The Monkees: The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (Japanese Pressing) CD Track Listing

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The Monkees The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (Japanese Pressing) (1968)
The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (Japanese Pressing)\n1992 BMG Victor - Japan\n\nOriginally Released April 22, 1968\nJapanese CD Edition Released October 21, 1992\nRhino Remastered + Expanded CD Edition Released September 20, 1994\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Not one of their better efforts, dominated almost wholly by session musicians (with the occasional songwriting and instrumental contribution by Mike Nesmith) and containing too many sickly sweet Davy Jones-sung numbers. It does have the hits "Daydream Believer" and "Valleri," as well as Nesmith's "Tapioca Tundra," which just inched into the Top 40, but overall the material is pretty weak. The CD adds some previously unissued songs and alternate takes, the only one of interest being Peter Tork's "Lady's Baby," which sounds like a Buffalo Springfield outtake with its laid-back country/folk/rock flavor. -- Richie Unterberger\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThis album gets knocked unfairly..., March 14, 2005 \nBy Chet L. Young\n\nIt's certainly no PISCES, AQUARIUS...(the only truly cohesive album the Monkees ever did), but it's still a lot of fun. Since this was the group's "White Album", of sorts, I'll review each member's contributions seperately. \nDAVY JONES--Including the bonus material, Davy gets the greatest number of tracks on THE BIRDS, THE BEES, AND THE MONKEES: a whopping seven(and he wrote the lyrics for three or four of them). The hits, "Daydream Believer" and "Valleri", are of course terrific, but most of Davy's other efforts on this album are subpar...with the exception of the opening song, the catchy, horn-driven "Dream World". \nMIKE NESMITH--Mike sings on three tracks, all of which he wrote; "Magnolia Simms", a quirky, affectionate parody of 1920s popular music, is the best of these. "Tapioca Tundra" is kind of a less melancholy version of "The Door Into Summer"(from PISCES, AQUARIUS), and has some loopy psychedelic overtones. "Writing Wrongs", a long track with an extended atonal jam in the middle, is all-out psychedelia and, while entertaining, borders on being a downer(which doesn't bother me, but some Monkees fans might find it a bit heavy for their tastes). \nMICKY DOLENZ--Unfortunately, Micky is the only Monkee who didn't get a writing credit on this album. He does, however, contribute vocals to four solid songs: the countrified "Auntie's Municipal Court"(co-written by Mike); the poppy, upbeat "I'll Be Back Up On My Feet"; the brief anti-war chant "Zor and Zam"(which was put to great use, in an alternate version, on the final episode of the Monkees' TV show); and Boyce and Hart's magnificent "P.O. Box 9847", a trippy pop number that should have been a single. \nPETER TORK--Once again, Peter is underrepresented. With the exception of the piano track on "Daydream Believer", he has only one contribution here: the Beatle-esque outtake "Lady's Baby". You can hear him straining to sing in a rock voice, but this--and the total sincerity of what he's saying in the lyrics--actually makes the song work. \nOverall, a good album. You can hear the Monkees expanding their horizons just as their popularity was peaking. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nOdds'n'Sods mix of good, bad and everything in-between (3.5), July 28, 2003 \nBy Michael Topper (Pacific Palisades, California United States)\nIt's easy to see why this album receives such mixed reviews from the reviewers below. Unlike the focused, cohesive low key sound of "Headquarters" and the glittery psych-pop fiesta "Pisces Aquarious...", this one is all over the map, moving from conventional orchestrated ballads to some truly off-kilter psych experiments, social protest, bouncy pop and other tunes which are simply uncategorizable. The quality also ranges from the superb ("Valleri", "Zor And Zam") to the awful ("Dream World", "Magnolia Simms"). Not surprisingly, it was recorded in fractured conditions, with each member producing their own