So far I've heard three of the disc's 13 tracks. And these weren't three trackls chosen at random -- they were the three tracks that Rhino (or the Monkees, or there management...whatever) chose to make available on Youtube. Conventional wisdom would indicate that these should be three of the stronger tracks on the album. That is concerning.
I was positive about two of the songs -- "She Makes Me Laugh" and "You Bring the Summer" are catchy pop, featuring Micky Dolenz' vocals (and based on them, he hasn't lost a thing), and a light, airy feel that I associate with the Monkees. But the more I think about it, the more I can't escape the fact that they're missing something -- a memorable hook. "Last Train to Clarksville" was instantly memorable. So were "I'm a Believer," "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and a whole host of other songs from the Monkees' original run. And I don't even mean just the hits. "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," "No Time." "Circle Sky." I could go on. Even "That Was Then, This is Now" (from the 1986 reunion had memorable hooks. And so did several tracks from Dolenz,, Jones, Boyce and Hart, the album from the abortive 1976 reunion. "I Remember the Feeling," "You Didn't Feel That Way Last Night (Don't You Remember)" and "Sweet Heart Attack" (as well as others)," had great hooks -- though I admit the court of the wallet may indicate otherwise, since that album failed to sell).
But these two tracks, as pleasant as they are, aren't memorable. And that's not even saying anything about the sleep inducing "Me and Magdalena." If, as now seems likely to me, the new disc is full of tracks that are pleasant enough but very forgettable then this will leave me disappointed.
"She Makes Me Laugh" -- a pleasant but not-necessarilly memorable single from the new album
"You Bring the Summer" -- ditto.
"Me and Magdalena" -- boring
":Last Train to Clarksville" from 1966 was instantly memorable.
So was "You Just May be the One"
Edits: correcting typos.
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