Monkees - Justus
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Free Music Notes for Justus
Free Music Review: Not as bad as some people say.
Hit: 4 Stars
Justus is a very good album with quite a bit of good songs on it. Plus, you'd think by 1996 that a band like The Monkees wouldn't be able to make something as enduring as their classics, but the song on this album called "It's My Life".... That song is INCREDIBLE!!!!! That song can definately fit up there with Last Train To Clarksville, Daydream Believer, (I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone, etc.! If you can find a copy of this, please check it out!Free Music Review: Just good enough
Hit: 3 Stars
Having endured the 'Pool It!' reunion album catastrophe some years back I studiuously avoided Justus until curiosity,(fed by the wildly differing opinions on the album expressed on various Monkee websites by crtics and fans)got the better of me only a few weeks ago. Realistically Justus was only ever going to be as good as previous Monkee reunion abstainer Mike Nesmiths' contribution.Therefore it is his dissapointingly limited and patchy contribution which holds the key to what is a suprisingly (albeit intermittently) enjoyable, but also frequently embarrasingly bad album. The album also deliberately sounds nothing like the Monkees of the 1960's.It does however kick-off with an outrageously good thrash through Nesmiths' 'Circle Sky' from the Head soundtrack.Micky Dolenzs' rather fabulous 'It's Not Enough' follows, complete with Mike doing a fine Keef Richards impression on the riffy intro. The song falls apart hideously at the very end though and so the rot sets in. The albums key weakness is its' frequently risable lyrics. They emerge first on Davy Jones' lame 'Oh,What A Night''We walked around the city, You said now isn't it a pity' (Urgh!)
Mikes only other song contribution,'Admiral Mike' is again a groovy rifftastic (anti-advertising) number but it is strangled at birth by the unforgivable inclusion of such lyrical gems as 'slimy toad','stupid twit'(yes honestly!) and 'giddy fools' which Micky Dolenz somehow manages to sing with a straight face. An even bigger brickbat goes to Peter Tork for his cringeworthy
'the engines of your love achieve escape velocity' (YUK!)
on the horribly repetetive 'I Believe You'. Who your favourite Monkee is probably will decide which of the tracks on Justus are your favourite. Davy of course does the insipid ballads, though the formulaic closer 'It's Not Too Late' seems to be the favourite track on the album for many fans judging from the comments I have seen. Its' opening lyric however is
'If I had a penny for every time that I thought about you,I would be a millionaire' (you have got to be kidding Davy!)
so it is by definition, horrid. Not even die-hard Peter devotees could find much to like about his contributions however with 'Let's Run Away Together' verging on the unlistenable. Instead only Mike and Micky emerge with any real credit. Although Mickys' songs tend towards the simplistic they benefit from Mikes attention (attention notably lacking from Peter and Davys' contributions and surely a telling sign of the state of relations between the band members), with the poiniant 'It's My Life' proving particularly engaging. Amid the dross then there is justenough on Justus to justify admission for those with more than a passing interest in the band. This attempt by the Monkees to write,produce and play all their own music fully 28 years after they were last in a recording studio together is not quite the turkey many of us expected it to be. It is however an admirable failure and certainly outside producers and probably outside writes should have been liberally utilised. It is almost certainly the last time the Monkees will ever release new material too since the new fully-reformed Monkees reverted back to a three-piece as Mike Nesmith soon left the group once more after a UK tour in March 1997 amid acrimonious circumstances.
Free Music Review: JUSTUS does not do the Monkees 3 Stars
"JUSTUS" was released in October of 1996 in celebration of the Monkees 30th anniversary. Not since 1967's "Headquarters" had the four Monkees supplied all the vocals and played all the instruments on an album. For the first time in their history, the group dispenses with outside songwriters and producers and goes it alone. Michael Nesmith, joining the group after a long absence, produces the album. The result is a mixed bag. The Monkees show themselves to be more than adequate instrumentalists, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork form a solid rythm section while Nesmith spits out intricate guitar licks with ease and Davy Jones handles percussion duties. The quartet's performances are energetic and sincere, ...the problem with "JUSTUS" is the songs themselves. Nesmith, the most accomplished and prolific songwriter of the group contributes only one new track, the Dolenz-sung "Admiral Mike", a song about irresponsible journalists. Since the Monkees have been the victims of unwarranted criticism from the press for 30+ years, this seems an appropriate subject, but silly lyrics ("slimy toad", "giddy fool") and overwrought production (Monkees meets AC/DC) make the song fall flat. This problem surfaces many times on "JUSTUS" as Nesmith's production falls somewhere between his early '80's pop songs (ie: "Formosa Diner") and a plodding mid- '90's grunge band (ie: Stone Temple Pilots without the hooks). By presenting the Monkees only as a vitriolic power trio, Nesmith leaves out the folk/country leanings and layers of instruments that made the group's 60's albums so interesting. Nesmith's wistful vocals are also nowhere to be found as he sings lead on only one track, a muffled remake of "Circle Sky" originally written for the group's 1968 motion