Headquarters

The story behind this album is pretty cool—being the first time The Monkees played their own instruments and wrote most of the material in response to the “manufactured band” criticism. That definitely makes the album more respectable. As for the music itself, it’s solid 60s pop rock, but it doesn’t really stand out from the rest of what was going on during that era. It’s decent, just nothing too remarkable.

Tönt mega wie t Beatles. Die meischte Songs rächt guet aber nüd speziells

Yeah I mean it's fine but how many songs do we need of "gee what a gal I'm so in love I can't believe she's mine"? The Deluxe Edition is way too long at an hour and a half. Wild album cover. 5/10 (2.5/5)

Tsja, het is een soort Beatles adjacent bandje? Ik kan ze niet echt. En ik ben er ook niet echt ondersteboven van. Het is echt gewoon een soort ali express beatles, en ik ben al geen echt Beatles fan. Het is vrij saai en gezapig allemaal. Dit is weer precies het soort muziek waar ik niet van hou; Saaie muziek. Het album duurt niet zo lang, als je niet de super expanded deluxe edition pakt, maar nog steeds was ik meerdere keren aan het kijken of het al bijna klaar was. Zijn 10 Beatles albums niet genoeg dat we ook slappe aftreksels daarvan moeten gaan luisteren? FAVO: I'll spend my life with you

quite nice album but nothing amazing to me. “you told me” reminds me so much of “if i needed someone” by the beatles. “shades of gray” also reminds me of another song i haven’t figured out yet. those two are my fave songs from this. honourable mention to “yilch” because hilarious song 😆

This album does not deserve to be on the list. Zilch was the only track that provided a moment of interest, then rest sound like what they are: Forgotten tracks from the Monkees' back catalogue. One for the bargain bin.

it's ok. I like the 60s production: the jangly guitars and the harmonizing they do. but the songs are slight in concept and super literal in lyrical meaning. it really is bagain bin 60s pop, which means I like it better than most anything in the last twenty years of pop music, but I'd never choose to listen to it again.

Dollar store Beatles

Pretty milquetoast outing. Zilch! was the most interesting track. The rest is, of course, nakedly ripping off the Beatles late 1964-1965.

A manufactured band thrown together to try to rival the success of The Beatles at the time. What a joke. It didn't work and judging by the tedium of this album I am not surprised. Did I really want to hear this album before I die? No not really but I have and do not plan on repeating the painful experience.

Can we try again? Basic 60's pop, sounding more like the Beatles than a real band. Just.... no. Sorry. My Rating: 2/5 It was bearable, but barely so.

Hey, hey, you’re The Monkees! I’ve never understood this band - a fake wannabe TV band. It’s not that I don’t like their sound. They seem manufactured and there lacks a genuine quality missing from their music.

This was a lot more interesting than I expected. The songs that still get the most attention from this band are the poppy singalong tunes, but this album shows The Monkees had more than that. Good discovery for me.

I have a hard time understanding the whole Monkees thing. Like, they were made for a tv show so they’re not a “real” band, but they seem to have a lot of good songs? Idk, I thought this was pretty good, and sometimes great.

I was about to give this 2 stars considering that The Monkees have some hits and none of them are on this record. After discovering that this is their own attempt without session musicians, and learning about the Mr Bob Dobalina sample I’ll give it a bonus star.

Eh

Didn't think much of it - very dated sounding.

Very boring 60s pop rock. Nothing interesting (except for Zilch) and gets annoying very fast. Also, I hate the cover.

The first of the manufactured boy-bands, and there was definitely something of interest in the concept back then. The tv series was fun, the movie was barking mad and the songwriters were genuinely well-crafted by some of the best. But this album is basically just meh!

Can only take them in small doses apparently.

I had a friend group that comprised of old souls whom were obsessed with any band that had "The" followed by an animal. The Monkees, of course, were one of those bands. I am huge on The Beatles, but that's about it. Despite their popularity, all the other "animal" bands, like The Animals, The Byrds, and The Monkees all fell short. Their tunes sound like nursery rhymes: Too simplistic and imitative. While The Monkees were seen as pivotal in the 60's, in an age where music is easily accessible and diverse (w/ genres like Japanese fusion music), this album was quite lacking comparatively.

not to be overtly disrespectful but listening to The Monkees has always, for some reason, made me irrationally irritated. nothing wrong with this album in particular but my mental illness is improved by not listening to The Monkees.

The fact that this was #2 in the charts behind Sgt Pepper blows my mind. A passable pop album, but might not have repeated listens value. Zilch and Band 6 are skits before the term was invented Good album, but not something I'll go back to 6/10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUIn9NwIEMM

60s slop

Headquarters is an album that’s as much a product of its manufactured origins as it is a collection of catchy tunes. The Monkees were originally formed to be America’s answer to The Beatles, and while that ambition brought a lot of attention, it also meant that the band was always a bit more about marketability than pure musical authenticity. Even though this record was supposed to be a step toward creative independence, it still heavily relies on studio musicians, and that factor leaves a noticeable mark on the overall vibe. There are definitely moments on Headquarters that catch you off guard in a good way. Some of the tracks feature infectious melodies and upbeat rhythms that manage to get stuck in your head, and you can’t help but appreciate the craftsmanship behind those polished pop hooks. The production is slick and, in many ways, a testament to the pop sensibilities of the era. The album has a neat, tidy sound with plenty of radio-friendly appeal, which is probably why it resonated with such a broad audience at the time. There are flashes of creativity in the arrangements that hint at what The Monkees could achieve when they were allowed a bit more freedom. That said, for me, the album never quite holds together as a fully satisfying musical statement. The whole project is marred by the fact that The Monkees were, and in many ways still are, a band engineered for commercial success. Their reliance on session musicians despite their claims to creative input makes the record feel overly polished and, frankly, a bit soulless. There’s an undercurrent of ‘manufactured’ throughout, and that becomes especially apparent when you compare it to more authentic, raw works of the era. Furthermore, while there are some truly catchy moments, the overall album lacks the depth and cohesion that you’d expect from a band with real artistic identity. It feels like a patchwork of well-crafted pop songs that, despite their individual appeal, never really mesh into a unified whole. The glossy production occasionally overshadows any genuine musical innovation, and you’re left feeling that, despite the effort, it just doesn’t offer much beyond surface-level enjoyment. In my perspective, Headquarters is a decent listen if you’re in the mood for some nostalgic, catchy pop. However, knowing its origins as a band created to rival The Beatles, the album’s manufactured feel and heavy reliance on studio musicians make it hard for me to fully get behind. It’s an album that clearly had its moment in the spotlight, yet it remains a reminder of a time when commercial ambitions sometimes trumped raw musical expression. For me, that results in a solid 2.9/5 stars. a record that might work for some but ultimately leaves me wanting a bit more authenticity and cohesion.

MRE of pop rock 4/10

perhaps a Better Man than I would enjoy it more.

6/10 Pretty obviously a Beatles knock off, reading up on the band it’s really clear how much of an “industry plant” The Monkees were meant to be, from being a fake band on TV to being forced to learn other instruments that they didn’t know for the sake of image, yet they manage to make it sound good overall in the end. It’s not much of a surprise considering the level of industry backing and pressure to succeed, they could’ve taken the paycheck with the TV show and gone home but they put in the effort to write some pretty interesting stuff on here, even if most of it is based off Beatles formulas. I hope they play Clint Eastwood next

A manufactured pop band that had enough of being controlled and made pop that sounds like everyone else at the time, Zappa loved these guys because pop music is almost always terrible, and The Monkees proved it for their time. It's quite hilarious, but the album is meh. Sure, it's an important album, but it's not something I return to very often.

