Music review: The Monkees – 无毛视频楪ood Times!无毛视频�
无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 a good time coming on/I can feel it in my bones,无毛视频� sings Micky Dolenz on the opening track of the latest album by the Monkees. The iconic band from the 1960s returns to deliver a delightful set of lively and likable tracks in celebration of the group无毛视频檚 50th anniversary this year.
Hearing new music from the Monkees transports me back to when I was a child and discovered my older brother无毛视频檚 copy of the band无毛视频檚 debut release. In fact, I still own a vinyl copy of 1966无毛视频檚 无毛视频淭he Monkees无毛视频� with its infectious arrangements like the hit single 无毛视频淟ast Train to Clarksville,无毛视频� 无毛视频淪aturday无毛视频檚 Child,无毛视频� 无毛视频淚无毛视频檒l Be True to You无毛视频� and the playful 无毛视频�(Theme From) The Monkees无毛视频� with the boys announcing, 无毛视频淗ey, hey, we无毛视频檙e the Monkees!无毛视频� In addition to loving their music, I was also a huge fan of the group无毛视频檚 television series that aired every week on NBC and would highlight the playful shenanigans of the fictional band soon to turn legitimate music stars. Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork would quickly become the American version of John, Paul, George and Ringo.
Produced by Fountains of Wayne无毛视频檚 Adam Schlesinger, the new album possesses a vibrant assortment of new tracks as well as a few numbers retrieved out of the band无毛视频檚 archives. To give the new songs a fresh perspective, a variety of artists such as Schlesinger, Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller, XTC无毛视频檚 Andy Partridge, Weezer无毛视频檚 Rivers Cuomo and Death Cab for Cutie无毛视频檚 Ben Gibbard contribute their diverse writing talents for the band to add a retro feel of summer, fun and innocence. Other tracks dusted off from the vault feature the title track penned by Harry Nilsson, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart无毛视频檚 无毛视频淲hatever无毛视频檚 Right,无毛视频� Gerry Goffin and Carole King无毛视频檚 无毛视频淲asn无毛视频檛 Born to Follow无毛视频� and Neil Diamond无毛视频檚 无毛视频淟ove to Love,无毛视频� featuring previously recorded vocals from the late Jones.
Nesmith and Tork also offer up their own tunes with 无毛视频淚 Know What I Know无毛视频� and 无毛视频淟ittle Girl无毛视频� respectively.
Highlights include the Cuomo-penned 无毛视频淪he Makes Me Laugh无毛视频� with its simplistic and charming message of love that would have easily been a perfect fit on Weezer无毛视频檚 latest album and Partridge无毛视频檚 无毛视频淵ou Bring the Summer无毛视频� with Dolenz committing to bring the chips, the dips and root beer to usher in the start of summer fun.
With Jones无毛视频� passing in 2012 and Nesmith in and out of the band over the years, it would seem as if the Monkees may have composed a final farewell after hitting the half-century mark together. If indeed this latest album serves as the group无毛视频檚 swan song, then it is a joyous finale and I would like to think that a real good time was had by all.
Clint Rhodes is the 无毛视频-Standard music reviewer. He can be reached at crhodes@heraldstandard.com.