Rate and Review the songs of The Monkees Thread

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

  1. JJR

    JJR Forum Resident

    Location:
    delaware
    I went on the link and listened to the first three. A second listen for the first two and my first listen to Bound to Lose. The good news is the lead track is still a very good song, the bad news is the next two are not really. I like Pete and the banjo as much as anyone but even that wasn't really working for this track for me. I see many like this one a bit more than me. Agree, as stated above and in my first post on the CD, production is surprisingly good. Hopefully a few more will be like the opener for me!
     
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  2. Grand_Ennui

    Grand_Ennui Forum Resident

    Location:
    WI
    "Bound to Lose"-3.25/5
     
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  3. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    The ratings for Bound to Lose:

    1-0
    2-2
    3-5
    4-1
    5-0
     
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  4. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    Today's song is Last Train to Clarksville:

    Last Train to Clarksville, by Peter Tork & Shoe Suede Blues

    The obligatory Monkees cover for this album, there have been so many performances of this song that it's hard to be excited by another.

    Peter's voice sounds ok, although can't rival Micky's obviously, and the musicianship is competent. But it's not something that I would seek out, and this album feels more like a bunch of songs thrown together than a complete thought.

    2.5/5.
     
  5. RobRoyF

    RobRoyF Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southland
    Last Train to Clarksville - 3/5
    Low 3. Overdone song but I like this style of cover which is very bluesy. Peter sang it live like this from what I recall in his live shows. Anyway, it works for what it is. I believe my own rating is slightly sentimental. I miss Peter as well.
     
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  6. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    "Last Train to Clarksville" -- 3/5

    No, the world really didn't need another version of this, nor was it ever going to rival the Monkees' recording -- but I like it well enough. It was better in the live show, but it's captured here decently.
     
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  7. FredV

    FredV Senior Member

    Last Train To Clarksville - A down and bluesy version of the classic Boyce & Hart hit. The instrumentation is good and Peter’s vocals work well in this format.

    Peter had performed this take on the song in his solo shows and Micky admired it enough to request that Peter perform it on the Monkees tours. Not bad at all. 4/5.
     
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  8. JJR

    JJR Forum Resident

    Location:
    delaware
    Of all the songs the Monkees have, especially the hits, this one is the one which I am most tired. I was/am not the biggest fan of it as the lead song for the Micky and Mike CD for that reason. This however has some appeal for me. Nice bluesy ditty, with Peter sounding OK and the arrangement really makes it a unique version. I think I will play this a couple more times today. A solid 3.5.
     
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  9. super sally

    super sally Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mint Hill, NC USA
    I’m letting Cassandra Wilson’s cover of Clarksville be my jumping off point for this version, not the Monkees version (which is practically pop perfection.)

    Through that blusey lens, I’ll give this one 3.5/5

    “Tomorrow is going to be another day” 0r “teardrop city” in the same style would have been interesting!
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2021
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  10. HitAndRun

    HitAndRun Forum Resident

    Last Train to Clarkesville

    This song almost works very well for me. It's a classic 60s song, and part of what makes it that for me is the riff, Here, while I appreciate the different style of this remake and the new rhythm, the guitar riff just sounds ... wrong to me. It sounds like someone's playing LTtC on the easiest level on Guitar Hero or Rocksmith where it doesn't make them play all the notes.

    Which is a pity as I like most else about the song. The rhythm, Pete's singing, the other guitars, and the backing vocals. It's just that one guitar riff that spoils it for me.

    3/5
     
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  11. JuanTCB

    JuanTCB Senior Member

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    I like the vocals a lot and I mostly like the gutars but the bass and drums are just kind of leaden and generic. I'd like to hear this with them wiped, to be honest - this take on the song doesn't need them. The rhythm guitar is strong enough to carry things on its own.