This is the original spinal tap album. The funniest thing is that its actually pretty good! 4/5

Like a poor imitation Beatles, formed in America to try and compete. One decent song and that wasn't the one about Randy scousers.

The Monkees TV show holds a special place in my heart. It was essential viewing every Saturday tea time (in the UK). I was at an age when it mattered not that none of them played their instruments. It was just a lot of fun to watch and was interspersed with songs such as these on this album which were instantly catchy and typical of pop songs in the mid 60’s. This apparently is their first album where all the Monkee’s actually played and had a hand in song writing. Consequently not too many Monkee classics on here but nevertheless still captures the great memories I have of that time in my life. 4/5 6/3/25

It's all just so fake innit. Like AI early Beatles. The vibe is pleasant enough, the vocals are fairly decent-ish, but come on.

Bands in the 60s were really competing in who can make the most mid pop rock album, huh? I mean, you can listen to this if you want to, but why would you choose this over something that actually tries to be good? It's not like it's bad or boring or anything, and it's pretty short. But it's not designed to stand out—just not to alienate anyone. This is not going to be anyone's favorite album unless you have some sort of nostalgia to it because there's just nothing impressive here. It's understimulating, unsatisfying, and aggressively fine.

typical 60th record, mediocre

It started out as a possible 3. Ended as a possible 1

1. you told me: simple catchy pop rock song 2. ill spend my life with you: nice vocals, flangy guitar, xylophone solo?, relaxing 3. forget that girl: whispering vocals, good message 4. band 6: thrash metal? 5. you just may be the one: nice chorus 6. shades of gray: piano intro, nice ballad, best one yet 7. i cant get her off my mind: simple catchy pop 8. for petes sake: another catchy pop song 9. mr webster: nice background guitar, etheral vocals, nice piano, second best 10: sunny girlfriend: ehh whatever 11: zilch: rap? 12: no time: old timey sounding, louder vocals 13: early morning blues and greens: nice bass intro, nice keyboard 14: randy house git: nice percussion, good loud chorus, nice scatting section, fun overall thoughts: simple and catchy but forgettable, mid drums and vocals, nice guitar but not present enough final rating: 7/10

[3]

Well it's an interesting album. Its ok but I don't think it's representative of the time. It's a pleasant sound and I feel that they really are on a hiding to nothing with all the comparisons to The Beatles. I appreciate that may have been the idea when they were created but it seems unfair to try to compare them I think they are talented musicians and songwriters but to me it is a lightweight and somewhat forgettable album.

Listenable but forgettable.

sober beatles. about lame as the cover forget that girl is fire though

#512. Are there any Spinal Tap or 2ge+her albums on here too? 2/5: exactly as you'd expect

Bland 60's pop rock. The Beatles with all of the creativity removed.

The Monkees, a band that was always meaningless to me. Not because they were cast together, as is common in pop music today. Not because they were actors rather than musicians - hey, it's often the other way around these days. The Monkees were just not on my radar and still aren't. Only "I'm a Believer" convinced me, and that's by Neil Diamond. I also think Robert Wyatt's version is much better. What should I do with the album now? "Headquarters" isn't really anything either. I like the keyboard at the beginning of "Forget That Girl" - that's about it. Two stars is actually too many, but never mind.

They sound like a cover band in almost all songs. Sometimes a Beatles cover, other times a Beach Boys cover, and even Rolling Stones sometimes. Given that, they are good at covering their more famous band cousins.

"I heard the Monkees were a huge influence on the Beatles." Better than I thought it would be. It really is just a Beatles Rip off. Which is fine.... But not innovative at all. The Beatles did so much for music that a quote unquoted satire parody band could never do... So it's almost just double worse.

Probably a bit more relevant at the time of release than in retrospect, this first emancipatory effort by pop's first "casting band" was a hit in the original summer of love that somehow lacks the signature tunes that are associated with 1967 nowadays. Certainly a good album but maybe just not a really great one. As in, one could peacefully die without having heard this album.

Way too long. 1st half was much better than the 2nd.

I'm as big of a Monkees apologist as you'll find. But, I mean, this album is slightly stupid. Some good tracks and I'm glad the boys started playing their own music, but it doesn't really stand up to the all-time greats on this list.

Fun! Has that weird proto-psychadelic vibe like early Creedence and other late-sixties stuff. 4*

mid to be honest

A little bit me, a little bit you, and a little bit of the same old same old.

Two stars are for Zilch on its own.

2.75

Pleasant enough Pop Rock. Will relisten.

2.5

Ok to listen but boring 60's stuff. A bit of Beatles in there and I'm happy to forget about this band

Could only find the 36 song collection. Deluxe version? Checked Spotify, Amazon music and Pandora. So I listened to all 36 songs. A lot of good songs and I feel The Monkees were better than most people thought they were.

forgettable collection of 60’s pop. They have better songs but not on here.

6.5/10 I had the perception of them as a manufactured Beatles knockoff. Whilst that might be a bit true, this album was a lot more. Rock pop with country and psychedelic influence, maybe even more of the Beach Boys than Beatles. Lots of nice little songs. All a little shallow but well put together. So not earth moving but nice. Best: I’ll Spend My Life With You

Not offensive. I have memories of watching the Monkees show and thinking they were cool as hell. Maybe on Nick at Night? Goin Down is a cool Monkees songs.

I like 60s music and surprisingly havent given the Monkees an honest shot. This was a shock to come across for how much hate they normally get Broadly, it wasnt bad. Most songs give the air that they are Beatles, Beach Boys or Paul Revere rip offs. You Told Me is basically a cut straight off of Revolver - it sounds like exactly like Doctor Robert lol. I did enjoy You Just Might Be The One and For Petes Sake. Those songs are good. Ill be another defender of the Monkees being a slightly successful rip off band 2.5 stars and rounding up

I'll be honest, I listened to like 3 songs on here and it felt like such a ripoff of the Beatles that I dismissed it. They were apparently a made-for-TV band (like O-Town plus a sitcom), so I can't get on board. Why is this on here

Not a bad album. A mix of psychadelicy-lite/60's pop. I did recognize For Pete's Sake as the closing music for the TV show. No Time and Randy Scouse Git are also not bad. It's worth a listen.

Ugh so nostalgic. Also no notes. Michael nesmith most underrated songwriter ever

cmonnnn. so fuckin awesome. lemon twigs literally wish.

I am not sure what I was expecting, but it was not great.

This is #day185 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... monkee see, monkee do? Why make a Beatles parody band when you can just listen to The Beatles? I don’t get it. It’s been a while since I rated an album a 1, so here we are. Back to square one. Looking forward to #day186.

Ingen direkt dålig skiva men ingen riktig wow-faktor heller, tycker det saknas ett sammanhang, känns mer som en lösryckt samling låtar än ett album. Vissa låtar är väldigt mycket Beatles fast sämre. 2 av 5

I do like the Monkeys and always remember their TV shows as a kid. There are some really great songs on here (it's their only album on the list too). Some fillers too but a good 'feelgood' album

sonically tiring. All highs, zero lows.

