Monkees New Christmas Album?

While I don’t have the technical ability to do so, I recommend that someone should make a side-by side clip of the two new music videos to compare similarities.
I noticed several shots from each video were the same.

 

Their Christmas album must be selling reasonably well, because Target had four of them on display tonight, whereas the night I bought my copy, I took the last one... So, they must be selling well enough to replenish the shelf, that or they put more on display because we're that much closer to the holiday and they want to get people buying them as "impulse items"...

 

I have -zero- problem with the xmas album videos being similar. The drawings are nice and I'm sure there is a shoestring budget. It's great to get ANY promotion out there-- especially since this is one band that can't exactly go on the late night shows at this point.

What I would like to see, however, is the Monkees honor or continue their groundbreaking participation in experimental video. The TV show and HEAD were so influential.
Would love to see them come out with some sort of kick ass video.

 

I was just at my local Target and saw three copies of Christmas Party, in the regular CD section.

 

Was thinking of ordering the Target CD for delivery to Canada but the shipping would have been more than the item itself. I’m seeing Nez in Seattle in mid-January; hopefully Target will still have the disc on its shelves.

 

I though that the music video for “You Bring The Summer” had a very original style to it.

I would like to see a nice (preferably non-comic-book-format) video for “House of Broken Gingerbread”. Would be interesting to see how the video would go along with the darker lyrical content.

 

That would be interesting.
It's quite acceptable for a band to have a video and not even appear in it.

 

I began listening to Christmas Party the minute it was available on Spotify, way back on October 12, and I haven’t listened to a whole lot else since then. It had been a long time since I’d been so eager to hear a new album, and—in short—it has met my lofty expectations.

First, reviews for each of the album’s tracks:

Unwrap You at Christmas

Now that I’ve become familiar with all of the songs on this album, I’m not sure I would’ve picked this song as the first single, but I still like it. It’s solid. I’ve had it stuck in my head (in a good way) a few times. And I like the concept of a guy receiving his girl as a Christmas present—that’s a pretty good gift!

What Would Santa Do

At first, I thought it was a mistake to have this right next to “Unwrap You at Christmas,” because initially they sounded (to my ears) too similar, but several more listens dispelled this notion. This song is a bit punchier, and Micky sounds a bit aggressive, both of which work for me—and I especially like the line Makes me wanna clench my fist and sock ’em in the mouth. Using the word “sock” to mean “hit” just isn’t done often enough these days. And I’m only guessing on this next idea, but it seems that this song may be a play on the “What Would Jesus Do?” concept. As a Christian, I’m good with borrowing from this idea, and I particularly like the line Would he pray for you? We live in a time of vitriol, and I think it’s a good idea for everyone to stop and consider their past actions, and how to act moving forward, and to try to put themselves in other people’s shoes and care for each other.

Mele Kalikimaka

I was already familiar with the Bing Crosby version of this song, and my feelings about it are sort of “like/dislike.” I love Bing’s singing ... but I’m a “traditional Christmas” kind of guy, and Christmas songs about warm places are not traditional ... but it’s kind of a fun song, which is good ... but it’s about Hawaii, which doesn’t make me think “Christmas.” See what I mean? =-) As for this version, I like how Davy’s voice and the voices of his female backup singers have a retro-’50s production feel. And as I said before, I’m glad for Davy’s presence on this album.

House of Broken Gingerbread

I think that this song, or “Christmas Party,” should’ve been the first single. The chorus rocks, and I especially like how Micky’s voice takes off just before the chorus: “Saint Nick and the Wise Men got lost ... on the ... WAY-AYYYYYYY-AYY-AYY-AYY.” And lyrically this song is bold. I’m fortunate in that my parents always stayed together, but a LOT of people haven’t been so fortunate, and I like that this song dares to take on such a difficult topic. I like how the first verse features “two of everything,” and the final line is the song’s most powerful and poignant: Mistletoe is hanging by a thread, and the misfit toys just shake their heads, stockings hung up and full of dread, at the house of broken gingerbread. Mistletoe “hanging by a thread” and stockings being “full of dread” are concepts that just smack me up side the head and help me feel how Christmas can be a difficult time for people who are in or come from broken homes.

The Christmas Song

This is Mike’s first appearance on the album, and it’s a good one. This song, traditionally, is quite mellow, and Nez really brings out its “mellowness,” making me feel like I’m sitting in a cozy wingback chair in front of a fireplace, all warm and toasty inside and out.