tracks, although Peter Tork was almost completely left off of the final product despite having written and recorded at least five songs of his own during the sessions (some of which would end up on the next album, "Head"). \nDavy Jones' syrupy compositions "Dream World" and "The Poster" are predictably the weakest, although he puts in fine vocals for the two hits "Daydream Believer" (a refugee from the "Pisces" sessions that was saved for this one) and the fuzz-rocker "Valleri" (an even earlier outtake from the "More Of The Monkees" period that was re-recorded here). Mike Nesmith puts in a record four tunes of his own, and although they are all interesting, they are not as strong as his contributions to the previous albums: "Auntie's Municipal Court" is a catchy number with a cool vocal treatment and "Writing Wrongs" is an underrated, keyboard-driven proto-prog piece, but "Magnolia Simms" and "Tapioca Tundra" are essentially throwaways bolstered with overblown arrangements. Dolenz, however, weighs in with two excellent performances on the Boyce/Hart would-be psych hit "PO Box 9847" and the closing anti-war mini-epic "Zor And Zam" (in which he impersonates Grace Slick amazingly well). \n\nEven the best songs here do not hit the heights of "Pisces Aquarious", however, and the fractured, odds'n'sods feel of the album as a whole does not help. What's puzzling are the great number of superior tunes that were left as outtakes, some of which are included here, some of which would make it to "Head" and some of which wouldn't see the light of day until the "Missing Links" volumes decades later. A much stronger, more cohesive album could've been compiled with the best five or six songs here ("Valleri", "Auntie's Municipal Court", "Daydream Believer", "Zor And Zam", "PO Box 9847" and maybe "I'll Be Back Upon My Feet" or "Writing Wrongs") and some of the better outtakes, but as it stands, "The Birds The Bees And The Monkees" remains one of the group's more piecemeal efforts. Still recommended for fans, but only just. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nWeak, May 28, 2003 \nBy M. J KILLEEN (Collingdale, PA USA)\n\nThis was a weak album -- a disappointing follow-up to the superior 'Pisces' LP, and the end of the Monkees' artistic winning streak. There are several very weak Davy songs on this record (including some he co-wrote himself like 'Dream World' and 'The Poster'). These drag down the rest of the record, but there is plenty of blame to go around. Pretentious tracks like 'Zor and Zam' and 'P.O. Box 9847' ultimately don't have anything new to say. The two very good tracks, 'Daydream Believer' and 'Valleri' were actually recorded previously to this album's sessions, and seem to be included here to bolster a bad product -- it helps, but not enough. Although 'Auntie's Municipal Court' is decent, the sole original gem here is Mike's 'Tapioca Tundra' -- a weird, but very good Latin-influenced rock song. The bonus tracks are nothing special. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSeparate but not equal, March 6, 2002 \nBy redtunictroll (Earth, USA)\nThis mid-period effort is effectively The Monkees "White Album." Given collective production credit and individual allotments of studio time, Mickey, Davy and Mike each held separate sessions to produce their contributions. Peter Tork, though pictured, is basically absent from the original album (though he appears in the bonus tracks appended to this reissue).\nNesmith's contributions are the real stars, including brilliant psychedelic influences on "Auntie's Municipal Court," featuring layered, droning guitars and a filtered lead vocal from Mickey. "Tapioca Tundra" melds Latin rhythms with space-age production touches, beautifully recorded stereo guitars and a wonderfully memorable melody. Further out, Nesmith salutes the music of dusty 78s on the monaural "Magnolia Simms" and unwinds on the lengthy experimental rock of "Writing Wrongs." The diversity of his work is hugely impressive.\n\nDavy's tracks are mostly the sort of treacly ballads he'd come to on his own. Carole Bayer's "We Were Made For Each Other," and his own "Dream World" simply don't have much going for them. "The Poster" ventures into the sort of harmonies made popular by the Hollies and Bee Gees. The only truly bright spots are John Stewart's "Daydream Believer," the Monkees last #1 single, and Boyce and Hart's "Valleri."