Customer Reviews

Changes

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Basically, "Changes" is a Monkees album like the first two albums were; the Monkees (now reduced to a duo of Micky and Davy) were given a recording assignment, they went in and did their vocals and there you have a new album by The Monkees. It's not a bad album at all, in fact it's one of their more well-produced and executed efforts, due to producer Jeff Barry. There are also a few vault tracks thrown in like the two previous albums. This is Micky's finest moment as a singer; on the ballads 'It's Got To Be Love' (one of the best forgotten Monkees tracks) and 'Ticket On A Ferry Ride' he's amazing. He sings rock n' roll with admirable verve as well, especially 'Oh My My' and his own 'Midnight Train'- definitely two Monkees classics. David doesn't really get as much to do, although his vocals on the otherwise uninspired 'Do You Feel It Too?' are among his best. Overall, this is a standard Monkees album; not up to the level of "Head" or "Instant Replay" or "Pisces" or "Headquarters" but certainly as good as any of the rest of them in my opinion. The cd contains two very interesting bonus tracks, 'Lady Jane' and 'Do It In The Name Of Love' which were recorded later in 1970 and issued by Bell in 1971 as a "Dolenz And Jones" - credited 45 (in the US). Bell didn't want to pay Columbia Pictures for the rights to use The Monkees name, so the final Monkees single until 1986 wasn't even called that in the US (although it was in Japan and a few other places). That's too bad, as it was a damned fine single in which the two Monkees sang duet. So, if you like The Monkees, you should like "Changes". Despite it's obvious flaws, it's fine early '70's pop.

This is good little album. Despite what has been said by fans and Monkees alike, I like this album. I have to admit I have a thing for 'Swan Song' albums. I would much rather listen to this than the dismal 'Pool It!' or the slimey 'Justus'. Mind you, those albums have some good moments too. Forgotten for many years and it's original pressing on COLGEMS still highly collectable, 'Changes' will always get the short end of the stick. Then again,that's up to the listener isn't it? I remember walking into a record shop in 1986 and seeing the Rhino LP reissue of this. I picked it up and said,'You have GOT to be kidding me! Two Monkees?!' I couldn't believe they had the gaul to release an album under the Monkees name with just two guys left! I bought it. I listened to it and I liked it. I liked the atmosphere of the entire record. It sounds nothing like any of their earlier efforts and has some memorable Monkee tracks. There are a few 'klinkers' on it. '99 Pounds', a leftover from January 1967, simply does not fit. 'All Alone In The Dark' is downright dumb and 'I Never Thought It Peculiar', this time a left over from 1966 is lame and doesn't fit either. The rest of the album is pure early 70's R&B/Bubblegum. There are some great tracks here. 'Tell Me Love' is nice as is 'Ticket On A Ferry Ride'. Micky Dolenz's original composition, 'Midnight Train' is excellent. 'Do You Feel It Too' is again, typical early 1970's and a 'groovy' listen. 'Oh My My', which as the sole USA 45 from the album, reached #98 is a good chunky number. If you purchase 'The Monkees Present' CD, you can see the original photo of the front cover which has Mike Nesmith included. It was from the Joey Bishop Show in 1969. I have always liked the color scheme on the front jacket. Buy 'Changes' and listen to it on a nice Autumn day. It just seems to have that serene 'End Of Summer' feel. I used to hate that feeling (school and all that) but now, I reach for it.

This was the last, and least, album of the Monkees original run. It was (mostly) recorded in early 1970, with only Micky and Davy participating. Three of the tracks on the album are from previous recording sessions. "99 Pounds" is a leftover from the "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" recording sessions. "Midnight Train" is a Micky Dolenz produced song left over from The Monkees Present. And "I Never Thought It Peculiar" is a Boyce/Hart production left over from More of the Monkees (with overdubs added three years later). Most of the songs on the album are, to be honest, pretty forgettable. The flop single, "Oh My My", and it's b-side, "I Love You Better", are the only good songs from the early 1970 sessions. "99 Pounds" is a fun, energetic song. And "Midnight Train" is good. The less said about the rest of the album, the better. The CD adds three bonus tracks (the least bonus tracks of any Rhino released original Monkees album on CD). "Time and Time Again" is a dull Davy Jones song from late 1969. The other two songs are the a-side and b-side of a single from 1971 that was credited to "Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones", instead of the Monkees. These songs are mostly notable for being the first duets that Micky and Davy ever recorded together. "Do It In the Name of Love" is a decent song, "Lady Jane" is not. This CD is mostly for Monkees fans that need to have everything that the group ever recorded.