This was an okay album. I feel like everything with The Monkees is contrived. They don’t really have their own sound (they sound like the Beatles or the Byrds.) Their television show was little more than a rip off of the Beatles movies. And it seemed like they were trying too hard. I think it would be difficult for a group like this to try for legitimacy but, unfortunately, I don’t think they pulled it off.

I was actually looking forward to this. I’ve enjoyed a couple of singles from The Monkees understanding that they’re sugary sweet pop. And so I was very disappointed that most of this is just bland. 2/5

The Monkees are the dumbest thing ever.

Wholesome likeable skiffle, like they're the Backstreet Beatles. These lads got all the slagging for being contrived, inoffensive, comically cute, and produced. Sometimes some relief from The Stones overstimulation is alright.

Though this isn’t the Monkees’ best album, it’s the one that most completely captures their sense of humor.

Not too shabby for a bunch of Beatles soundalikes.

ugh, boring beatles style rundimentary rock with myriads of 2-minute pop songs one after another.

Ehhh.. Ok they gained a little creative control, it's still not great.

It just feels like they were trying to apply a formula to mimic what had already been successful for someone else. The biggest success of the record is getting “Mr. Bob Dobalina” in en endless loop in my brain. For that, I hate this record.

I really don't know why this one on the list. Forgettable trash.

While it's fine, there is absolutely nothing on this album that wasn't done better (and much better) by other bands.

Like the Beatles

A nice collection of cute tunes — not necessarily a completely good thing, but I don't dislike it.

8/10

Old rock n roll 3.5

This doesn't have my lone favorite Monkees song (Daydream Believer) and I don't recognize other songs, so I'm interested to see what this sounds like. Got through a full listen and it felt like a lot of generic 60s pop rock. Not bad and probably sounded better during that time period, but there's a clear talent difference between them and other bands of that era (i.e. Beatles, Beach Boys, etc.). Or at least on this particular album. Shades of Grey was probably my favorite song. Zilch was a standout in that it was super weird yet fun (did not know Mista Dobalina was a sample from this song!). I wish more of the songs had the sound like Early Morning Blues And Greens, which gave more psychedelic vibes. I'd give this a High 3. If there is another Monkees album in here I hope it is better than this one. I think they sound pretty good, but this album definitely lacked a standout single like Daydream Believer.

the music industry was certainly aware of the beatles popularity when this album came out. some decent tracks but not a lot worth revisiting

This really is not terrible music, but there’s no way to truly enjoy this and treated objectively. It’s not as good as the Beatles.

Classic Monkees. Nothing brilliant (and a bit of weirdness), but lots of fun.

All the great songs that you remember from the Monkees are NOT on this album. But it does show that they were actually musicians who put out a lot of music worth listening to.

Die Beatles in schlecht und ein paar Jahre zu spät. 1967 waren die Beatles und andere schon weiter.

Like many things on this book I expect 0 but the kinda genres I know these bands play and the little I know about The Monkees is just that they were a band made for a tv show playing the kinda pop rock from the 60s that any Beatles or Beach Boys fan would like, which like yeah its true in the first side of this... until it just isn't? The 2nd side of this album just shift into more distinct instrumentals, from soft ballads that sound really nice to genuine rock songs that go really hard, something like For Pete's Sake or Randy Scouse Git (secret proto punk song) or the weird little spoken interludes like Zilch which has rapping kinda?? Things like this make me wonder about what else they did and that maybe The Monkees are better than I initially expected them to be, although I don't think I will comeback to this album in full anytime soon

Shouldn't be in the list for me...not one excellent song, not one good song, at best some average songs...standout Zilch says it all...for me best song on the record...Mister Dobalena, Mister Bob Dobalena!

Look, good on them for getting the freedom to write and play instruments on their 3rd album, but this pleasant but underwhelming and mediocre collection of songs isn't exactly a must-listen is it?

Very long album, I do like the monkees though

Too long

As a manufatured pop brand (rather than band), Some of the Monkees' singles were really rather good. I don't really know the ins and outs of who actually played on their records, but with this album they were flexing their creative muscles. The problem is that this just isn't a great album. from the opening Beatles pastiche, the songs are just dull.

I am not excited for this one. …Yeah, pretty much what I expected. I do give it credit for not taking itself too seriously; it’s a “dumb fun” kind of album. Once was enough, though. 2-3

Nåja. Det är inte Beatles direkt. Två

M,eh, not bad but a bit boring

where to begin? my 3rd favorite monkees album. the one that changed everything and was perhaps the beginning of the end. the album they played (almost) all their own instruments on. does anybody know about their beards? the beginning of you told me brings me total ecstasy.

I thought it was mighty average.

It's not for me. But it's slightly better than terrible.

Surprisingly strong record written and recorded largely by the band. Mickey Dolenz learned the drums, and Pete and Michael played a lot of the guitars. Chip Douglas was the George Martin for the record, a key collaborator and played the bass guitar. Nesmith’s steel guitar and stork’s keyboards are standouts in an otherwise appealingly garage-sounding band. Most importantly the songs are of a high standard and contain some of their very best : You Just May be the One, For Pete’s Sake, Sunny Girlfriend, You Told Me, and the truly remarkable Randy Scouse Git were never bested by the band. Very much worth a listen for those who think of them only as “the Pre Fab Four”.

I hate beatles clones, especially when they are drastically inferior

Beatles did it better

⭐⭐⭐ 6/10 The music is okay, feels like I'm listening to an album for kids. But maybe that's because of the time it was released in.

Not a bad album but as someone pointed out to me you’d be as well placed to get a best of album by them

This reminds me of MGMT. No, I will not be taking any questions.

I couldnt get into this one. A couple good songs, but a snooze fest for the most part. Kudos to them for making their own record though!💪🏻

I’ve always been a fan of the Monkees. They had a rough road and weren’t ever taken seriously because of the way they were created - but their success was earned and warranted. This isn’t one of their best albums, those were probably The Wrecking Crew, but it’s still a decent record.

Loved this album, will include in future rotations!

A made-for-TV band is something I have to hear before I die? I'd have preferred Josie and the Pussycats or the Banana Splits.

I understand this is the first album the band members wrote and played on. I like the playing and the record sounds really good but unremarkable Beatles wannabe. The songwriting is not great, especially the predictable lyrics.

Given some of the other questionable bands in this collection, I'm actually happy to see The Monkees make an appearance (and makes me wish the collection also featured Spinal Tap). I haven't watched a lot of their shows, and never had the chance to see them perform live, but it always felt like they were a good group of people with more talent and presence than they ever got credit for. This album seems like a good sampling of what they had to offer, and while it's not really to my taste it seems well-produced and honestly more interesting than most of the Beach Boys albums we've had in this collection. I also like it that this was the first of their albums to feature their own songwriting and playing (and a shame to read how controversial and challenging this was to accomplish). I'm also impressed that this album stayed nearly neck and neck with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band" in the charts for the 1967 summer of love (in the US at least). The standouts for me are "You may just be the one" and the amusing-Kinks-Beatles-mashup "Randy Scouse Git".

I once bought a Monkees album off a TV ad and sent them a bunch of coins in an envelope. I think I was 9 or so. I got the album, still have it, and really like about 15% of it. But this album didn't represent that 15%. It reminded me of the TV show episodes where the Monkees tried to be quirky and instead seemed lame. This reminds me, is Zooey Deschanel's duo on this list?

