Monkees - Justus
|
Our Price: $43.36 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.15 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Justus
Free Music Review: best lp ever
Hit: 5 Stars
i'll make this short.it took the monkees 30 years to make their greatest lp thanks to no outside meddling from the corporate guys.Free Music Review: They Continue To Be What They've Always Been: Talented
Hit: 4 Stars
I became interested in their work when I rediscovered the show back in the 70's. Much to my surprise, the show had an edge and was more than the kids show I remembered as a child. More surprising- I found when I read the credits at the end- I really was starting to like not just top 40's that I remembered- I really liked 'their songs'. The work, the growth and the talent blew me away. 2 decades have passed and a great comeback. A lot of other people have gone to the concerts, rewatched the tv show and bought the catalogue (that thankfully is now available).
This 30th Anniversary CD, which I bought in 1997 and still listen to, caught me the same way it caught some others. I was expecting- if all 4 joined in (and with Mike being in the fold ), a very country rock flavoured lp.
Instead, they did something very left field, creative and aggressive. Judging from some of the professional and the fan reviews- that surprised many in a good way and not in a good way.
Their problem has always remained the same- there is 'The Monkees'- the tv group- and then there's Dolenz/ Nesmith/Tork & Jones. The Monkees telemusic is well crafted music by craftsmen/women and performed 'by them' and session players combined.
Mike, Mickey, David and Peter's stuff was (and obviously still is from the sounds on this album), heavier, gifted and reaching for the more mature in their fanbase. Headquarters- their third and only self contained album was/remains a testament to that truth.
The Monkees in the end always face the same problem that haunted the Beatles (although they were allowed to break out of it): there are always factions of fandom that want you to play certain periods. There are a lot of pleasant memories (it seems for some) in the mop top period and the guys in both these bands grew up. There in lies the problems (especially for the Monkees because the tv show syndication revisits and constantly recreates it- both for the good and the bad.
On Justus, Circle Sky as an opener was probably a healing move and I'm glad they did it. When the live version didn't appear on the Head soundtrack and a studio version with Mike and session players did, it created a rift between Mike and Peter. The live version played by them in the film kicks and they never sounded tighter or better. This new version is more with a tip of the cap to today's alternative grundge garage pump. It's followed by Never Enough, Regional Girl and Admiral Mike- also rockers and for these guys, having not played as 'the band' in 30 years- 'wow'! As one reviewer put it- they seem to be daring anyone to throw the bubblegum tag at them. They were never bubblegum.
They really are the wonderful story of 4 people who came together in a cattle call but who ultimately came together to become something extremely creative, viable and real. Some people in their industry have never accepted or given them their proper due for that but the truth is in the grooves. They became 'the band'. And it's pretty impressive what they brought to the game- regardless of whether they were recording other people's songs or their own.
For those who lament that there is a cynical quality in some of the tone and pieces on this cd... They happen to be older men singing about what their present concerns are. Good for them. There are a few others from that era who have become quite lax about that. It must have been refreshing to sing something new and it shows. Mickey has the lionshare of writing on this lp and some of these tracks should have had some solid airplay. As one review in a magazine put it- he shows why he was one of the best r'n'r singers. Not bad for a Vulcan, Micky! (I wish he'd stop saying that... he sings and plays instruments. He 'is' a musician for 'Randy Scouse Sake'!)
Peter's two efforts are what I think Peter has always done best. Mood pieces. Mike had the melodies and Peter the mood. They both had the lyrical ability (Mike in more volume) because they're both thinkers.
But Davy closes with the big surprise here and that's great to see. In reading his biography, this guy had a lot more going on inside him than anyone would have ever thought. He's turned into one hell of a performer at these concerts as well, and like most of the guys at the time, I regret thinking he was the liability, musically. He's become incredibly solid and remained real- and that's to his credit. It's Not Too Late has become a favorite track of mine over the years and this version is fitting. It has a gospel/nice middle harmony feel, and a positive thought to close both the project and their reunion.
I hope this isn't the last thing they do together and, on behalf of the people who have listened to these records/ cd's over the years: if you can honestly listen to the first two (studio driven ) cds, and then listen to Headquartes, P.A.C. & Jones and Head, and not hear the progression... get the ears checked. These guys deserved better.
'
Free Music Review: Takes time to grow on you
Hit: 4 Stars
When I first heard this years ago, I thought it was awful and got rid of it.
I picked it up again a few months ago (it's CHEAP used) and gave it another shot. I wasn't blown away this time either, but I was willing to give it a few more listens.
Now, after having listened to it many times, I have come to see it as one of the best Monkees albums. It's my second favorite after Headquarters.
It's far from being a perfect album. Someone once described it as "weird, flawed, and eccentric" and I agree. Certainly, the album could have been better with the omission of a weak track such as "Run Away From Life" in favor of a good Mike number. It is this albums greatest flaw that Mike is so absent on lead vocals.
But Mike did have a heavy hand in this one. He played guitar on all the songs, sang back up, and he produced it (though production is credited to "the Monkees"). "Wool hat" is all over this record, but for one reason or another, he opted to let the other Monkees shine. As a fan, I don't agree with that decision, but who am I to argue?
My favorites are Regional Girl, Dyin of a Broken Heart, Oh What a Night, You and I, It's my life, Admiral Mike, Circly Sky, and I Believe You. The other songs aren't as good, but I've grown to appreciate them.
