So! My CD copy of
Good Times! has arrived! Review time! First of all, it's not going to be the kind of detailed reviews that we used to do in Monkees fandom. XD I haven't heard it enough times for that, but get back to me in 10-15 years, and I'll be able to delve in with the best of them. Just going to give impressions I guess. I actually have no idea how I'm going to set it up, I'm winging it. DU FINE.
( Pictures and outside stuffCollapse )SongsGeneral: This is a great, classically Monkees album. Most of the songs are performed by Micky, but there's a good selection of Mike and Peter, and they included a "new" Davy song, a la the Beatles' "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love".
The tone of the songs are very true to the music they played during their "heyday" as it were. As a contrast, their other reunion album, "Justus", was much more exploratory, and for the most part very different from their original style. I like that about it. It's kind of cool that this would fit right in with "The Birds, The Bees and the Monkees", or even "More of the Monkees", and you wouldn't feel a sense of shift, like if you listened to "MotM", and then busted out "Pool It!" or even "Head". It's not easy to get the feel of your original selves without sounding forced or fake, and they managed it. Kudos! If you like the Monkees, I would say buy it, and not just "for completion". You will enjoy yourself.
Oh, and there are plenty of Beatles references in the sound (and sometimes the words) on several of these songs. The last song is really absolutely blatant, they're not even trying to hide it. Or rather, they
are trying to emphasize it. And, for the record, I find
nothing wrong with that. I think it's kind of fun how bold they are with it, just like they were bold with it when they first came out. When they decided to make a reference, tney
made a reference. XD
( Wherein Michelle decides not to do a play-by-play review, then pretty much does a play-by-play reviewCollapse )Summary-ish Stuff: Would I recommend this? Yes! If you're a Monkees fan, you will enjoy it. You will have fun, you will not regret your purchase. Sadly, for obvious reasons there is only one Davy song, but I enjoyed "Pool It!" even though Mike was absent, so hopefully that isn't a deal breaker for most. Also, you will probably find yourself breaking out the albums and the TV show, because you suddenly remember how much fun you had when you just allowed yourself to be silly. XD