Rate and Review the songs of The Monkees Thread

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

  1. HitAndRun

    HitAndRun Forum Resident

    This is tricky. I agree with opinions that they didn't need another version of Circle Sky. I wonder if they were aiming the album at people who remember The Monkees biggest early hits and didn't know what followed.

    It's a good song, but I decrease my vote based on it being an unnecessary retread.

    2.5/5
     
    Guy Smiley and The MEZ like this.
  2. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    The ratings for Circle Sky:

    1-2
    2-14
    3-13
    4-1
    5-1
     
    The MEZ and 905 like this.
  3. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    Today’s song is Never Enough:



    An improvement on the opening track, I like the way this one slightly builds as it goes on. The production on this album is far from perfect, but the garagey sound stops Micky’s and Davy’s songs from being as corny as they probably would have been on a solo project.

    The “fill your sweet loving cup” lyric could be (and indeed was) misinterpreted, but I appreciate that Micky tried to write autobiographically about his divorce.

    The tempo is quite sluggish and I can understand that some people prefer the “hot version” that is also on Youtube.

    3/5.
     
    Wil1972, BZync, Guy Smiley and 2 others like this.
  4. RobRoyF

    RobRoyF Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southland
    Never Enough
    This one is better than the first track we just went over. The corny lyric about the "loving cup" is kinda lame as mentioned by our thread starter above, but other than that I like this Micky-penned song. I know I did not care for it when I first heard and that went for the entire album. I came back to the album a few years after buying it. I think guys do play well on this one also.
    3/5
     
    The MEZ likes this.
  5. Grand_Ennui

    Grand_Ennui Forum Resident

    Location:
    WI
    "Never Enough" gets a 3.5/5 from me...
     
    The MEZ likes this.
  6. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    Agreed. I think the production values of Then and Now, Pool It! and Justus are really at odds with the "timelessness" of the '60s material. It all has elements that place it firmly in the time it was recorded, and it is such a clash with what we're used to. Maybe that makes it more glaring to our ears, I dunno. But it's definitely not the Monkees we're used to. I think Justus is a lot closer in spirit and in the type of material to the classic Monkees, so that its production (to me) can be overlooked much more easily.

    Nah, not metal either. Metal bands and fans would scoff at the notion that this was heavy metal!

    Thing is, there's only "Circle Sky" and the song that rounds out side one (let's not get too ahead of ourselves!) that have heavy, distorted guitars on them. And knowing "Circle Sky" already, it wasn't a stretch to hear this get beefed up. At least I didn't think so. And I consider the other song to be more like a garage rock song more than anything else. These songs are based on distorted guitar riffs, which I do consider unusual for The Monkees -- but there are 10 other songs on the album aren't remotely like that. So as you say, there are "moments" -- and I guess it depends on your ear and what you perceive that sound to be -- but those moments make up so little of this album that it does irk me to hear the album written off as "grunge".
     
    BZync, Guy Smiley and RobRoyF like this.
  7. FredV

    FredV Senior Member

    Never Enough - An angry song with Micky giving a snarling performance with great musicianship from all four. Nesmith’s guitar work is particularly nice and crunchy.

    Micky had gone through a very nasty divorce with his second wife and the lyrics reflected his anger. One of the most personal songs Micky has ever written and performed, it inches very closely into Lennon country.

    In reflection the whole album has an an angry tone to it in some of the songs, more on that as we get to them.

    For ‘Never Enough’ 5/5.
     
    Wil1972, BZync, Grand_Ennui and 6 others like this.
  8. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    "Never Enough" -- 3/5

    Decent song from Micky, and he sings the hell out of it. I don't particularly like the sound of the snare drum, and the drums in general sound kind of...artificially rigid, like maybe they used an early version of ProTools or something to fix Micky's timing.

    I remember Mike writing in to Entertainment Weekly to slam them for their negative review of Justus and defend Micky over their having slammed the "lovin' cup" line. Ahh, Nez.
     
    Wil1972, Grand_Ennui, D-rock and 3 others like this.
  9. Laineycrusoe

    Laineycrusoe Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tyne and Wear, UK
    Never Enough - 2/5
    Personally I find this song to be utterly boring. The song isn't even that long but to me it just sounds like one long, sluggish verse with a guitar solo and middle eight in the middle of it and a key change towards the end. But even with those, it still sounds like it goes absolutely nowhere to me.
     
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2019
    Drifter likes this.
  10. wino14

    wino14 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Edenton, NC
    The first thing I heard years ago was it sounded like the timing was off at the beginning. I was like ugh how could they leave that on the finished product. But it kinda settles into a groove. I'll give it 3/5. Not bad.
     