\n\nMickey is not as well-served by his songwriters as on previous albums. Boyce and Hart's "P.O. Box 9847" is filled with their usual tackle-box full of hooks, but "I'll Be Back Up on My Feet Again" is a forgettable pop tune. The cautionary tale, "Zor and Zam," closes the album with a dramatic tale of kings unable to war.\n\nThe bonus tracks provide two glimpses of the soon-to-depart Peter Tork. "Alvin," an acapella piece that was originally to introduce "Daydream Believer," and the legendarily expensive production of "Lady's Baby." The latter is more famous for its cost than its content, which is a Lovin' Spoonful-Buffalo Springfield-Mama's & Papa's-ish ode to Tork's live-in lady's baby. Two more Davy ballads ("I'm Gonna Try" and "The Girl I Left Behind Me") are, well, two more Davy Ballads. Finally, an early mix of "P.O. Box 9847" is interesting for its changes (most notably a Moog synthesizer in place of the strings), but doesn't stand up to the final mix.\n\nThe group dynamic forged on "Headquarters" and "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.," was all but dissipated by this fifth effort. The result is a middling album with some fine tracks by Michael Nesmith and a handful of stellar hit singles. As a "band," however, the Monkees had clearly peaked. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\n uneven but ultimately engaging, January 6, 2001 \nBy Jason Penick (Oakland, CA)\n\nAs much of a grab-bag as this record is, it remains one of my most listened to Monkees LPs. One thing I really like about this record is the fact that while everybody seems to feel that some tracks are better than others, no one ever really agrees on exactly which tracks those are. Certainly the average Monkeefan is bound to dislike Nesmith's "Writing Wrongs" because of its length and the odd way in which the parts are glued (a meandering middle section that was actually intended to be a seperate track). However, a fan of West Coast Psychedelia would probably tell you it's one of the best songs on the entire album, and would point to Davy Jones' contributions as the low-points. I tend to side with the second viewpoint, and I find all four of Nesmith's contributions to be some of his most engaging work (even the retro-20's "Magnolia Simms"). Mike was obviously way too creative at this point to be forced into the kind of "please the fans" records the Monkees were making at the time. As a result, his four compositions almost stand apart as a seperate record by a seperate artist.\nAs for the other three Monkees, Micky does pretty well with the Boyce/ Hart composition "PO Box 9847" and Linzer/ Randall's "I'll Be Back Up On My Feet". His highlight here, though, is certainly Bill Chadwick's eerie "Zor and Zam" which was featured on the last episode of their TV show. Comparisions to Grace Slick's vocals are justified. Peter, who was originally shut out from placing a track on the LP though he had several to choose from, is finally paid his due in this reissue. His "Lady's Baby" is a fine composition featuring Steven Stills and Dewey Martin of the Buffalo Springfield. "Alvin" is a cute but disposable sing-along penned by Tork's brother. I'd have rather heard Pete's "Tear the Top Right Off My Head" in its place, but that song is available on Missing Links 3. Davy finishes in last place with four new ballads, two of which he co-wrote that border on unlistenability (at least to these ears). However, he is somewhat redeemed by his vocals on the classic singles "Valleri" and "Daydream Believer".