"The Monkees" Rewatch: Dance, Monkee, Dance

“Dance, Monkee, Dance” kicks off with a phone call concerning an “opportunity of a lifetime” in the form of a free lesson from “the world’s foremost dance emporium, Renaldo’s Dance Au Go Go.” After some, er, difficulty Peter wins the lesson and enrolls for classes, but quickly learns his “opportunity of a lifetime” included a lifetime contract. Micky and Mike each try to find ways to get Peter out of the contract, but smartassery and hormones, respectively, land them in the same boat. Thinking their way out is to have someone on the inside, Davy goes to work for Renaldo as an instructor and they use his position to sabotage a day of new applicants.

I know I’ve been saying stuff like this a lot in recent entries, but I love this episode! It’s definitely one of my favorites and a big reason for that is “I’ll Be Back Up On My Feet,” which is great song and great romp. I also really love Miss Buntwell, Renaldo’s secretary. She’s a total riot, but of course, as a thirteen year old that love was tempered somewhat by fangirl jealousy and envy. Make no mistake, part of me still thinks “luckyyyyyyyy” when she kisses Mike, but luckily now it takes a backseat to how hilarious both her character and their scenes are.

That said, this is another Monkees episode that’s a bit difficult for me to write about. I’ve talked before about my concerns with spoilers, but in this instance it’s more about comedy being unfit for analysis. Then again, maybe I’m just inept at it and it actually is possible, but in a way it sometimes feels like it’s taking the fun out of it. Or, more accurately, talking the fun out of it. This feels particularly true of visual jokes, fourth wall breaks, and dream sequences like the trial in “Dance”:

“Dance, Monkee, Dance” also comes with a Monkees urban fandom legend, of sorts. See, toward the end of the episode Renaldo tries to hustle a room full of older ladies into more lifetime contracts and the boys try to scare them off. For a long time one of the women was said to be Bette Nesmith Graham, Mike’s mother. However, a recent Facebook post from Christian (Mike’s son) dispelled this myth. Luckily, said post came up not long after I watched the episode for this project and I didn’t end up making a fool of myself by babbling about that little piece of so-called trivia. I mention it anyhow because I think it’s funny and interesting how certain fandom headcanons proliferate even if no one quite knows how they started. (Or bothers to ever fact check.)

Related, I just love when Davy walks into the room full of ladies and in the midst of their chatter you can hear variations of “Isn’t he cute?” I like to think that wasn’t scripted or planned, mostly because I can totally see such comments following Davy wherever he went. And why wouldn’t they? Dude’s adorable!

"The Monkees" Rewatch: One Man Shy (Peter & the Debutante)

“One Man Shy” opens with the Monkees auditioning for a debutante’s party and landing the gig. Peter is immediately smitten with Valerie, but his shyness causes him to only stare longingly and steal her portrait instead of speaking to her. One day Valerie and her, in heavy airquotes, "boyfriend" Ronnie unexpectedly drop by the boys’ pad and discover the portrait. While snooty Ronnie threatens to call the cops, Valerie quickly forgives Peter when he admits to taking it. After Ronnie leaves the pad in a huff, the boys decide to go on the attack and sabotage a date between him and Valerie. Ronnie doesn’t take it well and decides to embarrass Peter and the boys with a round of lawn games. Only his plan “to show you what they were” backfires when Valerie asks Peter to be her escort for the party and it’s up to the others to teach him how to behave with a lady.

Oh, this is a good one. Seriously, I love this episode so much; Peter is adorable (“A beggar can look at a queen”), Valerie is awesome, Ronnie is punchable, and the writing is quotable and on point. Like:

Peter: I’m no good even by proxy.

And:

Davy: Hey, Peter, didn’t you ever have a crush on anybody?

Peter: Yeah, once.

Davy: So what did you do about it?

Peter: I took her to a Cub Scout meeting.

Micky: Didn’t anybody ever have a crush on you or nothin’?

Peter: I once got some threatening Valentines.

Mike: You told me you use to play spin the bottle.

Peter: Yeah, but I always lost.

“One Man Shy” also continues the thread I mentioned in my post about “I’ve Got a Little Song Here,” in that the episode centers on the boys banding together to help one of their own, while the show generally has antagonism come from some criminal activity or sticking it to some stuffy adult. Although in a way, this episode it’s a little bit of both, because they help Peter and stick it to the stuffy and awful Ronnie along the way. Speaking of which…

I’ve been looking forward to writing about this episode, because I find the whole Valerie/Ronnie relationship thing very curious and this finally gives me a reason to talk about it. I think the audience is supposed to read them as boyfriend and girlfriend (and certainly whoever wrote the episode guide on Wikipedia thinks so), but that reading never sat well with me. To me, it always felt like he was trying to be her boyfriend, and way too hard, at that. Take for instance, the scene with them looking at art in a park, the dude is a pretentious show off and Valerie is just not having it. Of course, a lot of his characterization is meant to make him look bad, so the audience will be even more likely to root for Peter. Still, even at the very beginning of the episode Valerie doesn’t seem like she cares for him very much. I always got the impression that maybe Valerie’s parents are friends with Ronnie’s folks and they want them to get together, but she’s not interested at all. Plus, she does seem rather taken with Peter and who can blame her? Though I will say one good thing about Ronnie, which is he one of the few people (if not the only one) to not buy the Monkees in disguises.