Christmas Party

This is my favorite track on this album. It opens with some old audio featuring a jovial Davy, then launches into a groove that triggers a hard-to-suppress urge to tap my feet and dance in my seat, whether in the car, at home, or at work. I particularly like the few wah-wah guitar notes, which are an awesome accent and leave me wanting more (caution: foreshadowing!). There are actually a lot of cool little musical bits in this track—the spoken intro; the Auntie Grizelda callback is a wonderful nod to the early Monkees; and the James Brown “Ow!” is a nice touch. My favorite part of the song is the portion in which Mickey hits the last line hard—Cops had to shut us down TWICE!—followed by a pregnant pause that launches into a wah-wah guitar solo that I absolutely love. This song is very fun to sing (and air guitar) along with.

Jesus Christ

I’d never heard of this song or the band that created it (Big Star), but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Monkees included such a blatantly Christian song that wasn’t a traditional Christmas hymn—in other words, I think people sometimes include traditional Christmas hymns simply because they’re traditional and well-known, but the selection of a song that is not traditional or well-known seems to be much more deliberate. I’m not going to read into it any more than that, but I really do appreciate having this song on the album. Musically, it’s pretty mellow and does a good job of capturing the true Christmas spirit, and the accordion is a great addition.

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day

This is another catchy tune, especially the chorus. And that’s pretty much all I have to say about this one.

Silver Bells

This is a classic Christmas song, and it’s Davy, so I’m fine with its inclusion, but it doesn’t do a whole lot for me. (As an aside: I like Davy’s vocals much more on faster/harder songs (think or “99 Pounds,” or Instant Replay’s “You and I”) than on slower, softer songs).

Wonderful Christmastime

I was never big on the McCartney version, particularly since it gets played to death just about every year; the only reason I like this one better is because there’s a Monkee singing it.

Snowfall

This is another song (like “Jesus Christ”) that I’d never heard, or even heard of. But it’s a great song—quite different (in a good way) from other Christmas songs, but still gives me a lot of traditional Christmas feelings and visualizations. Nez does a great job handling the material.

Angels We Have Heard on High

I ain’t gonna lie: When I first heard the first few measures of Peter’s voice on this song, it was jarring. The autotune was obvious, and it seemed a very amateurish thing to do. But I’ve long enjoyed this classic Christmas hymn, and the banjo on this version is an inspired choice, and Peter plays it expertly, so I kept listening to this track, and it’s grown on me. A lot. It stinks that Peter’s been having some health issues, but I’m glad he was able to contribute something new to this album in the form of fresh vocals—yes, those vocals are getting some help, and in my opinion he’s always been the least-talented singer in the group, but he’s a great musician and, most importantly, he’s a Monkee, so I want him on this album, and I’m glad he is.

Merry Christmas, Baby

Elvis is one of my favorite singers, and his Christmas work is among my favorite Christmas material, but I think Micky does this song better than Elvis did. Elvis did a lot of “rowdy” rock ‘n’ roll songs, but his version of “Merry Christmas, Baby” is fairly tempered, whereas Micky lets it all out on his rendition, and I think that’s the way this song should be done, and Micky does it very well. And I love it when he says, “Alright, boys!” and then there’s a great guitar solo in the midst of a cool instrumental interlude. Micky puts everything he has into this one, and I appreciate that.

Target-Exclusive Bonus Tracks

Riu Chiu

Some fans have said that the Christmas Party version of this song sounds like Alvin and the Chipmunks, but I disagree with that sentiment; I think this version sounds great. I don’t agree with all of the theology in the song, but the way they do four-part harmony is awesome.

Christmas Is My Time of Year

Another I’d never heard, or heard of, and like the other such songs for me on this album, I like it. It’s great to hear Micky and Davy together, and get another appearance from Davy, and another instrumental appearance from Peter. I like how, at one point, it seems like the song is going to end but then comes roaring back. I also like how, at a couple of points, there’s an instrumental of “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing/Joy to the World,” so that this song is a blending of traditional and newer.

The real bonus with these two tracks is that they give us the Monkees working together: “Riu Chiu” is the only song on this album on which all four guys sing, and “Christmas Is My Time of Year” has everyone but Mike. And since Davy is no longer with us, and Peter has been ill, their presence on the album is quite limited, so having them on these bonus tracks ups their number of respective appearances on this album, giving it a more well-rounded Monkees feel (though I still consider Christmas Party to be very much a Monkees album even without these bonus tracks).

