Sat Apr 24 2021
4
I really liked this. Like a dumb amount. For what is functionally a Beatles parody group at its inception, this was really jammin', and I get why they became popular in their own right. Fucking Zilch.
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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Headquarters
The Monkees
1967
- Album Summary
Headquarters is the third album issued by the Monkees and the first with substantial songwriting and instrumental performances by members of the group itself, rather than by session musicians and professional songwriters. After a struggle for creative autonomy with their record label, the group had been allowed, to a degree, to record by themselves. Headquarters reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified double platinum in the United States with sales of more than two million copies within the first two months of release. It peaked at No. 2 on the UK charts. It is included in the 2006 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
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Fri Feb 12 2021
2
Released 1 week before Sgt. Pepper's - it sounds decades behind. Mid 60's pop. It's not bad; it's just not good either. Best tracks: You Told Me, You Just May Be The One, For Pete's Sake (Closing Theme)
Thu Sep 30 2021
2
"Headquarters" is a mismatched mishmash of mediocrity that is merely a meagre mimicry (one might even say maliciously so) of "modern" music. It leaves the listener feeling mocked, miserable, and more than a mite mad with the meretricious marketing machine that is the Monkees.
Wed Aug 18 2021
4
I underestimated the Monkees
Thu Aug 26 2021
3
It's okay, but really just sounds like a group trying (and struggling) to impersonate the more poppy elements of the Beatles, which I suppose is essentially what they were doing. It's well recorded and produced, but the songs just fall a little flat for me. There were a few interesting asides though - I now know where Del the Funky Homosapien got the main sample for Mistadobalina! Probably wouldn't listen to again, but it wouldn't annoy me if someone else wanted to put it on. (2.6)
Fri Jul 30 2021
2
If someone made a Spinal Tap/Mighty Wind 60s band album this is exactly what it would sound like.
Fri Dec 17 2021
5
Always loved The Monkees. they're a band with no pretence or delusions of grandeur, just a bunch of musicians thrown together by a record label....that worked.
Wed Dec 14 2022
5
i grew up in the nineties when nick @ nite aired old reruns of the monkees show. my mom adored them growing up, and headquarters was in fact her favorite monkees' album. i've never stopped loving the monkees. some bias may show here, but i'll show good reason for it! headquarters is different from the monkees' previous albums. not only are peter and michael's vocals featured more, but the overall quality is better and feels more authentically monkees. this album isn't as breezy and light as their first two albums but instead contains more substance. the monkees were given more creative control for this album, which is unmistakable when comparing their albums. more than half of the album is written by at least one monkee, along with the usual tommy boyce and bobby hart additions. i will plug the delightful opening lyrics from "my sunny girlfriend" written by nesmith: "she owns and operates/her own sunshine factory". not to mention, for a band that was created simply for a tv show and not because they could play instruments, the four of them creating the "band 6" instrumental is monumental as an inclusion. as mentioned before, headquarters has more depth. there are some sweet, slow songs ("shades of gray", "early morning blues and greens"), but you have the typical monkees humor ("zilch", "randy scouse git" - and i swear you can hear micky's laughter in the back of "no time") and your love songs for davy and his girlfriend of the week ("i can't get her off my mind"). sure, it's a similar formula, but more meaning is contained within than before. headquarters is the first monkees' album to balance all members without relying only on micky and davy's vocals. if anyone is slighted, it is peter; later albums show how soft and beautiful his voice on songs could be. there's a reason why "shades of gray" stands out on this album. but for mike to have three (!) songs he wrote and sang included, that shows the monkees' personal influence. don't get me wrong: headquarters is brilliant and enjoyable, but i love all monkees' music. regardless of the album or the song, a smile always finds its way to my face when listening to them. one of the easiest 5s i've ever given.
Thu Sep 17 2020
4
This is a super fun album and it maintained a consistent good energy throughout. I wish some of the songs had been longer or more complex but I still enjoyed them. Some definite bops in there and all around a fun album.
