Good Times! | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 27, 2016 | |||
Recorded |
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Studio |
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Genre | Pop rock | |||
Length | 36:47 | |||
Label | Rhino | |||
Producer | Adam Schlesinger, The Monkees, Jeff Barry | |||
the Monkees chronology | ||||
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Singles from Good Times | ||||
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Good Times! is the twelfth studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 2016 by Rhino Records. Produced primarily by Adam Schlesinger, the album was recorded to commemorate the band's 50th anniversary. It was the first Monkees studio album since Justus (1996), marking the longest gap between releases to date, and the first since the death of band member Davy Jones. The album features surviving Monkees Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork, as well as a posthumous contribution from Jones.
Good Times! received generally positive reviews from music critics and reached number 14 on the Billboard 200, becoming the band's highest-charting album in 48 years.
The project was initiated by Rhino executives John Hughes and Mark Pinkus, who wanted the Monkees to record a new album for the band's 50th anniversary. [1] The album, the band's first since Justus (1996), was produced by Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne and features surviving Monkees Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork. [2]
The album features one composition or co-write from each Monkee, as well as older material penned by writers long associated with the band (Harry Nilsson, Neil Diamond, Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart, Gerry Goffin & Carole King and Jeff Barry & Joey Levine), alongside new songs by Schlesinger, Andy Partridge, Rivers Cuomo, Ben Gibbard, Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller. [3] Schlesinger had asked his Fountains of Wayne bandmate Jody Porter to write a song for the album, but it was not used because it was too similar to the title track. [4]
The title track is a composition by Nilsson, first attempted in a session in January 1968, and the album version features new vocals by Dolenz singing a posthumous "duet" with Nilsson, [5] [1] who had performed a guide vocal in the original session. [6] Monkee Davy Jones is represented posthumously by the Diamond-penned track "Love to Love", [1] which was recorded in 1967 in a Don Kirshner-supervised session while the group was trying to gain musical independence from Kirshner. [7] In August 1969, Brendan Cahill supervised a new double-tracked lead vocal by Jones, but the song remained unfinished and did not see an official release until a poor quality copy was issued on the 1979 compilation album Monkeemania. [7] The 1969 version appears on Good Times!, with new backing vocals by Dolenz and Tork. [5]
Dolenz was uncomfortable with some of Cuomo's original lyrics in "She Makes Me Laugh", and Cuomo "added in new lyrics about Scrabble and a canoe trip when Dolenz felt the original draft was geared towards a man much younger than his 71 years." [8] The lyric "directing traffic in the mall" was improvised by Dolenz. [9]
In addition to Monkees band members Dolenz (vocals, drums), Nesmith (vocals, guitar) and Tork (vocals, keyboards, banjo), guest musicians include Fountains of Wayne members Schlesinger (guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion), Porter (guitar) and Brian Young (drums, percussion), as well as Mike Viola (guitar, bass, background vocals).
The first single from the album was the Cuomo-penned "She Makes Me Laugh", released on April 28, 2016, along with a lyric video. [10] The second single was Partridge's composition "You Bring the Summer", released on May 2. [11] The third and final single was Gibbard's "Me & Magdalena", released on May 19. [12] Dolenz and Tork embarked on a 50th anniversary tour to promote the album, including nearly 50 dates in North America. [6]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
The Independent | [13] |
The New York Times | [14] |
Herald Standard | [15] |
AllMusic | [16] |
Mojo Magazine | [17] |
Record Collector | [18] |
Rolling Stone | [19] |
Rolling Stone Australia | [20] |
Ultimate Classic Rock | [21] |
RTÉ | [22] |
ABC News | [23] |
The Times | [24] |
The Evening Standard | [25] |
The Irish Times | [26] |
The Independent gave the album a 4 out of 5 review, declaring that Good Times! was "probably The Monkees' best album, after their hits compilation", [13] while The New York Times summed up the release with "Fifty years later, the Monkees are still endearing." [14] The Herald-Standard concluded that "If indeed this latest album serves as the group's swan song, then it is a joyous finale." [20] Mojo gave the album four stars and declared it their album of the week, [17] while Record Collector stated "to everyone's considerable relief and delight, they've pulled it off. They really have," and gave the album four stars. [18]
The album was awarded 3.5 out of 5 by Rolling Stone , who concluded, "Monkees freaks have waited far too long for this album. But it was worth it." [19] The magazine's Australian edition gave it full marks and noted "Producer Adam Schlesinger of Fountains Of Wayne knows a thing or five about classic pop, and although Good Times! is a Frankenstein's monster of something old, something new and something in between, he manages to orchestrate the whole thing into something beyond an embarrassing heritage act." [20]
Ultimate Classic Rock declared that "The fact that there is a new Monkees album in 2016 is miraculous enough, but that said album, Good Times!, is nothing short of a masterpiece is astounding." [21] RTÉ stated, "keeping it analogue and raw, Good Times! is a joy. This is one band reunion that doesn't besmirch the legacy and even offers something new and fresh." However, it bemoaned the fact that "Noel Gallagher teams up with Paul Weller to dash off 'Birth Of An Accidental Hipster', another droll sub-Kinks ditty but it sounds bloated compared to the effervescence of what's gone before." [22] ABC News concluded that "This is mandatory listening for any Monkees fan." [23] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, stating the album is "a joyous revival of the cheerful jangle that characterized the group's big '60s hits." [3]
Will Hodgkinson of The Times gave the album 3 out of 5, [24] and the Evening Standard gave the album three stars, declaring that the album "doesn't quite work as it's let down by a flat production and the lack of anything approaching their more magical moments. For all that, though, it's no disgrace". [25]
Tony Clayton-Lea of The Irish Times noted that "Songs by Death Cab for Cutie songwriter Ben Gibbard ("Me & Magdalena"), XTC's Andy Partridge ("You Bring The Summer"), and Noel Gallagher/Paul Weller ("Birth of an Accidental Hipster") brilliantly reference the band's 1960s glory days, but as a cohesive project it's more unpleasant valley Sunday than anything else." [26]
At Metacritic, the album has a metascore of 79, indicating generally favorable reviews. Its user score is 8.7, indicating universal acclaim. [27]
The album is the highest charting Monkees album in the US since The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees in 1968 and the highest charting in the UK since Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. in 1967.
Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|
Mojo | The 50 Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 30 [28] |
AllMusic | Favorite Rock Albums of 2016 | 2016 | Top 44 [29] |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocalist | Length |
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1. | "Good Times" (with Harry Nilsson) | Harry Nilsson | Micky Dolenz with Harry Nilsson | 2:46 |
2. | "You Bring the Summer" | Andy Partridge | Dolenz | 3:00 |
3. | "She Makes Me Laugh" | Rivers Cuomo | Dolenz | 3:00 |
4. | "Our Own World" | Adam Schlesinger | Dolenz | 2:45 |
5. | "Gotta Give It Time" | Jeff Barry, Joey Levine | Dolenz | 2:17 |
6. | "Me & Magdalena" | Ben Gibbard | Michael Nesmith with Dolenz | 3:33 |
7. | "Whatever's Right" | Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart | Dolenz | 2:00 |
8. | "Love to Love" | Neil Diamond | Davy Jones | 2:29 |
9. | "Little Girl" | Peter Tork | Peter Tork | 2:42 |
10. | "Birth of an Accidental Hipster" | Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller | Nesmith with Dolenz | 3:31 |
11. | "Wasn't Born to Follow" | Gerry Goffin, Carole King | Tork | 2:53 |
12. | "I Know What I Know" | Michael Nesmith | Nesmith | 3:30 |
13. | "I Was There (And I'm Told I Had a Good Time)" | Micky Dolenz, Schlesinger | Dolenz | 2:15 |
Credits adapted from CD liner notes. [5]
The Monkees
Additional musicians
Technical
Chart (2016) | Peak position |
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Australian Albums (ARIA) [30] | 20 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [31] | 83 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [32] | 167 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [33] | 95 |
Irish Albums (IRMA) [34] | 58 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [35] | 130 |
New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ) [36] | 10 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [37] | 24 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [38] | 57 |
UK Albums (OCC) [39] | 29 |
US Billboard 200 [40] | 14 |
US Billboard Vinyl Albums [41] | 1 |
Robert Michael Nesmith was an American musician, songwriter, and actor. He was best known as a member of the Monkees and co-star of their TV series of the same name (1966–1968). His songwriting credits with the Monkees include "Mary, Mary", "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", "Tapioca Tundra", "Circle Sky" and "Listen to the Band". Additionally, his song "Different Drum" became a hit for Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys.
The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of the television show of the same name, the Monkees were one of the most successful bands of the late 1960s. With international hits, four chart-topping albums and three chart-topping songs, they sold more than 75 million records worldwide.
George Michael Dolenz Jr. is an American musician and actor. He was the drummer and one of two primary vocalists for the pop rock band the Monkees, and a co-star of the TV series The Monkees (1966–1968). Dolenz is the last surviving member of the band.
Peter Halsten Thorkelson, better known by his stage name Peter Tork, was an American musician and actor. He was best known as the bass guitarist and keyboardist of the Monkees and co-star of the NBC television series of the same name (1966–68).
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. is the fourth album by the Monkees. It was released on November 6, 1967, during a period when the band exerted more control over their music and performed many of the instruments themselves. However, although the group had complete artistic control over the proceedings, they invited more outside contributions than on their previous album, Headquarters, and used session musicians to complement their sound. The album also featured one of the first uses of the Moog synthesizer in popular music. Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. sold over three million copies. It was the band's fourth consecutive album to reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
More of the Monkees is the second studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1967 on Colgems Records. It was recorded in late 1966 and displaced the band's debut album from the top of the Billboard 200 chart, remaining at No. 1 for 18 weeks, the longest run of any Monkees album. Combined, the first two Monkees albums were at the top of the Billboard chart for 31 consecutive weeks. More of the Monkees also went to No. 1 in the UK. In the U.S., it has been certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA, with sales of more than five million copies. More of the Monkees is also notable for being the first pop/rock album to be the best-selling album of the year in the U.S.
The Monkees is the debut studio album by the American band the Monkees. It was released on October 10, 1966 by Colgems Records in the United States and RCA Victor in the rest of the world. It was the first of four consecutive U.S. number one albums for the group, taking the top spot on the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks, after which it was displaced by the band's second album. It also topped the UK charts in 1967. The Monkees has been certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA, with sales of over five million copies.
The Monkees Present is the eighth studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1969 by Colgems Records. It was the second Monkees album released after the departure of Peter Tork and the last to feature Michael Nesmith until 1996's Justus.
Pool It! is the tenth studio album by American pop rock band the Monkees, released in August 1987 by Rhino Records. It was the first Monkees studio album of new material since Changes in 1970 and the first Monkees album to feature Peter Tork since the 1968 Head soundtrack.
The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees is the fifth studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1968 by Colgems Records. It was the first album released after the cancellation of their TV show and subsequently was their first not to reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, peaking at No. 3, and their first not to chart in the UK, with their four previous efforts all having reached the top ten. The album has sold over a million copies.
Instant Replay is the seventh studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1969 by Colgems Records. Issued 11 months after the cancellation of the group's NBC television series, it is also the first album released after Peter Tork left the group and the only album of the original nine studio albums that does not include any songs featured in the TV show.
"Daydream Believer" is a song composed by American songwriter John Stewart shortly before he left the Kingston Trio. It was originally recorded by the Monkees, with Davy Jones singing the lead. The single reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1967, remaining there for four weeks, and peaked at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. It was the Monkees' third and last No. 1 hit in the U.S.
"Pleasant Valley Sunday" is a song by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, recorded and released by the Monkees in the summer of 1967. Inspired by their move to West Orange, New Jersey, and named for a street there, Goffin and King wrote the song about their dissatisfaction with life in the suburbs.
"Randy Scouse Git" is a song written by Micky Dolenz in 1967 and recorded by the Monkees. It was the first song written by Dolenz to be commercially released, and it became a number 2 hit in the UK where it was retitled "Alternate Title" after the record company (RCA) complained that the original title was actually somewhat "rude to British audience" and requested that The Monkees supply an alternate title. Dolenz took the song's title from a phrase he had heard spoken on an episode of the British television series Till Death Us Do Part, which he had watched while in England. The song also appeared on The Monkees TV series, on their album Headquarters, and on several "Greatest Hits" albums. Peter Tork said that it was one of his favorite Monkees tracks.
"Mary, Mary" is a song written by Michael Nesmith and first recorded by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band for their 1966 album East-West. Nesmith's band, the Monkees, later recorded it for More of the Monkees (1967). Hip hop group Run–D.M.C. revived the song in the late 1980s, with an adaptation that appeared in the U.S. record charts.
"The Girl I Knew Somewhere" is a song by the American pop rock band the Monkees, written by Michael Nesmith and first released as the B-side to the "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" single on Colgems Records on March 8, 1967. It was distributed in support of the group's third album Headquarters, and later appeared on the reissued version of the LP. The song was recorded as the Monkees finally achieved the independence that enabled them to freely produce their own material, with the actual band members featured on both vocals and instrumental arrangements.
"Goin' Down" is a song by the American pop rock band the Monkees, written by all four members of the group along with Diane Hildebrand. It was first released as the B-side to the "Daydream Believer" single on Colgems Records on October 25, 1967, in support of the band's fourth album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. The song managed to bubble under the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release.
Christmas Party is the 13th and final studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released on October 12, 2018, by Rhino Records. Produced mainly by Adam Schlesinger, the album is the Monkees' first to focus on Christmas themes. It follows on the success of their 2016 album Good Times! The album features surviving Monkees Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, and Peter Tork, as well as two posthumous contributions from Davy Jones. It is the final Monkees studio album to be released prior to Tork and Nesmith's deaths in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
The Monkees Live: The Mike and Micky Show is a 2020 live album by The Monkees, recorded in March and June 2019, during the band's successful tour. The concerts marked the first time that surviving Monkees Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith toured as a duo. The album is the first Monkees release following the death of Peter Tork in February 2019, and the final release to feature Nesmith prior to his December 2021 death.
"Words" is a song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart and released by the Monkees. An early version by the Leaves appeared on their 1966 album Hey Joe. The Monkees first recorded the song for their second album, More of The Monkees, in August 1966 under the supervision of Boyce and Hart. While this version went unreleased until the 1990 compilation Missing Links Volume Two, it was featured in the 10 April 1967 episode of The Monkees "Monkees, Manhattan Style". A new version of the song was made to be the B-side of "Pleasant Valley Sunday" in 1967, now produced by Chip Douglas.