This upcoming year of 2026 not only celebrates my own 60th birthday, two weeks from today in fact, but for Monkees fans it’s also the 60th anniversary of the “The Monkees” both as a TV show as well as a rock group.
Hard to believe, pardon the pun for those who know, that sixty years have passed since the wacky foursome of Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones, Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith first romped around television screens and blared through radios all over the world.
My own personal introduction to the group came first with the music as my older brother, nine years older than me, had purchased the first four Monkees albums which I proceeded to make into frisbees by playing them over and over as a toddler (see photo below of me in 1968 listening to “More of the Monkees” on a vintage Magnavox stereo my parents owned).
I’m sure I watched the TV show in it’s first run along with my brother but I don’t remember it as well as I remember vividly listening to the first three Monkees albums on the floor as a toddler dancing and singling along to an old portable record player.
I do remember the show more from the Saturday morning reruns as well as collecting Monkees records from the back of cereal boxes circa 1969/1970 or so but by this time I was truly a Monkees maniac and had all of their albums (there is old 8mm silent film of me at my forth birthday party in 1970 opening both “Instant Replay”and “The Monkees Greatest Hits” Colgems albums) if you can believe it.
Okay, that leads us to today.
I just received the 2 CD set called “The A’s, The B’s & The Monkees” (love the “Birds and Bees” reference) which I ordered from the Monkees.com Website. It wasn’t supposed to be out until the end of January so I was quite pleased to see it so early and since I am off today I sat down and gave both CDs a listen and took a look through the groovy booklet.
I was really curious to hear this set as it was advertised online as needle drops of all The Monkees 1966-1970 singles featuring the original 45 mono and stereo mixes of both the A and B sides (thus the title). Of course that seemed really odd yet intriguing to me. I’m all for an authentic sounding collection of their singles and though it may be redundant I think it’s a cool idea.
Well after listening to the set I’m pleasantly surprised. Both CDs do seem to contain all of the original mono and stereo 45 mixes (The “Tear Drop City” mix is the original stereo 45 version not the promo version) and to my surprise they sound excellent!
They also sound like there are from the original master tapes as they are wonderful sounding – rich, warm and not fatiguing to listen to at all.
If any of these mixes is a mono album mix and not the true mono 45 mix I didn’t notice on first listen. While that would be unfortunate I must say everything sounds so good I could live with it. The second disc is especially a good listen and fun to hear all the b-sides together; a very strong disc with some of The Monkees best songs.
The booklet says this set was mastered by Bernie Grundman with digital mastering by Dave Schultz with Bill Inglot and I must say it’s probably my favorite sounding hits collection of Monkees material in my collection – it’s that good.
(Note: a 2 Lp vinyl version of this set comes out in January and will be available to buy at independent record stores)
I know a lot of Monkees fans online are ho hum about this set as they have all the material already but if you want this stuff with the original 45 mixes sounding better than ever then you might want to give this set a listen.
Of course being a physical media guy I love a new physical Monkees release and I hope Rhino Records does some other interesting releases for the 60th anniversary throughout 2026 – we shall see.
Both CDs are mono from tracks 1-8 and then stereo for tracks 9-12 and I believe all the correct mono 45 versions – I could be wrong but I think they are all correct. And if some of these came from need drops I would truly be amazed as they sound so damn good.
Anyway, there you go. I have included photos of the 2 CD set above and below.
I hope you have a wonderful New Year’s Day tomorrow and truly wonderful 2026 as well.
See you soon here at this blog and hopefully they’ll be more Monkees releases to celebrate soon.
Not only am I going to discuss a reissue that I only own (currently) in download form but the fact is I can’t actually give you a release date for the physical set as I’m not really sure.
It all started last Friday when I discovered, much to my delight, that the Super Deluxe Edition of The Monkees fourth album “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.”was showing up unannounced all over the Internet on various streaming and download sites.
Crazy as it sounds it looks like Rhino Records, who own The Monkees catalog, must have jumped the gun releasing the audio of their upcoming Super Deluxe set of the “Pisces” album as it was only available to stream or buy for a few hours then poof it was gone.
The online chatter was ecstatic but confused. Would this set be available in physical form like all the other Monkees Super Deluxe sets? Would this seriously be a download only set?
The set had been online for several hours when I heard about it so I thought I would investigate further.
I didn’t really want to stream the set as if this was only going to be a stream or download situation I would definitely download the whole thing then take my time to give it a good listen.
Funny enough, I saw that the download of the set (over five hours long in fact!) was available on Amazon so I decided to just look and see how expensive the download would be just in case. Of course my Internet connection was a bit lagging as I clicked the purchase options and I couldn’t see if it said buy now or if the price would just pop up so I could see how much they would charge for it.