Wed Apr 14 2021
4
Highlights: Randy Scouse Git, The Girl I Knew Somewhere, A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You Having grown up with The Monkees on TV, this album contains quite a few rarer and deeper cuts than I'm used to. They really did gel as a band and by 1967, were producing much more polished music than their introductory efforts, for better or for worse. It's nice to see they didn't take themselves too seriously, even later in their heyday, where they continued to craft short and punchy tracks that never overstayed their welcome, but also were numerous. As such, I won't go over them all, but they're all pretty good.
Thu Feb 03 2022
4
I love the Monkees. They're fun, they don't take themselves too seriously, and their songs are catchy. Yeah, they were a "fake" band for a TV show and the whole schtick was being a blatant Beatles-esque ripoff so you can easily slap a derivative label on them. But they're obviously creative, talented guys who worked well together as a group and the fact that they fought for more creative control over the music and wanted to grow as artists in their own right speaks volumes about them. They may have started out conceptually as puppets for the network but they became so much more. The endurance of their songs well beyond the shelf life of the TV show proves that what they did resonated with a lot people in a truly impactful way. I dig everything they represent and I love their tunes. It's worth noting that I write this as a person born in the 80's who loved watching their show when I was a kid even though the episodes were already 25+ year old reruns.
Sat Apr 24 2021
3
Pretty derivative, with the first half especially just being “I can’t believe it’s not Beatles!™”, but still very listenable, and the back half especially had som fun creative ideas.
Tue Jul 20 2021
3
*monkey noises*
Thu Aug 26 2021
3
The Monkees occupy an odd place in my pop music lexicon. The active band era predated my existence by a few years, with the barest intersection (various reunions I didn't register at the time notwithstanding). I watched tons of them in reruns, though, and the obvious hits are cataloged in the depths of my semiconscious inner pop library. Since childhood, I thought of this band not at all though, except briefly when Jones and Tork died. Reading up on this album, I'm impressed by their dedication to being allowed to operate as an actual band. Still, it's hard not to make the obvious comparisons: the whole thing is heavily derivative of the Beatles, and not truly up to that standard. But I'm persuaded it earns its place in this list.
Sun Sep 03 2023
3
The Beatle (singular)
Fri Sep 10 2021
2
Ew you like The Monkees? You know they don’t write their own songs. They don’t play their own instruments. That’s not even Michael Nesmith’s real hat
Thu Jun 24 2021
1
“Headquarters” by The Monkees (1967) Formulaic pop which is not representative of the ‘Summer of Love’ in the American cultural scene. We regarded this music as immature even then. We can now add to our disdain the recognition that it was, from the beginning, a corporate project. I feel sorry for the artists, but the music is too formulaic to be called art. Still, it’s pleasing enough to listen to. Once. For old time’s sake. On the way out the door. Lyrically sappy, G-rated pulp. Musically, it would be fun to play a party game with 70-year-olds identifying which Beatles songs the Monkees are ripping off in each track. Mickey Dolenz’ drumming is poor (that’s why it’s wisely subdued in the mix) and bass is played by B-grade session musicians, demonstrating that the producers didn’t take the rhythm section seriously—a fatal flaw for rock music. Guitar arrangements performance are amateurish. All vocals are weak. Mr. Jones, please put down the tambourine. Okay, now that that unpleasant task is done, we can, at a minimum, celebrate the fact these guys were at least pretending to have fun. But they were being paid to. 2/5
Wed Sep 23 2020
5
loved every song
Thu May 13 2021
5
Knew of The Monkees but very few of their songs. Blown away by this album. Great late '60s pop.
Wed Apr 06 2022
5
Five stars just for "If I Learned To Play The Violin". Funniest song I've ever heard.
Fri Apr 08 2022
5
❤️
Wed Apr 27 2022
5
Fantastic pop album no complaints
Fri May 06 2022
5
I grew up in the 80s, but fell in love with the Monkees watching reruns of the television show. I bought copies of all their albums and knew all their songs. This album happens to be my favorite of theirs. A little something for everyone.