Back when I talked about “Success Story” I mentioned how some songs had been changed at various points once The Monkees went into syndication.  The song change in that particular episode I don’t think hurt the overall feel of the romp, but that does not hold true for “One Man Shy.” The first romp of the episode is a montage of the other Monkees showing Peter how to behave with a high class lady like Valerie. In between moments of Peter and Valerie talking, dancing, and playing ring around the rosy, the others try to teach him how to open doors for her, take her coat, pull out her chair, that kind of thing. When set to “I’m A Believer,” as it was originally, it’s all very adorable. In syndication, however, the romp was set to “Forget That Girl.” Don’t get me wrong, “Forget That Girl” is a great song, but it’s too sad and discouraging to not work in this context. A song with a line like “But now she's thrown herself above you” would only work if Valerie were as much of a snob as Ronnie, but she’s not. The entire point of the episode (and that scene in particular) is to give Peter confidence to go after this girl who quite clearly digs him, too. I guess it just goes to show that while the show existed as a vehicle to promote the music, the romp choices weren’t necessarily done haphazardly during the original run. Sure, “I’m A Believer” was their big single at the time “One Man Shy” originally aired and that certainly contributed to its use, but it’s also a much better fit thematically. 

"The Monkees" Rewatch: I've Got a Little Song Here

“I’ve Got a Little Song Here” begins with a mail delivery seemingly made up of mostly advertisements; one, for Peter, is for a bodybuilding school and another for High Class Music Publishing. Believing it a ticket to “a million dollar business,” Mike decides to submit his own song, “Gonna Buy Me a Dog.” He meets with Bernie Class, who promises to give the song to a movie star for an upcoming film as long as Mike gives him $100 for “legal fees.” Micky is convinced Class’s business is nothing more than a scam, so the others decide to gather proof. Unfortunately, while they spy on Class, Mike confronts the actress Class claimed to know and finds out the “crummy” truth.

As I’ve said before, I have a weak spot for Mike-centric episodes and this is certainly no exception. Mike’s initial excitement is endearing and oh, man, is his disappointment relatable. Said disappointment led to one of the best quotes in the episode (if not the season):

Davy: Well, what do you want to do?

Mike: Oh, I don’t know, I thought I’d just sorta sit around the house and fail.

Another great thing about the episode is how it shows how tight the Monkees are as friends. Yes, most of the episodes so far show them banding together for the sake of a common goal, but there’s something especially endearing about how Davy, Peter, and Micky come together to help Mike, whether through exposing Class, cheering Mike up, or getting his money back. Not only are these things all endearing, but they’re quite hilarious as well. For instance, exposing Class is the first job for one my favorite recurring gags, Monkee Men, and of course Micky’s performance as MD steals the scene.

Micky: No fawning. Why must they always fawn?

While I do love this episode, I find it curious that they’d write the episode with Mike as a songwriter but use “Gonna Buy Me A Dog” instead of one of his compositions. It’s not as if the show and records didn’t ever make use of his songs, it happened all the time. Hell, the episode’s second romp is set to Mike’s “Mary, Mary!” Why not use “Mary, Mary” instead? Eh. It doesn’t ruin the episode or any of the performances; like I said, I just think it’s weird. In weird way it’s almost symbolic of the fight for creative control the Monkees would eventually have against Don Kirshner, in the sense that their own capabilities and sometimes superior work had to take a backseat to lame nonsense seemingly just because. But now I’m just rambling. 

"The Monkees" Rewatch: Monkees à la Carte

In “Monkees à la Carte” the boys are fired from their job as, presumably, the house band at a restaurant after a couple of gangsters muscle out the original owner, Pop. They decide they should help Pop get the place back, which leads to them going undercover for the cops (want proof Fuselli is part of a crime ring called the Syndicate) while working for Fuselli as “chefs, dishwashers, musicians, hat check girls, cooks, cigarette girls.” When the Syndicate uses the restaurant for their first face-to-face meeting the boys take advantage of their ignorance and decide to impersonate the Purple Flower Gang in an effort to buy time until the cops come.

Even as Monkees episodes go, “À la Carte” is a weird one, at least in context of the series up to this point; eleven episodes in and already five episodes where the band gets mixed up in some criminal activity. This fact is made weirder when one considers the fact that the Monkees are meant to be teenagers or the very least 21 and under. Maybe it’s me, but even by frequently ridiculous Sitcom Logic the amount of criminals they run into is just bizarre. I realize given the magical realism and psychedelia to come in the series my thoughts on this aspect might seem pretty bizarre themselves. What can I say? Apparently my suspension of disbelief can take talking pot-aliens, but draws the line at a bunch of teenagers having run-ins with mobsters and spies. Go figure.

Or, maybe it’s just that I don’t know what else I could say about this episode, because, while it has its moments, it’s not that memorable for me. This is especially clear for me since the next three episodes rank as some of my big favorites, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

One thing I’d like to point out, though, is that I think the combination of “She” and “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” makes “À la Carte” the strongest thus far in terms of music. Granted, this is a matter of personal taste, but the early song choices tend to be a mixed bag (especially if “Last Train to Clarksville” is involved.) But here, both tracks are fantastic and strong enough to stand toe-to-toe without one massively overshadowing the other. Plus, the romp for “Steppin’ Stone” with the guys messing about in a kitchen is a highlight of the episode.

Daily Album Digest: August 9 - 22, 2015

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Carrying on February's Music Writer's Exercise (#MWE), each day I listen to a new album and tweet a brief review of it. Then every two weeks compile those tweets here with some extra thoughts.

8/11: The Mynabirds' Lovers Know: Tracks like "Omaha" have a sense of grandeur while retaining a genuine emotional core.

Why? 2015 release.

