Mickey Dolenz - one of the most individual and recognisable voices in pop.
 
I enjoyed their TV show when I was a wee lad, and collected bubblegum cards that made up a big picture of them, but even at about 8 years old I knew they weren't a real group. Who cares, it was all good fun.

jamesg1213
Mickey Dolenz - one of the most individual and recognisable voices in pop.
 
 

+Agreed

And if you watch the vid, what DAW are they using? It's all kind of grey.

Do we need to recommend Tungsten? 

Apparently, people have focused on my criticism of the Monkees, as the focus of my earlier post. While the Monkeys were indeed the invention of a promotion machine, as were the early Beatles, I admit that point has been overdone. They were in fact purveyors of largely insipid pablum, as were the early Beatles, for which they deserve no more credit.
 
That said, my criticism was largely pointed at the aging, in some cases still pre-senile,  fans who would support the reanimation of a bloated corpse in order to re-kindle their mis-remeberd enthusiasm for a musical performance installation that died with their now clearly faded (decomposed?) youth. I too watched the show, over my older sister's shoulder, and without much enthusiasm, but I have no wish to try to recreate the experience with a trio of doddering relics and their minions. This is not just a Monkees issue, it is the same opinion I held of my parents' fascination with hearing the croaks of an aged Frank Sinatra doing the standards that they swooned to in the days of their courtship. If the music means anything, and if you respected their accomplishment, then listen to contemporary recordings. Thomas Edison gave us the opportunity to preserve that long after the vocal cords were blown and arthritis froze the hands to the fretboard. And the talkies and YouTube preserved much of the visual excitement of fifty year old concerts, without the memories of the drunk vomiting on your shoes at the live event. Not all of contemporary music is great, but there are many many contemporary artists at the peak of their power,  who are producing great music, and it is possible to find them with unprecedented ease. Digging up old people and dressing them up in your memories, in an attempt to recover your youth, is a moribund ritual, suitable only for the old at heart. 

slartabartfast
Apparently, people have focused on my criticism of the Monkees, as the focus of my earlier post. While the Monkeys were indeed the invention of a promotion machine, as were the early Beatles, I admit that point has been overdone. They were in fact purveyors of largely insipid pablum, as were the early Beatles, for which they deserve no more credit.
 
That said, my criticism was largely pointed at the aging, in some cases still pre-senile,  fans who would support the reanimation of a bloated corpse in order to re-kindle their mis-remeberd enthusiasm for a musical performance installation that died with their now clearly faded (decomposed?) youth. I too watched the show, over my older sister's shoulder, and without much enthusiasm, but I have no wish to try to recreate the experience with a trio of doddering relics and their minions. This is not just a Monkees issue, it is the same opinion I held of my parents' fascination with hearing the croaks of an aged Frank Sinatra doing the standards that they swooned to in the days of their courtship. If the music means anything, and if you respected their accomplishment, then listen to contemporary recordings. Thomas Edison gave us the opportunity to preserve that long after the vocal cords were blown and arthritis froze the hands to the fretboard. And the talkies and YouTube preserved much of the visual excitement of fifty year old concerts, without the memories of the drunk vomiting on your shoes at the live event. Not all of contemporary music is great, but there are many many contemporary artists at the peak of their power,  who are producing great music, and it is possible to find them with unprecedented ease. Digging up old people and dressing them up in your memories, in an attempt to recover your youth, is a moribund ritual, suitable only for the old at heart. 

I can't believe that, in your wonderfully polished diatribe, you included a Bapu-ism! 

slartabartfast
Apparently, people have focused on my criticism of the Monkees, as the focus of my earlier post. While the Monkeys were indeed the invention of a promotion machine, as were the early Beatles, I admit that point has been overdone. They were in fact purveyors of largely insipid pablum, as were the early Beatles, for which they deserve no more credit.
 
That said, my criticism was largely pointed at the aging, in some cases still pre-senile,  fans who would support the reanimation of a bloated corpse in order to re-kindle their mis-remeberd enthusiasm for a musical performance installation that died with their now clearly faded (decomposed?) youth. I too watched the show, over my older sister's shoulder, and without much enthusiasm, but I have no wish to try to recreate the experience with a trio of doddering relics and their minions. This is not just a Monkees issue, it is the same opinion I held of my parents' fascination with hearing the croaks of an aged Frank Sinatra doing the standards that they swooned to in the days of their courtship. If the music means anything, and if you respected their accomplishment, then listen to contemporary recordings. Thomas Edison gave us the opportunity to preserve that long after the vocal cords were blown and arthritis froze the hands to the fretboard. And the talkies and YouTube preserved much of the visual excitement of fifty year old concerts, without the memories of the drunk vomiting on your shoes at the live event. Not all of contemporary music is great, but there are many many contemporary artists at the peak of their power,  who are producing great music, and it is possible to find them with unprecedented ease. Digging up old people and dressing them up in your memories, in an attempt to recover your youth, is a moribund ritual, suitable only for the old at heart. 

Couldn't get tickets eh?

What happened was that because of the Monkees, the public became aware of the studio trickery that had already been widely used for many years. That uncredited shills were playing the instruments and singing, not the pretty people who stood in front of the cameras. Their name will forever be associated with that deception, along with Milli Vanilli and pretty much every pop act since - not because they invented the scam, but because they made us aware of it.
 
I can't fault anyone for trying to make a buck by reviving past glory. There are at least four touring groups out there called The Platters, but not one original member still performing. Country music is especially kind to performers who haven't had a hit in decades. Old disco and funk bands such as Chic are still playing, as are old rockers like Vanilla Fudge and once-pop acts like REO Speedwagon and Styx. Some of them are still very good, e.g. Journey, even if they are playing material from 40 years ago. Heck, there's only one guy left from Pink Floyd, but I'd gladly give up my social security check to go see him play.
 
And don't assume that just because someone's in their 60s or 70s that they don't still have "it":


 
 

The new Monkees album is getting great reviews and appears to be selling well.  It's been the #1 Music purchase at Amazon (covering all categories) for days.  They wrote a few songs themselves and they got some big names in the indie music scene to write some songs.  It works for me.
 
I honestly don't get the critcism about not playing their own instruments on the records back in the day.  Pet Sounds?Not played by the rest of the Beach Boys.  Mr. Tambourine Man? Not played by the Byrds.  Mamas and Papas?  Didn't play on their big hits.  Age of Aquarius?  Not played by the Fifth Dimension.  The Turtles? Nope, they didn't play on their records either.  And on and on.
 
If the songs are good, then enjoy them.  

Mickey's 71 and his voice never seems to age.
 
http://youtu.be/kpp-Ry2ZNhY