Sun May 08 2022
5
Despite fillers, Band 6 and Zilch, it is a solid album from the band. They were finally able to play their own instruments and they were able to be a real band.
Wed Jun 15 2022
5
Rock sesentero. Venga, vinilo, aunque alguna canción no me ha entusiasmado.
Wed Aug 31 2022
5
Needed this one today, great fun bit of silly 60s pop that's better than it pretends to be. Sure the beatles thing is writ large, but there is something special here.
Mon Sep 19 2022
5
I just can't...
Wed Dec 14 2022
5
I personally give this 5 stars and note that there is some bias in play. This was the first album they played their own instruments on, which was a big deal for them. It's an even bigger deal that when it came out, it topped both The Beatles and Beach Boys. Probably a largely underappreciated album, but one of my favorites for sure.
Wed Jan 04 2023
5
I've loved the The Monkees since I was a ten yr old kid. Thanks to my aunt & Nickelodeon, watching The Monkees TV show was part of my afternoon schedule. It was then when I developed one of my first crushes on Michael Nesmith. It was as an adult that I learned that he was from TX & spent quite a bit of time in my hometown. Childhood aside, this group is incredibly talented. My favorite songs are those led by Mike, but Mickey is also a fantastic lead vocalist. Also cool to note that at least one of these songs is written by Neil Diamond (he's a phenomenal song writer IMO) and that wins points too. I hope we see more from The Monkees. They're definitely a favorite.
Wed Jan 18 2023
5
momnkeksknknes
Tue Jan 31 2023
5
I used to watch the Monkees as a kid (kid of the 80's/90's, but obsessed with 60's tv). this album was a nice surprise. I wish they were taken more seriously as musicians in their prime, this album is fun and experimental pop.
Thu Apr 06 2023
5
believer
Sun Sep 17 2023
5
This absolutely ruled. I knew The Monkees were underrated, but this still took me by surprise. I loved every second of this album, even the sillier moments.
Tue Jun 29 2021
4
Apart from one or two cringey-lyric songs, overall a great jam. Pretty creative and well-produced.
Wed May 12 2021
4
not my type of music, but there was a couple okay songs
Mon Jun 28 2021
4
before listening, I predicted how they would sound. I was right haha. The more folky songs are so good. Forget that Girl is so nice!
Sun Jul 25 2021
4
Basically a good album. I noticed the influence of the 60's on many songs, like Chuck Berry or Little Richard. (7/10) Favourite songs: Randy Scouse Git, Zilch, Shades of Gray
Sun Jul 25 2021
4
the beatles from the USA?
Sun Aug 15 2021
4
A shockingly good album 5 or 6 absolute classic Monkees songs 4 stars
Wed Nov 03 2021
4
Probably a 5 if it had I'm A Believer or Daydream Believer
Wed Jan 05 2022
4
Good album! The deluxe edition comes up on Spotify, so these may be added but there are Def some fluffier songs of the guys goofing around in the recording studio that I wasn't a huge fan of But overall, really creative songwriting and I enjoyed the album
Wed Jan 12 2022
4
Great throughout! Never a dull moment.
Wed Jan 12 2022
4
Been giving a lot of albums a 4 lately, so why not. A pretty enjoyable album, had heard some songs by The Monkees but none from this album. I’m a sucker for more simple uppity songs, and though the Monkees may have never reached the artistic level of the Beatles or the Beach Boys, a solid album. Favorite songs: Forget That Girl, I Can’t Get Her Off My Mind, Randy Scouse Git, Zilch
Thu Jan 13 2022
4
Reminds me of Rubber Soul
Fri May 06 2022
4
3.5/5. Above-average 60s pop. It's nothing amazing, but it's not bad.
Fri May 06 2022
4
I thoroughly enjoy The Monkees and don't hold their origins as a manufactured group against them. I think it's rather remarkable that they were able to gain creative control in the process of making this record. And on top of that, the fact that they were talented enough to make that transition sound fairly seamless to their previous output is kind of amazing really. I appreciate their sense of humor and playful nature. It's not complete fluff as some would have you believe. Their music easily stacks up to other psychedelic pop albums on this list (Electric Prunes come to mind for example) and they're often much more enjoyable because they don't take themselves too seriously. Yeah, they are indebted to The Beatles, but who wasn't? They're not simply Beatles clones by any means.