Additional Thoughts: Multiple reviews compared a couple of the tracks to the Killers and I can certainly get behind that idea with the stipulation that the Mynabirds do so with actual sincerity. I mentioned it in the tweet as well, of course, but “Omaha” got some real chills out of me. It’s one of the most beautiful tracks I’ve heard so far this year.

8/14: New Politics' Vikings: Energetic and fun, though full of clichés... until the baffling and terrible final track.

Why? New release. I saw them open for Paramore and Fall Out Boy last year, but I had yet to check out any of their work.

Additional Thoughts: I remember liking New Politics well enough when I saw them. Evidently not enough to check them out immediately and perhaps I should’ve taken that as a sign. The album is energetic and fun, but any enjoyment is impeded by just how Fueled By Ramen they are. Take opener “Everywhere I Go (Kings and Queens),” which tries so hard to be like fun.’s “Some Nights” and fails utterly because, try as he might, vocalist David Boyd being no Nate Ruess. There’s also “Loyalties Among Thieves” that some lyric sites have credited to Pete Wentz, Patrick Stump, and Joe Trohman of Fall Out Boy. The album’s Wikipedia page, meanwhile, claims every track has been written by New Politics, which frankly, you could be forgiven for not believing considering how much it sounds like Fall Out Boy. New Politics’ inability to set themselves apart isn’t a new criticism, either. I found reviews of their debut that pointed out how much they seem to want to be the Killers and Franz Ferdinand. And funnily enough, the final track “Strings Attached” nearly turned out my opinion on the album until it turned on me. The track starts off as a blistering ska, sort of hardcore number and then after about three minutes of silence there’s a rap verse about having a “gold dick” and what sounds like folks high on helium. Then after another three minutes there’s a dance synthpop interlude calling a girl an STD. Delightful. Yick. I’ll give their other records a shot just to be sure, but as of now I just don’t know who these guys are for. I mean, if you don’t dig any Fueled By Ramen related artists, it’s doubtful they’ll convert you and if you do like FBR (as I do) they’re redundant.

8/15: Backstreet Boys' This Is Us: A marked improvement on previous work in terms of vitality. Highlight: "Undone"

Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through. This time I decided to a walk down memory lane with the Backstreet Boys.

Additional Thoughts: I hesitate to call it a return to form, but I suppose if any BSB record could be called such it would be this one as it has more in common with the upbeat dance music of their international debut than adult contemporary/ballad focus of much of their output since then. I should also mention that while I find it an improvement on Unbreakable that doesn’t mean I necessarily find it good on its own. The music has much more life to it, which is great, in a way, but it’s not enough for me to ignore a lot of the lyrical faux pas, like “PDA.” Though the worst offender is probably “She’s a Dream”; the full lyric being, “She’s a dream, cause she knows me.” And it gets worse. The basic point of the song is that this girl is such an awesome wonderful person for the narrator, because she doesn’t have a TV or radio and she’s completely ignorant of his celebrity status which everyone (including him) actively keeps from her. It’s. Just. Baffling. Plus, personal gripe, I guess, I know it was co-written by T-Pain, but I don’t need to hear the Backstreet say shorty. Maybe A.J. McLean could’ve carried that off in 2000, but the rest of the group in 2009? No. It’s like a dad desperately trying to sound with it. I really like “Undone,” though, so there’s that at least.

8/16: The Rolling Stones' The Rolling Stones, Now!: Maybe it's me, but the cover of "Down Home Girl" is... uncomfortable.

Why? I actually wasn’t going to include this album, but didn’t have enough time to listen to another instead. Whoops.

Additional Thoughts: I’ve probably touched on this before, but the early Stones records are difficult to talk about. The abundance of covers is one reason; another is differences and overlaps in the UK and U.S. versions. There’s often so much overlap that for the most part I’ve decided to forgo most of them altogether as daily albums. But, as I said, I run low on time on this particular day, so I decided to bend the rules. Plus, I’m not sure if “Down Home Girl” was on an album I’d already discussed, but it’s a song that I didn’t want to pass without any comment. The song basically sings the praises of a Southern country girl with all these stereotypical things like “turnip greens,” but then there’s a line about working in cotton fields and the line, “Every time you monkey child.” And I just… no. Again, maybe it’s me, maybe I’m being overly sensitive or something, but it doesn’t sit well with me.

8/17: Backstreet Boys' In A World Like This: If only their ostensible maturity yielded more like the sweet "Madeleine."

Why? Finishing up the Backstreet Boys’ discography.

Additional Thoughts: The title track says, “In time like this when nothing comes from the heart” and much of this album proves that. The big exception to that, of course, is “Madeleine” which is genuinely touching. It’s perhaps the most touching thing they’ve done since “Shape of My Heart.” It’s just a shame that their idea of maturity manifests as empty platitudes and attempts to sound like OneRepublic as shown in “Show ‘Em (What You’re Made Of)”. (Ironic, considering the only song I like off This Is Us was actually co-written by OR’s Ryan Tedder.) That or metaphors comparing love to prison or war, which sound way more melodramatic than they are in practice. In fact, they could probably stand to use more melodrama in such cases. I mean, if you’re going to compare a break up to prison you might as well go all out.

8/18: Thee Tsunamis' Saturday Night Sweetheart: Feels like it's from an alt-universe 1950s full of rough girl bands.

Why? 2015 release that Spotify recommended.

Additional Thoughts: The second I heard tracks like “I Know” I immediately regretted not saving the “punk rock Pipettes” descriptor. It does sound like it’s from an alternate timeline or that it’s a live recording recently unearthed from someone’s attic, which might be due in part to the fact that it was apparently recorded onto tape. It’s great fun. I don’t know what I did to have my Spotify recommendations filled with so many awesome chick bands recently, but I’m really glad it happened.

