Contrary
to “popular” and “critical” opinion, The Monkees’ first
reunion album is a refreshing, reassuring, and welcome evolution of
The Monkees’ classic 1960s sound into the late 1980s.
With
a couple of exceptions, the songs are written and performed by other
composers and musicians, with Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, and Peter
Tork providing lead vocals (Michael Nesmith didn’t participate in
this reunion but would rejoin his comrades nine years later).
Even
though the “boys” are now in their 40s on this recording, they
have never sounded better, especially with the hint of maturation in
their voices.
The
music is basically light synth pop, with Dolenz handling the more
upbeat tracks, Jones the more sentimental tunes (and one pop-rocker),
and Tork the wacky Cars-like stuff.
While
all the songs are enjoyable, the one real standout is the dark and
chilling “Midnight” sung by Dolenz. It sounds like something
right out of the Miami Vice television series, and it would be
a shame if it never played on the show as it would have been perfect
for it.
As
for the overall musicianship of the backing band, the sprightly
guitar work of Mark Christian sounds as slick and high-tech now as it
did when I first heard the album as a 14-year-old teenager back in
1987.
If
you like The Monkees and 1980s pop music, ignore the naysayers and
enjoy the warmth of this nostalgic and contemporary collection that’s
full of heart and soul.
--Raj
Manoharan
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