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Pisces, Acquarius, Capricorn, & Jones Ltd. (Album of the Day)
The Monkees were on a commercial roll when they went into the studio to cut PISCES, AQUARIUS, CAPRICORN AND JONES LTD; the quartet had outsold The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in the preceding year. Micky, Davy, Mike and Peter were also at their artistic peak, and the resulting record stands proudly with the best of the era. A showcase for superb singing and playing from all four members, PISCES, AQUARIUS, CAPRICORN AND JONES LTD features such outstanding songs as “Love Is Only Sleeping,” “Words,” “What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?” and “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” Like its predecessors, the album was a million-seller, topping the chart in the U.S. this week in 1967 (it would remain at No.1 for five weeks).
Christmas Party (Album of the Day)
On CHRISTMAS PARTY, The Monkees put their unmistakable vocal stamp on a wide array of classic Christmas tracks, from the R&B holiday standard “Merry Christmas, Baby,” to Paul McCartney's “Wonderful Christmastime” and Wizzard's yuletide classic “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day.” The group's first holiday album was produced by Grammy- and Emmy-winning songwriter Adam Schlesinger, who paired sessions featuring Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork with archival recordings of Davy Jones. A group of talented songwriters, including Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and Andy Partridge of XTC, penned new songs for CHRISTMAS PARTY, and guitarist Peter Buck of R.E.M. appears on two songs.
Headquarters (Album of the Day)
With their first two albums, The Monkees had become one of the most successful bands in the world, but that wasn't enough. Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork wanted to flex their creative muscles, not just sing someone else's songs with (admittedly expert) session musicians playing behind them. HEADQUARTERS was the first step in that direction, and from the writing to the performances, the increased autonomy paid off handsomely. Half of the 14 tracks are group originals, including such distinctive tracks as “You Just May Be the One,” “For Pete's Sake” and “Randy Scouse Git," and most of the instrumentation is the work of the quartet. Released on this day in 1967, HEADQUARTERS turned out to be a commercial success as well as a musical one, topping the U.S. album chart.
Headquarters [Deluxe] (Album of the Day)
INFINITE TUESDAY: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL RIFF (Album of the Day)
Michael Nesmith's half-century-and-counting career has seen him rise from Texas troubadour to stardom with “The Monkees” to acclaimed solo releases and pioneering work in music video and virtual reality. As an audio companion to his new autobiography of the same name, Rhino has just released INFINITE TUESDAY: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL RIFFS. This 14-track set showcases Nez's best, beginning in 1965 with "The New Recruit" (cut under the pseudonym Michael Blessing) and such Monkees favorites as “Papa Gene's Blues.” The collection focuses on the numerous solo albums that Nesmith recorded during the 1970s, including his country-rock collaborations with The First National Band (Top 40 hit “Joanne”) and concept album THE PRISON, before finishing with more recent songs that show Michael Nesmith remains a strong creative force.