8/19: Cloud Nothings' Attack On Memory: Such blunt lyrics are admirable when others get so caught up in arch metaphors.

Why? A review on the Needle Drop made me curious.

Additional Thoughts: Granted I do have a not-so-secret affinity for metaphors, arch or not. Still, there is value in getting straight to the point and saying what you mean. If I had any issue with the album, it wouldn’t be the lyrics, but Dylan Baldi’s vocals. The gritty, growly thing he does (most prominently on songs like “No Future/No Past” and “Wasted Days”) seems a bit affected. I know other complimented such things, but it didn’t really work for me. Even so, I like the album and “Stay Useless” in particular.

8/22: Green Day's Dookie: A bit juvenile at times, sure, but damn, if it isn't cathartic and fun.

Why? Maintaining motivation has been difficult lately, which means a “Longview” loop can’t be too far behind.

Additional Thoughts: I nearly didn’t choose this album as I’ve probably heard it in full while driving around with friends, but I figured since I made an exception for Backstreet Boys’ first two records I could make another one here. And while I would love to crack into this album more, it’s part of the RS500, so that must wait. However, unlike the other daily albums that overlap with the RS500, I’ve decided to bump this up in the queue, so a full Dookie post might come sooner than you think.

All albums available to stream on Spotify. 

If you'd like to suggest an album, comment on this entry or tweet me. 

"The Monkees" Rewatch: Here Come The Monkees (The Pilot)

In the series’ pilot “Here Come the Monkees,” the band auditions to play the sweet sixteen party of country club member’s daughter, Vanessa. After the band lands the gig, Davy and Vanessa hit it off immediately and begin dating; much to the chagrin of her parents, who worry how all the time she spends with him will affect her schoolwork. Despite her assurances to the contrary, Vanessa fails her history final, which puts the boys’ gig in jeopardy. They help her study for the make-up exam, but Mr. Russell still won’t let Davy near the house or the band near the party.

Like many a pilot episode it’s a bit drab and awkward in comparison to what the series would eventually become, so while I may not like it much I can’t rag on it too hard. Besides, the pilot contains flickers of the shows great qualities like the visual gags, costume changes, fourth wall breaking, and Micky flailing. It’s not as refined, sure, but that came with time. It’s also interesting to see the secondary characters that existed in an early version of the show, such as Jill and Rudy, the latter of which had the connection that got the band their audition for the Russell’s party. Not much is explicitly stated about them or their relationship to the band other than the fact they appear to work at a record store. It could’ve been cool to see more of these characters, especially since most of the adult figures in the series tend to be more antagonistic (like Mr. Babbitt) while Rudy seemed supportive of the band. I get why the show took the adults-as-mild-antagonists route, but more variety wouldn’t have hurt.  

I’ve noticed a portion of the episode that still causes, for lack of a better term, controversy is when Mike tosses a dart at a Beatles poster and it lands square in Ringo’s face. I should stress that most of the folks this upsets appear to be young Beatles fans and as such I’m far more sympathetic to them than other curmudgeons I’ve seen orbiting the Monkees. In all honesty, what kind of high ground can I really take? When I began watching the show I was literally twelve, in my The Beatles Are Sacrosanct phase (which I’ve probably never really left, but…), and yeah, it pissed me off. It’s an oversensitive and silly reaction, sure, especially given the real life relationship between the bands. But, again: Literally. Twelve. And I got over it quickly enough. I suspect (or hope) the same will happen for most.

However, one aspect of the episode that bugs me more as time goes on is the fact that Davy and Vanessa apparently stayed out until one in the morning. I know it was the sixties and allegedly “safer” times and all, but what kind of parent allows a fifteen (bordering on sixteen) year old to a) go out on a date on a school night and b) stay out on a date that late? Maybe I’m just too strict, I don’t know, but it seems wrong to me.

If there’s one aspect of “Here Come the Monkees” that I unequivocally love it is Mike and Davy’s screen tests. The producers included them after initial test runs of the pilot were received poorly. Obviously it worked as following screenings fared better and the show eventually got picked up. It’s easy to see why it worked. As I said earlier, the pilot is a bit awkward and stiff and the Monkees’ personalities don’t get much of a chance to really shine in it. Meanwhile, the screen tests are much looser and show Davy as super adorable and charming and show off Mike’s dry, kind of off-kilter humor. In fact the clips work so well that one could say that’s why episodes occasionally ran a “minute short” to make room for backstage interview footage.

"The Monkees" Rewatch: The Chaperone

In “The Chaperone” the others decide that Davy’s spent enough time pining after a girl, Leslie, from afar and push him to approach her as a TV poll taking service and magazine salesman. They eventually find out her father is a former general and so protective that he only allows his daughter to attend chaperoned parties. Micky poses as a former colleague of General Vandenberg’s in order to invite Leslie and her friend to a party and he accepts. After preparing food and the pad for a party, the boys try to secure a chaperone in Mr. Babbitt and then their cleaning lady Mrs. Weefers. After one demands payment and the other passes out drunk right before Vandenberg arrives it’s up to Mic- I mean, Mrs. Arcadian to save the party from being a total drag.

I find it funny that this episode is ostensibly Davy-centric, but Micky pulls most of the heavy lifting. Micky is the one who explicitly tells Davy he’s “mooned over” Leslie enough and needs to do something about it. He presumably gave Davy the polling service idea and even accompanied him on to the Vandenbergs’ door for another little scheme. As previously mentioned, he convinces Vandenberg to let the girls attend their party and they can only stay at the party because he puts on the dress meant for Mrs. Weefers. Plus, he has to deal Vandenberg “getting fresh” and, well, slappy, shall we say. Basically, what I’m saying is Davy owes him big time.