If you love the tambourine this shit is for you. While I don't love the way this was mixed, overall I enjoyed this more than I expected. It's a bit more gritty than I expected, I thought The Monkees would be more polished. There's some interesting experimental tracks that I'm unsure about, but credit for taking chances. I wasn't expecting strings, banjo & steel guitars but it all fit. This is the kind of stuff I think of, when I think 60s pop, I just usually think of better bands. It was fine, a bit boring.

Listened to trash and didn’t even get I’m a Believer!?!? I would’ve rather listened to Smash Mouth. It only got a 2 because I liked the last song

This has gotta be as middle of the road as it gets. It’s music that can be on and you don’t even realize there’s music playing.

“Ew! You like The Monkees? You know they don't write their own songs.” “They do so!” “They don't even play their own instruments.” “No! No!” “That's not even Michael Nesmith's real hat.” Ehhh, it’s a fine little Beatles knockoff. Not sure why this album is on the list, when none of the hits are on it and what is on it isn’t anything too spectacular. Solid 2.5 ⭐️ middle of road very ok album.

How did this get on the list? No "Last Train to Clarksville"...no "I'm a Believer." Boring and bland album. It reminds me of all the worst Beatles songs. The only time it really picks up is the final track....why not throw that in somewhere in the middle?

A perfectly middle of the road 60's rock album. There are twee moments ("I'll Spend My Life With You") goofy moments ("Band 6"), Chamber pop songs ("Shades of Grey"), and "Zilch" contains the "Bob Dobalina" sample that Del The Funky Homosapien would use decades later. It's perfectly fine, but for the life of me, I don't understand why it's on this list.

It sounds like The Monkees! Big props for battling to play on their records and write the tunes. In places it seems like though that they were given the keys to the studio *big fanfare* and then thought 'shit boys now we need songs'. Solid album but not standout

Lekent, tullete, middels. Zilch er sample til the funky homosapien?? :O

59/100. Short, sweet and decent at best.

mid-60s pop, Monkees writing & playing too

Sounds like the beatles, which means it's pretty good atleast. I did like hearing mr Dobalina Will I listen to again.

It doesn't leave much of an impression, but it's still one of the better Beatle-influenced records I've heard.

Good pop music but they’re not The Beatles.

Super naive but still nice.

The Mistadobalina sample coming from this… that threw me. Excited for Oz Perkins’ new movie about the guy from this band. Hopefully it does him a little more justice than the Gore Verbinski one……

Not sure really how to interact with this. Probably fine but so not for me

saw these guys on TV ... 3 stars

It sounds like they're just having a good time, especially on the throwaway songs like Band 6 and Zilch. They wouldn't have this much fun again until they performed at Chubbie's on Boy Meets World.

Hey hey!

Band taking more control and sounding good

Bleh

Solides Album mit guter Qualität aus dem 67er Summer of Love. Das Album variiert geschickt mit Country und Rocken Roll Elementen. Gute Songs sind „Shade of Grey“ und „Early Morning Blues & Greens“. Gern mal Wiederhören.

I'm not sure what to think about these guys. The TV show was kind of ridiculously bad. Conversely there are absolutely subversive elements and their squeaky clean image was obviously tongue in cheek... as evidenced by some of the songwriting on this record and other records. I think they definitely came close at times to writing perfect pop songs. That's probably the main reason to give them a decent rating... there isn't anything super special about the musicianship, or even the packaging and promotion of the band.

A different Monkees. Enjoyable.

Evening of January 5, 2025 (first album of the year was technically An Evening With Silk Sonic [2021]) HL: "Randy Scouse Git", "Shades of Gray", "Mr. Webster", "Forget That Girl", "I'll Spend My Life With You" I'm sure there are more vital examples of 60s pop here, but I've always liked what I knew from the Monkees, and these 12 tracks (and 2 examples of pissing around with the mic) don't disappoint. Even though it isn't one of the OG Monkee songs, the Weil/Mann composition "Shades of Gray" was my favourite song this time around

I love the song A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You. One of my favorite Monkees songs.

Eww, you like the Monkees

Lekker vrolijke muziek. Ik vind het heel erg leuk! ****

Better than anticipated. Not as much of a novelty pastiche act as expected.

This whole endeavor I’ve been going through for the last 490 days has definitely been a commitment. And it’s a commitment that I guess I’ve never really questioned until now. I had a moment while listening to this where I said to myself, “What the hell am I doing?” And I guess I have The Monkees to thank for that. Is this really needed? These guys started out as TV stars at the beginning of their careers, so music was never really the focus. The only experience I’ve ever had with them is through the Smash Mouth cover of I’m a Believer, which I wholeheartedly believe is better than the original. And also that one time Davy Jones was on SpongeBob, which went over 99% of kids heads, including mine. Most adults probably didn’t even get that joke. They were basically a Beatles parody band to start. The best comment I saw regarding this was “Released 1 week before Sgt. Pepper's - it sounds decades behind.” Which is genuinely hilarious. I think they came out too late in the 60s to really make an impact on anything. And they managed to sound dated in a sound that hasn’t even really gone out of style yet. I’m not sure how that’s possible. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with this album. Like, it’s not bad. But it’s also not good. There is absolutely no reason for me, or anybody below the age of 65, to be listening to this. Rating: 5/10

Honestly REALLY good i will 100 percent come back and listen to this

The start of this album is so-so, but the last few songs are very good. I'm only giving it three stars, but it's a very strong three.

The year my parents married. Songs were short and sweet and you could understand the lyrics.

"But it's true. They didn't write their own songs or play their own instruments." “The Monkees weren't about music, Marge. They were about rebellion, about political and social upheaval!” The reality was that they were neither a novelty band made up of actors, or the voice of a generation. What the Monkees were was a group of 3 talented songwriters and musicians who were able to act, and the Brit teen-idol they were built around with incredibly restrictive contracts. This album ended up being a one-and-done display of their talents as a four piece, with them reverting to session musicians for the following records. When they had to churn out 7 albums in 3 years, can you blame them? Oh, and it was Michael Nesmith's real hat.

I didn't think there was anything special about it.

Beat, 1967 -> 2-3

Enjoying this era more and more. The psychedelia pop

Getting this the day after Napalm Death got me to wondering if those two chaps and the old guy were just imagining things after all?

Oh wow, Zilch was a big surprise. Did not expect to find the original source material from Del Tha Funkee Homosapien's Mista Dobalina here, and yet... Song was trippy. Wow this album really heated up on me. Initially I was feeling like this was any other british invasion of the time, but the back half is quality. All of Your Toys which is off the original tracklist is really great. Gotta say I don't think I'll likely be back, but this is in high 3, verging 4 territory for me. Like a 7.7

Gee Willikers! These Monkees and their Rock n Roll is really something! I can't wait to share a malt with my sweetie while listening to an 8-track of these Monkees!

Not the most exciting album but it is cool to hear music from the 60s and how much rock has evolved since then. Zilch almost exploded my brain

This is a mixture of the worse Beatles/Who a few songs in. Not bad but definitely not what it could be. Zilch was weird af I enjoyed that. Got more into this as it went on. Liked the quirkiness of it but still was missing something. Solid 3.

3.75

Dull album. Unremarkable earworms.

A bit disorganized. Some interesting ideas, and I’m sympathetic to their story, but I don’t really think this holds up.

More musically interesting than i anticipated.

