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36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unquestionably the ultimate source of Monkees information, June 15, 2005
Over the years, several authors have detailed the story of the 1960s pop/rock band The Monkees with varying degrees of success. Most books were published in the mid to late 1980s, conveniently released at the height of The Monkees' resurgence in popularity following their mega-successful 20th anniversary arena tour. Derided by their critics in their heyday for being manufactured and pre-packaged, yet appealing to the masses with four consecutive number one albums, an Emmy-winning television series and countless Top 20 hits, The Monkees were and still can be one of the most misunderstood acts of all time. Luckily for the group, The Monkees experienced a critical rehab of sorts stemming from their initial 1986 MTV-inspired regrouping. Most music critics/authors nowadays (whose noses are not up in the air) give The Monkees their rightful due. The television show was innovative and funny, and their songs are some of the finest pop classics of the 1960s that still earn radio play today.
Until this book, painstakingly compiled by longtime Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval, no one author in particular has been able to truly capture the inner workings and the day to day occurrences of The Monkees as a functioning unit. Eric Lefcowitz and his book The Monkees Tale (available on Amazon.com) does a fine job telling the basic story of the band from inception to reunion. Harold Bronson's coffee table book, Hey Hey, We're The Monkees, acts as a nice supplement to it, featuring old stories and anecdotes as directly quoted from the band members. However, both books do not break any new ground.
Sandoval's book, meanwhile, delves into new territory that until now was never recorded. This is by far the ultimate holy grail of Monkees books, of which no other can stand up to in the way of accuracy, details, and research. Where Lefcowitz and Bronson barely touch the swansong years of 1969 and 1970, Sandoval provides information on this period that I, as a 20 year fan of The Monkees, have never been aware of. Everything from concert performances, recording sessions, personal appearances, television and movie shoots, encounters with The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Jack Nicholson--spanning the years 1965 to 1970--are detailed here in a day to day chronological story. The book's layout allows for an easy and uncomplicated read, though I figure it will take at least two months to digest all that is included.
Longtime fans should be alerted that the 'lost' Monkees tour of 1969 with Sam and The Goodtimers is incredibly chronicled here like never before, and a complete listing of every Monkees song recorded (with full session credits as well) is also present, updated with new discoveries and credits. The book starts off with a brief look at the early lives of Dolenz, Jones, Nesmith and Tork, and chronicles the events they experienced on the way to those famous auditions in 1965 that landed them in The Monkees. On top of that, the book unbelievably features photographs that have yet to be published, until now.
Unfortunately, all happenings post-1970 are wrapped up fairly quickly in a one and a half page overview at the end of the book. Being a second generation fan who first enjoyed The Monkees upon their 1986 revival, it would have been great to see Sandoval mine through the initial reunion years of 1986 to 1989, and then delve further into the second regrouping that took place from 1996 to 1997. Perhaps an updated edition awaits us in the future.
Fans of The Beatles had author Mark Lewisohn and his detailed chronicle of The Beatles, and now fans of The Monkees have Andrew Sandoval's near-perfect counterpart. As a longtime Monkees fan, I want to say thank you to Mr. Sandoval for his time and dedication in finally making this book a reality.
Highly recommended.
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Labor of Love by a fan for the fans, July 14, 2005
Long time Monkees historian and archivist Andrew Sandoval has finally released his long-promised chronology of the group's original run (1965-70) and it was well worth the wait. Taking his cues from Beatles scribe Mark Lewisohn (he thanks him in the credits for inspiration), Sandoval presents a meticulous account of the fascinating and frankly strange pop tale of the original Pre-Fab Four. From the highest highs to the lowest lows, Sandoval takes you there, whether in the recording studio, on the set of the TV show, on a concert stage, out hobnobbing with other celebs, or shopping at the latest fashionable boutique.
Sandoval has collected tons of data, gone through countless publications, listened through thousands of hours of recordings, and collected it all in one handy, attractive, hefty volume. He makes liberal use of relevant quotes from all participants, and includes lots of facts, figures and names.
There are over 100 photos, many published for the first time. Personally I would have enjoyed more pics, but this tome of biblical proportions is first and foremost the ultimate source of textual information on the band.