oh yeah, its Mike and Peter. Changes was the last Monkees album to be released before their reunion in the 1980s. When this album was released the band couldn't sell food to a starving man they were so unpopular. It's a dreary album , not because the songs are crap, they're not, It's the usual top-shelf writing teams that wrote em', but it's the knowledge that it's not the full-boat Monkees, not even the 3/4 Monkees. An ongoing joke around the studio was that one member would finally milk the well dry with an album entitled "The Monkee"...."hey hey I'm the monkee...." Today "changes" is purely an album to own to make a cataloug complete for a collector.

Well, this was the last album for the Monkees (until the 80's), and most people believe it was a sad end. I will actually disagree with most people and say this album is not so bad. Now, to anyone who has never heard this cd, I will say that it is probably their most "bubblegum" album. Which is the reason why most people don't like it, considering they had faught all those years to be their own band.

For anyone who doesn't know, by this time the Monkees popularity was pretty much gone, and the group was down to only Micky and Davy. As a last grasp for a rebirth of the Monkees, Jeff Barry, who produced I'm a Believer, was brought in to produce for this new record. He brought in a team of songwriters, and the Monkees were back to where they began. You could say Barry failed, because this was the only Monkees album not to reach the Billboard's top 200. However, I think looking at this album from a pop standpoint, it was very good. The Monkees were dead by now, and no one was buying anything, no matter what it sounded like. Lets say Davy and Micky were never in the Monkees, and an album by "Davy and Micky" came out with all these songs, I think it would have been very successful. Most of the songs are very catchy. Maybe the Monkees had gone against what they faught for, but that doesn't take away from this being a good pop album.

Let me review the songs:
1. Oh My My - Very catchy song, and probably one of my favorites on the album. This could definitely been a popular song had the Monkees not been over by now. 9/10

2. Ticket On A Ferry Ride - Not the best song on the album, but it's not terrible. Sounds kind of like a typical 60's pop song. Almost sounds like Tork in the background. 6/10

3. You're So Good To Me - This sounds almost like a Partridge Family song to me. It's probably one of my favorite Davy songs. Again, unbelievibly poppy and bubblegum, but who cares...that doesn't make it bad. 9/10

4. It's Got To Be Love - This is a solid love song sung by Micky. Kind of cheesy, but it's pretty good. 7/10

5. Acapulco Sun - Another decent song. Has a catchy beat to it. 7/10

6. 99 Pounds - This was a song recorded I believe in 1966, that was passed over at that time. It's decent, but could get kind of annoying. An obvious attempt, in my opinion, to be very Beatle esk. 6/10

7. Tell Me Love - A pretty good love balad sung by Micky. Another song that I think could have been popular in the early days, or if the Monkees weren't done. 7/10

8. Do You Feel It Too? - A very good Davy song, and yet another one that I think sounds like it could have been sung by the Partridge Family. 9/10

9. I Love You Better - This was the flipside of the Oh My My single, and perhaps the most catchy song on the album. You just can't help but sing along with it. 9/10

10. All Alone In The Dark - This is kind of a changeup song. Sounds much different from the rest of the album. Not quite as poppy. 7/10

11. Midnight Train - This one was actually written by Micky. Not one of my favorites however. A different version of this song is also on Missing Links Volume 3, and is on reruns of the Chaperone episode. 5/10

12. I Never Thought It Peculiar - Average song...typical Davy I guess. 6/10

Bonus Tracks:
13. Time And Time Again - This is a nice Davy ballad. Kind of makes you fall asleep though. There is another version of this on Missing Links Volume 1, which sounds very similar. 6/10

14. Do It In The Name Of Love - This was a single under "Davy and Micky", which I believe was by Bell records if I remember correctly. Very good song, which both guys sing. Another one, where you just can't help but sing along. 9/10

15. Lady Jane - This was the flip side to the last song. Again, it features both guys on vocals. Has kind of a catchy beat, you could get into it. 8/10

So, I hope this review will show people that Changes doesn't deserve all the criticism it gets, and it's actually a solid pop album.

