Headquarters

That's ok

I'm pretty biased because The Monkees were basically my introduction to any form of pop through their TV show. But these are (mostly) good or v good songs, the two singles are great, plus this it seems was the point at which they stood up for themselves and actually started playing on their own albums. So it's a big yes from me.

Temu version of the Beatles. Fav song: N/A. They all seem to blend together, anyway

Fine

Outside of the really bizarre experiment "Zilch" and one or two other pleasant songs, this really did nothing for me. It is abundantly obvious that this was a band put together specifically for a TV show (a sitcom, even).

This is probably one of the albums that could be taken off the 1,001 and it wouldn’t make a difference. That said, it was nice to listen to. But I won’t remember a single thing from this yet another beatle clone.

Mou et ennuyeux .loin de leur meilleur

The Monkees - Headquarters This is a ‘60s pop album that was culturally significant at the time but nowadays seems a bit unremarkable. Some of the tracks are just twee, others are a bit average, overall it hasn’t aged terribly well. ‘For Pete’s Sake’ is by far the standout track on the record. But overall, I’m left with a sense that this album is mainly important for its historical significance than for the actual music

Bit too sugar pop and bland for me. It's what a beatles cover band sounds like if it was trying to branch out into their own music.

Dull

Love, sounds like beatles

Quite a tough one for me to rate objectively as The Monkees were a huge part of my childhood; with their TV series on rotation on BBC2 and a best of album within easy reach at home, I know a lot of their stuff inside out. Realistically, they’re probably quite derivative and shouldn’t stand out much more than a lot of other 60s pop, but I still think their musical output far outgrew their manufactured beginnings.

Didn't expect Mr Dobilena in there. Not sure how to evaluate this album. It was fun, it was quirky, and it was somewhat of its time. Still good and enjoyable, but I'm not sure about groundbreaking or anything. ⭐⭐⭐?

It’s a fine enough slice of 60s pop rock, got plenty of scooped flavours from other artists of the time, but it does feel a bit lightweight and simple for an album coming out by 1967. It makes sense it’s a TV band’s first go at doing their own thing for that, y’know.

Fuck this album. It shouldn’t be on here.

Ehh meh

Album #302 The Monkees: Headquarters The original industry plants. The Monkees entire existence was to serve as a cheap imitation of The Beatles, a bunch of actors pretending to be musicians, given their own show and performing songs written by others. Now that isn’t to say they were completely terrible; the Monkees did have some genuinely great pop hits and actually did end up demonstrating some artistic integrity by learning their instruments and writing their own songs; however, Headquarters possesses neither catchy hits nor artistic integrity, and feels undoubtedly corporate. Completely serviceable 60s pop, but that's kind of the point; this is what 60s pop would sound like if it were produced for a Walmart ad. Best Songs: Early Morning Blues and Greens, You Just May Be The One, Shades of Gray Worst Song: Zilch Score out of 10: 5

Corny, saccharine rubbish.

Otra banda esencial, por éxito, por fenónemo social y también por calidad. Siempre puestos en duda(como la Wrecking Crew, no huibiera tocado en otros discos), sus cualidades instrumentales y compositoras quedan resueltas en discos como este. Forget that girl, I´ll spend my life with you... relucen como los mejores álbumes de su época. May be the one ya es más seria. Shades of grey es una de mis canciones favoritas de su carrera. Zilch no. No time es beat, un R&Blues típico sesentero, nada especialmente brillante para estar en el 67. Randy scouse git es un tema interesante. Buen disco, no es el mejor de los Monkees (el anterior sí lo es).

Listened before? No Familiar with the artist? Yes Thoughts: - It was fine, inoffensive; definitely not a must-listen in any way. Favorite track(s): Mr. Webster (has kind of a Simon & Garfunkel vibe) Least favorite: Whatever "Zilch" was...

My sisters had their previous albums, this was an unexpected delight.

You wouldn't even know they were made for television. Eh, maybe. 3/5

The Monkees weren’t half bad!

Ok album

Not for me. I realise from reading a bit that this is them taking a step away from their manufactured pop origins. To me it sounds like that kind of empty pop music somehow though. Even though they are heavily modelling the Beatles, it feels like there is some kind of night and day difference in honesty and artistic credibility. I am no doubt bringing a ton of bias from my own predetermined ideas about the groups.

Alt er likt

I grew up on the reruns. Its shocking to learn that there were only 2 seasons. It seemed like a bottomless well. Despite the nostalgia... No thanks.

I was excited for this one because I figured I knew that one song and it was catchy, so I put on the deluxe edition.. I didn't find it all that great. Pretty mediocre.

They were probably one of the first boy bands however I quite liked this although there was nothing Earth shattering about it. Doesn't contain any of the major hits but at least most of it was self written. A pleasant listen but stick to the greatest hits. PS I did like the TV series.

"We have the Beatles at home"

i like the monkees!

Sounds like they had a bit of fun recording that.

ehhh. im sure this album was much more important at the time. maybe id have to know more about the monkees to understand why this is one of the 1001 albums to listen to before i die.

Hehehe Monkey go ooh ooh ah ah ah. Great times, good times. Did I rate this more highly than Rubber Soul? Mayhaps I did. Is there artistic merit to be found in The Monkees? Mayhaps. Did I have fun? Absolutely.

Not bad for TV

No "Daydream Believer"? No "I'm a Believer"? No "Opening Theme"? If a Monkees album should be on the list (which is highly debatable), this is not the right one. At least they made this album by themselves… 1.5⭐️

i did not like this. It is dated pop music without the hits. It sounds twee and shallow and vapid.

For Pete’s Sake, even if you have No Time to listen to this, do it anyway.

Album #211: The Monkees – Headquarters ⭐⭐ This is my first full-fledged Monkees album, but I know The Monkees. As Jim Carrey said in Dumb and Dumber - “they were a major influence on the Beatles” This is probably one of the hardest albums I’ve reviewed so far. I’m struggling to form my opinion on it properly, and I’m torn a little bit, but I’m going to go with the two-star review because I just found the whole Beatles thing a little bit too distracting. It feels a little bit shit to criticize a band so deeply for being influenced by the most influential band of all time. But it just rubs me slightly wrong that this is a California band during probably the most exciting period of music ever for Californian music and here they are desperately trying to sound like the Beatles, or like a British band, right down to the mimicked accents and Lennon-McCartney-style vocals. On some of these tracks, they sound remarkably like Paul McCartney. It’s actually really impressive. My knowledge of the Beatles isn’t extensive enough for me to pick out individual songs and say, this song is that song, and that song is this song, but there are moments where the vocal melodies sound so familiar that I feel like I’ve heard them on Beatles records before. And I don’t really have a problem with rip-offs, but I just found it really distracting to listen to this. There are times where they break away from the Beatles formula, like For Pete’s Sake, Sunny Girlfriend and No Time. These tracks sound a bit more natural to their Californian roots. Really, it’s the middle to second half of the album that I enjoyed a bit more. But then, for example, For Pete’s Sake leads into Mr. Webster, and I was immediately thinking, this is just another Beatles song that you’ve appropriated. Now, if I need educating on this whole thing, by all means, please do. I haven’t done a huge amount of reading into The Monkees. I know that they were meant to be America’s answer to the Beatles. I don’t particularly think they’re a great answer. They don’t sound like the best musicians in the world, and you don’t need to be the best musicians in the world, but there’s just something somewhat lacking in it. There are some good lyrical moments, and there are some good songs that I really like, like the aforementioned California-style tunes, but for the most part it was a Beatles impression album. And by ‘67, the Beatles themselves had already done away with a lot of the style that The Monkees were doing here. It feels outdated even then, and I don’t think it’s aged particularly well. So yeah, not particularly happy with this one. I was going to give it a three because I do think the songs are actually quite good throughout, but it was just too distracting. It was way too distracting.

Good vibes, but it is generic pop rock

So funny to me that this released one week before Sgt Pepper. The monkees were 2 years behind

It was quite good! First few tracks were much better than the others

I always kind of thought of The Monkees as being "What if The Beatles never changed from their original sound and aesthetic", and Headquarters doesn't do a whole lot to challenge this perception. It's solid '60s pop music, with a couple of moments that prove The Monkees had some stranger aspirations. It's also not exactly my thing, but I can definitely hear an impressive ear for melody here, even if it doesn't make me like it a whole lot more. This is gonna be a 2 for now, but if I enjoy this more on a revisit, I'll keep you posted.

Fun but forgettable

Coworker taste but in the late 60s. The best song is “No Time,” but it’s the just the cheapest Elvis knockoff you’ve ever heard.

I liked this way more than I thought I was going to. A few tracks that dragged it down a bit but overall a great fun little album. Cheeky chaps!

Vengo de una seguidilla de álbumes de los 60-70 y lamentablemente me tocó darme cuenta de que estoy un poco cansado de eso con este disco. Un poco mas de lo que ya vengo comentando como hace 10 álbumes, seguramente bangers en su época pero hoy este disco es una recopilación de temas parecidos el uno al otro y sin nada nuevo que ofrecer. Los Beatles de las Saladas, como muchos otros de la época. Destaco un par de sus temas mas tranquilos que genuinamente me gustaron y no hicieron que me quede atrapado en el cliché del rock antiguo: "Forget that girl" y "Shades of Gray". 2 estrellas y media.

