Anemic recreations of Monkees classics

With the original Monkees classics so easily found on CD and digital download, one has to wonder about market for this “tribute” album. Were these novel reinterpretations or gutsy live recordings they might be something worth hearing, but despite the professional production and playing, the results are little more than anemic echoes of the originals. Worse, the band’s lead singer sounds like a wimpy version of Herman’s Hermits’ Peter Noone, so this all ends up sounding like a British Invasion knock-off riding the Monkees coattails. Without the iconic voices of Micky, Davy, and Mike, the studio wizardry of the LA’s finest studio musicians, all that’s left are the songs, which despite their greatness, had their definitive pop recordings 40+ years ago.

Don’t be fooled by the outsized Monkees logo on the front, this is a knock-off in the grand tradition of mass-market cover albums; just about what you’d expect from a group that puts its own name in quote marks. “Studio 99” has dozens of similar albums covering the Beatles, Blondie, Abba, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Santana, Dire Straits and on and on and on and on, all blandly reiterating what’s available in original form from the original artists. If you want to hear the Monkees’ originals, pick up the group’s first four albums (The Monkees, More of the Monkees, Headquarters and Pisces, Capricorn, Aquarius & Jones Ltd.), or Rhino’s anthology Best of the Monkees. If you want to hear some worthwhile Monkees covers, track down Tin Huey or Smash Mouth’s version of “I’m a Believer,” Paul Butterfield’s electric blues “Mary, Mary,” or the Merton Parka’s mod “Steppin’ Stone.” Those are some real tributes. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]