The Monkees

[nec13]

I've been listening to a lot of the Monkees lately. They often get derided for being a studio creation and for their lack of "authenticity." But I think they were a fantastic band that produced many, many great songs. And I don't think they get nearly enough credit. Does anyone here agree with me?

[steve davidson]

quality film.

you got your cameos by Divine and Zappa in there, got your porpoise song, you got your written by jack nicholson in there

also good band for the music.

[steve davidson]

wait wait wait did you jsut say that this band The Monkees was a studio creation?


F THIS BAND!

[nec13]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgNxuNaYHsk[/youtube]

Speaking of Zappa.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2VxtzQdYg8[/youtube]

This is one of the five greatest songs ever recorded by anyone. No hyperbole.

[masterofsparks]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgNxuNaYHsk[/youtube]

Speaking of Zappa.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2VxtzQdYg8[/youtube]

This is one of the five greatest songs ever recorded by anyone. No hyperbole.

Agreed. King/Goffin in da hiz!

[oilcantim]

Watching Head is one of my favorite memories from childhood.  A childhood that consisted of Head, a handful of Beatles' movies, various Saturday morning cartoons, and a lot of grape juice.  Yum!

[nec13]

I used to watch reruns of The Monkees on Nickelodeon after school. That was such a great show. And that's how I first got into them.

[steve davidson]

That's not even Michael Nesmith's real hat.

[Gilly]

Totally underrated. There are a ton of pop acts that are revered by critics that never wrote their own songs or played any instruments. Practically all of Motown. If you want to give credit to Kirshner go ahead but you can't deny a band that not only put out a ton of hits but also good albums as well. Not that I hold any regard for the rock and roll hall of fame but I think the Monkees not being in it is crazy when you take a look at who else is in there.

[nec13]

Later in their career, they did write their own songs and play their own instruments and that material was probably their best. I don't hold the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in high regard either, but it is a crime that they are not in there. U2 is in there and not The Monkees. It's a joke.

[Gilly]

I like The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees a lot but I don't like Headquarters all that much. I'd say More of the Monkees and Pisces are their peak so I guess I'm more of a fan of the controlled Monkees. Pisces had them playing instruments but I don't think they wrote any of that.

No disrespect to the Dave Clark Five because they have their place in rock history as well, but they're in and not the Monkees? Yikes.

[masterofsparks]

I have no problem with the whole "not playing or writing the songs" but I'm also a great lover of classic bubblegum which commits the same so-called sins but, in some cases, takes it a step further by having non-existent bands or bands made up of cartoon characters, fictional characters, etc.

[JBillington]

I was a big fan of the show, it was school-holiday filler in the UK throughout the 80s. The hits, I love. The albums, I can take or leave. I bought the DVDs a couple of years back, and it has the same effect of watching old kids TV. Nostalgic warmth, followed by melancholy that they 'arent as good as i remember', when of course they are, its just that im not 8 anymore.

[JBillington]

Incidentally, were the Monkee's ever actually sold as a 'proper band'? I always understood that they were generally announced as actors performing as a band.

[dave from knoxville]

They toured extensively.