The Monkeys

Robert Chapman
Sat, Aug 31, 6:33 PM
to Jackie, Victoria, Bill, Jim, Kathi

On the Monkees, Kathy your little-girl opinion was in fact correct, no need to feel any kind of embarrassment.  Although I well know the feeling.  I was an early fan and in fact became the local Monkees' fan club chapter president in 1966.  While only bassist Michael Nesmith and guitarist Peter Tork were actual musicians, they had great songwriters, including Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart, Neil Diamond, Gerry Goffin/Carole King, and Harry Nilsson.  Now, Kathi, yes, of course you were incorrect to say back then that they were better than the Beatles, but that doesn't mean they weren't really good, nobody else was as good as the Beatles either.

I loved the first album and bought the next one the day it was released, More of the Monkees.  One thing jumped out at me right away, Davy Jones' hair is now so long it is actually curling up.  That worried me.  Dad is really not going to like this, and I was just ten years old.  I knew what he was going to say.  They are a bunch of girls!

Image result for more of the monkees

The record was great, though!  In the 60's I loved the Monkees but when I became a teenager quickly understood that position to be a serious liability, so I jettisoned it.  Beyond embarrassing...but when I turned 20 I played a couple of their records again, and knew straightaway this group made some great music. It can't be bubblegum if it holds up...
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Kathi Hiatt
Sun, Sep 1, 12:10 PM
to Robert, Jackie, Victoria, Bill, Jim

Bob,
Love you point on the Monkees and I knew others wrote their music but didn’t know those song writers included Carole King and Neil Diamond. No wonder they had some good songs!