God no. Just felt fake. Turns out it is, to a certain extent. It's rare to get music that sounds so ok but is just annoying me the entire time. 1* would be my current preference but I know that's unfair.

I can't believe I've never heard of these guys this is an easy 5 lol. The voice and style reminds me of Bill Wurtz but not silly. Really enjoyed this album I hope the rest of their stuff is similar

Lame and uninteresting

2.7 - Unsure, just very meh honestly and wasn't impressed or unimpressed.

Twee, gross 2.1/5

good

This album definitely sounds even better with headphones. Hearing the mix adds so much definition and layers that you don't pick up otherwise. Added a whole star just for the enjoyment of listening with two ears

Well it didn't save my original notes from when I saw this album pop up for the first time. It wasn't positive. This is a strange album in that it's not awful. It just sounds like so many things. Like somehow a more British version of Rubber Soul and Revolver. Which wild since those albums were written and played by an all British band while the Monkees are 3/4 American. Then you have the songs that sound like the ones they used for the chase scenes in Scooby-Doo Where are you. It's not awful but it's hard to take serious.

Man it’s crazy what a blatant ripoff of The Beatles they were. I loved The Monkees when I was in high school but only ever owned a greatest hits CD. I still do like their hits but listening to this album just made me feel like I was in high school again, and not in a good way.

They were so behind the beatles. This one just wasnt very inetersting to me. Fiine, but a little boring

I knew I liked the Monkees, but I have never listened to their music extensively. I really enjoyed this album! The song Zilch was intriguing

I was surprised that I liked this more than I thought I would. My preconceived notions and limited listening prior to this had me assuming they were a ridiculous "poppy" band but in reality they have a wider depth

Rock sesentero. Venga, vinilo, aunque alguna canción no me ha entusiasmado.

Pop happy años 60. A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You.

Spotify has this album with about 36 songs - I looked it up and only listened to what was on the original release. I was not familiar with any of these songs but it was pretty good actually. Much deeper band than what I had thought given the whole Davey Jones thing and tv show and all. I’m pretty sure I read these guys had Jimi Hendrix open for them before he hit it big. What a terrible album cover.

At first I was like "hey, they sound like The Beatles". Then I realized they are a band from the 60's. And then I realized they are not The Beatles. And they kind of mid.

Kind of like a poor mans Beattles...except with weirdly more pedo vibes.

It's interesting to me how much of The Monkees and their legacy is based around the fact that they were created as a prefabricated band for a sitcom. Like, before this album, they basically had no control over their own direction. The songs were all written by pros, they were all played by session musicians, their producer had complete control over track listings... And, heck, if one of them hadn't put their first clean through a wall, they well could've been the ones to have recorded "Sugar, Sugar". The four of them were trapped in a black box, with nothing to do but smoke in-between flopping around on camera. I can only imagine how crazy that would drive someone. Like, sure, if this were the 1950's and they were Elvis, singing other people's songs wouldn't really be such a bad lot. But unfortunately, this was the late-60's — where, funny enough, Elvis found himself in the same spot as The Monkees. I mean, The Beatles were the entire reason The Monkees were created in the first place, and they set the standard for bands writing their own songs. The Rolling Stones had moved to penning their own material, Brian Wilson was crafting masterworks, Bob Dylan... And yet, here these guys were, faking songs for a teen-age audience that didn't care about the artifice. They had hits upon hits — but what does it matter if none of them were theirs? That's where HEADQUARTERS comes in. See, their next single was supposed to feature a compromise: the A-side would have the group singing on one of their producer Don Krisher's tracks, and the B-side would feature something the boys had written and performed themselves. Krisher had seemingly agreed to this — until the next single came out and it featured two Krisher tracks. It caught everyone off-guard: not just The Monkees, but also the show producers and the **label executives**. Needless to say, the move wasn't exactly worth it. Krishner was out, and finally, **finally**, The Monkees were able to record an album under their own direction. So, after all of that preamble — how does the album itself actually play out? See, I don't wanna front and say that the surrounding context isn't a big reason why I'm as much a fan of the album as I am. It's a great story of fighting for freedom and achieving it. Honestly, there's some part of me that tends more towards the prefab artifice of their previous two albums. I mean, come on, **the hits**: their TV theme song, "Last Train To Clarksville", "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone", "I'm A Believer"... It's all bubblegum, factory-made and everything, but if it ain't fun to chew, y'know?, they can be so **garage**, I love it. I'm not sure if there's a song here that really matches up to any of those — or even their later hits, like "Daydream Believer". But that's speaking on a song-by-song basis. As an **album**, absolutely, this is the band's greatest achievement. 'Coz, look, as much as their debut and MORE OF THE MONKEES had great singles, and some amazing garage-type rock, as a complete experience... Well, there were some notable low points, to be sure. There's some part of me that gets a kick out of shit like "I Wanna Be Free" and "The Day We Fall In Love" in spite of themselves, but I can't act like they're not... Y'know, **good**. That's not even to mention the stuff that just feels tossed off, like, "Eh, this episode needs another song, sure." HEADQUARTERS is a more consistent experience. The highs might be lower, but the lows are higher, and it all balances out pretty nicely. It's just... A really good listen, y'know? Which I feel is all it needed to be, to prove they could make it on their own. At the very least, I've put this on more than I have the previous two, and not out of any sort of "this is the one where they gained autonomy" obligation. Goodness, there was one night this year or last last where, for some reason, I listened to the first side of this record, like, three times in a row. If that doesn't tell you how I feel about this album, I don't know what else will. Oh, and if I can quickly name the best song on this album before I move on: "Randy Scouse Git". Just, 100%, it's "Randy Scouse Git". It even went all the way to no.2 as a single in the UK — with the alternate title, uhm, "Alternate Title",'coz... Well, you look at what it's more commonly known as. Following this album, The Monkees would meditate once more on being a prefabricated band, with the movie/freak-out trip HEAD. That movie's a whole extended essay unto itself, so I'll refrain from going on about it. Just to say that, hey, The Monkees wouldn't have been able to try and kill off The Monkees if this album and its success allowed them the freedom to do that. For that alone, it's their most important, and thank goodness it had the tunes to back that up. I mean, if this had turned out to be the 60's NICK OF TIME... I mean, goodness, I don't even know. For me, this album's a solid 4. Honestly, I'm not sure if The Monkees were ever capable of making a straight 5/5 album, but as the best they've ever done by themselves... It coulda been worse, y'know? Plus, hey, they had Frank Zappa's approval, and in my eyes that counts for a lot.

The TV band that became a real one solidified their transformation with this album, which is just some killer 60’s pop. 4.5 bumped down to 4.

