Rate and Review the songs of The Monkees Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Turk Thrust, Mar 31, 2019.

  1. Celebrated Summer

    Celebrated Summer Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I remember getting this album as a kid and being disappointed that "(Theme From) The Monkees" wasn't the version that opened the TV show. In fact, the last verse of the TV version is even left off the LP version, as is the cold ending.

    They should have figured out a way do this better. Maybe they could have opened the album with the short theme and closed with the longer version. Maybe they could have put the TV version out as a B-Side. It wasn't until decades later that you could actually buy the TV version on disc.

    I didn't rate this because I don't like giving ratings to songs. What I like varies according to my mood. However, the 4-year-old version of me rated the TV version a 5/5.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2019
  2. RobRoyF

    RobRoyF Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southland
    Monkees' theme fits well for a TV show intro, but like the others here, not so much as the longer version. Very catchy and easy to remember the song. And yes, it is a song I am somewhat tired of hearing, so I never go to just listen to it.
     
  3. super sally

    super sally Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mint Hill, NC USA
    I remember reading an interview with Peter during the late 70's or early 80's with one of his post-monkees groups. He said something along the lines of "we play all the hits! Except the Theme Song. Everything I disliked about the Monkees project is wrapped up in that song." I"m paraphrasing here but that was the gist of it.
     
  4. Guy Smiley

    Guy Smiley America’s Favorite Game Show Host

    Location:
    Sesame Street
    Don’t really understand that level of animosity towards the song. I mean, it’s certianly nothing deep or terribly meaningful, but I maintain it’s a decent little rocker. I’ll still take it over several other songs we’ll get to in the days ahead. Or any of the “Davy songs” from the first two albums (and most of the later ones) honestly.
     
  5. JuanTCB

    JuanTCB Senior Member

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    5/5 for the TV version - it's annoying and I'm sure nobody would necessarily mind never hearing it again but it really does rock.

    3.5/5 for the album version - I really like the guitar interplay during the instrumental break, which keeps things interesting and differentiates it from the TV version.
     
  6. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    The ratings for (Theme from) The Monkees (taking the most positive ratings):

    1-0
    2-0
    3-5
    4-4
    5-2
     
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  7. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    Today's song is Saturday's Child:



    It's interesting to think what would have happened had this been released as the first single...

    It's an enjoyable enough pop song, but I don't like this as much as some seem to. The combination of the backing track and the vocals sounds a little cluttered to my ears and I think it was no loss that it was only issued as an album track.

    A fun track though and another nice vocal from Micky. 3/5
     
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  8. Celebrated Summer

    Celebrated Summer Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Monday's child is fair of face
    But still he runs from David Gates

    Wednesday's child is full of woe
    When he hears Bread he cries "Oh no!"

    Saturday's Child is an average song
    They mixed the background vocals wrong
     
  9. Daniel Plainview

    Daniel Plainview God's Lonely Man

    Saturdays Child - I've always liked this one. Maybe an over-generous 4/5
     
  10. 905

    905 Senior Member

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    4/5
    I've always been fond of this one. And it's got a memorable romp.
     
  11. JuanTCB

    JuanTCB Senior Member

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    4/5 - love the garage rock vibe and the chorus. One of the highlights of the album, for sure.
     
  12. mrbobdobalina

    mrbobdobalina Forum Resident

    Location:
    Not here
    To me, "Saturday's Child" is one of the best songs on the album. It's right up there with "Papa Gene's Blues", "Sweet Young Thing", and "Clarksville". 5/5.
     
  13. D-rock

    D-rock Senior Member

    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
    One of the real Gems of the Debut album
    4.5/5
     
  14. Hadean75

    Hadean75 Forum Moonlighter

    Saturday's Child

    A 4/5 for me. Catchy song. Love the twists in the lyrics.
     
  15. Shriner

    Shriner Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ann Arbor, MI, USA
    4/5 for Saturday's Child. It's one of the few songs where the chorus is the weakest part of the song (due to the background vocals.) Great riff, though! It's a highlight from the debut album.
     
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  16. edrebber

    edrebber Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    3/5
     
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  17. BobT

    BobT Resident Monkeeman

    A nice song. It always seems to be the start of the album proper to me. I'd give it a 3.5/5. The vocals are a bit scrunched up, and that brings it down a .5 for me.
     
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  18. Guy Smiley

    Guy Smiley America’s Favorite Game Show Host

    Location:
    Sesame Street
    Going with the chorus on this one... Fun little garage pop-rock number that’s probably better than anything else David Gates ever wrote.

    Nothing earth-shattering, but decent and fun. I agree that the production on this one is lousy, and the backing vocals are a mess. Sadly, these sorts of issues would plague far too many Monkees recordings. Especially (But not entirely) the early recordings.

    Tom Petty played this record on his “Buried Treasure” SiriusXM show. I think he may have played it againwhen he interviewed Micky for a different Sirius XM show (“Tom Talks To Cool People”) back in 2016. He was a big fan, and a good friend of Micky’s.

    I’ll give it a 3 or 3.5/5.
     
  19. factory44

    factory44 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA USA
    Saturday’s Child is a fun rocker. I loved that Micky and Peter did it on the 50th anniversary tour.

    4/5.
     
  20. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus

    3/5 for me.
     
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  21. bvb1123

    bvb1123 Rock and Roll Martian

    Location:
    Cincinnati Ohio
    "Saturday's Child" is a really good song as far as I'm concerned. Maybe not one of my favorites on the album but still I like it a lot. 4/5 for me.
     
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  22. MagneticNorthpaw

    MagneticNorthpaw Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    I've always been mystified as to why the mix was so poor on Saturday's Child. The only other production choice more perplexing on the debut album is the lack of a bass guitar on Let's Dance On. All of the other songs are pretty crystalline, sonically. The song itself is enjoyable.
     
  23. Hooperfan

    Hooperfan Your friendly neighborhood candy store owner

    Location:
    New York
    Theme Song - 3/5
    Saturday's Child - 4/5
     
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  24. RobRoyF

    RobRoyF Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southland
    "Saturday’s Child" is a great tune, I've always liked it, long ago and currently. I do enjoy this song quite a bit and it worked well as a music for a romp in the TV show. 4/5
     
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