picture "Head". Dolenz composes half of the songs here, drawn from a pool of material written after his bitter 1993 divorce, including the edgy "Regional Girl". Sadly, some of his best material from that period is not included on this album, ...two great pop songs, "It's the Season" & "Lonely Weekends" and the sublime ballad "Not That Bad", which were released on his recent solo effort, "Demoseille". The most enjoyable moments on "JUSTUS" are delivered by Davy Jones, ...the pleasant "Oh What a Night , a humorous song about a one night affair, and a lovely reworking of "You and I" a 1975 Dolenz/Jones composition which features beautiful 12-string guitar work by Nesmith. Peter Tork contributes two songs that are not among his best work, the awkwardly melodramatic "I Believe You" and the quirky "Run Away From Life", sung in an ill-fitting David Bowie style by Jones. Considering the brilliant solo albums Nesmith ("Tropical Campfires") and Tork ("Two Man Band") were producing around this period "JUSTUS" is a bit of a disappointment. However, it is still a must for Monkeemaniacs and hopefully not the last we will hear from the group in the studio. It would be fascinating to hear some contemporary musicians like U2 or REM who love the group contribute songs to a new Monkees album. At least next time they should utilize some outside writers/producers to help showcase their considerable talents. The loyal fans will continue to wait patiently for an album that will do the Monkees "justice".Free Music Review: "Still Talented After All These Years"
Hit: 3 Stars
There's a lot to like about JUSTUS, although it is not a perfect package. What it lacks is a central theme-- a core, if you will-- to help the music find a focus. "Look, we can still do it all by ourselves", is not theme enough. Their original HEADQUARTERS album had the same theme, and at least it was leavened by the Monkees unique sense of humor.That being said, I continue to enjoy JUSTUS. The variety of songs created by the four Monkees is impressive. Mike Nesmith's "Circle Sky" is the only retread, and it is well done (although none are as good as the live version of the song in the film HEAD). Nesmith's "Admiral Mike"-- an angry diatribe about media persecution sung by Micky Dolenz-- is hard to take at first, but becomes impressive (and more powerful) with each hearing. "Never Enough" and "You and I" are delightful songs (the latter a semi-retread, but better done here). Peter Tork's two songs-- "Run Away From Life" and "I Believe You" are intriguing changes of pace.
My absolute favorite is the almost hymn-like "It's Not Too Late", with its memorable refrain and terrific harmonies. Quite a fine accomplishment for Davy Jones. They should do this in concert.
The remaining songs have both plusses and minuses, but each offers a special something which makes at least part of it ring with effective sound. The impact of "Dyin' Of A Broken Heart"'s clever syncopation, for example, is difficult to describe. Just listen to it a few times. It might just grow on you.
The instrumental work (all by the Monkees themselves) is very good. Indeed, as an attempt to create an album absolutely entirely written, composed, performed, and sung by Messrs. Jones, Dolenz, Tork, and Nesmith, it is a success (albeit qualified). I do wish it had more elaborate liner notes, however.
If you are a Monkees fan, this, their most recent creative output (and their first almost thirty years featuring all four of them) is a must to own and enjoy. Even if you're not a fan, however, as long as a certain style/era of music appeals to you, given the reservations noted above, you might be impressed to discover that they're still talented after all these years, with perhaps a stronger and more mature presence and poise that can only come with age.
Free Music Review: Sparked by Re-Union Fever
Hit: 3 Stars
Following in the steps of the Beatles, the Monkees caught the "re-union bug." The differences, however, the Beatles reunion was "electronic," and they stuck to the format that has worked for them in the 60's. Unfortunately, the Monkees tried very hard to be a 90's band; and, it simply does not work. The first track, Circle Sky, was originally released back in the 60's. Most "greatest hits" collections of the Monkees carry this tune. Since this song contains the 60's magic that made the Monkees a household name, it is very good. "Oh, What A Night" is probably the second best song on the CD.
As far as the rest of the material. . . Well, it isn't trash. But, by the same token, it isn't what I expected. Personally, I thought that I would be treated to some of the good, old-fashioned Monkee-magic of yesteryear. Instead, I got an ear-full of the Monkees trying to convince people that they are a modern, sophisticated, 1990's band. This is like putting a mini-skirt on "Whistler's Mother." It just isn't going to work.
All right, I'll give the Monkees credit; they actually played the instruments, wrote the material, and sang their songs on this CD. But, keep in mind, the Monkees were a 60's act; America's T.V. answer to the Beatles. As such, talented song writers such as Neil Diamond, Boyce and Hart, and others wrote songs and music for them. With the possible exception of Mike Nesmith, who wrote "Listen to the Band" and the old Linda Ronstadt song, "Different Drum," none of the Monkees were gifted song writers and musicians.
For the Monkees to have pulled this off, they needed the help of experienced song writers to give them some sheet music. A back up band would have also helped.
I purchased this CD when it first came out in the late 90's, listened to it twice, and put it back in my CD rack. This CD is not remarkable; but, it isn't the worst thing you could buy, either. I was just expecting a little more from Mike, Micky, Peter, and Davey.