Fri Jun 03 2022
4
I'm tempted to give this five stars. It's not the Monkees I expected. There is some really creative amazing music on this album. But there is also some pretty elementary stuff. Overall, loved it and listened to several of the songs multiple times. Would def listen again.
Wed Jun 15 2022
4
Hey hey, it's the Monkees.
Wed Sep 28 2022
4
Tenía este prejuicio en conta de The Monkees, quizá un poco por Los Simpson o porque eran en su origen un producto para la TV basado en tomar todo lo que estaba funcionando en la época y empaquetarlo. Sin embargo este disco me gustó. Tiene rolas agradables, pedacitos chistosos y muy buena instrumentación. Ahora me da curiosidad checar su trabajo previo (que según lo que leí es mucho más controlado por la televisora) y comparar.
Wed Sep 28 2022
4
Rock sesentero variadito y bien hecho. For Peter's Sake y Randy Scouse Git mis favoritas.
Thu Oct 20 2022
4
Of all the Beatles clones - the Monkees on this album capture Help! Era feel and fun. And it’s a good record overall - helps that it is short and keeps you wanting more.
Thu Oct 27 2022
4
first listen it's good
Sun Oct 30 2022
4
Nice album, actually really enjoyed most of it. Clearly loads of Beatles influence but they definitely have their own sound in some of the songs. Forget That Girl, Shades of Gray, Randy Scouse Git, Love to Love, All of Your Toys
Thu Nov 17 2022
4
That first song sounds like it belongs on Ticket to Ride or Rubber Soul with a little Pinball Wizard lick thrown in at the beginning. Interesting album that would have been amazing if it hit two years earlier.
Sun Nov 20 2022
4
notes - 60s pop band the monkees’ third album - reminds me a lot of early beatles stuff and a bit of beach boys - first album where the members of the monkees got to have creative input in the music that they made - after kicking out their former music director/producer - some interesting experiments with tape effects, multitrack recording - you can tell they were having fun in the studio and just seeing what happened fav - forget that girl - i like the laid back vibe and falsetto vocals least fav - i cant get her off of my mind - goofy little tune but i wasnt a huge fan 4.5/5, fun listen and more enjoyable than i expected
Wed Jan 04 2023
4
Listened to a lot of music by The Monkees growing up. Still brings a smile to my face. This was a good album even though it had very few songs I knew.
Thu Jan 19 2023
4
A fun and quick little trip into the summer of love, no major bangers but its a fun time no doubt. Would listen to again. Favourite tracks - You just may be the one, Sunny Girlfriend, No Time.
Wed Jan 25 2023
4
Very of time got some good chill tunes
Wed Jan 25 2023
4
I really appreciated the deep cuts and one in Italian.
Fri Jan 27 2023
4
High energy, fun to listen to
Thu Feb 23 2023
4
Great energy and album
Wed Mar 01 2023
4
Dette var faktisk veldig bra, men aldri noe bedre enn det
Fri Mar 10 2023
4
also already heard 7.5/10
Fri Mar 10 2023
4
Not a bad album at all, spans a couple of genres for me. No Time is the fave.
Fri Mar 31 2023
4
I really like this - it's very of its time, but still has some interesting tracks.
Sun Apr 09 2023
4
Manufactured pop that actually does surprisingly well for itself.
Thu Apr 20 2023
4
Solidly enjoyable
Thu May 04 2023
4
I do enjoy a spot of the Monkees, and this had lots of lovely moments, especially Randy Scouse Git. I am a little torn on whether this is a 3 or a 4 but I'm having a sad day so giving this a 4 will uplift me a tiny bit.
