Friday , March 29 2024
Hey, hey it's a Monkee! Micky Dolenz returns with a fine new album.

Music Review: Micky Dolenz – Remember

For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do him part, Micky Dolenz will always be associated with The Monkees. For a couple of years during the late 1960s, The Monkees were one of the most popular and commercially successful bands in the world. Davy Jones passed away last February, reducing the original group to three members. Micky Dolenz is currently touring with Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork in their latest reunion tour.

In addition to touring with The Monkees, Dolenz has recently released a new studio album. Remember finds him covering a number of pop and rock tunes with a couple of originals and four Monkees tracks. While some of the tracks may seem somewhat eclectic, there is an explanation of his choices in the liner notes as to their personal meaning to him.

His choice of The Beatles’ “Good Morning, Good Morning” is one of the best tracks on the album. He takes the song in a smooth pop direction with the emphasis on the lyrics. The acoustic interpretation and the use of a flute form a creative foundation for the song. The Three Dog Night hit, “An Old Fashioned Love Song,” gets a New Orleans-type treatment. The Archies’ “Sugar Sugar” was a song synonymous with the bubblegum era. It was also a song that the Monkees rejected. Dolenz provides a jazzy vocal and moves the tune from the original lightweight version to something more substantial.

The oft-recorded “Johnny B. Goode” finds him playing an acoustic guitar to support his soft vocal. His new and original “Quiet Desperation” is an enjoyable upbeat country pop-type piece. The title song is his tribute to Harry Nilsson. He builds the song in sections, providing more than just a cover of the original as he recreates it.

His choice of Monkees material is interesting. The only well-known track is an update of “I’m a Believer.” “Randy Scouse Git” is slower than the original but is enticing and still a bit odd. He delivers a pop rendition of “Sometime in the Morning.” The most creative track is an a capella version of “Do Not Ask for Love” in which he overdubs his own voice a couple of dozen times.

While his voice may have matured a bit, he is in fine vocal form. Remember is an excellent album from an old pop icon.

About David Bowling

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