\n\nAs stated in earlier reviews, this is the work of four disparate musicians working independantly with their own backing bands. This kind of thing turns a lot of people off, and has never helped in a critical sense. Yet, if you stop thinking about who's playing what and just let the music hit you, you may find this record does have some common ground. The result is something like a cross between the Byrds, the Kinks, the Raiders and the early Airplane, blended together and filtered through the popular AM radio sounds of the day. A true 60's time capsule in other words, with five outstanding tracks-- "Tapioca Tundra", "Writing Wrongs", "Zor & Zam", "Auntie's Municipal Court" and "Lady's Baby". \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nPsychedelic Fun!, December 25, 1999 \nBy Henry R. Kujawa ("The Forbidden Zone" (Camden, NJ))\n\nThe first time I heard this album most of it was a pleasant surprise, since only 4 of the songs had ever turned up on the TV show. It still seems strange to me that with dozens of unreleased songs at the time, The Monkees went full-tilt creating even MORE, which left little room for any sort of cross-promotion. My faves here include "Dream World", "Auntie's Municipal Court", "Tapioca Tundra", "Daydream Believer" (left over from the previous era), "The Poster" (as a "circus" song I like this MUCH more than "Mr. Kite"), "Magnolia Simms" (what a riot!) "Valleri" (probably the only time I think a remake was equal to the original) and "Zor And Zam" (what a POWERFUL message!). I was very disappointed with "I'll Be Back Up On My Feet", the album's OTHER remake, as the original (found on Rhino's MISSING LINKS VOL.2) had FAR superior playing AND singing! Bonus track "Alvin" wasn't on the LP, and it's a really "cute" bit from Peter. (Whereas "Lady's Baby" was bad enough on MISSING LINKS-- I could have done without the baby talking.) Overall, a wild, fun, eclectic mix far superior to the follow-up INSTANT REPLAY. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nOne of their weakest albums, March 27, 1999 \nReviewer: A music fan\n\nThis is one of the weakest Monkees albums to date. My real rating would be 2 1/2 stars, but I had to round up.\nOne reason this album suffers is because Davy Jones tries his hand at writing songs. His two efforts are completely unlistenable. He sang on three other tracks here, but the only good one is "Valleri" (sorry, "Daydream Believer" does nothing for me.)\n\nMichael Nesmith went totally experimental here, and it wasn't a bad thing, most of the time. His Latin-sounding "Tapioca Tundra" is probably the best. "Magnolia Simms" is kind of fun, but "Writing Wrongs" is a snoozer.\n\nMicky Dolenz sang on Mike's "Auntie's Municipal Court," the only Nez-written song here that's down-to-earth. "P.O. Box 9847," while not too bad, suffers in comparison to the psychedelic material on the previous album. "I'll Be Back Up On My Feet" is great, but "Zor and Zam" is way overdone, especially Micky's dramatic vocals. I don't mention bonus tracks in most of my reviews, but the only notable one here is Peter Tork's "Lady's Baby." It would have given this mediocre album a lift if it were released on it the first time. \n\n\nHalf.com Details \nContributing artists: Buddy Miles, Hal Blaine, Harry Nilsson, James Burton, Stephen Stills \n\nAlbum Notes\nThe Monkees: Peter Tork (vocals, guitar, piano); Michael Nesmith (vocals, guitar); Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz (vocals).\n\nAdditional personnel includes: Michael Deasy, Al Hendrickson, Gerry McGee, Keith Allison, Bill Chadwick, Dennis Budimir, James Burton, Al Casey, Howard Roberts, Louie Shelton, Lance Wakely, Stephen Stills (guitar); Michael Melvoin (piano, harpsichord); Don Randi, Paul T. Smith, Keith "Red" Mitchell (piano); Harry Nilsson (keyboards); Max Bennett, Richard Dey, Chip Douglas, Lyle Ritz, Joe Osborne, Red Callender (bass); Earl Palmer, Eddie Hoh, Billy Lewis, Milt Holland, Hal Blaine, Buddy Miles (drums).\n\nProducers: The Monkees, Chip Douglas.\nReissue producers: Andrew Sandoval, Bill Inglot.\n\nRecorded at Western Recorders, RCA Victor Studios and United Recorders, Hollywood, California between June 1967 and March 1968. \n\nTracks 1-12 originally released on Colgems (109). \nIncludes liner notes by Andrew Sandoval.\n\nIndustry Reviews\n6 - Good - ...display[s]...[Michael] Nesmith's burgeoning West Coast country-rock sound...\nNME (02/18/1995)\n\n4 Stars - Excellent - ...It's a strange, daring, even deep album, moving from Nesmith's sci-fi C&W to Dolenz's nightmare vaudeville, using the full limit of studio gimmickry to make its courageous point...\nQ (03/01/1995)
This rock cd contains 12 tracks and runs 37min 36sec.
Freedb: b108ce0c
Buy: from Amazon.com

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