85. The Monkees - Headquarters (May 1967)

1. You Told Me

2. I'll Spend My Life with You

3. Forget That Girl*

4. Band 6

5. You Just May Be the One

6. Shades of Grey*

7. I Can't Get Her Off My Mind

8. For Pete's Sake

9. Mr. Webster

10. Sunny Girlfriend

11. Zilch

12. No Time

13. Early Morning Blues and Greens*

14. Randy Scouse Git

B+

And we're back. Possibly because I watched Last Night in Soho, and it reminded me that the 1960s existed.

I've always had a bit of a soft spot for the Monkees. I used to watch their TV show now and then, and obviously they had a number of classic songs and I always felt they were pretty unfairly maligned. Reading about them, it turns out the band weren't just angry about their lack of creative input early on, but were also angry that they had been misrepresented as an actual band when they initially considered themselves actors, effectively misleading the public and robbing the writers and musicians who actually created their early songs of credit. So, stand up guys.

This is the first Monkees album, however, where the band play on all the songs, and had input as to which songs they wanted to record, included original compositions by the members, and had a say in the arrangement and production. And the result is a pretty solid album. There's no "Daydream Believer" or "A Little Bit Me (A Little Bit You)" here, true, but Headquarters is a very solid collection of songs. I doubt it would have sold as well as it did (the number two album for 1967!) if it didn't have the massive publicity boost of being a Monkees album, but that doesn't mean it's not a good listen. 

Listening through a couple of times, there are two things that strike me. The first is the little experimental tracks that are included. "Band 6" is a throwaway country rock goof, while "Zilch" is a deeply strange experimental track consisting of the band members repeating odd phrases over the top of one another. It's a solid reminder that the Monkees were a group of comedians, as well as singers, and stands in contrast to the second thing that struck me - namely, that there are a few rather dark songs here. "Shades of Grey" is a meditation on lost innocence, and the difficulty in knowing the right thing to do and making meaning of the modern world. "Early Morning Greens and Blues" is a sad little description of a lonely life and a wasted day. Both contrast pretty strongly with the Monkees' image as a bunch of goofy popsters, and add a little emotional weight to an album that's largely sunny in disposition.

So apart from the two short goofs, which exist beyond criticism, the only song I don't like is "You Told Me". It may or may not be a joke, but it's clearly just a (admittedly pretty well executed) Beatles rip-off, and not even a rip-off of one of their better songs. It had me a bit worried, starting the album in such a way. Thankfully after that the musical style is a sort of strange synthesis of most of the music we've had up to this point - a little Beatles, a little Byrds, a little Paul Revere, a healthy dose of the Beach Boys, and even nods to show tunes and classic 60s pop. The result is a rich, varied album of memorable tunes. "Forget That Girl", in particular, is a real gem, with gorgeous vocals and a catchy melody, delivering a mature take on the end of a toxic relationship.

Anyway, I think that's it for the Monkees. They had their moment in the sun, proved the haters wrong, and left a lasting mark on pop music that more "serious" or "authentic" bands could only dream of. Is that fair? I don't know. I prefer singer-songwriters, but I don't have a problem with talented performers using songs others have written for them. It's what pop stars have always done, and it has just as important a place in our culture as any other means of artistic expression. I mean, can Kylie Minogue writer songs? I don't know, but "Love at First Sight" and "Better the Devil You Know" both kick arse. God awful factory-produced pop crap is another matter, obviously (I once saw an interview with a producer explaining that computers now allowed them to modify a single master track into countless new, barely indistinguishable songs, and effectively create a pop assembly line, which is troubling), but the Monkees have held up because, whoever was writing or playing, they were a vehicle for some truly amazing songs.