Customer Reviews

The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (3 CD Boxed Set)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Disc 1 - The Original Stereo Album & More

1. Dream World
2. Auntie's Municipal Court
3. We Were Made For Each Other
4. Tapioca Tundra
5. Daydream Believer
6. Writing Wrongs
7. I'll Be Back Up On My Feet
8. The Poster
9. P.O. Box 9847
10. Magnolia Simms
11. Valleri
12. Zor And Zam
13. Through The Looking Glass (1968 Stereo Mix)
14. Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again (Alternate Mix)
15. D.W. Washburn (1968 Stereo Mix)
16. It's Nice To Be With You (1968 Stereo Mix)
17. Carlisle Wheeling (1967 Stereo Mix)
18. Rosemarie (1968 Stereo Mix)
19. My Share Of The Sidewalk (1968 Stereo Mix)
20. Alvin (Alternate Take)
21. We Were Made For Each Other (Alternate Backing Track)
22. The Girl I Left Behind Me (1967 Stereo Mix)
23. Little Red Rider (Acoustic Version)
24. Lady's Baby (1968 Stereo Mix)
25. Ceiling In My Room (1967 Stereo Mix)
26. I'm A Man (Backing Track)
27. Me Without You (1968 Stereo Mix)


Disc 2 - The Original Mono Album & More

1. Dream World
2. Auntie's Municipal Court
3. We Were Made For Each Other
4. Tapioca Tundra
5. Daydream Believer
6. Writing Wrongs
7. I'll Be Back Up On My Feet
8. The Poster
9. P.O. Box 9847
10. Magnolia Simms
11. Valleri
12. Zor And Zam
13. Alvin (1968 Mono Mix)
14. While I Cry (1968 Mono Mix)
15. D.W. Washburn (Mono Single Mix)
16. It's Nice To Be With You (Mono Single Mix)
17. Come On In (1968 Mono Mix)
18. Carlisle Wheeling (1968 Mono Mix)
19. Rosemarie (1968 Mono Mix)
20. The Girl I Left Behind Me (1967 Mono Mix)
21. Seeger's Theme (Alternate Version)
22. Tear The Top Right Off my Head (Micky's Vocal)
23. My Share Of The Sidewalk (1968 Mono Mix)
24. Lady's Baby (1968 Mono Mix)
25. Ceiling In My Room (1967 Mono Mix)
26. Merry Go Round (1968 Mono Mix)
27. Don't Listen To Linda (1968 Mono Mix)
28. Me Without You (1968 Mono Mix)
29. Zor And Zam (TV Version)
30. Teen Radio Spot


Disc 3 - The Birds, The Bees & The Raritees

1. Monkees Adult Stereo 8 Spot
2. Tear The Top Right Off My Head (Peter's Vocal)
3. Auntie's Municipal Court (Mike's Vocal)
4. P.O. Box 9847 (1968 Alternate Stereo Mix)
5. War Games (Version One)
6. Lady's Baby
7. Tapioca Tundra (1967 Alternate Stereo Mix)
8. D.W. Washburn (Alternate Mix With Bass Vocal)
9. Nine Times Blue (Version Two - Davy's Vocal)
10. Lady's Baby (Acoustic Version)
11. While I Cry (Alternate Mono Mix)
12. Shorty Blackwell (Rehearsal)
13. Laurel And Hardy
14. Seeger's Theme (Acoustic Version)
15. Tapioca Tundra (Acoustic Version)
16. Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)
17. War Games (Version Two)
18. (I Prithee) Do Not Ask For Love (Second Recorded Version)
19. My Share Of The Sidewalk (Mike's Vocal Version)
20. Shake 'Em Up And Let 'Em Roll (Alternate Vocal Version)
21. Changes (2009 Mix)
22. Merry Go Round (Version One)
23. Magnolia Simms (Acoustic Version)
24. I'm Gonna Try
25. Seeger's Theme (Electric Version)
26. Magnolia Simms (Stereo Remix)
27. The Girl I Left Behind Me (Third Recorded Version)
28. Merry Go Round (Third Recorded Version)
29. Nine Times Blue (Version Two - Mike's Vocal)
30. The Party (2009 Mix)
31. I Wasn't Born To Follow (Backing Track)



Bonus 45-RPM Vinyl Single (early editions only)

A. St. Matthew (acoustic version)
B. Lady's Baby (alternate acoustic version)

This is a really finely crafted album, with lots of different types of songs--psychedelic, schmaltzy Davy ballads, Mike's country-western-type music, and the peppy pop The Monkees got famous for. As other reviewers have pointed out, it's kind of like their White Album, and even more out there than PAC&J, which plays like The Monkees on acid. It's one of those albums that, while great, isn't ideal for a new fan, one that even for an old fan like myself (I've been a fan since their 1986 revival) needs multiple playings for it to really sink in and grow to appreciate and really really love. I have a 1996 vinyl reissue with two bonus tracks, the first two bonus tracks on the CD remaster.

