MONKEES - 2016 , what happened?? has Rhino let the fans and the band down?

Yeah, I agree -- there are a lot of Monkees fans here that seem to think Mr Nesmith personally owes them something.

 

What were these biggest reasons you bought the set for that were "lies from Rhino?"

 

Touchdown New England!

 

So he says

 

Seems like Monkees fans are still 8 years old.

 

More that pleased with the new album and the concert I saw.

Having recently watched the whole series on DVD with my kids, and finding it far less entertaining than I recalled, I am skipping the BR.

Will see if there is any way to catch AXS show on demand to see what was up with that. Or is it streaming anywhere?

 

How can Rhino have possibly let them down? Even a non fan like myself is aware of the constant supply of reissues/box sets/best off's etc etc.
I would say they have been extremely well served, how many time can people re buy the same product?

 

The ONLY disappointment I have with all of this in 2016 is that AXS-TV was dropped by our cable company and I didn't get to see it. Other than that I am perfectly happy with all things Monkee!

 

I can't even believe that this thread exists. I'm also surprised I'm even responding to it.

It's so easy to be negative...I'll stick with the positives:

New Recordings!!
17 Songs. This will trump everything

Tour
a couple of new and different songs added into the mix and Mike joining in on a couple of dates

Bluray
Fantastic restoration and upgrade with a bunch of bonuses

Unique Releases
Record Store Day Single and Box Set
Cereal Discs
Exclusive Vinyl (B&N, FYE)
Free Live Concert on TV
Best Of releases (50, Forever)

Positive Press
Seems there has been much love for The Monkees this year

TBD Surprises
Rumored 2CD deluxe
Rumored Terryfing 45

Did Rhino let us down?!?!
Did Andew let us down?!?! - that's just a crazy thought to get attention IMHO

 

As someone who is a Monkees fan and also in a band, I can say that from having zero expectations for anything at the start of the year to all but crowning Good Times my album of 2016 already isn't the sign of a band that's been 'let down' by anyone.

Likewise, if I had someone as passionate as Rhino are with The Monkees pushing my band I'd be grateful as anything.

Half the problem with this board is that people still think bands are magical groups of pals who pick up instruments and have a jolly old time, being best pals for life, wanting to do nothing but hang out with the same three guys for 50 years, and the record companies (or mastering engineers or pressing plants) are just there to stop them having fun and sabotage their efforts. That's not how it works. Rhino should be deserving of our thanks and appreciation for making this the success it is. They drove this, and they've done a great job. Not perfect to a handful of people, but to the thousands of others, it's not significant. Good for them.

 

Man speak with fork tongue.

 

what was the op expecting to see this year ?

 

It's a pretty good LP. There are some others from this year, and last year, which are better imo.

 

I just want a Third National Band, that's all

 

The Movies of the Mind band was 3rd National Band quality, it's a shame they never recorded in the studio as Nez mentioned was possible at one time

 

to clarify I think on the whole Rhino did them well this year, just some of the mis-steps could have been avoided , and maybe held them back a bit. Still rank Good Times as one of my Top 3 lps of the year ( Bey and now , Frank Ocean , are the other 2)

 

On some of the Monkees fan boards, there have been reported issues with the album skipping. Particularly with the FYE exclusive Teal colored vinyl version, but also some people who got the Barnes & Nobel (with bonus 45) black vinyl version, having similar problems. It appears to be mostly with the title track, but may be more of a mastering than manufacturing error. (Reports are that the vinyl was mastered "hot", thereby leading to the needle jumping.) I was ready to mark it off to people playing the album on modern, cheap turntables without weighted tone arms, but it seems even folks with better decks have had some issues, as well.

 

Not by Rhino it couldn't.

 

I think there are more people in the group that believe the way you and I believe than most Monkees fans want to admit. I have been going to town on this 2016 debacle since the wheels started to fall off with the "Buy the ticket, get a Good Times download" fell apart. And please - don't forget about that. It's big. Real big. Some people that were on the fence about going to a Monkees show may have had their minds changed with a free download. It's always a nice feeling to get something back, especially an album download. Then it wasn't to be. John Hughes (or whomever is in charge of their Facebook page [yes - announced OFFICIALLY on their lame Facebook page]) posts, "hey, sorry...that promo we ran, well, it isn't going to happen." Can you say bait and switch? I can. And have many times. And you know what happened to me? I get the rotten tomatoes thrown at me and the bulk of the indifferent on-line Monkees crowd says, "oh, that's okay I guess...at least we get to see them." WHAT?!?!?!?! You just realized that you were taken advantage of, right? You bought something with an attachment and you paying them was a contract that they broke because, well, "things happen". Forget that. It was all downhill from there.

Rhino is the ONLY one to blame here and after that it's on John and Andrew. You can't tell me that they shouldn't be responsible for a bit of quality control or at least just signing off that things are ready to be pressed or printed on a large scale. You know who they remind me of? Ever seen the movie Elf? This is James Caan's character singing off on blank pages like he actually checked them and oops, NOTHING THERE! The thing is, Rhino is real life and they are an even BIGGER clown car than the nonsense we saw in the movie Elf.