Ah, what the hell. I’m at a 4.5 that I'll bump up to a 5. This is my first time hearing The Monkees, outside of “I’m A Believer” – I know about the TV show, but my (admittedly ignorant) reputation of them has always fallen under the same general lens I think most people have about the 1960s in pop music: there’s the Beatles, and then there’s everyone else trying to be the Beatles. It rings especially true for the Monkees; just look at the name, plus it’s a 4-person band that seemingly got thrown together on a whim. You can’t blame me for this. My expectations were middling, and I’m very pleasantly surprised to be wrong – this is a really charming album. You have to be in the sort of mood for overly bubbly 60s pop like this, so I can understand why the average rating on this is lower… but like, come on, you can’t be that goddamn unhappy for an album like this, can you? I thought this was great – it’s not like, Beatles-level great, but who said it had to be? There’s a lot of unfair expectations levied here on account of being “The Monkees” but if you push past that, you end up with a really good album. A decent number of these tracks feel like the natural conclusion of the 30s/40s “Great American Songbook” style, and they’re appropriately produced that way, but it doesn’t mean this album feels horribly out of date for 1967. It’s all intentional, but still brought up to the standards of the 60s, and I think they sound great and feel fun to listen to. It’s very weird to feel the fruits of that era coming to roost after listening to so many of those tracks, but it’s kind of cool at the same time. When this album escapes from that “Great American Songbook” box, and gets into its more experimental & Beatles-y stuff, it’s still just as good, with “Randy Scouse Git” being the prime example here. It’s really different from the rest of the album, but without straying too far, and it’s really memorable because it dares to be different enough, especially for a final track. So, yeah, I’ll give my credit where credit is due to Dolenz, Tork, Nesmith, and Jones – the Monkees may just be a good band after all, or at the very least, their musicianship grew enough to make a genuinely compelling album that feels like it can at least sit at the same lunch table as some of its contemporaries. This sat right behind Sgt. Pepper at #2 for a while, so clearly audiences loved these guys. I thought it was just charming enough to really win me over – the lyricism is good, the vocals are good, the instrumentals are fun and varied, and as a whole, it’s just a really tight 31 minutes that kept me captivated most of the time. I enjoyed it a lot, and it’s worth giving a 5.

This would be really great if it was made like 5 years earlier, but it just doesn't really stand out to me as a late 60s record. Perhaps that's my Beatles supremecy talking, but who knows. I love what they did with songs like I Can't Get Her Off My Mind, No Time, and Randy Scouse Git.

This is early 60’s pop-rock done in 1967. It’s like they are trying to experiment on songs like Band 6 and Zilch but the experimentation is the equivalent of a middle school science project. Favorite songs were You Just May Be The One, No Time, and Randy Scouse Git.

Not sure why all the persistent hype or renown surrounding the Monkees. They are a perfectly serviceable Beatles clone, manufactured and bred to be a perfectly serviceable Beatles clone. Not much else.

Absolutely unremarkable.

Some songs were just basic 60 pop rock songs, some actually really kicked ass. Probably won’t listen to it again though

A 3 feels almost generous. It's a nice collections of studio recordings, but lacks any direction as an album.

Like, didn't the Kinks already have the pseudo-Beatles thing locked down? We needed a full on satirical version? No thanks

Stupid chimps

Putting this Beatles 'parody' out after they'd already released Revolver and just about to drop Sgt. Pepper's is nothing short of embarrassing really.

Wannabe beatles, de rossz volt ez jaj. Nincs olyan obnoxious és kísérletezo, mint Lennon, de olyan kifinomult és bájos se mint McCartney, ez simán csak unalmas. 🤣 A no time a little richard(ot feldolgozo beatles) vibeokkal nem volt rossz, meg a randy scouse git se, de jhajj nope.

Some may say this is too much Monkees, and to that, I agree. Initially I really wasn't into it, then I hit a sweet spot where I was enjoying it, then I left the spot and was really wanting it to be over. Some great songs on this album, it definitely has some hidden gems, but it also has a lot of very generic twee songs that aren't for me.

Poppy goodness with a bit of cheese at times. Highlights: "You Told Me" (jangling guitars and harmonies), "You Just May Be the One", "For Pete's Sake" (catchy riff), "No Time" (rave up)

Innegable el aporte al universo

los escarabajos no quiero escuchar 1 hora y media de esa wea gracias

Like the Beatles but slightly different. And I already dont care much for the Beatles.

se disfruta, pero nada del otro mundo. Cuando lo hicieron en el 1966 los Beatles ya lo habian hecho 4 veces

Really uninteresting and generic music

Pretty non descript

Listened to this while playing Isofarian Guard. Meh. I thought I might be in for something kind of exciting with the opening instrumentation...but the rest was kind of generic. Not bad...not great.

Solid Beatles copy

V nice

Have on vinyl. Love them Monkees.

No one does this kind of pop as well as The Turtles.

Another horrendous choice. A lesser known Monkees album that has no notable songs on it, and sounds like a poor imitation of the Beatles.

нормуль древний артефакт

Couldn't keep my ear tuned to this one.

Randy Scouse Git

Not bad 60's pop. I liked watching reruns of the TV show when I was a kid. Sort of a wacky comedy show. Not sure if I would listen to this again but it's nice to hear it for the memories.

Day291 - i didn’t know these songs but they’re good and how can you not like the monkeys

It’s alright and props to them for taking this album into their own hands rather than cash in on the people writing for them. However the obvious contemporary was already on to Sgt. Peppers. It’s not fair to be compared to the Beatles as such but I can’t imagine that this act wasn’t already played out at this point (2.5/5)

Classic record - Didn’t realize how intricate some of their music could be!

Out of context, 4 stars, but knowing they were copying exactly what the beatles were doing a few years earlier I can't give more than 3. Good listen though

I don't love it, but it IS the Monkees.

Pleasant, twee, certainly redolent of a time and place. Some of the material wears thin, the rest charms. When my version of the album slipped into the bonus tracks, I thought the quality improved! So that's where 'Mista Dobalina' comes from?!

That was unexpectedly awesome.

Ok so I fucking love The Monkees. Their greatest hits album is a certified banger for road trips. That being said I haven't tried to listen to any of their main albums. These guys are the OG Big Time Rush but they're actually good LOL They are a specific vibe of upbeat, hopeful, and cheery music they just aims to put a smile on your face. They remind us that its okay to just be happy without having a reason; sometimes you can just *be* in a good mood. If you want a song that exemplifies this the best (even tho it isn't on this album) listen to Pleasant Valley Sunday. This album is just more of that... Being pleasant and bright :) You Told Me I'll Spend My Life with You. You Just May be the One !!!!!!!!! (this is a monkees song?!?! how did I not know) For Pete's Sake (Closing Theme) BOP Mr. Webster Sunny Girlfriend No Time! Randy Scouse Git!!!!!!!!! The Girl I knew Somewhere A Little Bit me, a Little Bit You I thoroughly enjoy the Monkees fuck yes

Pleasant and clearly a historical artifact, but not something I plan on listening to again.

It’s just diet Beatles. Fine for others. Nor for me.

it feels like i’m ignorant of some of the sins this record commits because i’m not well-versed in the beatles. it’s a decent pop record with a few catchy standouts.

I was really excited to hear this for some unknown reason. Was pretty indifferent until Zilch that and the next two upped my interest.

The beetles if they were mid

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but it's not something I'm going to return to.

Shite

Not as annoying as I thought this would be. Nice and short, inoffensive, definition of a three.

Quite nice album, but it has one big flaw; Daydream Believer is not on this album. Neither is Lookout, Here Comes Tomorrow, which means the best songs, like the opener ,You May Just be the One and No Time, are only "4 star-songs" or "Beatles-fillers", which only makes the average a solid 3 stars.

loved it

Pre-listening thoughts: so sad this is not the album with I’m a Believer :( but Donkey kinda ate them up on that song anyways Post/during listening thoughts: am I tweaking or does everyone in the 60s just sound like the Beatles. They’re American too! But man if you showed this to me blind I would say it was the Beatles (at first, they come into their own sound as the album goes on). And maybe I’m uneducated on the Beatles but maybe they just shaped 60s music (and beyond). If I had a nickel for every male band in the 60s that was an animal name misspelled by one letter I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice. 7/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: nah Fav tracks: You Told Me, You Just May Be The One, Shades of Grey, Mr. Webster Least fav tracks: n/a

Pleasant enough whimsical 60s British pop tunes that are completely forgettable. The identity was tough to follow here, some very straightforward pop, occasional tinges of psychedelia, a weirdly experimental vocal jam…I’m just not sure what they were going for other than Beatles knockoff. A handful of fine songs, but an album that I’ll forget about by tomorrow and probably never think of again.