I have a weakness for any episode that features one of the Monkees in drag, so of course, I love this episode and while Mrs. Arcadian does make up a big chunk of what makes this episode great, she is by no means the only thing. For instance, Peter spends most of “The Chaperone” hanging back, but his occasional sideways looks are hilarious if you can catch them. Another great aspect is the romp for “This Just Doesn’t Seem To Be My Day,” which shows the boys decorating the apartment with streamers and balloons and other such party preparations. One preparation that always boggled me was the cake. I can’t help but be curious how Mike made a tall layer cake when all they seemed to have was a hotplate. I know necessity is the mother of invention and all that (I mean, I once baked cookies on a grill in the wake of a hurricane), but I don’t know how one manages that, unless all the layers were the size of pancakes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m overthinking it. Anyway. The romp is funny and adorable, but it’s also a wonderful chance to see more of the pad’s little details. From the spiral staircase to the random movie posters and street signs that populate the walls, I’ve always been very fond of it. My personal favorite is the “In Case of Fire Run” sign beside their fire extinguisher. I even drew up a replica of it (and others) once to put on my own wall.

Daily Album Digest: July 26 - August 8, 2015

Carrying on February's Music Writer's Exercise (#MWE), each day I listen to a new album and tweet a brief review of it. Then every two weeks compile those tweets here with some extra thoughts.

7/26: Run the Jewels' Run the Jewels 2: While not as vicious as the first, it's dark and blunt moments are more refined.

Why? A recommendation from LoadingReadyRun’s Best of 2014 podcast.

Additional Thoughts: The first Run the Jewels album struck me most with its ferocity and wordplay. This album is still very dark and blunt, but it doesn’t feel as brutal or confrontational as the first yet somehow more pointed. The first record felt like an explosion. The second is a precision shot. Like the difference between a first draft and the second and third, etc. ideas and their execution become more refined. I suspect that will continue to happen as they become more firm in their identity as this project. Also, I feel the beats and instrumentals were more striking this time around. That’s not to say they were bad on the first album, but they didn’t grab my interest as much as the lyrics. On Run the Jewels 2, the lyrics and music work in even better harmony, which is a sign of the previously mentioned refinement. And while I tend to prefer Killer Mike’s flow, El-P made a Tolkien reference and a Beatle reference in the same song (“All My Life”), which can’t help but endear him to me.

7/27: Backstreet Boys' Backstreet Boys: "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss," the album's best song and what listening to this did to me.

Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through. This time I decided to a walk down memory lane with the Backstreet Boys.

Additional Thoughts: Okay, before we get into anything else let me say: yes, I’m aware “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” is a cover and no, that fact doesn’t change my opinion. Of course, it’s been my favorite Backstreet song since forever, so maybe I’m a little biased. Maaaybe. That “forever” bit is another thing I should address. See, I actually never had a chance to sit down with this album and listen to it front to back, but (because I was a teenage girl when they hit the scene) I still heard the big singles and knew the deeper cuts from hanging out with my cousin and repeated viewings of the Pay Per View special my mother once ordered for me. It’s a weird and wonderful thing to listen to a full album for the first time and suddenly remember every word as every note took me pack to 97-98 and the days before *NSYNC and New Kids (or rather Joey McIntyre) stole me away. Recently, when asked if the current musicscene is better than when Duran Duran started, John Taylor said, “The best shit happens when you’re coming of age. Teenage music- mine was the best. Yours was probably your best.” He’s right. Even if that music isn’t necessarily the best “objectively,” like any first love, it’s the best in that it elicits some of the most exciting and pure emotions; emotions that everything after can only try to recreate with varying degrees of success. So is the album actually any good or am I just blinded by nostalgia goggles? Hell if I know and hell if I care. If nothing else, it’s some cheesy and wonderful fun and there’s nothing wrong with that.

7/27: Backstreet Boys' Millennium: "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely" is criminally underrated.

Why? Working through the BSB discography.

Additional Thoughts: I avoided this in the tweet, so let’s get it out of the way, in the words of Quentin Tarantino, “’I Want It That Way’ – the best song of the boy band era!” Admittedly, at its peak, I was sick to death of the oversaturation, but damn, there’s no getting around the fact that it’s simply a classic that, for better or worse, overshadows anything and everything Backstreet has done since. That said, I will always go to bat for “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely,” because if there’s one BSB song that deserves better it’s that one (and possibly “That’s What She Said,” which never got an official American release, to my knowledge.) As for the rest, where their U.S. debut had more balance, two-thirds of Millennium consists of ballads and most don’t rise to the same levels as “Show Me…” and “I Want It That Way.”

7/28: Ratatat's Magnifique: Nice, but fleetingly so. Much of it sounds like unfinished Electric Light Orchestra demos.

Why? 2015 release.

Additional Thoughts: I think tweet sums it up pretty well. These songs sound like bits of what could be bigger, fuller songs. I don’t have anything against the more simple, trim-the-fat thing they’re going for (not everything has to be full blown ELO, of course), but it feels incomplete and unsatisfying. It’s like chewing bubblegum – giving you the illusion of feeling full while chewing on it, but once gone you realize how hungry and unsated you remain. On a more positive note, I will say the changing radio bits that bridge together the songs is a neat idea to unify the album.