Perhaps the reason this album has suffered such poor critical reviews is that it doesn't sound anything like the Monkees we remember. It's a bit heavy, almost grungy at times. I think that was a brilliant approach. The Monkees in 1996 were trying to make an album that was modern, not something retro to appeal to their older fans. It had a ballsy and fresh 90's sound that was different from anything they had done before. But there was one problem....there was no audience for it. While 60's fans were looking for Carole King type ditties produced by Chip Douglas, 90's music fans were looking for martyrs. To make matters more difficult, this album got very little in the way of promotion. There was an ABC special, but almost nothing after that. They made excellent videos for several of the songs (the black and white Regional Girl video is one of my favorites) that never got any airplay on MTV. While there had been a tremendous buzz around the Monkees in the 1980's, there was none in the 1990's. Justus was the wrong album released by the wrong band at the wrong time.
Had the same identical album been released in 1987 instead of Pool It, I think it would now be regarded as a classic.
There is something to be said about the Monkees playing together as a band. They seem to enjoy playing together and there is a chemistry that I can't explain. It isn't found on albums like "Pisces..", "Head", or "More of...", but it is on Headquarters and on Justus. I only wish they had made more albums as a quartet.
I prefer this sequence...
1. You and I
2. Never Enough
3. Dyin of a Broken Heart
4. Circle Sky
5. Unlucky Stars
6. Admiral Mike
7. I Believe You
8. Run Away From Life
9. Regional Girl
10. Oh, What a Night
11. It's my LIfe
12. It's Not Too Late
Free Music Review: Listen to the Band
Hit: 4 Stars
In the summer of 1996, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork hit the concert tour circuit to try and recreate the enormous success awarded to them ten years earlier, when the United States fell in love with the Monkees for the second time, as they celebrated their 20th anniversary with one of the biggest arena tours of that year. Though their '96 concerts proved popular, they were unable to reach the level they had ten years before. MTV was no longer pushing the band onto its viewers as it had done in 1986. The music industry and radio had changed dramatically, and it seemed almost impossible that they would be able to obtain another Top 20 hit, as they had done in 1986 with "That Was Then, This Is Now."With the odds stacked against them, the Monkees pushed forward, and recorded their first full album as a foursome since 1968. Michael Nesmith, who sat out the 1980s reunion, decided to rejoin his bandmates this time around, and acted as the overall producer of the JUSTUS album. While the trio toured the United States pushing the upcoming album, Nesmith chose to stay at home and mix and edit the songs.
JUSTUS is not "MORE OF THE MONKEES." If you are looking for the sweet pop of "I'm A Believer" or "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," you will not find it in this album. The Monkees are thirty years older, and they sound it. The lyrics take on a much more mature tone, as Dolenz sings about divorce and lost love in "Never Enough" and "Dyin' of a Broken Heart." Nesmith contributes the angry "Admiral Mike" (with a growling Dolenz on lead vocals), the Monkees' follow up to Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" for its attack on the behavior of the mainstream media. The Monkees' pop sensibilities are heard, however, on Jones' pleasant "You and I" and "It's Not Too Late." Tork's spacey "I Believe You" will put you in trance with its oft-repeated lyrics and dreamy arrangment, while the remake of Nesmith's "Circle Sky" (from the Monkees' film soundtrack HEAD) rocks just as hard as Stone Temple Pilots did in 1996.
Oddly enough, this album has some grunge overtones in its production and playing, most likely a result of the time in which it was produced. Dolenz, in fact, played the same drum kit the drummer from Stone Temple Pilots used on their offering the same year, "Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop." Nesmith's trusty Gretsch guitar is fired up and played quite wonderfully, and Tork's bass line on "You and I" is amazing. Dolenz proves himself an accomplished drummer while Jones hangs in (as always) on percussion.
The highlight of the album is Dolenz' reflective "It's My Life," a beautiful piano ballad that shows Micky Dolenz is one of the few 1960s pop vocalists who still "has it."
Though JUSTUS requires repeated listens to get aquainted with, it's well worth investigation, as it will most likely be the last recorded studio effort by America's (unsuccessful) attempt to answer the Beatles.
Free Music Review: A good effort to get it together and do it all.
Hit: 4 Stars
To begin with, I think the album should have been titled "Headquarters II". "Justus", Just Us/Justice is OK, but this CD was released the same year of the Justus compound incident in Montana so that news event lingered in my mind when I saw the title. It is commendable that the Monkees really worked to play every single instrument on this album, write every song, and produce it themselves. No other musicians are involved. There are some real surprises. First, the whole album rocks a lot harder than expected. It more resembles heavy metal than it does the Monkees. Second, I think Micky did an outstanding job drumming: he sounds nowhere near as just-slightly-hesitant as he did decades ago. Third, Mike's brief lead guitar solo on "Never Enough" was a revelation. And Micky's vocal on "Never Enough" is sung in a lower register than his past performances. This song could have been easily been chosen as a unique single release. "You and I" is a Jones-Dolenz-composed remake, and quite pleasant. "Run Away from Life" is good too. But there are some big disappointments. Why couldn't Mike sing on more than just the opening remake of "Circle Sky", and why is his voice so obscured/buried in the mix? Sorry guys, even though "Admiral Mike" received a lot of praise from some critics, it's essentially non-musical and the worst song on the CD. Why didn't Rhino make more of an effort to promote this as a major release by the Monkees, and why didn't they appear on any national TV shows as a four-piece (like David Letterman or Jay Leno)? The promotion was so lacking that people are still discovering this release 3+ years later. The lack of promotion in the national media is deplorable. The Monkees did start off on a tour to promote this in 1997 (in England), but Mike Nesmith quit the band again in the middle of it. Rhino has tapes of live performances made by the Monkees as a four-piece self-supporting group made in 1996 and probably 1997, but will we ever be able to see those released on CD? Probably not officially, but maybe the bootleggers will get around to it. Overall, I look at "Justus" as a bonus, certainly a more legitimate "new" Monkees album than "Pool It" had been, and even though it's not perfect, the efforts made by the four members to do it all make this commendable, if somewhat uneven.