My faves on here are "Dream World" (Davy has been my favourite since I first got into them at six years old; otherwise I might very well not think that highly of the schmaltzy songs he's usually stuck singing!), "We Were Made for Each Other," "Tapioca Tundra" (it reached #34 on the charts), "Daydream Believer" of course, "Writing Wrongs" (I seem to be in the minority of people who like this weird trippy song, but then again, I also love the weird Beatles' sound collage "Revolution No. 9"), "I'll Be Back Up on My Feet," "P.O. Box 9847," "Valleri," and "Zor and Zam." The lattermost always gives me chills; the ending line is just as eerie and pertinent today, considering what's going on in the world now. It was played during the last episode of their tv show as well.

The two bonus tracks I have are an alternate version of "P.O. Box 9847" with a synth instead of strings, and a cute schmaltzy co-written Davy number, "I'm Gonna Try." I got into The Monkees for their upbeat happy pop songs, songs which I would probably hate were they coming from most other bands or groups, but even these more mature, introspective, and trippy songs are happy and fun. The Monkees are known for their fun pop, which makes it harder for a new fan or a non-fan to appreciate the beauty and genius on this album.

I'm not adverse to someone making a profit but this set as of 2/26/10 is STILL available from Rhino Handmade for around $59.00. It seems excessive and greedy to be selling something STILL in print for 4x what it cost. That said, we get both the stereo and mono versions of the album, bonus tracks/demos/alternate takes/instrumental unfinished tracks.

"The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees" was the band's last top 10 album (it reached #3 in the U.S.)and while it isn't as consistent as the two preceding albums ("Headquarters" and "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd"), it does have quite a few gems including Mike Nesmith's highest charting song (the b-side "Tapioca Tundra" a brilliant slice of quirky pop which reached #34 on Billboard's singles chart), "Valleri", "Daydream Believer" (two of Davy Jones' best vocal performances), the quirky vintage sounding "Magnolia Sims" again by Nez (which actually "skips" on purpose and reminds me a bit of McCartney's "Honey Pie" in that it evokes the music of a bygone era but still has a 60's quality to it), the experimental "Writing Wrongs", Mickey Dolenz performing "Zor and Zam" an anti-war song that was originally intended for an unmade children's cartoon show.

You get both the mono (some of the tracks are needle drops) and remastered stereo versions of the albums, demos for songs some of which would end up on later Monkee releases ("Instant Replay"). The oversize booklet is quite nice with plenty of info on the recording of the album and the 3D lenticular cover a big plus as well. The CDs are stored (for the mono and stereo versions of the albums)in cardboard replicas of the original vinyl packaging. My only complaint is that Rhino went to so much effort but couldn't give us plastic inserts to safely keep the CDs in without them becoming scratched. The packaging is oversized about the same dimensions as a 45 when housed in its sleeve.

Overall Andrew Sandoval producer of this set gets an A+ for his efforts and for also digging out a variety of interesting demos and rarities with some pulled from rare acetates. The mastering by Sandoval and Dan Hirsch is pretty good overall and the CDs aren't brickwalled. The original album would earn a 3 star rating but when you add in all the bonus tracks and exceptional packaging (missing plastic sleeves aside), the set earns an extra star for all the love that clearly went into this set. If you can order it from Rhino Handmade--it's less expensive.

This is a great 3-CD set of the Monkees' fifth album. All the stereo tracks. All the mono tracks. And loads of bonus tracks. Awkward packaging. Rhino seems obsessed with putting Monkee CDs (and DVDs) into the kind of packages that might cause scratches each time you remove the discs. Bypass the gougers who want to charge you $100 and up for this collection before it goes out of print. Go right to Rhinohandmade and order it directly. It's still in print. You'll save lots of money.

It'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.
DAVY 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".
MIKE 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).
MICKY 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.
PETER 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.
Overall, a good album. You can hear the Monkees expanding their horizons just as their popularity was peaking.

The only thing I could think of to say about this album is "strange". This album was the in-between point of when the Monkees went from being on top of the world to the bottom of the pile. The previous Monkees album (Pisces Aquarius Capricorn and Jones) was #1, and the album that followed this one (Head) was a disaster, sales wise anyway. This was also the first album to be released after their TV show was cancelled. The Birds The Bees and The Monkees really reflects their in-between period, as there are huge hits such as Daydream Believer, and Valleri, then there's a lot of odd songs not typical of the Monkees style at the time, such as Magnolia Simms and Writing Wrongs. It's not one of my favorite Monkees albums, but it's still very good. Here are my reviews of the songs:

1. Dream World - Not a very good way to start the album. It's not a horrible song, but it's definitely not one of Davy's best efforts. 5/10

2. Auntie's Municipal Court - They pick it back up here with a very good Mike song. All of Mike's songs on this album are very different sounding and experimental. He puts on a great showing. Micky on vocals and Mike backing always sounds great. 8/10