7/29: Ratking's So It Goes: They know they aren't Pac or Biggie and don't seem to want to be either, which is refreshing.

Why? A recommendation from LoadingReadyRun’s Best of 2014 podcast.

Additional Thoughts: I love the opening of this album. I wish I could quote it all right here, but I won’t. The basic idea is that dismissing current (or maybe any) music or making comparisons is flawed and a bit useless. “If your life experience is different that’s going to come out differently”; artists need to be judge on their own merits and one can’t expect another Pac, because his life and surrounding circumstances made him what he was. And I say their acknowledgement of this is refreshing because so many people, even big names, seem to want to be the next so-and-so. They invite comparison, sometimes even doing it on their own; take for example, Nicki Minaj’s “HOV Lane” in which she compares herself to Jay-Z. I get the intent behind such comparisons, but it is flawed. I don’t feel like I’m explaining this well. This might have to be a topic I come back to later.

7/30: Backstreet Boys' Black & Blue: From the school of If It's A Hit, Do It Again. But does it work this time? Somewhat.

Why? Working through the BSB discography.

Additional Thoughts: Now, in fairness, Millennium also comes from that school (as do the early records of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.) The big difference being that Millennium has “I Want It That Way” and “Show Me the Meaning…” which overshadow and make up for that fact. Another key difference is that it isn’t a matter of simply repeating the style and it’s pretty apparent exactly what songs they’re trying to repeat. “Shape Of My Heart,” for example, is clearly in the same vein as “I Want It That Way”; that doesn’t necessarily reflect badly on the song itself, which I think is quite good. Another notable thing about Black & Blue is it contains two tracks written all five members of Backstreet, “The Answer to Our Life” and “Time.” Most of their albums have a couple tracks written or co-written by one or two members, but all five (and only the five) seems rare. The two resulting tracks are kind of mediocre and “Answer” definitely apes Max Martin’s style, but hey, at least they tried. 

7/31: Lianne La Havas' Blood: "Never Get Enough" is a mix of sweet and harsh that makes it the album's biggest curveball.

Why? New release.

Additional Thoughts: I should add that being the biggest curveball doesn’t automatically make “Never Get Enough” the best song on Blood, just that it’s jarring on its own and in comparison to the rest of the record. The song itself has these sweet, tropical sounding verses next to a distorted, rock-tinged chorus, so it stands out on an album steeped in soul, jazz, and acoustics. If I had to pick the best song on this record, it would probably be a tie between “Ghost” and “Good Goodbye,” which are among the most heartfelt on the record. 

8/1: Modern English's Pillow Lips: The album hits a high with "Life Rich's Tapestry" it doesn't really reach again.

Why? Spotify recommended it based on ABC and Tears for Fears.

Additional Thoughts: In fairness, when listening to this album Spotify had a hiccup about halfway through and made finishing the album a struggle. I have no doubt that likely influenced my “meh” reaction to it, but I don’t hold it fully responsible. I mean, the album starts with a rerecording of “I Melt With You.” It can’t be a good sign if a band feels that must tack on a new version of their biggest hit to a project that isn’t meant to be some kind of greatest hits/tribute collection. Then there are tracks like “Beautiful People,” which sounds like lame early 90s dance music mixed with 60s lyrical clichés about “flowers in your hair” and how “all we need is love.” To make matters worse, a lyric that’s supposed to be “love, love, love” sounds more like “blah, blah, blah” when sung, whether that’s due more to how bored they sound or how bored it made me I’m not sure. 

8/2: Cariad Harmon's Cariad Harmon: Stand out track "Shame" manages to convey exhaustion while being incredibly beautiful.

Why? Spotify recommended it.

Additional Thoughts: This tweet bugs me, honestly, due to my regret that I couldn’t think of a better way to succinctly describe “Shame.” The song shows exhaustion in the sense that the narrator is clearly fed up with “the lot of you” and done with expending energy and “faking it” in their situation. It’s very open and honest, which mostly acoustic singer-songwriter music needs to be in order to truly work and not settle into boring nonsense. I’m not sure I connect to most of this album, personally, but she clearly puts her heart into her work. Even though part of me wants to groan at lyrical clichés about California and comparing New York to a jealous lover, she’s sincere enough that I can let it go.

8/3: Backstreet Boys' Never Gone: While not a good fit for each voice in BSB, I respect the change to a more rock sound.

Why? Working through the BSB discography.

Additional Thoughts: The album’s Wikipedia page says, “Initial critical response to Never Gone were surprisingly generally negative due to the change from the band's traditional pop style to a more mature adult contemporary sound.” I feel like that could be an oversimplification. Like I said, I respect the style change (because at least it’s a change) and I respect that it was made using only live instruments. But let’s be honest, BSB has always had a soft rock, adult contemporary edge to them, given that they’ve always heavily favored ballads. Plus, while much of the style underwent a change, the same can’t be said for the lyrics, which remain as generic as ever. Of course, it’s hard to make a song personal when sung by five people who didn’t write it. AllMusic’s review says, “If Never Gone had been released as Nick Carter's second solo album or A.J. McLean's first, it would have felt more genuine” and I must agree. Not only would it feel more genuine, but Carter and McLean’s voices are far more suited to this album’s sound than Brian Littrell’s – which might explain another problem. In my mind, Littrell’s voice is the Backstreet Boys, so when he seems out of place or takes a backseat it just doesn’t feel like BSB. Still, this album isn’t terrible and I certainly respect what it tries to do.

8/4: Dirty Dishes' Guilty: In the midst of this grungy and trippy album "One More Time" feels like a haunting lullaby.

