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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As the years go by, people changing every day., February 16, 2008
This review is from: Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (Deluxe Edition, 2CD) (Audio CD)
This is generally considered to be the Monkees best album, although some would give that honor to Headquarters, which has the distinction of having the majority of the instruments played by the Monkees themselves. The Monkees didn't contribute as much instrumentally to this album, although Tork and Nesmith did play on most of the tracks, with Dolenz and Jones lending a hand to several of them. As for the songs, there are several great ones here, with no real bad ones. Heck, I like 'em all! This "deluxe edition" features both the mono and stereo versions of the album, with different bonus track added to each album. With the exception of "Goin' Down", "Riu Chiu" and a brief "Special Announcement", the bonus track are alternate mixes of songs from the album. Whether you need to have both the mono and stereo albums and several alternate mixes probably depends on how much you like the Monkees. F.Y.I., here is how the alternate mixes differ from the "regular" versions:
Disc 1
"Salesman" - has monologue at the end, runs half a minute longer
"She Hangs Out" - no horns, runs half a minute longer
"Love Is Only Sleeping" - different vocals
"What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?" - different vocals, runs a few seconds longer
"Star Collector" - no Moog synthesizer, runs half a minute longer
Disc 2
"Salesman" - has monologue at the end, fades out earlier than the alternate mix on disc 1
"Cuddly Toy" - echoing effect at the end goes on about half a minute longer
"The Door Into Summer" - different vocals
"Daily Nightly" - no Moog synthesizer
"Star Collector" - different Moog synthesizer part, runs half a minute longer
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
pleasant valley tuesday, July 10, 2007
This review is from: Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (Deluxe Edition, 2CD) (Audio CD)
my copies of the deluxe versions of HEADQUARTERS and PISCES, AQUARIUS, CAPRICORN & JONES LTD. turned up today and they were worth the wait. both albums are special in their own way. HEADQUARTERS, the monkees' third album, featured the band playing their own instruments (augmented by their producer, chip douglas, on bass) and has a strong country rock/garage band sound, thanks mostly to the influence of mike nesmith. it's a fun, charmingly "homemade" album, but the guys decided to make PISCES a compromise, using ace session players (while still contributing plenty of guitar/keyboards/percussion of their own).
the music on this album is an eclectic mix of country/rock/pop/lounge/psychedelia sounds that blend surprisingly well. producer douglas, under-appreciated at the time by the band, helped maintain a unified overall vibe, despite the stylistic shifts from track to track. my personal favorite songs are PLEASANT VALLEY SUNDAY, WHAT AM I DOING HANGING 'ROUND?, DAILY NIGHTLY, THE DOOR INTO SUMMER, LOVE IS ONLY SLEEPING and, of course, CUDDLY TOY...but the whole album is ear candy from start to finish (even the much-maligned davy jones number, HARD TO BELIEVE).
the deluxe edition of this album features a bunch of bonus tracks, including many previously unreleased mixes. i found myself prefering some of these to the originals (i had similar feelings listening to the also-included mono mix of the entire album).
andrew sandoval's liner notes are well written and helpfully informative (well, not a whole lot of new info for my jaded ears, but still nicely presented). all-in-all, i thought the whole package was a great tribute to the original classic. i can only hope and pray that the folks in charge of the beatles' upcoming re-mixes can be half as responsible and fan-friendly as andrew.
long live the texas praire chicken!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tied with Headquarters as their best album, January 25, 2008
This review is from: Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (Deluxe Edition, 2CD) (Audio CD)
On several songs, The Monkees almost achieve Beatledom.
I can give no higher compliment.
The Monkees were a very good band who, because of their perceived "fakeness", are seriously underrated and overlooked. Naysayers should give this album a listen.
If you're a Monkees fan, you'll love it. If you're not a Monkees fan, give it a chance.
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