After a minute or two I clicked away from Amazon thinking I’ll go back later when to my surprise an email popped into my Gmail on my phone saying I had purchased the set as a download!
Since I rarely buy downloads and I own it in this format I thought I may as well give it a good listen and then buy the physical set later if it became available. It’s perfect for the listening in the car so that’s what I’ve been doing.
Just a couple of hours later one by one the “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.” set disappeared from each and every online site it was posted to so in the end I was glad I accidentally bought it as I’ve had over a week of enjoying the music.
About a day or so after the leak Rhino Records posted the photo above which says 10-02-2025 which is either the pre-order or release date for the set I’m not sure.
I’m all in for the physical copy when I can buy it on Monkees.com where it will be available and I’m guessing that’s the only place you’ll be able to order the physical set like the previous Monkees Super Deluxe boxes.
So today I thought I’d share a few thoughts on the music contained in the set from the download I purchased last Friday. Below I have listed the contents of the entire set so you can see what songs will be on it when it does become available to buy or stream.
(Note: To my knowledge none of the other Monkees Super Deluxe sets have been released to streaming so this is an unusual situation for Rhino to make it more widely available – interesting)
I have to say that after listening to this set for the past week I am floored buy how good it sounds and by how much of the session material Andrew Sandoval, the man who compiled and produced the set for Rhino Records, included in the box.
Both the stereo and mono original mixes of the album from 1967 sound terrific and the new 2025 remixes of the material found on this set really show how good this album was recorded and how much these new remixes bring a fresh presentation to the songs revealing instruments and vocals that weren’t noticeable or were buried in the original mixes.
Of course the highlights of this set for me are the outtakes and session material.
My favorites so far:
The Door Into Summer (Alternate Version) – The highlight of the set for me. I loved this stripped down early version found here and look forward to reading more about it when the liner notes of the physical set become available. You can hear Micky’s vocal contribution more prominently in this version and while not superior to the finished version it’s still great and fun listen.
Basically all of disc three and four are just a thrill for me. I LOVE all the backing tracks and demos and TV versions included in the set as they really give you a feel for how this record was made. Yes there is repetition in the material but I love all the alternate takes and mixes and to me this is the reason to do a Super Deluxe set like this as this set mainly appeals to hardcore fans of which I happily am.
(Note 2: Apple please take note, this is how I wish The Beatles album sets were put together!)
I particularly love the vocal sessions for “Words”, “Riu Chu” and “Don’t Call on Me”. For the most part of all the group members Micky sounds so young and unfiltered in these sessions which is a real peek inside to how he was around friends in unguarded moments and that’s a real treat to hear.
Not everyone will enjoy these session glimpses but for me it’s pure gold.
Overall the “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.” album is my favorite Monkees record and to hear all of this material in such good sound quality is just a joy to behold.
As of this writing the link to buy the physical set isn’t up yet but I’m counting the days to get the groovy box set full of photos and essays and mini Lp covers and a 45 – I can’t wait.
That’s all for now. Just a quick glimpse into the upcoming release of the Super Deluxe “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.” 4 CD set.
Until next time be healthy and well and see you soon!
Disc 1:
