Tuesday, April 25, 2017

The Monkees:

Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones LTD:(1967)
In recent years many have started to take a more favorable view of the "Pre-Fab Four", and I am here today to throw my hat into that ring, and defend the Monkees. Sure, I enjoyed reruns of their TV show. To be honest, I grew up believing that what they depicted, and The Beatles, was just the way bands were supposed to live. Reality has sadly robbed me of this illusion. 

Now, today, I want to talk about this album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones LTD. It's the band's fourth album, and one where they were trying to wield more control, playing their own instruments, and writing their own songs. The final product is a top notch roly-poly sixties adventure made with a fine Pop sensibility. It also includes a wonderful cover of Nilsson's Cuddly Toy. But, what drew me to the album most, was that it contains the first commercial recording usage of the Moog synthesizer. Which appears first on side A toward the end on the song Love Is Only Sleeping, and again toward the end of side B on the song Daily Nightly. The latter is a particular favorite, exemplifying the best of the Pop psychedelia swirling around in 1967.  

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