    Grand_Ennui and The MEZ like this.
  11. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    Out of interest, is this version official or fan made?

     
    The MEZ, MagneticNorthpaw and BadJack like this.
  12. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    Fan made. It's the album version, sped up with software to not change the pitch. I have to admit the song is vastly improved at this tempo!
     
    The MEZ and Turk Thrust like this.
  13. ARL

    ARL Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    "Never Enough"

    It's a solid enough rock track, it just doesn't excite me that much or give me any great compulsion to go and listen to it again. A bit too anonymous, really. 2/5.

    N.B. Is this the only song title crossover between The Monkees and The Cure?
     
    BZync likes this.
  14. Deano6

    Deano6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Plymouth, NC, USA
    This and the next 2 Davy tunes are winners for me. And maybe some folks may say that Peter probably overplays on the bass, but that's a lot off what I like about this record. Peter really gets to show his chops. Yeah the beginning could be better (way off time) but Micky kills this vocally. And the ending is great with Mike's descending guitar notes. Love it. 5/5
     
  15. zipp

    zipp Forum Resident

    Never Enough

    Great lyrics to a song that builds to a fine climax.

    No more mister nice guy.

    Well done Micky.

    4/5
     
  16. super sally

    super sally Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mint Hill, NC USA
    Never Enough may be my favorite on the album. I absolutely love it-- the way it builds and especially Davy's vocals coming in at the end.

    It should have been the single, as Nesmith thought so too at the time.

    I know it's not perfect-- and it probably doesn't really deserve it-- but I'm going to give it a 5/5.
     
    Grand_Ennui, intv7, The MEZ and 3 others like this.
  17. Two Sheds

    Two Sheds Sha La La La Lee

    'Never Enough' - really like this one. It gets better as it goes along, especially Micky's vocals. Probably my favorite on Justus. 4/5
     
  18. Good2BAnywhere

    Good2BAnywhere Forum Resident

    I seem to remember reading that Never Enough was going to be the lead single, but then there never was a lead single. Seems like an odd choice if true.
     
    The MEZ likes this.
  19. BobT

    BobT Resident Monkeeman

    Never Enough- An angry song for sure. As others have already said, Micky is an angry guy on most of this album. Not really a great fit for him, but it is what it is. As for this song, I like it well enough, but I would not seek it out for a single listen, 2/5/5
     
  20. JuanTCB

    JuanTCB Senior Member

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    I really like this one. It kind of lumbers and lurches along like Frankenstein but Mick sings it well and the intensity does ratchet up a few notches as it progresses. One of my two or three favorites on the record, for sure. 4/5
     
  21. DaveJ

    DaveJ Senior Member

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    Never Enough - 4/5

    Very good. It rocks. I’d love to hear it played in a small club rather than an arena but very enjoyable none the less. A little more work on the lyric and it would have been a 5.

    Justus really is Headquarters 2.
     
    BZync, Grand_Ennui, Two Sheds and 3 others like this.
  22. Glass Candy

    Glass Candy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Greensboro
    3/5. Just a good song that sounds like it is being played by the band. If it had been played by session musicians, all charm and personality would be lost, and that's what this album gets by on.
     
  23. Keith V

    Keith V Forum Resident

    Location:
    Secaucus, NJ
    I forgot how Never Enough goes and I don’t feel like listening so I’ll pass.
     
  24. BadJack

    BadJack doorman who always high-fives children of divorce

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    This gives the song a little extra spark. Well done, whoever!

    I didn't think I liked this song but it sounds decent to me now. Nice bass parts from Peter.
     
    j_rocker and intv7 like this.
  25. jfmlaugh

    jfmlaugh Forum Resident

    Location:
    Michigan, US
    I do like this song, but it does suffer from the slower tempo for me. Always thought if this was rockin' like Steppin' Stone, this would have been a 5/5. I love the ending of this song...I'll have to give this a 3/5.

    Justus is somewhat of an anomaly to me as it has so many ups and downs.
    Mike - only one lead vocal and it's a remake. Gah
    Davy - His best album as a Monkee
    Micky - Perhaps trying a little too hard to turn these songs into a bit of an angry edge (Admiral Mike, Never Enough, Regional Girl)
    Peter - I Believe You was a good effort, Run Away From Life not so much
    The Group:
    Positives:
    • Harmonies are fantastic
    • Appreciate that it's just them
    • You and I, Oh, What a Night, It's Not Too Late are standouts
    Negatives:
    • Horrid songs: Admiral Mike, Dyin' of a Broken Heart, Run Away from Life
    • Could have benefited from additional and outside song writing (I know that it defeats the purpose)
     
    BobT and The MEZ like this.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine