Monkees - Missing Links (16 tracks) +Album Reviews

Unreleased GEMS!

Henry R. Kujawa | "The Forbidden Zone" (Camden, NJ) | 12/26/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"What a JOY it was when Rhino put this out. After the relative disappointments of "NOW AND THEN" and 'POOL IT!" here was an entire album of terrific (more-or-less) "new" Monkees material! And so MUCH to love here: "Apples, Peaches, Bananas And Pears" (which I suspect was intended to open the shelved 2nd B&H-produced album); "If You Have The Time" (which had turned up on Saturday morning, but strangely went unreleased until here!); "I Don't Think You Know Me" (my favorite of the various versions that have shown up since), "Carlisle Wheeling" (also my fave of the 3 very different takes that have surfaced, including the one on Nesmith's LOOSE SALUTE); "Storybook Of You" (Davy at his romantic best!), "All Of Your Toys" (not really a fave, I can't picture this being a single-- and is it possible the song is really about Don Kirshner?); "Nine Times Blue" (the "definitive" version of this one! ); "So Goes Love" (great ballad from Davy; this makes a strong point that Mike Nesmith should have been the SOLE producer!); "Of You" (more Nesmith magic); and "War Games" (wouldn't this have made a great companion to Micky's "Mommy And Daddy"?). The 4 CD bonus tracks are less memorable (7, 8, 15, 16) but I'm all for a "complete" reissue project, so overall no complaints. The first MISSING LINKS wound up being BETTER than some of the original albums."

In a long and involved conversation with myself....

amethyst-72 | Taylor Mill, KY USA | 05/22/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a Monkees fan since the 20th anniversary revival in 1986 and first came across ML Vol. 1 in September 1987. I was so excited to add to my rapidly growing collection some tracks that had never been previously released, and I certainly was not disappointed. I rewound the old cassette so many times that eventually it wore out and I had to buy the CD. Not a problem when one of Michael Nesmith's greatest songs, "Carlisle Wheeling", a stunning tale of nostalgic recollection of young love and the acceptance of change in relationships, is part of the deal. I recently paid respectful tribute to an ex-boyfriend with this song; after everything he and I have been through during the past 12 years, it fits us perfectly. Consider the following: "It's amazing how time can so softly change your ways/ And make you look at things that can't be seen/ How the years that roll by can start you listening/ Not just to what they say, but what they mean/ So forgive me, my dear, if I seem preoccupied/ If the razor's edge of youthful love is gone/ But we're both a little older, our relationship has grown/ Not just in how it's shaped, but how it's shown..."A gem of an album that both casual and hardcore Monkees fans will enjoy greatly, especially the Nesmith tunes."

Wonderific Album!!! You will not regret buying it!!!

Daisy Hunt | **hugging Marik.** Just kidding. | 08/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have loved everything I have ever heard by the Monkees, and the songs on this album are no exception. Every single one is a gem! All four Monkees have some time to showcase their singing talents. Nez (Mike) has the beautiful "Nine Times Blue" and "Carlisle Wheeling." Davy's songs include the Broadway-flavored "My Share of the Sidewalk" and "If You Have the Time" (the tune to this one sounds like an early version of Head's "Daddy's Song"), the romantic "Storybook of You," and the thought-provoking war protest song, "War Games," among others. Micky's lineup includes the novelty, "Teeny Tiny Gnome," the interesting "All of Your Toys" (sounds like a song about a femme fatale character I created), the unusual (but kewl) "Rosemarie," and a duet (well, don't know if that's the right word, but you know what I mean) with Peter, "I Don't Think You Know Me." Peter even gets a chance to sing solo, on the cute "Lady's Baby." This is one of the best Monkees albums ever released! You will not regret buying this, I promise you."

My Favorite Monkees CD!

Daisy Hunt | 10/09/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Out of all the Monkees CD's I own, this one is definitely my favorite. There is such a variety of quality material here that any Monkee fan should like this. If you happen to be a Davy Jones fan, this CD is for you. Most of the album is good songs of his that ended up on the shelf. After you've listened to their hits, listen to this CD."

Some Good Songs

Rocker84 | Buffalo, NY | 05/29/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This collection of missing links has some good songs, but you could see why many of these were left off the Monkees albums. In my opinion, this is definitely the worst of the three Missing Links albums...they really improve with the other two. The solid collection of Mike songs is the only thing that really saves this album. Here are my reviews of the songs:

1. "Apples, Peaches, Bananas and Pears" - Sounds like a worse version of Last Train to Clarksville or Tear Drop City. Not a terrible song, but certainly not enough quality to be included on one of the Monkees albums. 6/10

2. "If You Have The Time" - Kind of a catchy song...again not horrible, but just not enough quality to be on an album. 6/10

3. "I Don't Think You Know Me" - This is a very good song, however, I don't like this version sung by Mike quite as much as the one sung by Micky. 7/10

4. "Party" - Probably one of the worst songs on the cd. Just another kind of cheesy song written by Davy that I can't get into. 3/10

5. "Carlisle Wheeling" - Finally the ablum picks up with a great song. This is just a very beautiful song by Mike, with some great lyrics. 1010

6. "Storybook Of You" - Yet another song that is ok, but just doesn't quite have the quality of a solid Monkees song. 6/10

7. "Rosemarie" - A very interesting song written by Micky. Doesn't really song like a Monkees song, but it's kind of hoppin' and catchy. 7/10

8. "My Share of the Sidewalk" - A song written by Mike and sung by Davy. Another kind of catchy and upbeat song, that almost sounds jazzy. 7/10

9. "All Of Your Toys" - This song was originally slated to be a single released off Headquarters. It's a nice, fun song that has a very Monkeeish (if that's a word) sound. 9/10

10. "Nine Times Blue" - Another great offering by Mike. Has a very country sound to it, but it has some good lyrics, and it's just a quality song. 9/10

11. "So Goes Love" - This was a song recorded very early on by the Monkees, but never made it to an album. I think Davy does a good job on this song, and I could definitely have seen it on More of the Monkees (certainly would have been better than "Laugh or "The Day We Fall In Love"). 8/10

12. "Teeny Tiny Gnome" - This is kind of a fun and goofy song, but some very corny lyrics. Again, you can see why this was not included on an album. 7/10

13. "Of You" - Very high quality Monkees song, that I think could have been used on an early album. Has that great early fun lovin' Monkees sound. 10/10

14. "War Games" - Another kind of poor Davy song. The lyrics aren't quite as bad as usual, but the whole song just is not good. 4/10

15. "Lady's Baby" - This is a great Peter song. I always feel that Peter was very underated in the Monkees. He might not have the best voice, but he writes some excellent songs. 9/10

16. "Time and Time Again" - A solid Davy ballad to end the cd. Certainly one of his better songs on the album. 7/10

As I said, this collection has some good songs, and for a Monkees fan, it's a cool cd to have. However, I think it ranks the lowest of the Missing Links cd's.

"

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