The Monkees - Changes (Green vinyl)
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Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz (A1-2, A4-6, B1, B3-5), Davy Jones (A3, B2, B6)
Backing vocals: Davy Jones (B3), Micky Dolenz (B5), Coco Dolenz (B5), Tommy Boyce (B6), Bobby Hart (B6), Ron Hicklin (B6)
Harmony vocal: Davy Jones (B4)
Guitars: Al Gorgoni (A6), Don Thomas (A6), Hugh McCracken (A6, B3), Wayne Erwin (B6), Gerry McGee (B6), Louie Shelton (B6)
Acoustic Guitar: Tommy Boyce (B6)
Electric Guitar: Louie Shelton (B5)
Bass: Louis Mauro (A6), James Tyrell (A6), Chuck Rainey (B3), Joe Osborn (B5), Larry Taylor (B6)
Drums: Herb Lovelle (A6), Stan Free (A6), Gary Chester (B3), Hal Blaine (B5), Billy Lewis (B6)
Organ: Arthur Butler (A6), Bobby Hart (B6)
Tambourine: Thomas Cerone (A6)
Banjo: James Burton (B5)
Harmonica: Tommy Morgan (B5)
Violins: Harold Ayres (B6), John DeVoogdt (B6), James Getzoff (B6), Joy Lulu (B6), Norman Serkin (B6)
Violas: William Hymanson (B6), Gareth Nuttycombe
Cello: Frederick Seykora (B6)
Saxophone: Jay Migliori (B6)
Trumpet: Chuck Findley (B6)
French Horn: Alan Robinson (B6)
Trombone: Dick Hyde (B6)
Bell: Gene Estes (B6)
Written by Jeff Barry (A1-3, A6, B1-3), Andy Kim (A1, B2-3), Bobby Bloom (A2-3), Neil Brian Goldberg (A4), Ned Albright (A5, B4), Steven Soles (A5, B4), Micky Dolenz (B5), Tommy Boyce (B6), Bobby Hart (B6)
1 LP, Gatefold Cover
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : Green
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Rhino Entertainment Company
Label : Friday Music
Original Label : Colgems
Recorded :
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RCA Studio B, New York City : February 5, 1970 (A1, B1, B3) ; March 25, 1970 (A2-3) ; March 26, 1970 (B2, B4) ; April 2, 1970 (A4-5) ; January 21 and 24 and February 4, 5 and 6 (A6)
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RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, CA, July 16, 1969 (B5) ; October 28, 1966, (B6)
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The Sound Factory, Hollywood, September 12, 1969 (B6)
Engineered by Mike Moran
Produced by Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Bill Chadwick, Jeff Barry
Remastered by Joe Reagoso
Originally released in 1970
Reissued in 2011
Tracks:
Side A :
1 Oh My My
2 Ticket on a Ferry Ride
3 You're So Good to Me
4 It's Got to be Love
5 Acapulco Sun
6 99 Pounds
Side B :
1 Tell Me Love
2 Do You Feel It Too?
3 I Love You Better
4 All Alone In The Dark
5 Midnight Train
6 I Never Thought It Peculiar
Reviews :
"Calling their final album Changes made sense for the Monkees. Mike Nesmith had just departed, leaving only Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones to hold down the fort. The other big change was that after years of struggling to have their voices as songwriters and musicians heard, the remaining duo basically gave up and let the producers take over. The musical reins were given to legendary producer Jeff Barry (who had just come from a huge success with the Archies) and he and his cronies like Bobby Bloom wrote and performed the songs. Apart from one track written by Dolenz (the goofy country rock novelty "Midnight Train"), the Monkees were on hand to provide vocals only. While this could be seen as some kind of defeat and the end of the Monkees as an actual rock band, Changes ends up being a very good bubblegum record. Barry’s production is light and frothy, the songs are hooky and fun, and both Dolenz and Jones perform admirably given the likely somewhat humiliating situation. There are songs that rock harder than you’d expect ("99 Pounds," "Oh My My"), very sweet ballads (the gospelly "Tell My Love" and "You’re So Good to Me"), silly novelty songs ("I Love You Better"), a fun tropical-themed love song ("Acapulco Sun"), and even a vaudeville-y a Boyce & Hart number tacked on the end of the album (the wickedly out of place "I Never Thought It Peculiar"). There are even a couple songs that might make a discerning fan’s homemade best-of comp, namely the achingly pretty Dolenz-sung ballad "Ticket on a Ferry Ride" and "Do You Feel It Too, " a heartfelt love song that shows Jones at his sincere best. It may not be an incredibly inspired album, but it is a lot of fun and if they had stuck together (and with Barry), they could have had a nice little run of albums. Sadly, though, the record tanked completely and the Monkees name was retired soon after its release. [Rhino's 1994 reissue of the album added three very good bonus tracks, two of which ("Do It in the Name of Love" and "Lady Jane") were taken from the duo’s final sessions with Barry (and were eventually released under Dolenz and Jones’ own names on Bell Records in 1971. The other track ( "Time and Time Again") is a Jones co-write that was supposed to be on the record but was cut. Possibly because its hazy folk-jazz feel was too out of place. It is one of Jones' stronger efforts and shows that had he stayed serious about making music, he could have done some interesting things.]" AllMusic Review by Tim Sendra
Ratings :
AllMusic : 3 / 5 , Discogs : 3,42 / 5