Why? 2015 release that Spotify recommended.

Additional Thoughts: According to the band’s Facebook, they play “a mix of punchy, feedback-drenched anthems that would make the ghosts of the 90s proud” and I think for the most part they succeed. As well as the haunting quality, “One More Time” sounds like it should be on an Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland soundtrack, which I think exemplifies the dreamy quality they were going for with some of the record.

8/5: No Joy's More Faithful: Vibrant and jarring in the best way possible. Highlights: "Everything New" and "Rude Films"

Why? Spotify recommended it.

Additional Thoughts: One thing that made this album jarring for me is the fact that No Joy is considered a shoegaze band. This album has such life and vigor and variety, which set it apart from the shoegaze I know. But I am willing to concede that maybe I haven’t been exposed to the real good stuff and this might be more indicative of the genre. That jarring quality extends to the content of the album as it pulls in so many different directions, from the grungy “Remember Nothing” to the sweet vocals of “Everything New.” My only criticism would be about the vocals place in the mix and how they can be buried at times, but it’s a very enjoyable listen.

8/6: Backstreet Boys' Unbreakable: When nearly every ballad sounds the same, maybe it's time to try something else.

Why? Working through the BSB discography.

Additional Thoughts: Well, I should’ve known better than to get too excited about the sound change in Never Gone. And it’s not just that they revert to older sounds or they continue to repeat their typical subjects/song types, but the first half of the damn album contains three ballads in a row that sound exactly the same. How could this not be infuriating? The album’s best tracks are the JC Chasez co-written “Treat Me Right” and the Duran Duran-esque “Everything But Mine” and even those have problems, such as the latter’s lyric: “Time takes time.” Well, no shit, Sherlock.

8/7: Sharkmuffin's Chartreuse: With shades of punk and surf rock, it packs a lot of punch and variety in its short run time.

Why? New release. I’m not sure what made me pick this record (maybe it was their connection to Asbury Park), but I’m glad I did.

Additional Thoughts: This is one of those records so good it’s difficult to write about. I really had to stop myself from simply tweeting, “Trust me, it’s great! Just listen to it!” A big highlight from the album is its title track, which has great energy and bounce and reminds me a bit of Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun” as well as a punk rock Pipettes.

8/8: Spoon's They Want My Soul: The stomping and swinging "Let Me Be Mine" stands out most on a really great album.

Why? Spotify recommended it based on Vampire Weekend and Phoenix.

Additional Thoughts: Like Chartreuse the greatness of this album makes it difficult to talk about. I suspect if I knew more of Spoon’s back catalog I might have more to say and my opinion on it might change (time will tell), but as it is I think it’s awesome and worth a listen.

All albums available to stream on Spotify. 

If you'd like to suggest an album, comment on this entry or tweet me. 

"The Monkees" Rewatch: Don't Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth

“Don’t Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth” begins with Davy tumbling at the beach. A little kid with a horse approaches and asks him if he could watch the animal for him then runs away. Meanwhile, Micky and Mike are trying Peter’s latest cooking attempt, cream of root beer soup, which leads to loud joking around that raises Mr. Babbitt’s suspicions that the boys are keeping a dog. Davy brings the horse to the beach house, but with Babbitt lurking around they can’t keep him permanently. Soon Jonathan tells Davy that his father is threatening to sell Jeremy, the horse, because he costs too much and is no use as a work horse. The boys confront Jonathan’s father and offer to work on his farm in exchange for the original investment on the horse. After the trial period fails Davy must win a race to win a bet and save both the horse and their guitar.

This is one of those episodes that have kind of lost its luster for me with time. It used to be one of my favorites, but not so much now. Maybe I just watched it one too many times in my teens. Even though it might not rank highly for me anymore it still has charming and funny moments. I can still see what young me saw in it, despite not feeling strongly for it anymore.

Case in point, everything with the veterinarian Dr. Mann is hilarious. Something about him always reminded me of Mr. Merriweather from the I Love Lucy episode “The Séance,” though I’ve never been able to pinpoint exactly what. Some of the best moments in the episode involve him, including:

Mike: I’m the fella that called before.

Dr. Mann: Where’s the monkey?

Mike: Oh, I’m the Monkee.

Dr. Mann: You’re the monkey? You don’t need a vet, young man, you need a psychiatrist.

And:

Dr. Mann: Egad, this is even worse than I thought. This horse not only has delusions of singing, it has a split personality!

Another thing that likely contributed to my overplaying of “Gift Horse” is the romps for “All the King’s Horses” and “Papa Gene’s Blues.” As I said in my post about “Monkees in a Ghost Town,” any episode/romp with “Papa Gene’s Blues” ranked really high with me early on and watching the boys mess about on a farm is quite entertaining. And to be completely honest, if you think that thirteen year-old Shannon’s heart didn’t go all a-flutter when Mike winked at the camera and she didn’t rewind that bit again and again, well… all I can say is you might need to read between my lines. 

The Vinyl Cabinet

Believe it or not, I do have a blogging schedule, though obviously sticking to it is another matter entirely.  In practice it’s inconsistent with posts going up later than intended and many a week going without a post altogether. None of the album or song essays I’ve been working on are ready to be seen yet, but I didn’t want another Sunday to go by without a post. With that in mind, I’ve decided to answer the questions listed in this video by XElizabethMartinez on YouTube and give you folks a little glimpse into my vinyl collection.

1. Most beat up record you own and explain why you bought it.

The most beat record I own is not one I bought myself. I received Beatles ’65 for my birthday a few years ago along with a bunch of other new and used albums. The condition of the record itself is fine, but the sleeve is literally held together by scotch tape. If you look at the photo you can see the record peeking out from the bottom of the sleeve, because each side is so worn.

