The Monkee's debut album

Albums back cover

My copy of the album reviewed,this is the original Colgems 1966 pressing

It's hard to believe that this manufactured pop group would go on to outsell The Beatles and Rolling Stones combined,that is until the Fab Four recorded Sgt. Pepper in 1967.

The Monkees had the same share as The Beatles of screaming and fainting female 12 year olds equipped with their own security guards,and like The Beatles would have been torn apart had one wondered from the safety of their limos and police escorts.

Concieved in 1965 by Bob Rafelson and partner Burt Schieder,no one would have dreamed this pre Fab Four would become a phenomenon. Below,ad for Monkee love beads.

The Monkee's debut album is a wonderful mix of gorgeous pop tunes,well crafted from such writers as Carol King,Boyce and Hart,and David Gates featuring studio musicians like Glen Campbell.

The album opens with the bands welcoming hit [theme from]  The Monkees letting us know that ''were the young generation,and we've got something to say'',a lyric that almost got bleated by the censors then takes us to Saturday's Child,a gorgeous riff written by future Bread leader David Gates with Micky on vocals. I want to be free is Davy's first Monkee offering that is ok,but no classic,not the case with the third ''Tommoros gonna be another day'' with guitar riffs that rival anything the Beatles ever offered.

Papa Gene's Blues,a Nez self penned beauty was originally and mistakenly called Papa GENE'S Blues,and was later corrected.

Take a giant step is a semi psychedelic Carol King written song sung by Micky that is absolutely gorgeous,using vocal overdubs,and is one of the albums best songs,with lyrics that are hard to rival.

Side 2 starts off with the anti war song ''Last Train To Clarksville'',again,another song The Beatles could not top,with the haunting TRAAAIIIIN harmonies in the background,an audacious song to begin with as it's lyrics were a tale of a man drafted to the Nam who tells his lover I don't know if I'm ever coming home again sung wonderfully by Micky. Clarksville stayed at #1 on the charts for weeks in 1966.

The remainder of the album is fabulous but not superb,Gonna Buy Me a Dog with Micky and Davy is a witty novelty song. This album is not what I call bubblegum like the album that followed ''More of The Monkees released the same year,and without the bands knowing.

Listening to this,it's not hard to understand how Mike Davy,Peter and Micky outsold the band they were trying to emulate,this album is pure beauty. Below,painting by me.