Definitive Monkees CD - Import

This Monkees box set includes a bonus CD of outtakes and rare tracks.
This two-CD set, issued in Europe about a week before Rhino Records' expanded box appeared in America, resembles either a considerably expanded and upgraded version of the old Arista Records set Then & Now..., or a more entertaining successor to Rhino Records' 1998 Anthology. The disc, running just under 80 minutes and containing 29 songs, is for the listener who wants the hits and the best album tracks all gathered in one place, including ubiquitous numbers like the television series' second-season end credit track, "For Pete's Sake." These have been remastered, so there's lots of presence in all of the playing, and the vocals never sounded better; the songs all have thick, dense textures, much heavier and harder and upfront than they did on the radio in 1966-1967, with good stereo separation. This set is proof, as though any were needed, that the nicest thing ever to happen to the Monkees' music was getting it moved into the hands of Rhino Records, whose library was the source for these masters. ~ Bruce Eder

Import only compilation features 60 tracks on two cd's. This Definitive collection contains everything that even the worryingly obsessive fan might need. From the recognised karaoke classics like 'Daydream Believer' and 'Last Train to Clarkesville' to lesser known known songs. There are 29 tracks here to confirm that The Monkees were far more than just a soulless exercise in hype and hope. The gently frazzled psychedelia of 'Porpoise Song' and 'Randy Scouse Git's rinky-dink racket also included go some way to proving in fact that they are worthy of comparison with any other pop group of the period. The second 31-track disc includes their best, most bizarre off-cuts and out takes, ranging from an Italian-language take of their theme song along with alternate versions of classic tracks from their classic 60's albums. Highlights include the finest-ever rendition of 'Circle Sky', 'Steam Engine' and 'Apples, Peaches & Pears'. 60 tracks in all. Warner/Rhino.