    All in all, though, much better than I was expecting. 3/5.
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2021
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  12. Grand_Ennui

    Grand_Ennui Forum Resident

    Location:
    WI
    "Last Train to Clarksville"- 4/5
     
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  13. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    The ratings for Last Train to Clarksville:

    1-0
    2-1
    3-6
    4-2
    5-0
     
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  14. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    Today's first song is The Mighty are Falling:

    The Mighty Are Falling, by Peter Tork & Shoe Suede Blues

    We will discuss two songs today due to Peter's limited involvement with this one...

    A Richard Mikuls original, this is a rather generic rocker. It is kind of monotonous and the thwacking drums grate on me. It's also longer than it probably needed to be.

    It also doesn't really seem to fit in with the other songs on the album...although I'm not sure that many of them really fit together.

    A generous 2.5/5.
     
  15. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    Today's second song is Ain't Your Fault:

    Ain't Your Fault, by Peter Tork & Shoe Suede Blues

    A Peter original, I think this songs fits him and his voice much better than most of the songs that we've listened to recently. It wouldn't have sounded out of place on one of the James Lee Stanley albums.

    It doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel, but I'm relieved to not have to be negative about a song for once.

    3.5/5.
     
  16. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    "The Mighty are Falling" -- 2/5

    "Ain't Your Fault" -- 3.5/5
     
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  17. FredV

    FredV Senior Member

    The Mighty Are Fallin’ - This song has a nice groove and the instrumentation and backing vocals really cooks. 3/5.

    Ain’t Your Fault - A very cool blues and it suits Peter’s vocals. Love the guitar solo. 4/5.
     
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  18. super sally

    super sally Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mint Hill, NC USA
    2/5 For the mighty are following

    3.5/5 for ain’t your fault . I might’ve given this one a 4 but it is a tad on the dull side for me
     
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  19. RobRoyF

    RobRoyF Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southland
    The Mighty are Falling - 2.5/5
    It's just OK overall. Guitar part is probably my favorite.

    Ain't Your Fault - 3/5
    This one works for Peter, a bit more enjoyable than the previous track.
     
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  20. Grand_Ennui

    Grand_Ennui Forum Resident

    Location:
    WI
    "The Mighty are Falling"-a lower case 3/5

    "Ain't Your Fault"-4/5
     
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  21. JuanTCB

    JuanTCB Senior Member

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Mighty Are Falling - pretty generic and the rhythm is a little too metronomic for me. I can only handle that kind of monotony if it swings a bit. Some neat guitar, though, but all in all it's kind of just '80s beer commercial music. 2/5.

    Ain't Your Fault is great but just a little too sterile. Peter's getting his Mose Allison on here vocall, too. So close to a 4/5... so close... yeah, the hell with it. The second guitar solo pushes it over the edge. 4/5.
     
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  22. HitAndRun

    HitAndRun Forum Resident

    The Mighty are Falling

    This starts off with a good if simple blues shuffle. The vocal is a bit of a mixed bag - sounding good on the higher notes but somehow a bit unimpressively delivered on some lines. The backing vocals work well for me. Like FredV, I find the groove good and it mostly just works. Not sure about the drums in some situations like behind the piano solo. Backing vocals save it.

    3.1/5

    Ain't Your Fault

    A decided change of pace. Pete's vocal is good from the start on this jazzy bluesy tune. Great to hear that his is a Pete original. The vocal, guitar, and rhythm track all work well. And, as mentioned above, the guitar solos are very good. I like that there are two of them (effectively), I would guess played by different members.

    3.6/5
     
  23. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    The ratings for The Mighty are Falling:

    1-0
    2-5
    3-3
    4-0
    5-0
     
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  24. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    The ratings for Ain't Your Fault:

    1-0
    2-0
    3-4
    4-4
    5-0
     
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  25. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    Today's song is Annie Had a Baby:

    Cambria Hotel, by Peter Tork & Shoe Suede Blues

    To my admittedly wax-filled ears and to my undeniably addled mind, the quality of songs on this album fluctuates massively. This is one of the good ones.

    It feels like there was genuinely a purpose to this cover, as it is quite different to Hank Ballard's original. The rocking arrangement works for me and crackles along.

    It fits Peter's voice pretty well and I only wish that all of the songs had been as well chosen.

    A low 4/5.
     

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