The Monkees – The A’s, The B’s & The Monkees (Rhino)
Every A and B side of the made-for-TV-turned-actual-band
Say what you will about the Monkees, but their music lives on – and some of it is damn good, while others are quite interesting. Rhino has just put together The A’s, The B’s & The Monkees, the first-ever collection to feature both sides of all of their singles, issued as part of their Start Your Ear Off Right campaign.
Most compilations like this alternate between the A and the B side of each single. This is the first set of its kind that I’ve ever seen that groups all the A sides on one album, relegating the B sides to another. The end result is a surprisingly solid listen. You get the dizzying rush of initial hits on record one, followed by some rather interesting, and surprisingly listenable B sides on record two.
Record one opens with the utterly fantastic “Last Train to Clarksville,” which somehow encapsulates the unbridled excitement of the mid-60’s perfectly with its jangly guitars, spectacular lead vocals of Mickey Dolenz and insistent “no no no’s.” It jumps out of the speakers in this mono mix. Urgent and fresh. Very few 1960’s songs have held up as well as “I’m a Believer” – here in a more dry, mono version, with more prominent acoustic guitars.
The mono mix of “Pleasant Valley Sunday” is stunning – and even more impressive when you realize that it’s the actual Monkees playing their instruments. The ending is drowned out by crazy echo. “Daydream Believer,” with Peter Tork on piano, features a more dreamy mix, and Davy Jones’ vocals are more reserved. “Valleri” is a little abrasive in mono, but features crazy guitar lines.
Side two is where things start to sputter. “DW Washburn,” written by the great Leiber and Stoller, was an old timey number, and an odd choice for a single, while “Porpoise Song (Theme From Head),” although written by Goffin & King, was a strange psychedelic number that actually still sounds good, but lacks a catchy chorus. “Listen to the Band” is perhaps the most underrated of all their singles, featuring lead vocals by Mike Nesmith, and a prominent pedal steel. Later singles like “Good Clean Fun” and “Oh My My” couldn’t bring back their earlier magic.
Record 2 is where the real fun begins with the B sides: “Take a Giant Step” was the flip of their debut and it features some nice psychedelic flourishes, while “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” is simply a killer rock song – one that every garage band had to know back in the day. The mono mix hear is meaner! “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” shows the Monkees delving early into country influences, and playing their instruments too.
Dolenz and Tork share lead vocals on the furious rocker “Words,” while “Goin Down” is pure insanity. How can you write off a band that’s capable of something of this caliber? “Tapioca Tundra” is one of the strangest songs in their catalog, featuring a watery Nesmith vocal.
I love that they include the session notes for who played what on each song. Check out the lineup on “As We Go Along” – Ry Cooder, Neil Young, Danny Kortchmar – what?? “Someday Man” is a decent Jones’ number, while Dolenz wrote the scathing “Mommy and Daddy” as a way to challenge their fanbase. “I Love You Better” kinda sounds like the Archies, but it has some uncanny electric guitar.
Included is a booklet featuring reproductions of the 45 sleeves, as well as in-depth notes from Monkees’ expert Andrew Sandoval.
The A’s, the B’s & the Monkees takes a fresh approach in compiling many of the highlights of this criminally under-appreciated band. —Tony Peters