Thursday, September 24, 2015

Forgotten Music: The Monkees Are The Motown Of Rock

The Monkees Aren’t The Fake Beatles, They’re The Motown Of Rock 

11 comments:

Deb said...

The article makes some valid points (especially about Hall of Dame snobbery--which has always been a problem and not just in regard to the Monkees), but I think the Motown analogy is a bit tortured. Also, some of the chronology is out-of-whack: I thought Hendrix opened for the Monkees while they were still in their Don Kirshner bubblegum phase and that's why the screaming girls in the audience were so wigged out by Jimi.

Deb said...

Dame=Fame, although Hall of Dame might be interesting.

mybillcrider said...

I agree, Deb. There are some valid points in the article even if the analogy doesn't really hold up. I also agree that a Hall of Dame would be interesting.

Deb said...

Featuring Marie Windsor, Ann Savage, Barbara Stanwyck, Eve Arden, Ava Gardner, Joan Blondell, Jean Harlow, et. al.

Don Coffin said...

If you look at their singles (not an extensive list), there's a fair number of good-to-very good songs there. (My own favorite is "I'm A Believer.") Not in the hall of the great, I think, but the hall of the very good.
Last Train to Clarksville
I'm A Believer
A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
Pleasant Valley Sunday
Daydream Believer
Listen to the Band
Some of the others are OK, but for me, these are the best.

mybillcrider said...

I like all of those. John Stewart, of Kingston Trio fame, wrote "Daydream Believer," and I think it made him a ton of money.

Don Coffin said...

Neil Diamond wrote "I'm A Believer," and he also did OK financially with it.

Todd Mason said...

"Randy Scouse Git"..."Goin' Down"...there are a number of fine Monkees songs. Some they even got to play.

Deb said...

"Words" and "Valleri" (a song Mike Nesmith loathed) are my favorites; I also like the song they played at the end of the show--I don't know the title, it was "In this generation/in this loving time/in this generation/we're gonna make the world to shine."

Todd Mason said...

"For Pete's Sake' was the title, Deb...co-written by Tork and one Joey Richards. Pretty solid.

Anders E said...

"I'm a Believer" is so good it once put Robert Wyatt in the UK charts. Which in turn made him the first ever artist in a wheelchair to appear on TOTP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5ivg0cDBgo

However, the writer is totally wrong about the Sex Pistols. Evidently s/he still thinks "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" is a genuine documentary.