Rate and Review the songs of The Monkees Thread

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

  1. FredV

    FredV Senior Member

    I wouldn’t be that hard on Davy. All the guys were incredibly ripped off during their initial stint in the Monkees, and Davy didn’t like the idea of being told what they were going to record instead of having some kind of say in the matter.

    They definitely would have made more money if any songs they wrote was on the album. Mike and Micky I’m sure did ok with a couple of their self-penned older songs already on the record.

    But I agree he made a strategic mistake by not being part in the recording the songs. Once the songs became hits, they might have had more bargaining power to demand what songs they wanted to do for future records. Maybe Micky and Peter had that in mind when they agreed to record the songs.

    Sadly, the Monkees have had a bad history of shooting themselves in the foot. :shake:
     
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  2. So, it was during the mid-'80s revival of Monkeemania that I was brought into the fold. I think it started with seeing the show in reruns (can't remember which channel, but I know we didn't have cable), and somehow I found out about the Then & Now... album, which I got on cassette (I'm presuming my parents paid for that—thanks, guys!). I remember hearing this song, and really liking it, but I don't remember ever seeing this video before today. And I also didn't know, until today, that this is a cover!

    LOL. Never heard this, but it's funny!

    I'd love to hear a garage arrangement of this song.

    And I agree on your latter points—I think Davy's presence would only have helped the success of this song and album, and perhaps helped with the development of Pool It!; and yes, this is one of many, MANY what-ifs in Monkees history.

    That Was Then, This Is Now

    I liked this song a lot when it came out, but for me it hasn't really stood the test of time. I still like it well enough, but it's not a song I usually get jazzed about hearing, and I think much of that has to do with the '80s sound—a sound I quite like if it was part of the first iteration of that group's music I ever experienced, but that wasn't the case with the Monkees. These days, my general order of preference for Monkees musical eras is 1) '60s and 2010s, 2) '70s, 3) '90s, 4) '80s. (@Turk Thrust: perhaps another good thread, after this one is complete, would be to rank Monkees music by decades; I imagine that most of us would put the '60s first (though perhaps not), but things could get interesting after that.) Anyway, I give this song a 3/5.
     
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  3. Deano6

    Deano6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Plymouth, NC, USA
    I went to one of the reunion concerts in '86 and it was a turd move for Davy not to participate on That Was Then... It's just a song for crying out loud.
     
  4. D-rock

    D-rock Senior Member

    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
    That Was Then, This Is Now 5/5

    Great comeback song and a great video!

    ... most stuff is dated cause it was recorded in a different era ...
     
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  5. pablo fanques

    pablo fanques Somebody's Bad Handwroter In Memoriam

    Location:
    Poughkeepsie, NY
    Finally caught up with this incredible thread and I originally caught up with The Monkees while recovering from mono as a 6 year during their mid 70's syndication resurgence. Knew of the DJBH LP from seeing them on Dinah Shore but wisely asked for and got the Greatest Hits LP for XMAS '76 and that was it until the unlikely explosion a decade later.

    I had literally just begun my radio career in the summer of '86 at the unlikely age of 16 on an Adult Contemporary daytime AM Station, 1390 WEOK that had no business playing the Monkees then or now. However, the PD knew of my passion for the band and gave me the honor of being the first jock in The Hudson Valley to play the record which was the rare "white label promo". At the time I thought it was the only one in existence but the internets later proved me wrong: Roots Vinyl Guide

    I still have the record, albeit with red felt tip pen indicating the contents for the uninitiated who also worked at the station but I will always treasure it and that time. I had the pleasure of seeing them on successive nights at SPAC and The Orange County Speedway in '86 and every tour since. Hoping Mike and Micky can find it in their hearts to give us one more. If not, I'm good. Very grateful to anyone and everyone involved with keeping it going the past 33 years. It's been a great ride. 5/5
     
  6. Drifter

    Drifter AAD survivor

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC, CA
    "That Was Then, This Is Now".... 3/5. Might've been a notch higher with better production and a more retro 60s sound rather than that sterile mid-80s sound.
     
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  7. Chip TRG

    Chip TRG Senior Member

    An interesting little fact is that THEN & NOW - TBOTM was originally designed to fit in with the then current series of '24 Original Classics' oldies reissues that Arista was releasing. In true "Rhino"-like fashion, they were career spanning collections that covered artist's tenures at various labels. The two other issues before the series vanished were for Dion (covering Laurie and Columbia cuts) and The Every Brothers (Cadence and Warner Brothers).

    Not sure when the decision was made to trim down the Monkees set to a single LP, but the "24" version did get recycled into an "as seen on TV" release.

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2019
  8. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    The ratings for That Was Then, This Is Now:

    1-1
    2-5
    3-10
    4-10
    5-7
     
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  9. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    Today’s song is Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere:



    It’s cool that a Bobby Hart song was recorded at this time as it gives a little authenticity to what simply sounds like Micky singing a very generic 80s track. Let's face it, if this had been issued as a Micky solo song then it would probably be almost completely forgotten by now...

    The production is again extremely cheesy and it is not a particularly memorable recording. It would have been a better choice of single than the remix of Daydream Believer, but that isn’t saying much.

    Also, like many songs from the 80s, it feels a little too long at 4 minutes.

