The Monkees - Forever (2016)
The Monkees - Forever (2016)
1. "I'm A Believer" 2. "Valleri" 3. "You Just May Be The One" 4. "That Was Then, This Is Now" - Micky Dolenz & Peter Tork 5. "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" 6. "Pleasant Valley Sunday" 7. "Daydream Believer" 8. "Last Train To Clarksville" 9. "She Makes Me Laugh" 10. "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" 11. "Porpoise Song (Theme From Head)" (Single Version) 12. "Heart And Soul" 13. "Words" 14. "Goin' Down" (Single Version) Gregory Bemko Cello Max Bennett Bass Louis Blackburn Trombone Ken Bloom Guitar Tommy Boyce Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals (Background) Bud Brisbois Trumpet Arthur Butler Organ Pete Candoli Trumpet Roy Caton Trumpet Tom Cerone Tambourine Bill Chadwick Guitar (Acoustic) Buddy Collette Saxophone Micky Dolenz Drums, Timpani, Vocals, Vocals (Background) Chip Douglas Bass, Guitar (Bass), Vocals (Background) Wayne Erwin Guitar Gene Estes Tambourine Virgil Evans Trumpet David Filerman Cello Stan Free Piano Al Gorgoni Guitar Bobby Hart Organ Bobby Helfer Clarinet (Bass), Trumpet William Hinshaw Horn John Hoenig Percussion Clyde "Whitey" Hoggan Bass Fast Eddie Hoh Drums Bill Hood Saxophone Jim Horn Saxophone Jim Hughart Bass Jules Jacob Horn Plas Johnson Saxophone Davy Jones Vocals, Vocals (Background) Nathan Kaproff Violin George Kast Violin Jan Kelly Cello Danny Kortchmar Guitar Richard Leith Trombone Billy Lewis Drums Henry Lewy Engineer Herb Lovelle Drums John Lowe Sax (Bass) Douglas Lubahn Guitar (Bass) Jacqueline Lustgarten Cello Bill Martin Percussion Hugh McCracken Guitar Lew McCreary Trombone Gerry McGee Guitar Jay Migliori Saxophone Ollie Mitchell Trumpet Alex Murray Violin Richard Nash Trombone Michael Nesmith Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Vocals, Vocals (Background) Mike Nesmith Guitar, Vocals Erno Neufeld Violin Mike Ney Drums Richard Noel Trombone Joe Osborne Bass Al Porcino Trumpet Uan Rasey Trumpet Leon Russell Keyboards Jerry Scheff Bass Adam Schlesinger Bass Thomas Scott Trumpet Thomas Scott Trumpet Louie Shelton Guitar Ralph Shuckett Keyboards Manuel Stevens Trumpet Larry Taylor Bass Phil Teele Trombone Don Thomas Guitar Russ Titelman Conductor Peter Tork Banjo, Composer, Guitar (Electric), Lyricist, Organ, Piano, Piano (Electric), Vocals Mike Viola Guitar Brian Young Drums, Percussion
The Monkees were, of course, assembled more for their acting and comedic abilities than any musical ones, and many of their songs were simply disposable vehicles for a huge marketing machine, but the group eventually developed musical aspirations that yielded some strikingly good pop songs, including capable covers of Neil Diamond's "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" and Harry Nilsson's "Cuddly Toy," as well as Michael Nesmith's own "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," the pop gem "Pleasant Valley Sunday," and the pleasantly psychedelic "Porpoise Song," all of which are included in this three-disc collection (at 30 tracks total, this could have easily been a double disc, or with a little editing, a super single disc). Also here is the Monkees' first single, "Last Train to Clarksville," which in retrospect was a pretty good debut (even if they didn't play their own instruments on it). This isn't the perfect introduction to the Monkees, but it does do a decent job of spotlighting a group that was, in hindsight, no worse than -- and in many cases, better than -- what passed for cool and hip at the close of the 1960s. ---Steve Leggett, Rovi
This basic collection of 14 Monkees hits, including the new single "She Makes Me Laugh" from the new album Good Times! was issued as a budget-line companion to the three-CD The Monkees 50. It contains seven hit singles, three B-sides, one LP track, and two reunion recordings from the 1980s. All of the songs are on THE MONKEES 50, except for the album track "You Just May Be The One," from Headquarters. Why Rhino didn't include that song on the big set, I have no idea. Perhaps they wanted to give fans and collectors incentive to buy both sets. There is one other difference: on this disc, "Valleri" has a full cold ending, whereas it has a fade-out ending on THE MONKEES 50.
This is more like the Flashback budget-line collections than the standard Rhino hits packages, which have 20 or more songs in most cases. Although there is really nothing new here, it's still a nice addition to your Monkees collection. ---steve_manassas, amazon.com
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