A solid high 3/5 for "I was there" Reminds me of the White Album, as some has said. Saw them do this live in 2016-- which was cool.
I Was There (And I'm Told I Had a Good Time) - 3/5 I don't think this song is anything special, but at the same time it's obviously not trying to be - it's just a fun little song that doesn't take itself seriously, and I think it works on that level, but I do prefer other songs on the album over this one. It's performed fine too.
A definite 'Why Don't We Do It In The Road' vibe here that gives Micky a chance to be himself to great effect. I consider "I Dropped My Stick" to be the 2016 equivalent of "7 A". It just works. 5/5
I Was There is just eh for me....I think involvement from all 3 woulda been a nice way to close this otherwise superb lp. Anyway just 2/5 for me
I Was There (And I’m Told I Had a Good Time) - I’m indifferent about this song. It’s catchy, but I feel like it’s trying too hard to be clever. It’s good enough to end the album on, but it’s not that memorable of a song. I give it a 3/5.
"I Was There" - slight, but fun, and a great LP closer. A strong 3/5 from me. (BTW, writer Andrew Hickey thinks this track might be a nod to the Rutles, as well...)
Thanks for sharing that video—it's very cool! And I agree with your overall assessment—this song is fun, has a great groove, and is a great way to end a great album. One of my favorites on Good Times! 5/5
Today we will discuss the album Good Times! I loved this album when it was released and it stands up just as well three and a half years later. It could so easily have been a damp squib, but the gents putting it together got an awful lot of things right. They made some inspired choices in terms of the songwriters that they convinced to contribute songs, they also generally picked very solid archive material and crucially they also managed to persuade Mike to make extensive contributions. Hearing Mike and Micky’s voices on You Bring the Summer, Me and Magdalena and Birth of an Accidental Hipster is a special thing and something that didn’t seem at all likely at one point. Peter’s vocals are some of the best that he ever did for the group and I assume that Adam Schlesinger deserves plenty of the credit. His production throughout is excellent and helps to make Good Times!, despite the presence of tracks with varied vintages, one of the more cohesive albums that the group has released. The one negative for me is the inclusion of Love to Love and they ideally would have been able to find a better way to include Davy. A strong 4/5.
Good Times! is great! It's cool in places and uncool in others, but it is thoroughly engaging throughout. It's a little disappointing that only one Davy track gets revisited. I'm not really a fan of Davy's vocals, but he is essential to The Monkees. On the other hand, Davy's absence means we get more vocals from Micky, which (to me) is a good thing. Going a bit off topic, my first Monkees record was the single 'A Little Bit Me' (which was passed on to me by someone who had finished with it). I remember playing it and thinking, 'I've heard that song before, but it doesn't sound like The Monkees.' I turned it over and played 'The Girl I Knew Somewhere' and I thought to myself, 'I don't know that song, but it does sound like The Monkees.' So, for me, Good Times! is an album that really sounds like The Monkees. Anyway, Good Times! is the best The Monkees have done since 1968 - or even, perhaps, since 1967. Maybe they should have bowed out with this one, job done.
Good Times - Easily their strongest album since Instant Replay. One of my top 5 Monkees' albums. Very strong and completely from out of nowhere. 4/5
Wow, has it been 3 1/2 years already? Good Times is as great a reunion album as could ever have been expected of The Monkees in ANY decade, let alone 50 years after the fact. It's not perfect, and it's IMO it's not as great as most of the classic era stuff, but it is an excellent piece of work that (unlike previous reunion efforts) really lives up to expectations set in the '60s. The bulk of Good Times is kinda what I imagine Roger Bechirian had in mind for Pool It!, with its throwback sound being realized by modern songwriters and musicians. Major kudos to Andrew Sandoval and Adam Schlesinger -- and to The Monkees themselves, for finally allowing someone else to take the reins and steer the ship into this territory. The fact that they pulled this off is a minor miracle that I never expected.
Good Times! - I purchased the iTunes download the day before the album was released for the exclusive bonus tracks and listened to it from beginning to end. Loved it instantly. When ‘Love To Love’ come on I got emotional. It was so good to hear Davy on a Monkees album again, and even though I’ve heard the song before, I didn’t anticipate how just hearing his voice would affect me. I too wish they had used a different song or at least added a second Davy song, but I’m so glad it’s there. The Monkees full commitment to the album, especially from Nez, makes ‘Good Times!’ an even more special listening experience. Peter Tork’s passing adds a particular poignancy to his involvement. ‘Good Times!’ is a welcomed addition to the Monkees canon, earning a place alongside their best albums like ‘Headquarters’, ‘Pisces’ and ‘Instant Replay’. The fact that it was their best charting album since 1968 is a major plus, number 14 in the Billboard charts. And its vinyl release is officially their first Number One album since ‘Pisces’ in 1967. That a Boy, Guys! 5/5.
