shoes... or are the songs really good? ye be the judge(s).)

and michael nesmith really is a genius, methinks.

does anyone remember elephant parts? mwhahaha.

anywayyyy... many of those songs are flat out, catchy fun. i like that.
 
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Spike

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I despised the Monkees at the time. They were corporate media's attempt to recreate Beatlemania. I was 14 when their marketing campaign launched and even then could see that they lacked any claim to authenticity. But my 12 year old brother and his friends were really into them. That was their market demographic. And perhaps girls up to 14.

Looking back, they had sufficient resources behind them to create some memorable tunes (ie Stepping Stone). And the movie Head is certainly an interesting cultural artifact.

I no longer despise them. I now see them as an interesting period curiosity. But I will admit to being puzzled about how their rep seems to have increased in recent years based upon nostalgia -- and perhaps irony -- that seemingly credits them for their authentic lack of authenticity.

Spike
 

Martha Washington

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when it was new I saw the show and enjoyed it but I couldn't really be bothered.
basically, the publicity experts just did a MAJOR "Tiger Beat" number on those guys before the first show even aired. as funny as the show was, I just felt it was made for people who wanted to sigh over what lover boy, dream boats they were supposed to be.

Keep in mind, those Teeny Bopper magazines were everywhere in those days. You couldn't buy a loaf of bread without pictures of The Monkees smiling out at you from the middle of big pink hearts, know what I mean, Vern?

Like a lot of folks my age, I REALLY took to the show a little after the fact, when they showed them on Saturday Mornings (you know, like 'Scooby Doo or something)
I think the Monkees made a LOT of great music but they are first and foremost a t.v. show as far as I'm concerned. Also, unlike many my age, I DON'T consider their albums neglected masterpieces (you know, like Love's 'Forever Changes' or 'Odyssey and Oracle' by the Zombies) I know many do, but I think, as packed as they are with good tunes their albums are real spotty. The early ones have too much filler for me. Post Headquarters they are showing true talent but I still think the albums are more like albums by Herman's Hermits or Paul Revere and the Raiders : good, well crafted pop/rock for parents to buy on their kid's birthdays.

I didn't know ONE KID who bought 'Headquarters' with their own money.
 
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Music Wench

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Well, I was one of those kids who bought Tiger Beat magazine and loved the teeny bopper idols like Bobby Sherman and The Monkees and even up to Donny Osmond. Yikes!!! But we all do grow up eventually. I went from those shiny bright faces to The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and David Bowie. My dad suddenly decided the nonsense crap I was buying as a kid was a lot better than the obnoxious crap I was buying as a teenager. :D

The Monkees were fun and I think the music was pretty good all things considered. They didn't write the songs or anything but maybe that's why the songs were so good. LOL
 

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