HEADQUARTERS

The Monkees: Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork. One of the Monkees' two best albums, HEADQUARTERS is also the one '60s album on which the band played nearly all the instruments, save for a string section and occasional bass from producer Chip Douglas. Since Michael Nesmith had instigated the revolt that led to the band's musical independence, he's in the forefront here, and his songs are uniformly excellent. The banjo-driven "You Told Me" and "Sunny Girlfriend" are two of his best country-influenced tunes, and "You Just May Be the One" is magnificent REVOLVER-influenced psychedelic pop. Douglas' "Forget That Girl" features one of Micky Dolenz's best vocals, and Dolenz's own "Randy Scouse Git" is an impressionistic, trippy delight. Perhaps the album's best track is the Davy Jones lead "Early Morning Blues and Greens," a moody slice of atmospheric pop. Even oddities like "Band 6" and "Zilch" are interesting ephemera. This reissue features six interesting alternate takes and demos.

• Genre: Pop
• Format: Vinyl
• Internal ID: JITRE
• Released: 8/6/1996