It’s not bad!

Too long

Surprised there haven't been any Monkees albums on this list yet. Is this really their best representative? I guess it was their first album in which all members had creative control on. It was just alright to me, though. Side note: hearing "Zilch" as a Del the Funky Homosapien fan blew my mind, had no idea that was the source for "Mistadobalina".

Favorite Track: No Time

Wayne: "The Shitty Beatles? Are they any good?" Bouncer: "They suck." Wayne: "Then it's not just a clever name."

Dumb

Classic

Poppig pop

Härligt klassiskt sound rakt igenom!

Härlig lättlyssnad klassisk pop.

Very forgettable

This was a fun bop. It was enjoyable up beat and kept a smile on my face.

The Monkees have strange roots, so I'm glad an album where they had greater creative control was included in this list. I thought this was pretty great, it had catchy bops and showed a lot of talent in song construction and instrumentation. Super fun listen!

3/10. Found it a bit boring. Not much too it

yeah no thanks. “we got beatles at home” sounding ass album. These dudes were actors and didn’t actually write their music from what i’m reading

I will probably never think about this album again. It's not that bad but it's certainly not that good

Better than I expected. I thought this was going to be the usual cheesy Monkees stuff I was familiar with, but this was more serious and better than I hoped for.

One could describe this as charming, sweet, having cute melodies and pleasant voices, but none of these aspects safe the album from becoming this incredibly forgettable experience. It is Pop Rock from the late 60's, but neither it rocks neither is catchy, or at least to the point where it is memorable. There is also no experimentation neither creative production. It is just a simple compilation of incredibly standard and safe pop tunes from that time, so there is very little to talk about. I though about giving it a positive score, but I decided to give it a negative one just due to how stale and dry it is, even though its shortness is really appreciated.

Fuck me, I kinda enjoyed this. Especially the “Bob Dobbalina” song. Mind-blowing that that sample came off this album. The Monkees here demonstrate that they are actually musicians who can write a song, not just the first boy band. Well done, lads.

I like this. I like it b/c The Monkees don't pretend to be something they're not. This is indeed pop rock, not novelty rock, b/c, well, what's novelty in the end? A joke? A quirk? A gimmick? I don't hear any of that here, I just hear quality songwriting, sweet melodies, solid harmonies, & a sixties spirit that I can't help but be nostalgic for. No, The Monkees aren't The Mamas & The Papas, they aren't The Lovin' Spoonful, The Rascals, The Sonics, or any of the other less heralded bands of that decade, but they are what they are. How can you not like songs such as 'For Pete's Sake (Closing Time),' or 'Sunny Girlfriend,' or 'No Time.' In a way, they're the American Kinks - I just don't think they're quite as deep. +, I had no idea Del sampled 'Zilch'!

It’s alright

They're like a year or two behind the Beatles, this reminds me of Help or the less ambitious Rubber Soul tracks, but it's pretty good.

Más allá de las claros guiños a los Beatles, este disco es bastante malo. La mayoría de las canciones suenan a improvisaciones cortas. No me gustó.

Knock-off Beatles. The only interesting thing about this album is Zilch and also Michael Nesmith's mom

I liked it from the first song! :Haunted by my visceral dislike of Brian Wilson, I worried that this boy band of the same era would turn me off, but I’m not jaded, I just like these guys more. There’s still some cheesy stuff here but it’s true to the era—innocent rather than juvenile. That said, I’m not sure I need to listen to all 90 minutes in the Spotify deluxe edition. I ended up using the Wikipedia article to find the original track listing, a mere third of the deluxe runtime. side 2 Is especially good: For Pete’s Sake has a catchy 60s guitar and tambourine. Mr Webster borders on trippy but doesn’t go over the edge. Sunny girlfriend is a fun romp. 4 stars

enjoyable. Liked "zilch" for its weird a cappella weirdness. First album they played themselves with no session musicians. Felt very much like the beatles but maybe less pretentious?

