Search - Monkees :: Birds Bees & The Monkees

Great album, but not ideal for a new fan

Anyechka | Rensselaer, NY United States | 07/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a really finely crafted album, with lots of different types of songs--psychedelic, schmaltzy Davy ballads, Mike's country-western-type music, and the peppy pop The Monkees got famous for. As other reviewers have pointed out, it's kind of like their White Album, and even more out there than PAC&J, which plays like The Monkees on acid. It's one of those albums that, while great, isn't ideal for a new fan, one that even for an old fan like myself (I've been a fan since their 1986 revival) needs multiple playings for it to really sink in and grow to appreciate and really really love. I have a 1996 vinyl reissue with two bonus tracks, the first two bonus tracks on the CD remaster.My faves on here are "Dream World" (Davy has been my favourite since I first got into them at six years old; otherwise I might very well not think that highly of the schmaltzy songs he's usually stuck singing!), "We Were Made for Each Other," "Tapioca Tundra" (it reached #34 on the charts), "Daydream Believer" of course, "Writing Wrongs" (I seem to be in the minority of people who like this weird trippy song, but then again, I also love the weird Beatles' sound collage "Revolution No. 9"), "I'll Be Back Up on My Feet," "P.O. Box 9847," "Valleri," and "Zor and Zam." The lattermost always gives me chills; the ending line is just as eerie and pertinent today, considering what's going on in the world now. It was played during the last episode of their tv show as well.The two bonus tracks I have are an alternate version of "P.O. Box 9847" with a synth instead of strings, and a cute schmaltzy co-written Davy number, "I'm Gonna Try." I got into The Monkees for their upbeat happy pop songs, songs which I would probably hate were they coming from most other bands or groups, but even these more mature, introspective, and trippy songs are happy and fun. The Monkees are known for their fun pop, which makes it harder for a new fan or a non-fan to appreciate the beauty and genius on this album."

Strange

Rocker84 | Buffalo, NY | 05/30/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The only thing I could think of to say about this album is "strange". This album was the in-between point of when the Monkees went from being on top of the world to the bottom of the pile. The previous Monkees album (Pisces Aquarius Capricorn and Jones) was #1, and the album that followed this one (Head) was a disaster, sales wise anyway. This was also the first album to be released after their TV show was cancelled. The Birds The Bees and The Monkees really reflects their in-between period, as there are huge hits such as Daydream Believer, and Valleri, then there's a lot of odd songs not typical of the Monkees style at the time, such as Magnolia Simms and Writing Wrongs. It's not one of my favorite Monkees albums, but it's still very good. Here are my reviews of the songs:



1. Dream World - Not a very good way to start the album. It's not a horrible song, but it's definitely not one of Davy's best efforts. 5/10



2. Auntie's Municipal Court - They pick it back up here with a very good Mike song. All of Mike's songs on this album are very different sounding and experimental. He puts on a great showing. Micky on vocals and Mike backing always sounds great. 8/10



3. We Were Made For Each Other - Sometimes I don't mind the sappy Davy songs, but I'm just not a big fan of this one.

3/10



4. Tapioca Tundra - Interesting choice to go with this as the flip side of Valleri. It's an excellent song, but I don't think that the young Monkees fans of the time were in to this stuff. However, I think this is yet another great Mike song, with some great lyrics, and actually really catchy after a while. 9/10



5. Daydream Believer - I won't really say much about this. Obviously one of their biggest hits. 10/10



6. Writing Wrongs - Once again Mike comes with a great song, and one which sounds different from his previous two. Some people may get bored with this, considering it's a little over 5 minutes long, with about 3 minutes being instrumental. I think it's amazing, although I'm partial to Nesmith's songs. 8/10



7. I'll Be Back Upon My Feet - Classic Monkees song that they brought back and re-recorded from the early days. Personally I like the original version (which was on the TV show) better. This one's real good too, just a little faster, and some horns added in. 9/10



8. The Poster - All I could say is that I just can't get into the songs that Davy writes. This song is kind of catchy, but the lyrics are just so dumb. There's only about 1 or 2 songs Davy wrote that I like. 6/10



9. PO Box 9847 - Well it's not exactly a Boyce/Hart masterpiece, but it's not bad. I think it grows on you after time. 7/10



10. Magnolia Simms - The worst of the four Nesmith songs, in my opinion and not one of my favorites of his. This is another one that kind of grows on you after a while. Either that or the fake record skipping in the middle of the song will drive you nuts after a while.



11. Valleri - Another big hit for the Monkees and a very cool song. I actually like this better than the original version they used for the TV show.

9/10



12. Zor and Zam - For some reason I just love this song. It's just some intense vocals from Micky, and it tells a story. I've always liked it since I was a little kid.



Nothing really stands out too much on the bonus tracks. I like the version of Lady's Baby with the sounds effects of a baby crying at the beginning.



So with the mixture of pop hits, and experimental songs, this album gets a strange, but good review."

This album gets knocked unfairly...

Chet L. Young | 03/14/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"It's certainly no PISCES, AQUARIUS...(the only truly cohesive album the Monkees ever did), but it's still a lot of fun. Since this was the group's "White Album", of sorts, I'll review each member's contributions seperately.

DAVY JONES--Including the bonus material, Davy gets the greatest number of tracks on THE BIRDS, THE BEES, AND THE MONKEES: a whopping seven(and he wrote the lyrics for three or four of them). The hits, "Daydream Believer" and "Valleri", are of course terrific, but most of Davy's other efforts on this album are subpar...with the exception of the opening song, the catchy, horn-driven "Dream World".

MIKE NESMITH--Mike sings on three tracks, all of which he wrote; "Magnolia Simms", a quirky, affectionate parody of 1920s popular music, is the best of these. "Tapioca Tundra" is kind of a less melancholy version of "The Door Into Summer"(from PISCES, AQUARIUS), and has some loopy psychedelic overtones. "Writing Wrongs", a long track with an extended atonal jam in the middle, is all-out psychedelia and, while entertaining, borders on being a downer(which doesn't bother me, but some Monkees fans might find it a bit heavy for their tastes).

MICKY DOLENZ--Unfortunately, Micky is the only Monkee who didn't get a writing credit on this album. He does, however, contribute vocals to four solid songs: the countrified "Auntie's Municipal Court"(co-written by Mike); the poppy, upbeat "I'll Be Back Up On My Feet"; the brief anti-war chant "Zor and Zam"(which was put to great use, in an alternate version, on the final episode of the Monkees' TV show); and Boyce and Hart's magnificent "P.O. Box 9847", a trippy pop number that should have been a single.

PETER TORK--Once again, Peter is underrepresented. With the exception of the piano track on "Daydream Believer", he has only one contribution here: the Beatle-esque outtake "Lady's Baby". You can hear him straining to sing in a rock voice, but this--and the total sincerity of what he's saying in the lyrics--actually makes the song work.

Overall, a good album. You can hear the Monkees expanding their horizons just as their popularity was peaking.

"