In their original incarnation, The Monkees released only one album on which they played all the instruments (save the occasional string or brass part) themselves, 1967’s HEADQUARTERS. This makes their aptly-named 1996 reunion album all the more admirable, as here, the four Monkees–who had not played in the same room at the same time since 1968–indeed play every instrument. Opening with an impressive take on the absent Michael Nesmith’s “Circle Sky,” which was originally recorded for the soundtrack to their ill-fated movie HEAD, the set contains only one other Nesmith composition, the endearingly odd “Admiral Mike.” The rest was written, separately, by Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork. Each sings lead on his own songs, but unlike such similarly-structured albums as THE MONKEES PRESENT, the stripped-down, almost punky arrangements and loose playing of JUSTUS give the album a remarkable cohesion.