DU Album of the Day: The Monkees - Greatest Hits

[LynneSin]

Normally I avoid Greatest Hits albums but I hope that for today you can overlook me sliding one in there.

See I was a Monkees fan. Mind you I wasn't alive with the show originally debuted back in 1966 but I was here to watch it everyday after school when it was on repeats on one of the local stations in Harrisburg, PA. My friend Melissa and I loved the Monkees. After school everyday we would watch the show and drool over our favorite Monkee (I was Davy Jones and she was Mike Nesmith). Then we'd make believe about the Monkees. Mind you, we were only like 5 or 6 years old at the time. I was the biggest Davy Jones fan until I realized I was probably going to be way taller than him (I think I hit 5'3" sometime in the 3rd or 4th grade which was Davy Jones' height).

So yesterday it sadden me to hear of the passing of Davy Jones. I mean he was my childhood crush and if I'm that sad when he passes away I hate to see what happens when Robert Plant passes away. Let's hope he has a few more decades left in him.

The craziest thing about the Monkees is this - they were a manufactured band. Think about this, Mickey Dolenz did the majority of lead singing and Davy was backup singer and tamborine player. Because this band was made for TV and to compete with the Beatles, Davy was brought in because let's face it - he was dreamy looking and he was English. But he did sing several songs including one of my favorites - 'Daydream Believer'. And the thing is this, the Monkees did have talented and they wanted to break free of that crazy TV show so they could show the world that yes, they could sing.

So today, in memory of my childhood crush Davy Jones, I am selecting their Greatest Hits album as the DU Album of the Day so we can enjoy all the favorites by this crazy band!

Monkees Theme Song

Davy's signature song - "Daydream Beleiver"

Valleri

[OriginalGeek]

1. Already had done been playing them Monkees hits

and I will continue to do so.

I WAS alive when the show originally aired but I doubt I watched it then. I watched it during after school reruns like you and it was always one of my favorite shows. Then in the 80s they had a resurgence because the episodes were being shown on MTV and I got my kids into watching it. I've told the story here already of taking them to see the Monkees (3/4ths of them anyway - Nesmith was not into it at the time) because they always saw me going to concerts and they wanted to go to one too.

So anyway, all my life I have nothing but happy memories of the Monkees and so here's to you, Davy Jones, Thanks for all the good times.

[dana_b]

2. good choice

I bought that album in the 90s when my daughter began watching the reruns and it brought back so many memories of when I did the same thing in the 70s. They brought some happiness to childhood and that's why I'll miss him. Also those songs were pretty good pop songs!

[hifiguy]

3. The Monkees may have been manufactured

but they had great songwriters, and the band proved to be pretty talented when they demanded to play their own instruments after a couple of albums. Peter and Mike were legit musicians and Mickey did learn how to play drums competently, in a Ringo sort of way.

Mike Nesmith was a fine songwriter in his own right - see "Different Drum" and "Joanne" among others.

Always loved "Valleri" (though the great guitar parts were played by LA session ace Louie Shelton. "Pleasant Valley Sunday" was also a freaking great song and Mickey sang the hell out of it.

[Tikki]

4. The Monkees were not just fun and games...

They took a gimmick and turned it into a true musical craft.


Tikki
RiIP Davey