Yes. He's WAY too involved and in WAY over his head. All he is worried about is the "media presentation". How about that show up in back of the band? Are they that bad that we need to be so heavily distracted with all the media footage? And yeah, I get it, you stole the idea from McCartney...Funny how thing thing goes around. The Monkees camp is ALWAYS stealing from the Beatles camp. And again, the Beatles camp does it WAY better. How about the tour program? It's a Monkees Wiki of pictures and dates with ANDREW SANDOVAL in BIG YELLOW LETTERS on the front. Really dude? You couldn't come up with an essay to commemorate the 50th anniversary? There was NOTHING in the line of ANYTHING in that book. What a turd for $20.

If this little tid bit about Nesmith not trusting Sandoval is correct, I will feel vindicated with everything I have ever said about him and my 2016 Monkees year will be a success. Good on you Mike if this is true. Stay far, far away.

No one really cares. They are going overseas so Andrew can bring his multimedia presentation to other countries. Did we talk about a multimedia presentation yet? Oh yeah, that multimedia presentation. Just ask Andrew. It's ALL he ever wants to talk about.

Nope. Neither are equipped. The fact of the matter is that the Monkees have NEVER had great leadership outside of ONE man calling the shots - (ready for a bombshell?) the one and only Don Kirshner. Yep, vilified for just about 50 years among members of the group and the fans, but guess what? Dude knew how to pick and make hits. He may have been a TOTAL SOB. So what. The guys were hired to be on a TV show that made a lot of people a lot of money. Kirshner lined a LOT of pockets. And look what happened to the music after he was outed. They had a nice mini run, but not at all sustainable and after that quite frankly, pretty dismal.

I hate that Mike wasn't involved with this tour. It's a big one. 50. A big, round number. But, something must have been keeping him away. I don't buy the stories about his book needing to be finished. That's total BS. His publisher could have let him go and released him from those deadlines. 50 only comes once. But there he is...at home...the Andrew Sandoval thing is news to me but is really starting to make sense. I can't trust him further than I can throw him and I only know him from what I have heard and seen. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy I want to do business with. Kinda creepy actually...

I wish. I so hope this is true. I'm not in the Andrew Sandoval Fan Club.

Eh...this tour isn't as bad as some of the previous Davy-influenced productions, but by no means great either. I saw them in Boston and it was pretty bland.

It's always a cash grab. "Hey fan - want Mike's autograph - that'll be $100". Who are they kidding? Mike doesn't need the money. I can't speak for any of them, but we know Mike is doing okay. Micky probably next okay and then Peter. And that Zilch podcast. Don't even get me started. It's an apologist network set up by a bunch of helicoptoring nobodies that need some kind of power in their life. Yet, Andrew and John were finding their way onto that show almost weekly to promote all their defective wares. Nice work!

Micky doesn't seem like he'd be all that pleasant to be around for some reason. I don't know what happened over the years. Maybe it's just the hardening you take as you learn about the way the industry really works. He seemed real nice and approachable on the show - 50 years ago. Now? A little prickly. Maybe he's just turning into an old man before our eyes. His voice is really taking a beating and he can't stop with that frigging hat every night. I guess I'd be pretty pissed if all that glorious hair i used to have is now gone.

This year has been a debacle. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
1) AXS special was a joke. The sound was terrible and the performances weren't amazing.
2) The Blu Rays. Are they kidding with this crap? I'm STILL waiting on a THIRD box and I've heard NOTHING back from the infamous "Dr. Rhino" (whoever the hell that is). And don't even get me started with the things that were promised that didn't make it to our Blu Ray players. This Rhino company is the KING OF BAIT AND SWITCH.
3) RSD vinyl. I bought the set with high hopes. The vinyl sounds crappy. The pictures are washed out. Instant Replay is missing a song. Nice work Rhino!
4) Buy the ticket, get the download. What a load of crap. Bait and switch right before our very eyes. Monkees fans won't admit it, but they screwed us.
5) Good Times. Adam Schlessenger is a hack. His bass playing is laughable and let's be honest here - he didn't know the Monkees catalog. Let me repeat - he DID NOT KNOW THE MONKEES CATALOG. This reeks of a cheap, "hey, he's my friend kinda" hire by John Hughes and Rhino. I really dislike most of the production on this record and while the record on the whole is by far the best thing they have put out since Head, it still could have been miles better. And now we have miserable vinyl releases? Really?
6) The live show. Bland and the multimedia production takes all the focus away from the actual show. And I hate hearing Peter and Micky singing the songs that Mike should be singing. This isn't the show we should have gotten but your Andrew/Mike comment from earlier really makes me think that it's true and Mike stayed away for good reason.
7) The new "hits" sets. HEY - one and all! Come buy more hits sets because you all know the Monkees don't have enough. Garbage.

I was really expecting so much more from 2016 and it has really just turned into a massive debacle.

Flame away apologists, flame away...

 

Two great posts that sum up my feelings (including the last part about being in a band). Thank you both!

 

Did somebody pee in your Cheerios? Sheesh!

 

Um, well...
How about a Blu Ray release that didn't fall apart in your hands upon unboxing, that is, if it wasn't already busted up BEFORE opening the box?
How about a well planned out AXS show that didn't make the entire organization look like a goof?
How about a well-planned, not so rushed album with better production?
How about Mike?

Shall we continue?

 

Nice booklet, wiseblood!
You can relax now...

 

I'm doing fine my friend. Blood pressure is great and not mad at all. A bit annoyed that I got taken on a ride to nowhere by Rhino, but otherwise fine.