“The Monkees really becoming a band was like the equivalent
of Leonard Nimoy really becoming a Vulcan.” – Mickey Dolenz
Mike Nesmith. Mickey Dolenz. Davy Jones. Peter Tork.
The Monkees took a lot of heat.
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| Just crazy kids |
The hippies’ blissed-out quest for authenticity was itself
muddled with conflicting definitions of ‘authenticity’. The Monkees bugged them
because the group was assembled by TV producers, not tie-dyed, flower-slinging record
producers or concert/nightclub promoters or other really authentic types.
(Elvis was promoted by a former carnival barker and the Beatles achieved
planetary grooviness through the tireless dedication of a troubled furniture store salesman. But man, keep it on the low).
They were entertainers, not rock guys. They mostly sang songs
written by professional songwriters, not by singer-songwriters. But other musicians didn’t seem to mind. Ask Stephen Stills (who auditioned for the Monkees). Or ask Jimi Hendrix (who opened for the Monkees).
The 1960s had a tough time dealing with big bad
commercialism. The Establishment was commercial...so it follows that those who worked the land or
sold sea-shell trinkets were uncommercial. The intent was well intended though
the logic was weak.
They called them ‘The Pre-Fab Four’. Their music was
‘bubblegum’. They were an insubstantial
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| The Monkees find a litterbox |
So now, 50 years later, with the hippies long buried under
Altamont Speedway, the Monkees continue to entertain, to help you forget, and to help you remember.
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| What? No concert t-shirts? Sell outs! |
The charm of entertainment is that it is as unauthentic and
manipulative as the Beatles’ matching Pierre Cardin suits... But don’t be too
harsh on the hippies. They sometimes died in taking action against
what they saw to be corrupt and toxic. We don’t do that much anymore. There’s
no money in it. Gotta stay authentic baby.