    A middling 2.5/5.
     
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  10. Deano6

    Deano6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Plymouth, NC, USA
    Nope. 1/5
     
  11. BigManRestless

    BigManRestless Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Just a bit too late for That Was Then...but it's ok. As much as I've been hard on Davy in the past I do think this song would be benefited from his presence / input. I did think it was a bit strange he'd leave the stage when the band did it live in the 80s. I wasn't quite sure what his reasoning was at the time, it came across that if he wasn't on it, it didn't count. Which didn't make sense to me considering how many 'Monkees' songs only had one Monkee on them - this one actually had two! But I understand more now, even if I think it was a bit petty to walk off stage.

    Anytime...I think may be my favourite of the 3 new Then & Now tracks, though none of them hold any particular affection for me.

    2/5
     
  12. RobRoyF

    RobRoyF Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southland
    Anytime
    Listenable but quite forgettable. I never seek this track out.
    3/5
     
  13. Chip TRG

    Chip TRG Senior Member

    Unlike TWT, I can't even begin to recall what ANYTIME sounds like. completely forgettable. 1/5
     
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  14. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" -- 3/5

    I like this song, but it wasn't a worthy followup single, as was planned. It's has a middle of the road, almost adult contemporary feel to it. It's alright.

    Not to pile on Davy, but after his refusal to take part, he took a stand and stated that if this was released as a second single, he would quit the massively successful 20th Anniversary Tour. And that's why we got that cruddy 1986 "Daydream Believer" remix instead. "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" was actually re-recorded for the projected single, and that version has yet to be released. It's presumably still in the hands of Arista, currently owned by Sony.
     
  15. supermolland

    supermolland Senior Member

    Location:
    boston



    Wow! Never knew this... that explains the crappy cover art.
     
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  16. RobRoyF

    RobRoyF Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southland
    Same here - thanks for sharing that trivia with us, Chip.
     
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  17. spsimmons

    spsimmons Forum Resident

    Location:
    Peoria Illinois
    3/5 Liked it then, liked it now. It is kind of generic sounding, but that's ok with me. Great 12 year old memories.
     
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  18. bvb1123

    bvb1123 Rock and Roll Martian

    Location:
    Cincinnati Ohio
    "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" Boy, this is a lot worse than I remembered. I liked it at the time but wow, it has such an "ugly 80s" production to it. Micky does the best he can but it doesn't save the song. Still, not near to the worse thing the band ever did. 2/5
     
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  19. Guy Smiley

    Guy Smiley America’s Favorite Game Show Host

    Location:
    Sesame Street
    There’s something about 80s production/sheen/synths that just hasn’t aged well though. Even many classic artists I really like a lot seem to have this odd 80s period where the songs would benefit from a more stripped down sound and not so synth heavy. It’s a very different thing from, say, the Moog synth of the late 60s/early 70s.
     
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  20. Guy Smiley

    Guy Smiley America’s Favorite Game Show Host

    Location:
    Sesame Street
    “Anytime”: Not one I ever liked. Dull, lifeless, and those 80s synths. It wasn’t long after buying the Then & Now CD that I only listened up to “That Was Then” and skipped the last two songs. Eventually, I stopped listening to “That Was Then” too, and ended it with “Listen to the Band.”

    1/5 for “Anytime.” Sorry, gang.
     
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  21. BadJack

    BadJack doorman who always high-fives children of divorce

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    I'm probably alone in this but I've always loved "Anytime". It's got a great melody and I think Micky's vocal is excellent. It could have been at least a minor hit.
     
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  22. JuanTCB

    JuanTCB Senior Member

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    This one's like the soundtrack to the longest Michelob commercial ever. '80s aspect aside, the chorus never really moved me, either.

    A low 2/5.
     
  23. JJR

    JJR Forum Resident

    Location:
    delaware
    I have mentioned already a few times during the thread but Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere is one of my favorite Monkees tunes. A 5 for me which appears will be an outlier. No matter, I really like the bridge and the story. Again, to me it sounded like other songs from that period in music but with Micky singing, it always sounds better than most.
    As for the other ongoing discussion recently, I have been defending Nesmith in the sense that he gets most of the "public" crap for negative Monkees comments and the like. But the Davy reaction, to first not recording a song and then sitting it out for 5-7 years onstage, is another example that he was the most "individual" oriented Monkee. Also, if someone was going to give you anything in late 1985 - early 1986 to perform and you were either Micky,Davy or Peter, you would think it would be a no-brainer as that would be the logical and only way to be a pop star again, especially given the lack of success for those members during the past 17 or so years that transpired. In other words any opportunity regardless of the money offered, who wrote the song, etc. would be secondary and as it turned out, it would be the start of the next Monkees resurgence.
     
  24. Two Sheds

    Two Sheds Sha La La La Lee

    'Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere' - beneath the morass of hideous '80s production lurks a good song, with a very good Micky Dolenz vocal. I like it a lot (more than I do 'That Was Then - This Is Now') and seek it out from time to time. I especially like the chorus. 5/5
     
  25. RedRoseSpeedway

    RedRoseSpeedway Music Lover

    Location:
    Michigan
    5/5 for ATAPAW

    I love 80s Monkees!
     
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