I think we are pretty close on our line-ups. I definitely want to start with Our Own World, though, I love a count-in starting off albums. I not going with any Davy tracks, though, as I wanted to make a current members album, and threw all the old tracks onto an EP. Side Two was a bit more tricky for me. Magdalena 2 is my lead off right now. I tagged Magdalena 1 as a reprise on the end (right before I Was There), coming in at a minute and a half.....fading up before Mike's solo vocal. I'm going to need Love Is What I Want before I can secure a new line-up, but I think we're close to being on the same page. I really want to hear the new productions away from the old ones, it makes this album sound even fresher than in it's released configuration.
Agreed. They were terrific at making songs their own. Great band. The Monkees kinda ran away with Pleasant Valley Sunday, though. I suspect Chip Douglas had a lot to do with that.
I think the guys realized in retrospect that Justus, Pool It were both pretty awful albums and wanted to close out their career on a stronger note.
Strange that the iTunes digital booklet doesn't include the lyrics, as apparently the CD booklet does.
Some incidental thoughts... 1. Micky sorta goes into opera mode when he's matching Harry's vocal stylings on Good Times. I think his vocal training has helped him preserve his voice, which is a great bonus for us fans. The downside, for me, is that he seems to have lost some of his "rock and roll" delivery abilities. It doesn't ruin the song by any stretch. 2. On this Kindle speaker I'm having trouble understanding some words. I'll be very happy when my CD arrives. Even if my stereo is rinky-dink, and it is, I'm sure there will be a better chance to learn all the words to sing along. 3. I'm not a big Byrd's fan. I've purposefully stayed away from their version of Wasn't Born to Follow so I wouldn't have any preconceived notions before hearing Peter's take. Knowing the backing track from the super deluxe of Birds, Bees was my only previous exposure. After hearing this today, I think this is the type of song that's right up Peter's alley. He sounds great and relaxed. I enjoy the banjo a lot. The guitar solo is interesting and juxtaposes to the simple loping piano part very well. The best part to me is his inflection on the final line. "I was NOT born to follow." That slight but effective emphasis on not. I'm mighty glad we got a slice of folk Peter on this album. I've missed him. 4. Gotta Give It Time is cool to me. Those "gotta gotta give it time now baby" responses just make me smile. Michael doing pop music again even if it is just background vocals. Hell yeah! Works for me. 5. Michael's voice is kind of buried on Accidental Hipster to me. I'm waiting to see if I still feel that way after getting the CD. The song itself though is a marvel. I can only describe it as weird and wonderful. Lol 6. But doesn't Michael sound amazing?!? If he had to be in the studio alone to sing like that, please force him to be alone in the studio ***always.*** I almost cried to hear how pure he sounds. Love both Me and Magdalena and I Know What I Know. 7. Me and Magdalena. Gorgeous. Enough said. 8. Terrifying is terrific. That line "how much do you fake the person that you are" is mind blowing. It resonates with me in how I approach relationships. Dig the bongos too. Micky sounds remarkable on most of the songs, this one included. He's got an instantly recognizable and likeable voice. 9. I actually understand the comparison of I Was There to Why Don't We Do It in the Road. Those comparisons normally escape me. Not this time. 10. As a first generation Monkees fan, this is the first release in more than 40 years that I've had other fans to share my excitement about new Monkees music with. I'm over the moon happy with Good Times. Thank you Internet and SHF for making this possible!
That's certainly a factor but probably the reality and cost of doing business in today's music industry. If Rhino wants this to go widespread -- getting an Fye to promote it with posters, ads, putting it up front, whatever-- you gotta play ball and give them an exclusive so they've got foot traffic. One hand washes the other. Is it an annoyance? Yes. But today the cd is $9.99 and I was paying more back in the 90s ($12-15 for new releases as I recall). My multiple copies of Good Times will fit right in with the multiple copies of every other Monkees album I own.
I cannot comment on "A Better World" because my copy didn't get here yet. Don't know when it will and I haven't found it online yet. But the minute & a half sample of "Love is What I Want" and the rest of the album are all excellent.
I thought the same thing. I was pleasantly surprised there were more than just 4 pages in the physical booklet. I like to read the lyrics along with the song and it's helped me enjoy some of them a bit more. Also found it odd Nez didn't see fit to thank anyone in the liner notes. What, not even Carlisle Wheeling or Edith Sidebottom? Sad that there's not a group photo. I realize they recorded separately but why accentuate that fact.
i guess I should hear the whole thing before passing judgement but that didn't do much for me. Seems like an ok song but the production was soft to a fault , in my opinion.
I have to say that Gotta Give It Time is my sleeper for this one. Mickey's performance, the start/stop bridge, this would be a great one performed live.
Wow is that cool. Sad it's not available. I'm not paying over $20 for one song. Sad cause it's good, wow bummer, that Might be in my top 6-7 tunes, hard to say without actually hearing it all. Yeah won't get fleeced here already paid extra $13 to get FYE for Better crappy World,
Vehemently disagree. Written in My Heart doesn't sit well next to I Know What I Know? There's a difference between you not liking Jones' material and Jones' material being inappropriate for the project. IMO LTL fits well with the first have of GT!, WIMH fits well with the reflective second side of the new album. And are you seriously saying that piano part isn't up Tork's alley? C'mon, man.