Still, some minor quibbles: Verb tense usage is sometimes awkward, for example, the use of "past-present" tense in the descriptions clashing with quotes squarely in the past tense. A complete discography with sleeves would have been nice, as well as a bootleg listing. The myriad of recorded tracks listed mention their ultimate original destination, if released. But many of the tracks ended up on bootlegs available only on ebay or at record fairs. Maybe boss Rhino didn't want boots mentioned? A full index would also be great. There are a few minor factual errors, but they can probably be counted on one hand. In fact, Sandoval invites readers to contact him with any corrections or suggestions for future editions.
There is a ton of new and fascinating info in this book that I had never read in any other place. You will be amazed by the detail.
The Monkees shot to superstardom through a unique marriage of the TV and recording industries, then became a real live stage act, with the help of a dedicated group of people behind the scenes- from old guard cigar chompers to Brill Building assembly-line songwriting legends to maverick hippy TV producers. For the first year it worked like a charm- millions were streaming in as the group filled the vaccuum left by the psychedelisizing Beatles. The unique chemistry of this odd but talented group contributed too.
The four individuals themselves, suddenly caught in the middle of this maelstrom of a media blitzkrieg, worked like dogs, shooting TV, recording tracks, and eventually playing live, sometimes all on the same day! They deserve large amounts of cred and respect for many reasons: for the efforts they put in working basically for slave wages; for the classic material on record and celluloid that they created; for the millions of fans they strived to entertain and succeeded in making happy. And not least, for their unique fight for artistic integrity.
When the press and rock contemporaries started dissing them (surely partially out of jealousy), first Nesmith, then Tork, then finally Dolenz and Jones, decided they wanted complete control. And for a short while, it worked. The Monkees were a functioning band with their eyes on the same prize.
Headquarters, Pisces and Head remain their crowning acheivements as a unit.
The cynic might say it was really about control of the money- but when you think of the wages they got and the work load, they had all the right to fight for their destinies. And being that they were the core of the project, they had the clout.
What they didn't have was the solidarity backbone that only a naturally formed group of like-minded people with the same tastes and egos in check can have, necessary to sustain this abrupt change. Reading some of the near-sighted contemporary comments from various Monkees as they proselytize about their important role in society and how the Beatles are cool but not as hip or multi-faceted as them brings an uncomforable chuckle. A classic case of egos run wild, young men not knowing how to handle immense power, and the weight of intense pressures. Prime evidence that being in the eye of the storm is not always seeing the forest for the trees. The fact remains that the success of the Monkees depended on a well-oiled machinery containing many parts. But when the main cogs started rebelling, the machine started to sputter.
There was always a conflict between the carefully sculpted image of the cuddly, lovable, harmless faux-moptops the kids saw on TV vs. the reality of four strong-willed, turned-on young men growing up in the midst of the cultural revolution that was the 60s. And as their popularity and power grew, they chose to get real and make the image that made them famous secondary- a brave move, though ultimately fatal. Sales started slipping.
And as this teeny bopper Frankenstein perversely attempted to will itself into the realm of contemporary rock and respect of peers, the kids with their short attention spans and need for instant sugary non-cerebral gratification went elsewhere. And the hippies weren't having it either. Original creators Rafelson and Schneider, with the Monkees themselves gladly participating, buried the band with the cynical anti-teenybopper film Head and its disastrous advertising campaign and then basically washed their hands of a sinking ship. Tork left shortly thereafter.
This book has only a brief summary of events after 1970....Let's hope someday Sandoval publishes a sister volume covering this period in which the tale of the Monkees continued with various triumphant reunions, bitter feuds, and- as always- entertainment.
Get this book, it will make you a believer.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
On par with the works of Mark Lewishon & Keith Badman, June 11, 2005
Andrew Sandoval's 15+ year relationship as THE Monkees archivist for Rhino's various reissues reaches it's apex with the release of this wonderfully detailed book. Some musical purists/snobs will frown at this much attention lavished at a pre-fabricated unit whose creative run really only lasted about three years, but hard-core fans (there's more out there than you would think) and pop culture students will dig the results:it does for the Monkees what Mark Lewishon has done for the Beatles and Keith Badman for the Beach Boys.
Great layout, with plenty of cool (rare) b&w photos and press clippings. There's only a 1 1/2 page overview of Monkee happenings post-1970, but the books' final 20 pages include a very detailed session musician index as well as a song by song (unreleased as well) sessiongraphy that to this reader was worth the 20 bucks alone..
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