Wed May 24 2023
4
I've only heard the Monkees radio hits before (and maybe some songs from the TV show I watched as a kid) and love them all. I don't recall ever hearing any of the songs off this album before. I liked it for the most part, nothing amazing though. The first song, You Told Me sounds like very much like a Beatles song cut from Rubber Soul. Still, I wonder why this was the Monkees album chosen for the list.
Fri Jun 02 2023
4
very 60s quirky
Sat Jun 17 2023
4
They are better than a "made for TV" band from the 60s should be. 4 stars.
Sun Jun 18 2023
4
Dehä va så hype dude. Basen e så kracked o låtarna går hårt
Sun Jun 18 2023
4
Very solid 60s pop! Would definitely return to it
Sun Jun 18 2023
4
Beatles inflytande
Sun Aug 13 2023
4
leger et furtif ca ne fait de mal a personne
Mon Aug 21 2023
4
The original Big Time Rush. Enjoyable easy listen. Rating: 4.1
Mon Aug 28 2023
4
Anyone who thought the Beatles were not influential at all just needs to listen to the Monkees. I mean, yes, at first it was a ploy to capitalize on the Beatlemania, but soon the members protested the songs they were given. THEY could write, too. And wouldn't you know it, the songs pretty much sounded like the Beatles ANYWAY. It's not like the songs are BAD, mind you. But it's very obvious where the influence comes from. Even so, the band experimented with tempo and such in songs, a bit more than the Beatles did. And the songs worked, but one has to wonder if they had been modeled after the Stones, what would they sound like? High points for me: "You Just Might Be The One," "Shades of Gray," "No Time." The album is probably their best effort. They claim to have sold more than the Beatles at one point, but which do people really remember?
Fri Sep 15 2023
4
Cute
Tue Sep 29 2020
3
pretty good. 60's feel. monkees are okay
Thu Nov 26 2020
3
Fun album. Definitely harmless
Wed Mar 03 2021
3
Standard stuff
Sun Apr 11 2021
3
false
Thu Feb 25 2021
3
Old school, short, fun and upbeat
Fri Jan 29 2021
3
Poorly recorded but actually had some songs I enjoyed. A mono version would be better. The stereo was too far panned.
Wed Jun 02 2021
3
I like the Monkees. Don’t love them.
Thu Jan 28 2021
3
3
Mon Mar 29 2021
3
i thought this music sounded good with a beatles-esque, early rock sound. then i learned that the group was manufactured for a tv show. it lowered my interest in the group.
Thu Feb 18 2021
3
Toothless but pleasant enough. 5/10
Mon Mar 01 2021
3
It's The Monkees. It's fun but kinda boring 60s music.
Mon Mar 01 2021
3
Had some enjoyable songs, but not fabulous overall. Higher end of 3
Mon Mar 01 2021
3
I've liked other Monkees songs but didn't love this album - some songs were cool, some were kinda boring. They just sounded like worse Beetles. 3 stars from me
Mon Mar 01 2021
3
some good songs interspersed with annoying songs. low 3
Sat Jun 26 2021
3
Duidelijk jaren '60 muziek, Niet echt uitspringers op het album, maar het nummer 'Zilch' vond ik precies wel nog grappig
Sat Jun 26 2021
3
Opgewekt en aangenaam
Thu Feb 25 2021
3
Saved Prior: None Saved Off Rip: You Just May Be The One, I Can't Get Her Off My Mind, Randy Scouse Git, All Of Your Toys*, The Girl I Knew Somewhere*, A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You* (last three songs were added on for the deluxe rerelease) Cutting Edge: Shades of Gray Overall Notes: Another less-good version of the Beatles. Felt more by the numbers than the Byrds did, but it just goes to show the crazy influence those English guys had on popular music.
Wed Mar 10 2021
3
Cute album
Sun Apr 11 2021
3
It's the Monkees. Singles are great.
Wed Apr 07 2021
3
Pretty decent. Idk if I would listen to it often but the first couple of songs I really liked.
Thu Apr 29 2021
3
Quirky album with a few good tunes, decent.
Thu Apr 29 2021
3
This is the Monkees at their most Beatle inspired. It's fine enough but nothing remarkable.