The Monkees "More of the Monkees" Rhino Handmade Deluxe Box Set

Andrew was able to take session tapes prior to bounce downs and separate some of the backing track to make it more of a stereo mix.

 

The first Monkees album super deluxe set does not appear to be available on Rhinohandmade anymore. Did it go out of print?

 

Not on the new remix.

 

I haven't listened on headphones yet, only in the car, and it didn't feel too wide - I'm having a proper listen to it all this morning. Apologies.

 

No problem. The backing is still mainly mixed center, but there is some instrumentation on either side now. And of course the fidelity is better.

 

Yes, the fidelity I can definitely attest too. I wish Andrew had mixed out the little vocal flub in the latter part of the track as it feels even louder now, but I am aware this is part of the track at this stage.

 

He also left some fooling around in the "Laugh" remix, which kind of ruins it as an alternative. Weird decision, but whatever.

 

Yeah, it's odd, but maybe it's more reason to buy a complete "authentic" remixed set down the line...

 

So, a recording chronology question.

I always assumed I Never Throught It Peculiar had a 1969 vocal, but this set proves me otherwise - is the error with me or the set?
As for The Girl I Left Behind Me - did Davy add the vocal to this backing track after recording the far superior TBTBATM version?
And Looking For The Good Times got its vocal in 1969 too?

 

Andrew's liners seem to indicate that there was only one recording date, so perhaps the vocals were recorded right after the backing?

 

404 just arrived (via Royal Mail), all ok except for a very minor corner dink. I'm not impressed with the packaging, a box no bigger than the item with no padding whatsoever.

 

I LOVE that we got something different with the "Laugh" remix , especially since it was never a great song and at least the remix is more interesting.

 

This is a fair point. The remixes of album tracks gave us cold endings for the first time, and the fact if I made an alternate MOTM I wouldnt include Laugh makes this variant an interesting curio.

Also, anyone else find the cold edit ending on the mono mix of Words something really cool? Is it edited from earlier in the song? I wish it was on the new remix too. A great (if claustrophobic and lofi) mix.

 

Agreed. The sequencing is probably a big problem I have with this set. While not random being in chronological order, it feels that way being out of album order. It just feels ridiculously disorganized and now I'll have to make my own running order in iTunes or something (which is just an eyeroll situation at this point because I barely even use iTunes anymore...it's all Spotify for the car...and this doesn't appear there...).

Not a horrible set, just eh...

 

I agree. I think being bothered by these remixes is like being bothered that he gave us only a Nez vocal in the stereo remix of "Auntie's Municipal Court" on the BBM set. The remixes have always been about bringing out other elements that were either buried or left out. To me, "Laugh" now sounds more like a Jan & Dean song so I kind of get what they were going for at the time.

 

Jan & Dean?!? I don't hear that at all.

 

#499 has just arrived, so I'll be giving it a listen tonight.

 

The backing track is essentially mono. The organ and bass were poorly recorded for some reason... as heard on the original take 1 backing track included on the set. The drums weren't all that well recorded either... true for most of the New York sessions. By the time the mono and stereo remixes were done in 1966 the extra vocals on top of the poorly recorded backing tracks lent itself to a sort of muddy din. Apparently, Andrew went back to the pre-bounced backing tape which makes the rhythm sound cleaner, if not perfect, allowing the clean vocal tracks to enhance the overall sound. Well done indeed. Ron

 

So it's weird to include an ALTERNATE version that is more complete and faithful to the session take? I'm not inclined to agree. Ron

 

Sold out, yes.

 

Forum member HELLO LARRY and I were discussing this remix the other night. After the line, "now, in her childlike eyes," there is a sound which kind of sounds like someone saying "Sing it!" I had never heard it that way before...

 

The final 4-track has the backing squashed to mono, but it appears that Andrew found the original backing track a few years ago, and it is indeed stereo. If you listen on the remix, there is instrumentation mixed to either side as well as center. It opens up the mix quite a bit, even though it's somewhat subtle.

No, I'm cool with it. It's just not acceptable as an "alternate master". So in fact, there are two songs from the album that have yet to be remixed in their original state.

I noticed that too! Instead of mixing it out, Andrew sort of highlighted it. Not a big deal though.

 

To me, it always sounded like a dramatic sigh before the remix.
To paraphrase the lyrics right after that:
"You know it was always there. And you (the 'sing it" line) need no longer wear a disguise".

 

Highlights for me:
Words (1966 Mono Mix) - Finally a vintage "backwards" mix, with cold ending to boot!
Whatever's Right (Backing Track) - fascinating that this has finally revealed itself, and it's a very unique arrangement. It's a shame there's no vocal (bar a very faint guide in there).
I Don't Think You Know Me - all 3 tracks of it on Disc 2! A great remix of the Mike version (though there sounds like a weird phasey effect on his voice?), the remix of the Peter version - those guitars phase in a crazy way!, and the backing track at original speed - it sounded super fast at first, but it makes sense now. Speeding up the Peter version to match is amusing.
Kicking Stones (1966 Mono Mix) - I mean this genuinely - hearing it actually fade without the "applause", and the random reverb swells, it at least makes it sound more 1966 Monkees than... well... nothing.
Hold On Girl (Alternate Backing Track) - a cool combo of the dreary first version and the sloppy second version. The chatter at each end is amusing too.
The Girl I Left Behind Me (Backing Track) - Haven't heard this before as I don't have the Davy CD, there's something really etheral and dreamy about this. The 1968 version is much better as a song, but there's something special here.

The remixes vary - most are definitive, some curious (So much vocal reverb on "Apples, Peaches..."), and some not so great (off time vocal on Mary, Mary, Look Out with Peter's Narration over the wrong sections). Love having natural endings, which I will fade for my "definitive" 1CD comp.

As for session stuff, there's lots of other bits - the "good enough" comment on Look Out, the screechy guitar in Ladies Aid, the slightly strange sounding Sometime In The Morning.

As many others have said, I would rather have had the regular remix of I'm A Believer on the CDs, and the alternate vocal on the 7", but what's done is done. Also, the live stuff is interesting, but grueling. I'd love a studio I Wanna Be Free in this arrangement though.

Stereo and Mono remasters are fine, bar the mono of Grizela, which sadly sounds like quite an interesting mix. Only having fold down LPs here in the UK means I've never heard this song in its album Mono mix.

Booklet is great - some amazing photos, very interesting liner notes, and detailed session info. I just wish there was a little more about the remixes in here, plus some context on songs that were later worked on - was the vocal for Peculiar really done in 1966? And what of Looking For The Good Times and The Girl I Left Behind Me?

Overall, I'm generally very happy with the set. Certainly better than the debut set, mainly because that set was horrendously bright. The brightness here is nowhere near as bad.

 

I thought the vocal sounded out of sync on Mary, Mary. You would think that Andrew would know better than to let that slip.