I agree with is pretty much word for word. Music Box a better song to my ears a high 3 low 4. With the IR version a 2. It is a very similar feel to WWMFEO in that the one version is more pop and was unreleased, the released one has more orchestration. I prefer the pop type of both.
That is much better, yeah. Thanks - over the years I've kind of just lumped all the early takes together with the final released version - laziness on my part. The BBM-era take is a solid 3. Now I need to do my homework and compare the - what - first three recorded versions? I can't say I ever expected to go down a Girl I Left Behind Me rabbit hole, but hey - call the cops if you don't hear from me in 12 hours.
TGILBM -- I actually like this one as an album track. I would never put it on a comp, but I wouldn't hit the skip button on it, either. Solid 3/5
Do not criticize Bad Blood! Or Laughter In the Rain for that matter! Solitaire! The ballad version of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"! Solid 70's a.m. radio tracks. Neil was/is great! (But I digress...)
Girl I Left Behind Me is 2/5 Just don’t like the arrangement, much prefer the unreleased version with Charlie Smalls
The Girl I Left Behind Me - I like it. I think the IR album version features a vocal from Davy that doesn’t approach the upper limits of his vocal range and turn all nasally in the process. I had never heard the Music Box version until now and I like it too. I like both versions equally- they each have their own pros and cons. I’ll give it a 4/5.
I loooooove this song. 5/5 for the IR version. The earlier version kills in my opinion. Wish I could give it a ten. Vocal is much better.
EVERYBODY'S got soul!!!! In all seriousness, though. Charlie seemed like a cool dude. I would have welcomed more Jones/Smalls collaborations with open arms and ears!
Today’s song is A Man Without a Dream: Another song that could have been made for Davy, I’m not sure whether pairing it with the previous song helps it or not. It’s another fine piece of songwriting, but I don’t particularly care for the brass arrangement. Most of the songs on this album are of a pretty high standard, but the fact that they all feel like solo tracks doesn’t do them any favours. 3/5.
"A Man Without A Dream" -- 5/5 I was rather indifferent to this song when I was younger, but have grown to appreciate it so much more in recent years. Davy is really on a roll on Instant Replay, and the combination of him and Bones Howe is a winner. This song is vastly superior to the song it served as the flip for, "Tear Drop City", though I don't necessarily view this as being hit material for The Monkees either. I don't know whether I would pick this or "You And I" as Davy’s best on the album. It's a close call. They’re cut from different cloths, and although I tend to have a preference for heavier rock and appreciate that "You And I" was a bold move stylistically, I think "A Man Without A Dream", a beautiful Goffin/King song in a style maybe more suited for him, might even get the nod. This track is expertly executed all around. Hal Blaine’s masterfully restrained performance is a standout, and the horn arrangement is understated but stellar. Having been accused of being less than fair to him earlier in the thread, I’m stating this without hesitation – Davy is the hands down winner of Instant Replay.
