| Subject: The Monkees!!!! |
Author:
Treg
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Date Posted: 07:40:49 10/12/05 Wed
The Monkees havent had a lot of coverage so far on this forum and truly they deserve it.
The Monkees is a story which is both fortunate and unfortunate. Fortunately The Monkees were extremely popular for a short time in the 60s. Unfortunately because they were not a band that 'formed' themselves but rather were put together by slick television producers with a keen eye for 'whats happening' The Monkees have not been taken seriously by music critics and anthologists. They have been recognized as a 'Milly Vanilli' or that kid on 'Josh and Drake'. They have been percieved as four guys with no musical talent who got lucky on their t.v. show and are not legitimate artists.
This perception could not be further from the truth. While it is true that studio musicians were used for their first two albums (released within four months of each other), beginning with 'Headquarters' released in March of 1967, The four had assumed almost complete artistic control.
Before being hired for the television show Mike was already a recording artist. He had released at least one album of his own compositions. He was an excelent singer, guitar player and composer. Peter was a member of the New York folk scene who had recently headed to the Left Coast. He was a proficient banjo, bass, guitar and keyboard player with a paletable talent and knowledge of classical and also dabbled in songwriting. Micky had perhaps the purist voice in the music industry. He could hit notes that Yoko Ono dreamed of. He could sing as sweetly as Dusty Springfield or snarl like Billy Riley. In time he crafted a pretty decent talent for songwritting. Just before their first tour late in '66, he took a crash course in drumming and went from passable to pretty good. Possibly because of his lack of training, he has a unique style all of his own. Davy could sure shake those marraccas.
Their artistic output in just 3 years is nothing short of remarkable. In that time, The Monkees performed (and at times wrote and directed) their weekly t.v. show, went on tour at least 3 times, recorded 8 albums, as best as I can count, and starred in a feature length movie.
By 1967 television shows were taped using only one camera. Each time the director wished to change the angle, the actors would cut, reposition and the scean would be shot again. It was Mickys idea to use 2 cameras simultaniously which revolutionized the t.v. industry.
The Monkees were also a very important symbol of the changing society because they were in control of their own lives and ideologies. Up to that time television young adults were under the supervision of an adult figure. For the first time in television young people were living on their own, paying their own rent, making their own decisions without the wisdom and guidance of a seasoned and responsible adult.
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