Monkees - Beatles - Beach Boys - Does It Get Any Better Than This?!?!?

>>>And, quite honestly, a couple of these songs could have been dropped all-together and not been missed ... "Steam Engine," Some Of Shelley's Blues," "Birth Of An Accidental Hipster," "St. Matthew," "The Porpoise Song," "Circle Sky," "As We Go Along" and "Me And Magdelena" were all performed in sequence.  (kk)

WHAT??? Drop “Some of Shelley’s Blues”? Only song I know of with my name in it … ever!

Shelley J Sweet-Tufano

OK … so maybe not THAT one!  (lol)  kk

Apology accepted … hahahaha! 

I am acknowledging that my name is ONLY in the title, which makes it work for Linda Ronstadt to sing as well as The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, but still …

Shelley

I disagree with Porpoise Song being on your chopping block! That is a great song! And I had completely forgotten about Good Clean Fun ... I really do like that song! 
Kristy White

Please understand that I wasn’t specifically singling out any one particular song … it was just the cluster of so much relatively unfamiliar material being presented in sequence that I believe lost a good portion of the crowd.  Any one of these songs on its own is fine … although some are certainly stronger than others.

I think both “Porpoise Song” and “As We Go Along” are both great songs from their 1968 movie “Head” … but I also think that the more average and casual Monkees fan is probably only mildly familiar with them at best. It was that series of six, seven or eight songs in a row without a bonafide, recognizable hit thrown into the mix that tends to make things boring … and risks losing a percentage of your audience.

At one point Micky asked the audience “How many of you have seen the movie ‘Head’?” and a bunch of hands went up … to which Micky then immediately replied, “Can you tell me what it was about?”  (lol)  Fifty years later and STILL nobody knows … not even them!!!  (kk)

I also found it a bit unusual, too, that all the preshow and intermission music played was by them - tracks that they weren’t going to do live on stage. Normally artists play similar music or tracks they’re particularly fond of to fill these spots as another way to connect with their audience.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard a band play their own stuff before during those breaks!

I saw the trio a couple of years after Davy died ... VERY thrilled to have seen Mike then. All the times I saw them in the 80s was when Mike was too busy for them. Really disappointed I missed it this time around. Great review! I'm sure Micky was sad I wasn't there. <sigh> 
Kristy

Oh, you know it!!!  You would have loved the show … the crowd sure did.  The only hiccup seemed to be early on when Micky at first refused to take the stage because you weren’t there - but he ultimately got over it and came out to play!  (kk)

I just died a little! 
Kristy

Hi Kent:

I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your review of the Monkees show.  I’m in total agreement with you on everything — from the venue (Copernicus Center) to the crowd control to the show itself.  It was a really fun evening all the way around.  And I do hope the group takes to heart your constructive criticism about that slow patch near the middle of the show.  Sequencing is so important.  In radio programming, in constructing a set list, you can get away with unfamiliar material if it’s sequenced correctly.  And you hit it on the head — you should never play several of your weakest or most unfamiliar material back-to-back.  They could have dispensed with half the songs they played during that segment and not suffered a bit.

Have a good week.

Rick

I’ve heard from a couple of people who either there Thursday Night or had already seen the show at another venue … and most agreed that my assessment was spot on - I doubt that it’ll change anything, but hopefully offers some food for thought.  (Sometimes when putting together a show of this caliber, you want to include EVERYTHING because who know when … or IF … it may happen again.)  I consider myself to be a die-hard Monkees fan … and the truth is that I knew even the most obscure tracks they featured … but my immediate reaction was “This isn’t for everybody … and you’re starting to lose people.”

That being said, I thought the second set was 1000% better - especially the way they launched it with the unplugged segment. 

When writing a review for a show, I try to keep it all in perspective … on the one hand, we really should be happy that they’re still performing at all … and with both guys now well into their 70’s, this has to be a pretty strenuous activity to endure every night. (Heck I’m out of breath carrying three loads of groceries up a flight of stairs and I’m at least ten years younger than they are!)