3. We Were Made For Each Other - Sometimes I don't mind the sappy Davy songs, but I'm just not a big fan of this one.
3/10

4. Tapioca Tundra - Interesting choice to go with this as the flip side of Valleri. It's an excellent song, but I don't think that the young Monkees fans of the time were in to this stuff. However, I think this is yet another great Mike song, with some great lyrics, and actually really catchy after a while. 9/10

5. Daydream Believer - I won't really say much about this. Obviously one of their biggest hits. 10/10

6. Writing Wrongs - Once again Mike comes with a great song, and one which sounds different from his previous two. Some people may get bored with this, considering it's a little over 5 minutes long, with about 3 minutes being instrumental. I think it's amazing, although I'm partial to Nesmith's songs. 8/10

7. I'll Be Back Upon My Feet - Classic Monkees song that they brought back and re-recorded from the early days. Personally I like the original version (which was on the TV show) better. This one's real good too, just a little faster, and some horns added in. 9/10

8. The Poster - All I could say is that I just can't get into the songs that Davy writes. This song is kind of catchy, but the lyrics are just so dumb. There's only about 1 or 2 songs Davy wrote that I like. 6/10

9. PO Box 9847 - Well it's not exactly a Boyce/Hart masterpiece, but it's not bad. I think it grows on you after time. 7/10

10. Magnolia Simms - The worst of the four Nesmith songs, in my opinion and not one of my favorites of his. This is another one that kind of grows on you after a while. Either that or the fake record skipping in the middle of the song will drive you nuts after a while.

11. Valleri - Another big hit for the Monkees and a very cool song. I actually like this better than the original version they used for the TV show.
9/10

12. Zor and Zam - For some reason I just love this song. It's just some intense vocals from Micky, and it tells a story. I've always liked it since I was a little kid.

Nothing really stands out too much on the bonus tracks. I like the version of Lady's Baby with the sounds effects of a baby crying at the beginning.

So with the mixture of pop hits, and experimental songs, this album gets a strange, but good review.

This collection rounds out the Rhino remasters of the Monkees' first five albums. The set is beautifully executed with replicas of the original album covers and even the original record insert that listed their first five albums with track listings. (This insert appears on the inside of the box lid and was originally included as a paper sleeve with the later 1960s pressings of their albums.) There is also a very nice booklet which delves into the recording process and outlines the beginning of the end for the group. The music itself offers a large selection of previously unreleased early versions of songs, remasters/remixes of Missing Links tunes, and even a couple of instrumental backing tracks of aborted songs! As you read about the sessions and listen to this wealth of recordings, between studio time and songwriting and session playing, you can't help but be amazed at how expensive this album must have been to produce!

Great care has been taken once again to restore these tracks to a level at which they have never before existed. Sometimes Rhino may go a little overboard on the out-takes, and the more noticeable reverb and doubled vocals (looking at you, "Carlisle Wheeling") can be jarring at times. But there's no denying they sound fantastic.

For some reason Rhino continues their fetish with mono albums. I guess that's a '60s thing. Growing up in the '80s, I want everything in stereo and have little use for the mono tracks unless there is no stereo version available. So to me the whole mono disc seems like a waste of space, but it's there if that's your thing.

My only complaint is that some things are missing that I expected to be on there. Most notably, there is no remastered version of "Valleri" with the extended ending (the version on the album fades out, and that is all we get here). We get an extended version of "Party" but not "Valleri"? Really? And since I doubt there will be a remaster of Instant Replay, it sure would have been nice to get a good, clean STEREO version of "While I Cry" (which I consider one of their greatest songs), but all we get is a mono mix. Very disappointing.

Purchased from Rhino Handmade directly (as of May, 2010 -- I don't think the set is limited edition, though, so it is likely still available as your read this), the set leaves me somewhat ambivalent as it is undeniably great, but the $60 price tag amplifies the disappointments. Had it been a $25 set like the previous four I might not care so much. Still, this is a set no fan should be without. We should all be thankful we have a company like Rhino who appreciates the Monkees enough to release something like this.

This 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).

Nesmith'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.

Davy'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."

Mickey 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.

The 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.

The 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.

It'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").

Davy 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).

Even 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.

Sooo many people put this album down, but it really is pretty good. It's my personal favorite of all of the Monkees' albums, and it is worthy of about 10 stars if you ask me. Songs like "Tapioca Tundra", "Writing Wrongs", "Auntie's Municiple Court", and "Magnolia Simms", show Nez's writing and performing talents, while songs such as "Dream World", "We Were Made For Eachother", "Daydream Believer", "The Poster", "Valleri", "I'm Gonna Try", "I'll Be Back Up On My Feet" and "The Girl I Left Behind Me" demonstrate the happier, upbeat side most people remember The Monkees by. Then there are songs like "P.O. Box 9847" and "Zor and Zam" that were written by some of the greatest writers in pop history that shine because of Micky's extraordinary voice talents. Finally, Tork-penned "Lady's Baby" proves that Peter is one of the greatest musicians EVER!