Enjoyed the 60s jangly pop. Good tunes

Ew, you like the Monkees.

Why are the Monkees on this list? They are a poor man's Beatles. The songs on this album are mostly terrible. "Shades of Grey" is the only good song here. I guess this is the worst album I had in a while. 2 stars for "Headquarters".

I hadn’t realized this album was (after a week at number 1) the #2 album beneath the whole run of Sgt Pepper. And it’s very good. They were right to resist Don Kirshner. I kept some as favorites and, while I always respected Nesmith, have much more for the whole band. It’s a great listen.

Hey hey it's The Monkees, people say they should've written a better album.

I loved this album! Perfect flower power, perfect chill music. Quite varied too and Zilch was a pleasant surprise.

the classics of course but I also liked the weird and random interludes and additions..I cant imaging what they might have been on at the time. proves that they were a proper band and not just a TV one.

Kinda samey and a little weird. Too much harpsichord

the discount beatles. I mean it's fine and listenable and they were literally created in a lab but I don't think looking back 60 years on this album is more of a curiosity of how corporate America tried to compete with the Beatles.

Coming to terms with the fact that I don't really like sunshine pop. How bland! Never really tuned in to this one until Zilch played, what an odd track. Won't be returning to this one.

This is the definition of a mediocre album for me. A couple of songs were pretty pleasant, but I doubt I'll ever listen to them again. 3 stars

4.0

Better than the Beatles

Boring wannabe Beatles without the talent.

Shite

I loved the monkees as a kid so this was weirdly nostalgic, it’s not great but it is fun

I mean this is fun but in no way essential

Reasonably pleasant, but surely not a Must-hear album.

I don’t understand why this is on the list. This is generic Beatles and it’s not even that good

Nothing that I associate with the Monkees

It was cool when I was 12

Groupe inconnu. Ressemble beaucoup aux Beattles, donc ils partent avec un désavantage. C'est confirmé, rien de bien intéressant ou original. =>1/5

I expected something more along the lines of Last Train to Clarksville, or the Monkees Theme song, overall it’s not bad although, probably not making itself into my heavy rotation. I was surprised to hear the future sample from Mistadobalina, did not realize that was from a Monkees’ song!

Didn’t expect to find the sample for Mistadobalina by Del tha Funky Homosapien in the song Zilch on this album. That’s a win, otherwise it was a bog standard late 60s pop/psych (sorta) album. Little Americana thrown in for good measure. Nothing caught my attention. I guess I’m more an early Monkees fan because of Last Train to Clarksville and Daydream Believe.

Sorry, just really couldn't do it. It was and is really hard to take this band seriously.

shouldve given this 3 and jerry lee lewis 2 but it's all a bit boring

Het eerste concept-bandje? Door een producer bij elkaar gezet om als 'Amerikaans antwoord op de Beatles' onder andere door middel van een tv-programma een karrevracht geld op te brengen. En zo klinkt het ook: als tweedehands Beatle-muziek. Af en toe hoor je letterlijk van welk Lennon/McCartneynummer het gejat is. Verder zit er niks memorabels tussen, of het moet die sample zijn die begin jaren negentig werd hergebruikt door ene Del the Funky Homosapien. Zelf waren de Fab Four tegen 1967 al een stuk verder dan deze zwijmelmuziek. Tot slot een puntje aftrek vanwege de vieze smaak van de commercie.

De Beatles, maar dan nog saaier. Dit is zo ontzettend nep, dat ik ga verlangen naar Siouxsie die ik hiervoor kreeg. En die kreeg 2 sterren....

Het huismerk der huismerken, Beatlesque, vergeetbaar. Hebben we nog meer cliches te melden? Ik vergeet er vast een paar. Het verhaal van de Monkees kennen we inmiddels wel: het Amerikaanse antwoord op de Beatles, dus het moest ook daadwerkelijk op de Beatles lijken. Dat is ze redelijk gelukt, met wat hippie popfolk ertussen om toch net even dat Amerikaanse sausje er overheen te gieten. Maar dan: de keuze van het album. Ik ben absoluut geen kenner van the Monkees, dus ik heb echt geen idee wat ze allemaal gemaakt hebben. Maar dit album heeft geen bekend hitje, geen I'm a believer of Daydream Believer. Klaarblijkelijk is dit het eerste album waarop ze zelf wat zijn gaan componeren, een soort van 'debuut'. Ik heb het idee dat ze het toch beter gewoon door Neil Diamond hadden kunnen laten doen. Maar het verklaart wel waarom de snobs dit album in de lijst hebben opgenomen. Anders begrijp ik het niet zo goed. De wegen van de snobs zijn ondoorgrondelijk zoals gewoonlijk. Blijft eigenlijk maar een suf albumpje over, zonder hits. Knap dat ze met die rommel en amper een handvol hits zo bekend zijn geworden.

Subpar even by the Monkees standards. 1.5/5

only one good song - little bit me, little bit you - i do like the Monkees though

-this is definitely better than I imagined it to be when I saw the cover somehow. Did kind of feel like Beatles Lite (to be fair quite a bit of 60s music does) but it had a few very enjoyable songs -Favorites are Forget That Girl, Mr. Webster, and Randy Scouse Git

This is a fun ‘60s album. It’s pretty forgettable in the long run, as many bands do the turn of the psychedelic era better, but it’s enjoyable as it is

Was so uninteresting that I didn't even notice the music stopped once the album was over for a good 30 minutes later.

The Monkees were certainly representative of a certain vision of the 1960s; a cleaner more wholesome version perhaps, but certainly still hopeful and progressive. Never treated as a real group because in the beginning they only barely were, they nonetheless have an enduring quality to them. That said, most of the tracks are subpar, but a few are very good. Pete’s Sake being my personal favorite.

6.7/10 Good one, I guess. But I haven't even managed to listen till the end of it. Wouldn't have put it on the list "1001".

3 Stars

Why have I been thinking that The Monkees were British this whole time? This album has a lot of interesting stuff going on in the background, with the Monkees getting creative control over their music for the first time. The result is much slower and folkier than I would have expected. It's fun overall, and the songs go by quickly. It doesn't have the Monkees hits that I would have expected, but it's interesting on its own right 3/5

Not bad. Kind of goofy. 3/5

4.5

It sounds a long way behind what other bands were doing at the same time. Not particularly interesting or enjoyable.

beatles für arme. just mid

This album was kind of flat, especially with the knowledge that The Monkees had a handful of incredible songs around this time. Unfortunately nothing was especially catchy on this record and it very much felt like a Beatles rip-off, with the title track sounding like a far less interesting Tomorrow Never Knows. A side note does need to be made for Zilch which is a kind of mediocre track but ended up being sampled in a fantastic Del the Funky Homosapien track

Honestly, I didn't even know the Monkees were gonna be on this list.