The fact that these guys have been my idols since Day One makes it difficult, too … but I will ALWAYS be a fan first … and clearly you got my point … when I see something that seems to alter the pace of a smooth-running show, it’s my nature to offer constructive criticism as a way of saying “Step back for a moment and view this from a fan’s perspective.”  I believe there’s still a way to make the show a little less taxing for the performers - and a little more enjoyable for the audience.

In my book that’s a win / win all around.  (kk)

I consider myself to be, as you said, a “die hard Monkees fan” … yet I agree with your assessment completely.  It was a great show that was well received … but I can’t believe that ANYBODY would have missed some of these songs had they been dropped from the set list.

(If you’re not sure or you disagree, please consider this …

Would you have gone home disappointed thinking “Oh man, I can’t believe they didn’t play ‘Birth Of An Accidental Hipster” or “St. Matthew” or “Auntie Municipal’s Court” or “Nine Times Blue” or “Steam Engine” or “Grand Ennui” or “Some of Shelley’s Blues.”  Do you think that ANYONE out there felt cheated because THAT was the song they bought their ticket for and then they didn't get to hear it???  I think not!)

I think that it was a nice mix of material that gave them a chance to do a few songs that they don't normally feature in concert.  I, too, thoroughly enjoyed the trading off of lead vocals throughout the night ... but sometimes when you're putting together a show like this, you just have to take a long, hard look at the set list and say “How can I bring this show in at right around 90 minutes and give them the very best show possible?”  Let’s face it … some of these tracks that were performed that night didn’t even make The Monkees’ albums when they were first recorded because they weren’t considered strong enough to stand beside the material.  Over the years, they’ve shown up on the endless stream of compilation CD’s that Rhino keeps putting out so yes, they’re familiar … but they’re hardly what anyone would consider Monkees "standards" by any means or, for the most part, even up to the standards of their best material.

Kent, I always appreciate your concert reviews because they’re honest and they show all sides.  As a fan, you have a way of communicating with OTHER fans and letting them know exactly what to expect … and my experience as a Forgotten Hits reader for at least a dozen years now is that they’re always spot on.  Great review … great suggestions … and yes, Great Show … but one that could have been even better should they decide to heed some of your observations.

Rob

On a final note, 7A Records is releasing a live album featuring Michael Nesmith and The First National Band, recorded at The Troubadour back in January of this year.  It’ll be available August 3^rd here in The States.

And Michael is doing some more solo shows after he wraps up the ones where he’s teamed with Micky … so it looks like The Nez is back!!!  (kk)

Looks like Paul McCartney’s Carpool Karaoke segment on James Corden’s Late Late Show will air on Thursday Night (June 21^st), capping off a four-day stay in London.  (It would have been cool to feature this on McCartney’s birthday yesterday … but I totally get the idea of using this as the capper to the week-long London trip and the grand finale.)  Also scheduled to appear that night are The Foo Fighters.

FH Reader Shelley Sweet-Tufano sent us this (EXTREMELY!) short clip of Paul and James crusin’ the streets of London while singing “Drive My Car” …

Despite all the hoopla, the weekend came and went without a new Paul McCartney album … but there have been too many clues circulating not to expect one in the next few days.  It’ll be Macca’s first release of new music since 2013’s “New.”  Also in the works in the elaborate Paul McCartney Collection series are brand new box sets devoted to the “Red Rose Speedway” and “Wild Life” albums … due out later this year.  (kk)

Speaking of Paul McCartney, Ultimate Classic Rock ranked The Beatles' Solo Albums from Worst To Best last week …

As expected, there's all kinds of room for debate (and, as expected, you'll find most of Ringo's releases kicking off the list.)

Still it makes for fun reading with little mini-reviews of each LP (as well as commentary as to which ones have improved with ages … and which ones have worsened!)

