Micky Dolenz is coming to the Marquee in Tempe this Saturday, and I, a lifelong Monkees fan, am counting the days with a look at some of my favorite Dolenz tunes . . . but first . . .
Bonus! Last Halloween, I dressed up as Micky, from his rug-wearing days during the Rainbow Room sessions! The Rainbow Room is famously known as the setting for the "Daydream Believer" video, and a few other great songs from that era were "performed" there, too. I found the rug (which, in my case, is actually a sheet) and the stripped shirt at Goodwill, but my buddy Jan miraculously provided the wig. My girlfriend and I were visiting his family in Sedona and were about to karaoke in Old Town Cottonwood, when I said on a whim, "I really should've found a brown curly wig to complete this get-up."
"I think we have one!" Jan exclaimed, digging through a costume box. Then, boom. I was Micky in, ahem, no time. It was a statewide effort!
Now, these posts are certainly not scheduled in any particular order. In the past, I've tried to list my favorite Monkees tunes, and it's simply impossible to pick an absolute favorite. Tomorrow's post comes close, especially as Micky songs go -- and this would be a close second, by way of revealing the breadth of his talents. I'll have to elaborate on the contrast tomorrow, lest I spoil the reveal now!
So, yes, today -- "As We Go Along," from the Monkees' controversial film Head. Poorly received then, cult classic now, Head is a trip, and its soundtrack is honestly a great audio representation of the film. I listened to the soundtrack long before I saw the movie -- maybe ten years passed between hearing that vinyl on my playroom turntable and finally catching the flick on late-night TBS. I thought seeing the movie would bridge the eclectic soundbytes on the album with, I don't know, plot? No such luck. Head must be seen to be believed. I love it.
In the both the film and on the record, "As We Go Along" is a reflective pause. The other songs are simply bombastic, visually and audibly. "As We Go Along" stands as a great ballad, then coupled with this montage from the film, it becomes a proclamation of exploration and growth, for better or worse. I've read write-ups that the rhythm of the song made for a difficult recording session for Micky, something about the song's timing. I'm not a musician -- I only know that he nails it. It's timeless -- if, as the end of this video asks, anything can be.
In the both the film and on the record, "As We Go Along" is a reflective pause. The other songs are simply bombastic, visually and audibly. "As We Go Along" stands as a great ballad, then coupled with this montage from the film, it becomes a proclamation of exploration and growth, for better or worse. I've read write-ups that the rhythm of the song made for a difficult recording session for Micky, something about the song's timing. I'm not a musician -- I only know that he nails it. It's timeless -- if, as the end of this video asks, anything can be.
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