Favorite Beatle George with favorite Monkee Peter - I am in love with this photo.
A godawful podcast I listened to a few months ago pitted the Beatles (Fab Four) against the Monkees (the Prefab Four). I love both bands. I own all their records, even the crappy ones - I'm looking at you Yellow Submarine and Instant Replay.
Both bands had their amazing deconstruct-the-myth-in-a-movie moment with Let It Be and Head.
Both had their "WTF was that?" TV specials with Magical Mystery Tour and 33 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee.
If you were to stack the awesomeness of the Monkees TV series against the badassery of A Hard Days' Night and Help!, I'd say things are even.
Blasphemous? Whatevs. I watched the Beatles cartoons alongside Monkees reruns when I was a wee lass of six. I don't judge, I just love.
Except for now. The original podcast I refer to had one guy pick his favorite 5 Beatles songs and the other guy would pick his favorite 5 Monkees songs, and they would debate which song was better. As George Harrison says in A Hard Days' Night, "I would be quite prepared for that eventuality." I'm doing six in honor of Band 6, a crappy jam on an otherwise stellar Headquarters album, with a bonus three in honor of Revolution #9, a crappy mess on the otherwise stellar White Album.
Girl That I Knew Somewhere v. Here, There and Everywhere - It's a battle of favorites. First, you have the Michael Nesmith-penned song with Tork on harpsichord and Dolenz's winsome vocals. Then you have the seductive McCartney ballad with gentle crooning. The romp featured Julie Newmar as April Conquest in love with all four Monkees. MTV Unplugged had this one with Paul onstage with a guitar. I can't do it, I cannot choose one over the other. DRAW.
Sometime in the Morning v. Something - Goffin and King sung by Micky at his most sensual. George Harrison coming of age and trumping John and Paul for the band's best ballad. The mind boggles and I'm reluctant to pick one over the other. DRAW.
Words v. In My Life - Micky and Pete singing a call-and-response song about betrayal, a lush orchestration with Davy on wind chimes, of all things. The other is John Lennon at his best, a song destined to be played at my funeral. A worthy fight, but I give it to the BEATLES.
Circle Sky v. Revolution - One one hand you have Nesmith's hard country rock, featured in the movie Head where the band is ripped apart and revealed as mannequins - trippy. On the other hand, you have the Beatles foray into hard rock with the awesomely distorted fuzzbox and some fierce piano playing. The remake of Circle Sky in 1997 rocks even harder, with a grungy crunch and new lyrics. The Beatles second shot at Revolution kind of sucked; the third was even worse. Then there was the Nike commercial. MONKEES.
Pleasant Valley Sunday v. A Day in the Life - Both tales of everyday life in suburbia. Both from 1967. Both from career-defining albums. One is a driving rock song with a catchy riff that served as a bumper to sitcom. The other, the closing opera to arguably the greatest album ever, a collaboration by the two best rock songwriters ever. I thought this would be a good fight, but after careful consideration, it's not very close. BEATLES.
You Told Me v. Paperback Writer - You Told Me opens up the amazing Headquarters album, a Nesmith song featuring Tork on banjo. Paperback Writer was a single during the Help!-Rubber Soul-Revolver era, with some classic Ringo percussion. I'm almost willing ot call it a draw, but give the slightest of edges to Tork's banjo and the need to recognize a very underrated rock song. MONKEES.
Forget That Girl v. I Want You (She's So Heavy) - A Davy Jones ballad up against John Lennon's primal scream ode to Yoko Ono? It's not even a fair fight, this round goes to the hypnotic grind that closes side one of Abbey Road. Even if I were to substitute the amazing Randy Scouse Git, the Fabs have it. BEATLES
A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You v. Two of Us - Davy Jones sings Neil Diamond. John and Paul channel the Everly Brothers. The Monkees song was remade by the Specials which triggered this Monkee resurgence in my house, see Feb blog for the details. The other makes me think of hoboes and goodbyes. MONKEES.
Tear the Top Right Off My Head v. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. I've managed to pit Tork against Harrison? Tork is so sweet in this one, I love this his coffee cups for two, pressing fingertips across lips, jangly banjo and harmonica. Harrison has Clapton, spiritual concepts from the I Ching, and way more drama. I love you, Peter Tork but the Quiet Beatle gets this one. BEATLES.
Probably no surprise the Fabs have it.
No comments:
Post a Comment