The Monkees (The Monkees Present) – Review

The Monkees (The Monkees Present)

        Original Tracks
                Little Girl (Dolenz)
                Good Clean Fun (Nesmith)
                If I Knew (Jones & Chadwick)
                Bye Bye Baby Bye Bye (Dolenz & Klein)
                Never Tell A Woman Yes (Nesmith)
                Looking For The Good Times (Boyce & Hart)
                Ladies Aid Society (Boyce & Hart)
                Listen To The Band (Nesmith)
                French Song (Chadwick)
                Mommy and Daddy (Dolenz)
                Oklahoma Backroom Dancer (Nesmith)
                Pillow Time (Scott & Willis)
        Bonus Selections
                Calico Girlfriend Samba (Nesmith)
                The Good Earth
                Listen To The Band (Nesmith)
                Mommy and Daddy (Dolenz)
                The Monkees Present Radio Promo

With Screen Gems caring less and less about the Monkees' activities, the
guys were given more control over the creation of their last album as a
trio, The Monkees Present.  Unfortunately for their careers as a musical
unit, it came too late.  Still, the result is a masterpiece, and the most
underrated of the bunch.  Micky's songwriting potential comes to a head
with "Bye Bye Baby Bye Bye," "Little Girl," and "Mommy and Daddy"--
something Peter later said he was sorry to have missed.  Nesmith continued
to display his brilliance with the album's first release, "Listen to the
Band," which he'd later re-cut with The First National Band.  Davy sings a
mix of new and old songs, doing a couple Boyce and Hart tunes as well as
the ballad "If I Knew," which he co-wrote with Bill Chadwick.

The bonus selections don't fail to please, as they include the original,
more controversial version of Dolenz's "Mommy and Daddy."  A couple Nez
tunes and a poem read by Davy wrap up the loose ends, though the radio
promo was unnecessary.

Questions, comments, arguments, compliments, or general Monkee Talk
welcome at landsberg@alltel.net
                                                        - Mike Landsberg