You'll find it all here: 

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/beatles-solo-albums-ranked/?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=newsletter_4572276

So, Kent, why not start a poll: "What one Beach Boys song would you want to hear on a Volume 2 by the Royal Philharmonic?" 
I would want to hear their cover of Sail on Sailor but would also be compelled to vote for my all-time fav, Little Girl I Once Knew. 
Phil

PrayForSurfBlog.blogspot,com

 

Monkees Monday! (A Concert Review of the Mike and Micky Show)

As mentioned in this column numerous times before, although I never had the opportunity to see the original quartet, performing in their hey (hey)-day or at one of their very "limited edition" appearances in the decades since, I have seen SOME configuration of The Monkees at least 35 or 40 times now over the years ... Micky solo, Davy solo, Peter solo, Micky and Davy "Monkee-ing Around," Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart and then, a few years ago, The Monkees Reunion Tour that included Micky, Peter and Michael Nesmith ... my first time ever seeing "The Nez." 

But the performing duo of Micky and Mike has never toured together before ... so it was absolutely mandatory that I catch "The Monkees Present The Mike And Micky Show" when it hit The Copernicus Center in Chicago last Thursday Night (June 14th).  [Very special thanks to Micky's East Coast PR Guy David Salidor for making that happen ... we had INCREDIBLE dead center main floor tickets and backstage passes for after the show.]

I got to meet Micky and Mike after The Monkees show at Star Plaza a couple of years ago ... and you can find photos from that ... as well as that concert review ... here:
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-monkees-live-at-star-plaza-theater.html   
(Hard to believe that that was almost EXACTLY four years ago ... man, time flies!!!)  

I had not been to The Copernicus Center in nearly twenty years ... (not a particularly easy place to get to when coming from the western suburbs.)  My daughter used to have her preteen dance recitals there and, quite honestly, it looked like the place was wasting away at the time. 

Well, let me tell you ... they have done an INCREDIBLE job of refurbishing ... it is now a BEAUTIFUL theater with excellent seating, comfortable air conditioning, private meeting rooms, bars and concessions and more ... and the place was absolutely PACKED with Die-Hard Monkees Fans of all ages Thursday Night for this one-of-a-kind show.  (I have never seen a line so long at the merchandise table before ... we literally waited 45 minutes so Frannie could buy a t-shirt ... and at intermission time the line was every bit as long again as fans scooped up a wide variety of souvenirs ... shirts, hoodies, beach towels, cds, books ... even $200 collectors items were moving off the shelves.)  [Man, I sure hope Micky and Mike get a share of the Merch Table ... 'cause they were JAMMIN' all night long!] 

The show opened with the somewhat obscure Monkees Single "Good Clean Fun," a #73 Hit from 1969, written and sung by Michael Nesmith.  It was a very appropo opening ... as the song ends with the fitting lyrics:  

"I look in the crowd and there you stand
And the gap that once was time is forever closed behind
'Cause I told you I'd come back and here I am
Yes, I told you I'd come back and here I am
I told you I'd come back and here I am"

This drew an amazing round of applause from the audience, indicating immediately that these folks out here tonight know their Monkees Musc!

From that point forward, Micky and Mike traded off lead vocals on each subsequent, alternating song.  Both were in FINE voice for the majority of the night ... and sounded especially moving when they sang together, a vocal blend that always stood out on The Monkees' recordings back in the day.  (Think "What Am I Doin' Hangin' 'Round," "The Door Into Summer," "You Just May Be The One" and the recently recorded "Me And Magdalena," all of which were performed Thursday Night.  Keep in mind that Nesmith also wrote the popular Monkees' tracks "Mary Mary" and "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," both of which featured Micky's vocal on the records.)

Their back-up band was incredible ... without a doubt, hands down, the BEST band I've EVER seen on one of The Monkees' shows.  

Naturally, because of Nesmith's involvement, the music had a decidedly country feel to it ... but all of these "modified" arrangements worked ... and on more than one occasion I thought to myself "Well, it took awhile, but Micky has finally 'Gone Country'!"  As such, songs like The Monkees' very first single, "Last Train To Clarksville" and "Take A Giant Step," had a very nice hoe-down feel to them ... while still remaining true to their original arrangements. 

