Head (1968 Film) [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [SOUNDTRACK]

Monkees

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 15, 1994)
• Original Release Date: November 20, 1968
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Soundtrack
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B0000033E5
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #89,792 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I sing the praise of never change., October 25, 2005

By	Johnny Heering "trivia buff" (Bethel, CT United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is the soundtrack to the Monkees' only feature film. It only has six songs, the rest of the soundtrack features sound collages assembled by Jack Nicholson, of all people. The songs are all great, it's some of the Monkees most mature work. The sound collages range from a few seconds long to five minutes long, and they are actually fairly interesting. The CD adds six great bonus tracks. On the alternate take of "Ditty Diego", you can hear Jack Nicholson instructing the boys to be "sillier". The alternate "Circle Sky" is the live version featured in the movie. There is a short recording of the other Monkees singing "Happy Birthday" to Mike. The alternate version of "Can You Dig It" features Peter on vocals instead of Micky. The alternate version of "Daddy's Song" features Mike on vocals instead of Davy. The CD closes with a radio advertisement for Head that is an incomprehensible sound collage which makes no mention of the Monkees, or even the fact that Head is a motion picture. With advertising like that, no wonder the movie flopped!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Experimental Monkees, December 1, 2000

By	Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Head is the soundtrack album to a true cult classic and underrated film. After the Monkees' TV show was cancelled, the band decided to make a movie that would destroy the Monkees' myth and image. They got together with Bob Rafaelson & Jack Nicholoson, smoked alot of dope and came up with this true gem. The film opens with the killing off the group by having them jump off a bridge. What follows is a stream of conscious film that jumps between scenes at a break neck pace. The soundtrack follows that same style. The album mixes songs with dialogue from the movie and it makes for an interesting and enjoyable listening experience. The songs are all top notch including the psychedelic "The Porpoise Song" which contains sounds from actual porpoises, Mike Nesmith's powerful "Circle Sky", the middle-eastern flavored "Can You Dig It?", "As We Go Along" is the prettiest song the band has ever done, "Daddy's Song" has a vaudevillian feel with good horn play and "Do I Have To Do This all Over Again" is the best song Peter Tork sang lead on for the band. Not what you would expect from the Monkees and it shows that the group were more than just a bunch of hired actors.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some Outstanding Recordings in a Mixed Bag, December 10, 2004

By	Morten Vindberg - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Head" was the last Monkees album to feature all four original members. Guitarist Pete Tork left the band shortly after finishing the album.

Though it's a soundtrack and not a regular album it contains some of the Monkees' finest recordings. Especially the two Carole King songs "Porpoise Song" and "As We Go Along" are outstanding. Also Tork's "Can You Dig it" and Nesmith's "Circle Sky" are Monkees classics.

Only 6 tracks on the original album are actually music. The rest of it is soundclips and dialouge; some of it quite entertaining.

Taken from the sleeve notes Jack Nicholson played a big part in the album's/movie's creation, which sounds to be pretty weird.

The bonus tracks are mostly alternate takes - most interesting is the fine live version of "Circle Sky" recorded in May 1968.

The list of guest musicians is impressive, featuring names like Leon Russell, Bill Chadwick, Dewey Martin, Carole King, Neil Young and Ry Cooder.