With Mike Nesmith having left the group, the two remaining Monkees released one more album as a duo. This album is just like their first two with Jeff Barry playing the role of Don Kirshner. Barry production and songwriting are bubblegum perfect but the album lacks any feeling. "Oh My My", "I Love You Better" and "It's Got To Be Love" are good tracks with superslick production and catchy hooks and Mickey sings the heck out of them as he does on the pretty "Ticket On A Ferry Ride". The problem is that they had previously released more mature songs and had progressed as musicians and this seems like a major step backwards. These songs would have been perfect for someone like the Partridge Family. Mickey & Davy finally realized that the Monkees were through and disbanded after this release. Changes doesn't add anything to the Monkee catalog and it would have been better is they went out on a higher note.

You know, when I was a kid in the 1970's I had to walk the beat in order to obtain ANY Monkees record -- No internet, no reissues, no
"Changes". After years of searching, I finally found it in a used record store in Washington, D.C., and played the thing so much that my parents bought me a set of headphones so they couldn't hear Davy
crooning "Do you feel it too?" anymore. Understand this was "new"
material for me and any Monkees disc was anticipated more so in my mind than looking forward to Pope John Paul's visit to the tri-state area at the time. And I'm Catholic, for Lord's sake.
Like The Monkees? Why not. Hardcore fan, it's a must.

Kansas City ,Mo 8/3/05

When CHANGES came out, 7 of its songs had appeared on the Saturday morning reruns. Already knowing that many in advance made this one of my favorite albums from day one! Produced mostly by Jeff Barry (who'd done "I'm A Believer" and "A Little Bit Me...", as well as albums by Neil Diamond & The Archies) this album is perhaps not as "edgy" as its predecessors, but for someone growing up on weekend cartoon shows, it was audio Heaven! "Oh My My" is among my top 10 favorite Monkees songs (could Ron Dante have done it this good?). As with previous albums, 3 songs had already been around for awhile: "Midnight Train" (recorded for THE MONKEES PRESENT), "99 Pounds" (done around the same time as "A Little Bit Me..."; dig that Hammond organ! ) and "I Never Thought It Peculiar" (Boyce & Hart's beautiful, sentimental album-closer, intended for MORE OF THE MONKEES). The 45 "Do It In The Name Of Love" (the only song here with Micky & Davy singing together) has been added, with its b-side, as bonus tracks. And, having originally bought the LP in 1970, I can attest that the "muffled" mix HAS been corrected on the Rhino CD. CHANGES now sounds BETTER than it ever did back then!

Their 9th album, 'Changes', with only Micky & Davy, takes the group back to its roots of bubblegum pop, but this time it's 1970-style bubblegum pop instead of 1966-style. It is an enjoyable album with many good, albeit not excellent songs. Micky turns in some performances on "Tell Me Love" & "Ticket on a Ferry Ride" & also wrote the bluesy, solid "Midnight Train", which is also a highlight. I'm not crazy about the single "Oh My My" or the somewhat embarrassing & goofy "All Alone in the Dark", which sounds very child-like, but the rest of the album is very enjoyable. This album may not be for some, as it is pure, studio-manufactured bubblegum, but I think it's certainly worth a try.

I became a Monkees fan a bit late-- by the time their show was in reruns on Saturday Morning. I already knew most of the songs on this album, because 7 of the 12 LP tracks had appeared as "new" songs on the reruns; so when CHANGES came out in mid-1970, I LOVED it! "Oh My My" (the "Pirate" episode) is among my top 10 favorite Monkees songs, and most of the others are writer-producer Jeff Barry at his best. (Would this album be so looked down on had Ron Dante sung it as an ARCHIES album?) Even back then releasing songs that had languished in the vaults was nothing new; "Midnight Train" dates from mid-'69 (about the time of THE MONKEES PRESENT), while the hi-octane rocker "99 Pounds" (dig that Hammond organ! ) is from Jan.'67 (about the same time as "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You"). But the oldest track is Boyce & Hart's beautiful, sentimental album-closer, "I Never Thought It Peculiar", which was intended for their 2nd album-- before Don Kirshner replaced all but 2 Boyce & Hart songs so his NYC cronies could all get a piece of what became the #1 album of the year (MORE OF THE MONKEES).

The original LPs must have been a rush job, though, because they sounded "muffled"-- a problem that remained when Rhino reissued the LP in 1986. The 1994 CDs finally take care of this, however-- CHANGES now sounds BETTER than it EVER did back then!