And I’ll let that last thought lead me into some general thoughts on the album, starting with:

The Idea That Christmas Party Isn’t a “Real” Monkees Album

While I would’ve LOVED to have the three living Monkees singing backup and/or harmony on each other’s Christmas Party tracks, the fact that this did not happen does not make Christmas Party an illegitimate Monkees album or a “mere collection of separate solo tracks lumped together,” as some have suggested. The inclusion of Riu Chiu and Christmas is My Time of Year—tracks on which the guys did sing together back in the day—on the Target-exclusive issue certainly lends it a more collaborative and cohesive feel, but even without those two tracks, this album, in my opinion, has “the Monkees” written all over it.

Davy’s Presence

At least a few Monkees fans have bemoaned (for various reasons) the decision to include vintage Davy vocals on this album, but I’m happy to have Davy’s presence again, even if it’s posthumous.

The Voices

I already addressed Peter’s new vocals, but I wanted to quickly touch on Micky and Mike’s. Voices change with age, even when the singer has no big health issues, and that’s true for Micky and Mike, but I think they both did really well. Micky’s voice begins sounding a little ... I’m not sure of the right word ... phlegmy? ... when he goes high, but I’m still impressed with what he’s able to do at his age, and he’s still a better singer now than I’ve ever been or ever will be. Mike’s voice is perhaps a touch softer now than it used to be—totally understandable given his age—but that could also be due to him picking softer songs to sing on this album. As I said earlier, having the guys sing backup for each other would’ve been fantastic, but I think the backup singers on this album did a really good job.

A Final Note

Going for a retro sound on Good Times! was a great choice, and it was a great choice here, too. And the album cover artwork (on both albums) is a perfect fit for that approach. The result: Christmas Party is now firmly ensconced in my limited, hard-to-get-into Christmas album rotation, along with Elvis’s two Christmas albums, Bing Crosby’s White Christmas, and Christmas with Johnny Cash.

The Monkees have given us so much listening pleasure over the years that I can’t in fairness ask for anything more, but I would be so, SO stoked if Mike, Micky, and Peter could somehow put together one more album and even collaborate in one way or another on some of the songs.

 

I like Snowfall but don't find myself connecting with the album at all. Micky sounds wretched.

 

Great review, and my reaction to each song was very close to yours.

 

Thanks!

 

That was a great review, rocknrollforyoursoul. I appreciate your input.

I'm not usually a Christmas album of any artist fanatic at all. After Christmas is over, I usually think, great, I don't get to hear ((so-and-so overplayed <INSERT> song title)) again for another 11 months!

I've listened to my Target copy more and more while commuting. I really like this Christmas album. Some of it does sound like some Good Times left overs, which is fine with me. "House of Broken Gingerbread" will probably remain my favorite "new" song. Well, on second though, Gingerbread runs close with "Riu Chiu" anyways.

 

House of Broken Gingerbread is definitely my favorite new song on the album.

 

Thanks, RobRoyF! I don't usually write reviews, but I felt I had to with this one—there was just so much I wanted to say! =)

 

I agree with your song review and am especially enjoying the addition of Jesus Christ.

It's 2018...I am so happy that the boys are all still singing and offering their fans new music like this. I really miss Davy and having his vocals on the album are especially enjoyable to me. I've followed these guys since I was a child, buying their albums, watching their shows, buying their solo output...having them 'with me' throughout my life has been a pleasure and I can't thank them enough. Merry Christmas, Monkees.

 

Yes, Merry Christmas to the Monkees!

 

New Christmas video directed by Jonathan Nesmith, song produced by Christian Nesmith with additional dialogue for the video recorded by Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz.

 

I LOVE that! So simple and elegant.

 

same, it is a relaxing video. The dialogue between Nez and Micky is a nice plus as well.

 

The Monkees 'The Christmas Song' Video | The Monkees Home Page

 

Very cool! The dialogue is awesome.

 

I've only just now learning of this project, from this thread.

Similar to the excitement I felt with Good Times 2 years ago, I've checked out the new tunes & love a few of the new ones, written for the project, as well as 1-2 of the old tunes. Overall 4 stars !

 

So what’s the consensus? Rubbish or not?

 

No consensus. Mixed reviews. Some love it, some don't care for it, some like certain songs. Sounds like a poll!
I'd guess that most people like it, even though I'd personally rank it as their 2nd or 3rd worst. (hint: 1st Monkees album where I don't like any of the new songs)

 

Love the video!