Funny to read this came out the week before Sgt Peppers. Maybe they get better later, but this is so derivative and bland. 2.5 rounded down Heard before? No Owned: No, 105/407 (25%) Will I get: No

Gear: ZMF Auteur Classic LTD Shedua Artwork: 😃😃😃😃 Production (2007 Remastered): 🕰️🤔🆗 Music: 🪞😒📉 Rating: 🐒(🐒)/5

Standout Track= Shades of Gray

If I would take them seriously it would be a 1, but they are pretty funny and I had a great time

First of all I think its cool that The Monkees got at least somewhat the chance to show something of their own real musical talent. What comes to my mind instantly while listening though is that this album misses something of that individuality that bands like The Beatles or The Kinks had. Is that a surprise keeping their history and what this band was in mind? No but the fact stands that it sounds like just another 60's pop rock record and nothing really special. The Monkees absolutely borrowed some stuff from the Beatles but I mean they took from the most influential band of all time and that is for a reason so it is kind of understandable. I don't deny that a few funny uplifting songs were definetly on there and nothing is really bad or hard to listen but there are just many albums from that time and genre that I prefer every time so I will listen to Headquarters pretty rarely I'm afraid. 3,0/5

A few catchy songs but very much of its era. I don’t know enough about the music to know of the legacy this left (and I’m sure it did/does). It’s a fun album but not one I’d return to because I wanted to listen to it. But at the same time, I wouldn’t mind if it came on.

Probably slightly better than I thought it would be,

not bad for a ripoff? I dunno, nothing's necessarily wrong with this (besides being a full and obvious ripoff I guess) but nothing's particularly right with it either. Kind of weird to be included here. Like including a KidsBop album

I'm surprised, This is actually sort of OK. Only sort of OK though and I cant say I'm a fan. Very derivative stuff by musicians who probably wouldn't have had this chance had they not done the earlier pre-fab stuff. I understand it belongs here as a document, but really not great. 2/5

Pretty much what you'd expect from a late '60s Monkees album

Meh. Dated songs that were never at the cutting edge musically. It’s fine, but I didn’t need to hear it and don’t need to hear the entire (bloated) album again. A 2.

Fun background pub music. I can hear how much of later music it helped inspire, though.

Pretty standard 60's wannabe Britpop

A passable facsimile of Beatlemania for people in the 60s who were annoyed the Beatles developed anywhere beyond Help.

This one’s a 3.5 rounded down. It is so perfectly 60s but for me doesn’t do quite enough to distinguish itself into a 4, but I really enjoyed forget that girl and Randy scouse git, one very soft and one pretty hard, so that contrast is pretty cool.

You got to be kidding. What the hell are the Monkees doing on this list? They were a manufactured pop band. They had an awful TV show. Most of the instruments on their albums were played by other musicians. I am dreading this. I guess I will review this album. Who knows? I might be pleasantly surprised. Well, it wasn’t very good. Most of the songs were love songs many of them sappy. The vocals were okay. The production is not good. It sounds tinny like a K-tel record. None of their hits were on the album. Sunny Girl was the only song I sort of liked. None of the other songs stood out. Not a very good album at all. One star.

Beatles wannabes but nothing to hate on this album.

Beatles like. Chill. 3.5

Good for these guys for sticking up for themselves and fighting for the right to write their own songs and play their instruments on this album. Doesn't make it worth a damn, though.

This is a tough one for me. I love The Monkees. I loved reruns of the show as a kid. I love how they are unabashedly fun. I love that their music is generally happy and carefree. And they have some real bangers and monster hits. Everyone should listen to a Monkees album before they die. But is it this one? This is generally considered their second-best, and it contains none of the hits. Yes, many of the hits are covers and spread across three other albums. I'm really torn on what to do with Headquarters.

This album is surprisingly decent. Lots of catchy pop songs, considering this band was a corporate creation to capitalize off the popularity of the Beatles. Nothing that super stands out but nothing I really didn't like. A pretty decent Beatles knockoff but it just doesn't have the quality of the original. I actually remember enjoying the show when I was a little kid but this was before I knew anything about them or the Beatles, it was just some old-timey show that was funny. It is just uncanny how much they sound like the Beatles, I could never imagine a band so blatantly ripping off another band nowadays. I would probably give this about 2.5 stars.

Quite happy sounding songs, but I don't really care for it

Terrible. Sounds like a rip off of the beatles and the who. Oh wait, its the monkees who were a rip off of both.

I like the monkees me! Yeah there is a few naff songs on here and they did pretty much copy the beatles (like everyone did in the 60s) but still got a charm to them. Shades of gray is the best song on the album.

Simplistic songs, enjoyable for the most. some well written songs: 'No Time', 'A Little Bit Me' quite good. Beatles rip off, cant gwt away from it. Cant give it more than 2.5

For those like me who grew up watching their crazy capers on tv repeats be aware that this contains none of your favourite Monkees songs. None of what it contains is really bad, but it is very typical post Beatles 60s commercial pop, not awful, not awfully original either.

I love the fun Monkees songs. Didn't love this.