The Monkees - "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd" (1967) - Colgems
Hey Hey Friends,
We're listening to The Monkees again tonight on Vinyl in the Valley!
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd is the fourth Monkees album and second of 1967. Bucking the trend they started on Headquarters, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd found the boys once again relying more heavily on studio musicians and outside songwriting contributors. The result, oddly enough, is not only one of their best records, but one of the best records of 1967. Which is nothing to sneeze at!
Great record from start to finish! Not coincidentally, its also the most Nesmith-y of all the Monkees' records with Mike singing lead on five of the thirteen tracks!
Interestingly, we noticed a lot of parallels between this record and The Beatles' Revolver album. From the pencil drawings of the band on the album's cover to the lead-off track, "Salesman" coming off like a deliberate and tongue-in-cheekish response to "Taxman"- Revolver's cynical, George Harrison-penned opener. "Salesman" features Mike Nesmith on lead vocals.
Future star of television's The Brady Bunch, Davy Jones takes over lead vocals on the next track, the very Beatles-sounding rager, "She Hangs Out", written by Jeff Barry.
Nesmith is back with a twinge of country-rock on "The Door Into Summer", which might not sound out of place on a Byrds' record or even on an early Crosby, Stills & Nash album.
Revolver had the Lennon classic, "I'm Only Sleeping"; Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd has the equally amazing, "Love is Only Sleeping" again featuring Nesmith doing some of his best Brit-style singing!
Songwriter, singer and Beatles-pal, Harry Nilsson wrote the creepy "Cuddly Toy" and the Monkees turn it into a British Invasion-sounding classic! Did we mention that its creepy? I honestly think (hope) it might be about a gang-bang...
Nesmith definitely gave a country-feel to Side One's "The Door into Summer" but he goes full out country on Side Two's "What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?" which predates Sweetheart of the Rodeo, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Gram Parsons. Nesmith is hardly ever brought up in conversations about alt-country icons (like Gram Parsons, The Byrds, The Band, The Burritos, etc.) but he was definitely laying some groundwork for the genre on this record. Maybe it had something to do with his goofy wool hats!
Gerry Goffin & Carole King wrote the album's hit single, "Pleasant Valley Sunday" for the band. Producer Chip Douglas takes over bass duties here freeing up Peter Tork to play keyboards. Douglas & Nesmith decided to double-tracked his lead guitar riff modelling after Harrison's double-tracked lead on Revolver's "I Want To Tell You".
Nesmith wrote the trippy, "Daily Nightly" (which would be the Monkees at their most psychedelic until 1968's Head) which once again owes more than a nod and a wink to the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" from (you guessed it!), Revolver! (Dolenz sings lead!)
Mike takes his cowboy boots off and puts on his best lounge act to sing on the torchy "Don't Call On Me".
Goffin & King are back to write the album's closer, the fun & frenzied ode to groupies, "Star Collector" featuring Davy Jones on lead vocals and some funky-sounding keyboard sounds courtesy of a recently invented synthesizer by Robert Moog.
Fun Fact kids! Pisces Aquarius Capricorn & Jones Ltd in addition to being arguably The Monkees best LP also has the distinction of being one of the first records to feature the Moog as an instrument. (It appears on "Love Is Only Sleeping", "Daily Nightly" and "Star Collector") Here's an interesting article outlining some of the Moog's earliest recorded appearances: Moog: A History in Recordings by Thom Holmes.
Classic record! Probably The Monkees' best!
RATING: 5 Local Rock Groups Down The Street Trying Hard to Learn their Songs out of 5
Great record from start to finish! Not coincidentally, its also the most Nesmith-y of all the Monkees' records with Mike singing lead on five of the thirteen tracks!
Interestingly, we noticed a lot of parallels between this record and The Beatles' Revolver album. From the pencil drawings of the band on the album's cover to the lead-off track, "Salesman" coming off like a deliberate and tongue-in-cheekish response to "Taxman"- Revolver's cynical, George Harrison-penned opener. "Salesman" features Mike Nesmith on lead vocals.
Future star of television's The Brady Bunch, Davy Jones takes over lead vocals on the next track, the very Beatles-sounding rager, "She Hangs Out", written by Jeff Barry.
Nesmith is back with a twinge of country-rock on "The Door Into Summer", which might not sound out of place on a Byrds' record or even on an early Crosby, Stills & Nash album.
Revolver had the Lennon classic, "I'm Only Sleeping"; Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd has the equally amazing, "Love is Only Sleeping" again featuring Nesmith doing some of his best Brit-style singing!
Songwriter, singer and Beatles-pal, Harry Nilsson wrote the creepy "Cuddly Toy" and the Monkees turn it into a British Invasion-sounding classic! Did we mention that its creepy? I honestly think (hope) it might be about a gang-bang...
"You're not the only cuddly toy that was ever enjoyed by any boy
You're not the only choo-choo train that was left out in the rain the day after Santa came
You're not the only cherry delight that was left out in the night
And gave up without a fight"
Side One ends with the groovy and somewhat psychedelic "Words" featuring Mickey Dolenz & Peter Tork on dueling lead vocals.
Side Two kicks off with the loungey, "Hard to Believe" which is basically a Davy Jones torch song. I don't think any other Monkees appeared on this track and, in fact, this is the only song on the record NOT to appear on an episode of their television show!
Nesmith definitely gave a country-feel to Side One's "The Door into Summer" but he goes full out country on Side Two's "What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?" which predates Sweetheart of the Rodeo, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Gram Parsons. Nesmith is hardly ever brought up in conversations about alt-country icons (like Gram Parsons, The Byrds, The Band, The Burritos, etc.) but he was definitely laying some groundwork for the genre on this record. Maybe it had something to do with his goofy wool hats!
Gerry Goffin & Carole King wrote the album's hit single, "Pleasant Valley Sunday" for the band. Producer Chip Douglas takes over bass duties here freeing up Peter Tork to play keyboards. Douglas & Nesmith decided to double-tracked his lead guitar riff modelling after Harrison's double-tracked lead on Revolver's "I Want To Tell You".
Nesmith wrote the trippy, "Daily Nightly" (which would be the Monkees at their most psychedelic until 1968's Head) which once again owes more than a nod and a wink to the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" from (you guessed it!), Revolver! (Dolenz sings lead!)
Mike takes his cowboy boots off and puts on his best lounge act to sing on the torchy "Don't Call On Me".
Goffin & King are back to write the album's closer, the fun & frenzied ode to groupies, "Star Collector" featuring Davy Jones on lead vocals and some funky-sounding keyboard sounds courtesy of a recently invented synthesizer by Robert Moog.
Fun Fact kids! Pisces Aquarius Capricorn & Jones Ltd in addition to being arguably The Monkees best LP also has the distinction of being one of the first records to feature the Moog as an instrument. (It appears on "Love Is Only Sleeping", "Daily Nightly" and "Star Collector") Here's an interesting article outlining some of the Moog's earliest recorded appearances: Moog: A History in Recordings by Thom Holmes.
Classic record! Probably The Monkees' best!
RATING: 5 Local Rock Groups Down The Street Trying Hard to Learn their Songs out of 5
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