One of the most beat up records I’ve ever bought is the Monkees’ Greatest Hits. It’s not in the worst shape ever, especially in comparison to Beatles ’65. However, the spine is frayed and the sleeve shows other signs of taking a beating over the years. As for why I bought it, well, frankly, it was cheap and at that point I still didn’t have any Monkees in my vinyl collection. So, it was mostly spur of the moment.

2. First record that comes to mind when you think about your childhood.

The first records that come to mind when I think about my childhood are one that I actually can’t show, because I can’t get to my mother’s vinyl collection. My mother has a Janet Jackson 45 for Nasty/The Pleasure Principle and I used to listen to it a lot as a kid. She also bought a double LP for my brother and me to listen to with nursery rhymes and other kid friendly songs. Unfortunately I don’t remember what it’s called.

In terms of what in my collection brings up childhood memories, I chose two singles, Bobby Brown’s “Every Little Step” and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” I’ve loved both of those songs since I was a little kid and just had to have them when I found the vinyl.

3. Show me a record that you bought and instantly thought, “why the frick did I buy this thing?”

So. Surfer Girl and The Best of the Beach Boys Vol. 2. The day I bought these I bought a big pile of records; including the singles I mentioned in question two. I have no idea what possessed me to buy these two. The only possible explanations I can think of are 1) I saw “Little Saint Nick” in the track list and that sold me or 2) similar to the Monkees’ Greatest Hits, I figured my collection needed them in it. Why didn’t I just hold out until I found a good copy of Pet Sounds? Hell if I know.

4. Best thrift store find ever.

One day while at a nearby secondhand store I happened upon two versions of the soundtrack to the Rankin/Bass version of The Hobbit and instantly knew I had to have them. The deluxe edition’s box has some rips, but I figured I wouldn’t be able to find it anywhere else for so little money and jumped on it. Beyond the packaging and an extra record there isn’t much difference between the box set and the standard edition. I probably didn’t need to buy both of them, but it was another of those spur of the moment things and all I saw was Hobbit. Logic be damned.

5. What is the most interesting thing you’ve ever found in a record?

I’ve never found anything in my own collection. I mentioned my mom’s collection and whenever I’d listen to the Janet or nursery rhyme record (or sometimes even without listening to them) I would flick through all of her vinyl. I’d spend hours pulling them out and staring at them, which I’m sure, eventually grew into my tendency to aimlessly roam CD sections and libraries. Anyhow, she had many of the records since she was a kid/teen, so some have Led Zeppelin related doodles from before she disowned the band. Another thing that sticks out about her collection was her copy of Bella Donna by Stevie Nicks. I don’t think it has doodles or anything, but I just remember really liking the sleeve as a kid. 

"The Monkees" Rewatch: Monkees in a Ghost Town

“Monkees in a Ghost Town” starts off with the band travelling to an “out of town” job, but a missed left turn causes them to drive until they run out of gas in a ghost town. However, it isn’t completely deserted as a pair of robbers is using the buildings to hide out while they wait for their boss, the Big Man, to arrive. The crooks decide to leave it up to the boss what will happen to the boys and toss them in a cell during the wait. After some “fun on the desert,” escape attempts, and baseball, the Big Man finally shows up and orders the boys to be taken out, but becomes (slightly) sympathetic upon hearing they’re a band due to her show business past. They ask her to perform one last number with them to buy time until they can find a way to get help.

I think this episode is just great. If I ranked the whole show this one would probably end up in the top ten or fifteen. I love the writing of this one. It has some of my favorite lines in the series, such as this exchange:

Peter: Cross at the green, not in between.

Davy: He’s been out in the sun too long.

Micky: He was no bargain in the shade.

And:

Micky: Don’t trust the cavalry.

Another great aspect of “Ghost Town” is its guest stars, Rose Marie, Lon Chaney, Jr., and Len Lesser. Lesser and Chaney play crooks George and Lenny, respectively, and yes, it is a pretty obvious Of Mice and Men riff, though nowhere near as depressing. I know the book’s something of a classic, but I don’t get why that duo became a trope, of sorts, especially among comedies, The Monkees included. One could even argue that Horace and George from “Your Friendly Neighborhood Kidnappers” count as such a riff. (A little bit, at least.) Like I said, maybe I was just too scarred by the book, but yeah, it baffles me. Still, this episode’s Lenny is about as adorable and lovable as you’d expect and luckily doesn’t die horribly.

 

Told you I have scars. Anyway…

Of course Rose Marie as the Big Man is hilarious and while I like this episode I think her second guest appearance later on in the season is a better performance. My main exposure to her came from watching The Dick Van Dyke Show as a kid, so it was a bit weird initially to see her in something else and in color to boot.

“Ghost Town” also has two fantastic romps for “Papa Gene’s Blue” and “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day.” When I first got into the Monkees the song I considered my favorite for the longest time was “Papa Gene’s Blues,” so admittedly, I’m biased toward any romp that uses it. Even so, I do think the concept of baseball in a jail cell while they dig holes to escape is cute.

I’ve never given much thought to “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day” as a song, honestly, so it’s a bit weird that some of my favorite romps feature it. This episode is no exception. In fact, it might be my favorite romp of the first season, if not the whole series. I’d try to intellectualize it, but why do that when I can I simply show it in all its goofy glory?

Pretty much everything about this episode is on point, except for one nagging question: How’d they leave at the end if the Monkeemobile was out of gas all along?