But don't be misled ... this band could also rock out when it needed to as evidenced by performances of "Steppin' Stone," "Circle Sky," "Listen To The Band," "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "I'm A Believer."  (They also did a very nice arrangement of "Daydream Believer," the only non-Micky and Mike song presented that night, which had the whole crowd up on its feet, swaying together in unison with their cell phone flashlights and singing along.)

Downsides:  If you WEREN'T a Die Hard Monkees Fan, you were probably pretty bored during the last half of their first set when they performed a batch of about half a dozen songs that most likely weren't familiar to you ... far too many to lump together into one continuous flow of music.  Had these been spread out a little bit more, they would have been easier for the "average fan" to digest.  (And, quite honestly, a couple of these songs could have been dropped all-together and not been missed.)  "Steam Engine," Some Of Shelley's Blues," "Birth Of An Accidental Hipster," "St. Matthew," "The Porpoise Song," "Circle Sky," "As We Go Along" and "Me And Magdelena" were all performed in sequence.  As such, there seemed to be more emphasis on the importance of maintaining the alternating trade-off vocals than on the content of the material ... and I believe it took away from the overall caliber of the evening's performance.  As it was, the duo performed 33 songs that night ... that's a HELL of a lot ... so dropping a tune here or there might have made the evening flow a little smoother.  Because of this wide array of tunes, there were moments when each of their voices seemed a little taxed.  Keep in mind that Michael hasn't toured in ages ... and never toured regularly at all ... so there were a few times along the way when it felt like he ran out of gas.  He was already using a small computer tablet screen to help him keep tabs on the lyrics ... which provided a pretty funny, unexpected moment when the screen stopped working and showhands had to scramble out on stage to get him typed copies of the lyrics before they could get the computer up and running again.  And even Micky, who has toured incessantly for most of the past fifty years and has retained every bit of his vocal chops, seemed to be "playing it safe" on a couple of high notes along the way.

On the other hand, the Upsides FAR outweighed the down ... their second set was nothing short of extraordinary. 

It kicked off with an unplugged, acoustic set of slowed-down / stripped-down versions of "Papa Gene's Blues," an incredible arrangement of one of Micky's signature tunes, "Randy Scouse Git," which sounded great in this new countrified arrangement ... and had Mike Nesmith laughing out loud when Micky hit the scat portion of the song ... "Nine Times Blue," "I'll Spend My Life With You," another song that lent itself well to this new arrangement and style, and "Different Drum," sung by Nesmith, which came as quite a surprise since Micky's sister Coco typically sings this at every concert performance ... and she was there handling background vocals all night long. 

As the second set unfolded, band members joined in one by one for each subsequent song which led to a great build up to their version of the first Monkees B-Side, "Take A Giant Step," which sound greatly enhanced thanks to the fiddle and pedal-steel guitar.  

The big finish included "Sweet Young Thing" and "Goin' Down," another showcase for Micky's vocal talents, followed by the aforementioned "Daydream Believer," "What Am I Doin' Hangin' 'Round," "Pleasant Valley Sunday," "Listen To The Band" and "I'm A Believer."  

All in all, a fantastic and very enjoyable night of Monkees Music.  Another big plus is that it looked like Mike was absolutely having a ball up there ... it had to mean a lot to him to hear such a great, enthusiastic reaction to his song catalog, stretching back over the past five decades.  (My guess is he'll be back out on the road again before you know it!)




Frannie was able to snap some great shots (all of the above) ... and we even got one taken by Coco Dolenz (below) showing what things looked like from the stage ... and capturing the large, enthusiastic crowd ...

The Last Word:  GREAT show ... that could be made even stronger with a bit of fine-tuning. (kk)

A final tip of the hat to The Copernicus Center ... you guys have done a fine job of creating a theater that works well with this rock and roll atmosphere.  Recent concerts there have included Robin Trower, Pat Benatar and, just a week or two ago, The Alan Parsons Project.  Gordon Lightfoot has just been booked to perform there in September, as has Dennis Tufano, former lead singer of The Buckinghams.  
Add this place to your list of venues doing their part to help keep this great music alive. (kk)