Funny how music history is filled with surprising connections no one would dare imagine... For instance, who during the nineties was aware that hit single "Mistadabolina", released by nineties rapper Del Tha Funky Homosapiens, actually took inspiration from a vocal skit found within an goofy interlude from this Monkees album? That fun interlude is named "Zilch", and I encourage every nineties hip hop fan to jump on it right away... This unexpected connection aside, there's not much that I really found crazy or even notable in *Headquarters*. Oddly enough, it's an album that actually doesn't harbor any famous hits from the Monkees. Under that light, you would then expect a record that takes "risks" at least... yet *Headquarters* doesn't push the envelope in meaningful ways either, quite sadly. It was nice to hear that the band took some amount of creative control with this LP, after two albums where each and every artistic choice was decided by music industry goons and the people responsible for their popular TV show. Yet it feels like fans of the sixties pop-rock outfit still decidedly favor their two first LPs (of "Last Train To Clarksville", "Stepping Stone", and "I'm A Believer" fame). And a lot of those fans still prefer the two other LPs that follow this one (which also contain their fair share of little gems), at least if you take the current streaming numbers into account. Besides, given that there's the same mix of covers and originals in *all* those albums (the originals either written by members of the band, or by in-house songwriters), it's not as if this relative autonomy as artists is retrospectively *that* striking anyway. So all in all, having this transitory record in the list feels like quite a weird choice, to be honest... Not that there aren't pleasant--or even pretty great--highlights in *Headquarters*. Opener "You Told Me" is an enticing textbook sixties Californian pop number, and second track "I'll Spend My Life With You" nicely anticipates the country-rock developments that would occur later in that same US state (with a cute and wonderful use of glockenspiel towards its conclusion to boot). "You Just May Be The One" is so effective that it's the track where you think the album hits its stride at last (too bad it never really does). And I admit that the finish line is close to awesome, with two surprisingly nervous, almost *angry*, cuts about, let's say, "girl issues" ("Randy Scouse Git" and "All Of Your Toys"). I had not realized the Monkees were able to tick some relatively disturbing boxes at times--even if they never fully abandoned their usual boyish charms as they did so... The thing is, the rest is almost instantly forgettable, and the stylistic twists and turns neither rhyme nor reason. Worse, you also have appalling clunkers... Third track "Forget That Girl" is so bad and hackneyed, and its lyrics are so on the nose that they instantly made me think of a "song" written by current AIs. Quite the wrong way to be "prophetic", I would say--even if the thing was unwittingly hilarious... "I Can Get Her Out Of My Mind" is also incredibly quaint, and if "Shades Of Grey", "For Pete's Sake" and "Sunny Girlfriend" are not *that* offensively bad, they're still far from being memorable. In that sort of airy, happy-go-lucky line of work, only "Mr. Webster" leaves some sort of imprint, thanks to its funny nonsensical yarn... So when it comes to include *Headquarters* in a list such as this one, well, let's just say that I am not a believer indeed. Truth be told, I'm not a believer for those other sixties Monkees albums either, even if it seems to me that most of them are less patchy, or at least slightly more cohesive. There are lots of nice (and often cheap) Monkees compilations on CD out there... And they do the intended job better than any of the band's LPs, at least as far as I know. 2/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential" albums. And 7/10 for more general purposes (5 for musical competency + 2 for the artistry). Number of albums left to review: 84 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 393 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 229 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 295 (including this one)

Задорный, весёлый, немного наивный и чуть-чуть скучный альбом от "лучшей группы 1960-ых"))

Pretty solid 60 pop album.Really liked randy scours got,forget that girl

Je ne sais pas s'ils sont arrivé avant ou après les Beatles, mais j'avais vraiment l'impression d'écouter une copie de ces derniers. C'était très correct comme rock, mais de savoir que ce ne sont même pas les membres qui ont composé ou même joué les instruments, ça fait perdre énormément en valeur artistique. 4/10

Interesting album, light folky psychedelic pop.

yeah -I am old enough to remember the TV show - which was the best, when I was 5... the music is not that clever - pretty easy...Sounds like they spent about 1 hour making. Cannot believe that Jimi Hendrix opens for them on a concert tour. No shit.

Meh 2/5. Taka parodia Beatlesów.

Hey Hey, I loved this show! Davey Jones was the teen idol, but Micky was my favorite. This is pretty cool, never heard before, and sent me down a deep rabbit hole. I’m gonna dive a bit deeper, see what’s lurking at the bottom.

When the Beatles started going weird, someone at NBC television had the bright idea of creating a family friendly boy band from scratch for a tv show, and maybe put out some records as well. The Monkees were duly assembled and released two albums, before rising up and seizing the means of production to record their own songs. This album is mostly harmless, but not particularly memorable. Highlight is a snarky song about the Beatles called “Randy Scouse Git”.

In an alternate universe, a band from the '60s started to play joyful pop/rock, but they were on the other side of the Pond, took another animal as a band name, and never took an experimental turn making their music remotely interesting. I prefer to stay in my very own universe with our bugs.

Rating this a 4 solely based on Zilch, because that's one of the coolest songs ever (which later becomes one of the coolest samples ever).

“The Monkees weren't about music, Marge. They were about rebellion, about political and social upheaval!”

Der erste Rap der Geschichte mit dem Song "Zilch", finde ich.

Honestly, it was fun. It can in no way compete with Sgt Pepper (released the next year), but it doesn’t have to. They aren’t The Beatles, and that’s okay.

My initial thoughts are that it was certainly successful but probably not as significant as most of this list. The Beatles rose through their creative outbursts so quickly that there was obviously still a market for their earlier sound. The Monkees were clearly a record label creation with the teenage heartthrobs on the cover and unrelated writing and performing credits on the actual record. Here was their first attempt to prove themselves as actual musicians. The result is fine. I admire them for demanding creative freedom while risking a winning formula. It worked for them as the album sold well. But let's be honest, among the giants of the 60s (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The Zombies), this album really doesn't hold up that well. Maybe if it had come out four years earlier, but the fact that it came out one week before 'Sgt Pepper' just makes it feel well behind the curve. Despite that, it's a decent album anyway and there's some experimentation that's especially evident on the b side.

Generally reminded me of the Beatles. “I’ll spend my life with you” and “early morning blues and greens” are closest to a standout of the album for me. The Album went by for me very quickly -nothing really caught my attention much but it was pleasant.

Laura loved it.

This is really solid 60's Pop music. Probably the first time I've listened to a Monkees album. There aren't any overplayed hits to skip, which makes it that much better. The vocal harmonizing is standout for me. Really enjoyable listen. Just exactly perfect for a summer morning on the patio with coffee.

Nothing notable.

I grew up watching re-runs of The Monkees and have always loved their music. This album was great!

Really enjoyed this album. This is borderline between a four and a five, but either way I would definitely listen to more of their music.

I can't take the Monkees seriously. I'll say it's not nearly as band as I thought it was going to be. That's not to say that it's good, mind you. It's sort of stereotypical sappy 60s pop.

I love their hits - Daydream Believer, Last Train to Clarksville, I'm a Believer - and I even used to watch the show on the oldies rerun channel sometimes. But listening to this album just makes me want to listen to the Beatles instead. The songs are well crafted and great at imitating the Beatles, as they intended. And I don't hate this, not at all. But after listening twice, I'm confident that's enough for me.

Unremarkable 60s pop.

Not my thing.