Good Times - 4/5 All things considering this effort is by far the best in the reunion albums and I think it is ahead of some of the original 9 studio albums. I really did not expect this album to be so great. During the first listen I really enjoyed it. I did preview some of the tracks online first, then I went to buy a CD in a brick and mortar store. It's still quite good and I'm so glad we have this album. So many highlights to mention, Hipster to Magdalena. Well done by having outside help with some songwriting and production. For me the album is pure joy.
Good Times! - definitely their best reunion album. This is a really solid effort, and a pleasant surprise. 4/5
Late to the party to rate "I Was There", but my thoughts are: Good, but not great cut... Glad that all three of the guys got a writing credit on the album, this one of course being Micky's. Not the worst way to end the album... 3/5
The "Good Times!" album: As some have said, it's probably more than I expected this late in their history, so yes, I do like it... That said, it's a good, but not great, album... Maybe I'm not hearing what you all do, I don't know, but I personally do not rate it in "Headquarters" or "PAC&J Ltd." territory... A solid 3/5 though.
In anticipation for today,I gave it a listen last night for probably the third time ever. It’s probably the best they could have done at that stage of the game. The songs that stick out to me are very good (Love to Love -which I always liked- and Me and Magdalena). Hipster sounds more like a Beatley, Rutley, When We Was Fabby joke although it’s ok. Peter does very well in general (and I’m not a fan of Tork). As a Nez fan, it’s nice to hear him but he seems disruptive in general. I Know What I Know just doesn’t work for this album. As for Micky, he’s on pitch, he does a good job etc. I just can’t get into his post DW Washburn voice, which just gets older not better. Now I just picture him with the hat, the shades, and the scotch, just going through the motions. From a critical standpoint, GOOD TIMES is probably as good or better than all the post Pisces albums but personally I just can’t get into it. Getting older probably has something to do with it. It’s definitely better than Pool It and JUSTUS and like I said, it’s the best they could have done. 3/5
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts! It's nice to finally hear the band embracing their legacy, even though there are a few stinkers on there - the peaks more than make up for it. That said, this thread prompted me to listen to the album from start to finish for the first time in about two and a half years. She Makes Me Laugh/Magdalena/Hipster are the only tracks that have entered regular outside rotation. But I'm glad the rest is there. Or at least most of it. 4/5.
"Good Times!" Probably a better album than anyone had any right to expect. A project that both recognises and adds to The Monkees' legacy. Not just a good Monkees album, but a good album by anyone. I've become somewhat dubious about new albums from legacy artists in the last year or so, but I have no problem with this one. 4/5.
Good Times ! - the album One of the Monkees best albums and all the better for being releaed so late in the day. The only Monkees album I actually own. 5/5
Are we going to discuss the bonus tracks in the days ahead? Good Times! is the best post-60s Monkeesalbum/project by far (I’ll be generous and include DJBH in that) and the only one that truly sounds like The Monkees to me. It was also my favorite album of 2016 (A year that had excellent albums by some other bands I like), probably my favorite of this decade, certainly on the list of my favorite albums of this century. Just a joy to listen to, start to finish, every song is good to great, several of which are, to me, Monkees classics that hold up to their best 60s songs. Kudos to Schlesinger and all the songwriters and musicians who collaborated on this one. Micky, Peter, and Michael all gave their best too. Micky remains a marvel of nature with his voice still so strong. I wish all three had been on more of the songs together, but each did top notch work singing, playing, and writing what they did. Having Mike on board is really what made this special. When the album was first announced, it sounded like it was just going to be Micky and Peter. I wasn’t terribly enthused. Once Mike was on board, they got my attention. Can’t imagine this album without him on the tracks he’s on. I’m sure it still would’ve been good. Just not as good. GT is, along with HQ, Pisces, and HEAD, one of the few Monkees albums I love start to finish with no “lousy” or “skippable” songs on it for me. ”Love to Love” works too, even if it was something of a missed opportunity. Glad Davy was included in some fashion. This album is really what Justus or Pool It should’ve been. It holds up, and I will continue to revisit it regularly. Glad this happened while Peter was still with us. Nothing less than 6/5 for the Good Times the guys gave us. Thanks, Micky, Michael, Peter and David.
