I think I've told this story here before, but we old folks tend to tell the same stories over and over... I saw the Monkees in concert following a Texas Rangers game back in the early '80's. After the game (The Rangers won on a Hostetler HR), a stage was wheeled to just behind 2nd base and the Monkees started playing. The crowd was having a good time and for those of us in the cheap seats, the sun had finally set and we weren't frying. "Last Train to Clarksville" starts up and everything is going well until you hear a short grating sound and then the words "Train to" are repeated several times while Davy's running around yelling at stagehands. The whole damn concert wasn't just lip-synced, it was also instrument-synced. Everyone around me busted out laughing. In contrast, one of the last times I saw The Who, Pete was having problems with his guitar throughout the concert and was literally hitting some stagehands, You could tell he was ticked off and sure enough, after the last encore he smashed his guitar and stormed off the stage. Great concert.
I had 2nd row seats for The Who's 1989 Farewell Tour show in Oakland. For whatever reason Pete Townshend slammed his guitar down at the end of "Who Are You" and stormed off stage. That was the end of the first set and he was back for second set and the encores and played awesome. On that same tour I saw him at The Meadowlands and at they played "Naked Eye" at the encore and at the end he yelled, "It takes 14 f^(king people to replace KEITH MOON!" He was at his best when he was pissed.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jTvUT_Hx4Dc&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jTvUT_Hx4Dc&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> awww i loved the monkees. would always watch the re-runs. had a total crush on davy i liked when they would see a pretty girl and get the twinkle in their eyes hehe.
WTFFFFF. i coulda swore i copied it correctly LOLOLOL lets try this again <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9daWKeyB8KM&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9daWKeyB8KM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mGL4btEIoTo&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mGL4btEIoTo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Marie Osmond on backing vocals. Betty & Veronica. Sure, Pink FLoyd can parade around a giant Syd head but I think the Archies have the better hand in the weird and wonderful stakes.
I understand why everybody is cracking on the Monkees. The fact that it was all a Hollywood slight of hand, the fact that some of them weren't even musicians, etc. But the "Monkees team" had the best combination of songwriters ever assembled - Boyce and Hart, Carole King, Neil Diamond, Harry Nilsson, Barry Mann and others. In terms of the pure songwriting talent that drove the machine, they were unique. The hit songs are worthy of study, if you are interested in songwriting.