1. Salesman (2:37) 2. She Hangs Out (2:58) 3. The Door Into Summer (2:50) 4. Love is Only Sleeping (2:31) 5. Cuddly Toy (2:39) 6. Words (2:52) 7. Hard to Believe (2:36) 8. What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round? (3:09) 9. Peter Percival Patterson’s Pet Pig Porky (0:27) 10. Pleasant Valley Sunday (3:16) 11. Daily Nightly (2:33) 12. Don’t Call On Me (2:52) 13. Star Collector (4:26) 14. Special Announcement (0:37) 15. Goin’ Down (4:23) 16. Salesman (2025 Remix) (3:04) 17. She Hangs Out (2025 Remix) (3:28) 18. The Door Into Summer (Alternate Version) (3:23) 19. Love is Only Sleeping (2025 Alternate Mix) (2:40) 20. Cuddly Toy (2025 Remix) (2:41) 21. Words (2025 Remix) (2:56) 22. Hard to Believe (2025 Remix) (2:40) 23. What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round? (2025 Alternate Mix) (3:21) 24. Pleasant Valley Sunday (2025 Remix) (3:15) 25. Daily Nightly (2025 Remix) (2:36) 26. Don’t Call On Me (Version 2) (2:57) 27. Star Collector (Alternate 1967 Mix) (4:51) 28. Riu Chiu (Alternate Version) (1:10)
Disc 2:
1. Salesman (Mono) (2:28) 2. She Hangs Out (Mono) (3:08) 3. The Door Into Summer (Mono) (2:52) 4. Love is Only Sleeping (Mono) (2:33) 5. Cuddly Toy (Mono) (2:39) 6. Words (Mono) (2:52) 7. Hard to Believe (Mono) (2:36) 8. What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round? (Mono) (3:09) 9. Peter Percival Patterson’s Pet Pig Porky (Mono) (0:27) 10. Pleasant Valley Sunday (Mono) (3:10) 11. Daily Nightly (Mono) (2:32) 12. Don’t Call On Me (Mono) (2:54) 13. Star Collector (Mono) (4:27) 14. Special Announcement (Mono) (0:37) 15. Salesman (Alternate Mono Mix) (2:35) 16. Cuddly Toy (Alternate Mono Mix) (3:02) 17. Don’t Call On Me (Alternate Mono Mix) (2:59) 18. Goin’ Down (Alternate Mono Mix) (4:23) 19. Star Collector (Alternate Mono Mix) (4:51) 20. The Door Into Summer (Alternate Vocal) (2:53) 21. Daily Nightly (Alternate Mono Mix) (2:29) 22. Goin’ Down (Full TV Mix) (4:50) 23. Love is Only Sleeping (Alternate Mono Mix) (2:35) 24. The Door Into Summer (Alternate Mono Mix) (2:54) 25. Goin’ Down (Mono Single Mix) (4:00) 26. Star Collector (Alternate Mono Mix 2) (5:09)
Disc 3: 1. The Story of Rock and Roll (Version Three Backing Track) (3:50) 2. I Don’t Know Yet (Backing Track) (2:38) 3. Cuddly Toy (Backing Track) (2:38) 4. Come On In (Version One Backing Track) (2:22) 5. Come On In (Version Two Backing Track) (2:25) 6. The Door Into Summer (Early Version Backing Track) (3:22) 7. Pleasant Valley Sunday (Backing Track) (3:28) 8. Words (Backing Track) (3:05) 9. Daydream Believer (Backing Track) (3:32) 10. Salesman (Backing Track with Backing Vocals) (3:14) 11. Jam #1 (Backing Track) (1:48) 12. Words (Vocal Session) (8:22) 13. Daily Nightly (Backing Track) (2:32) 14. Love is Only Sleeping (Backing Track with Percussion and Backing Vocals) (2:39) 15. What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round? (Backing Track) (3:19) 16. Don’t Call On Me (Backing Track) (2:27) 17. She Hangs Out (Backing Track) (3:28) 18. Goin’ Down (Backing Track) (4:52) 19. Yours Until Tomorrow (Backing Track) (3:39) 20. The Door Into Summer (Alternate Version Backing Track) (3:33) 21. Can You Dig It “Tentatively” (Instrumental Acoustic Demo) (3:00) 22. Tear the Top Right Off My Head (Instrumental Acoustic Demo) (2:08) 23. Untitled (Instrumental Acoustic Demo) (1:56) 24. A Man Without a Dream (Instrumental Acoustic Demo) (4:16)
Disc 4: 1. Pleasant Valley Sunday (2025 Alternate Vocal Remix) (3:09) 2. Words (Backing Track with Backing Vocals) (3:05) 3. Star Collector (Alternate Mix) (5:07) 4. Jam #2 (Backing Track) (2:12) 5. She Hangs Out (Alternate Mix) (3:28) 6. Daydream Believer (2025 Remix) (3:32) 7. A Man Without a Dream (Instrumental Piano Demo) (3:39) 8. Hard to Believe (Backing Track) (2:42) 9. Cuddly Toy (TV Mix) (2:36) 10. Love is Only Sleeping (TV Mix) (2:28) 11. Goin’ Down (TV Version) (3:58) 12. Star Collector (TV Mix) (2:44) 13. What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round? (TV Mix) (3:13) 14. Daydream Believer (TV Mix) (2:43) 15. She Hangs Out (TV Mix) (2:43) 16. Riu Chiu (TV Version) (1:33) 17. Salesman (2025 Remix with Sales Rap) (3:06) 18. Riu Chiu (Alternate Version 2) (1:36) 19. Daily Nightly (Alternate Mix) (2:30) 20. Riu Chu (Session) (4:53) 21. Riu Chiu (Alternate Take) (1:43) 22. Don’t Call On Me (Chatter Session) (9:33) 23. Special Announcement (Session) (2:26) 24. Star Collector (Alternate 1967 Stereo Mix) (4:56)
Eighty-three years ago today, Paul McCartney came into the world in Liverpool, England and to celebrate I thought it might be fun to take a look at my copies of his Columbia Records output on vinyl.
Several blogs ago I took a look at his CBS CD’s that I own but recently I’ve stumbled upon a few really cheap pressings of his CBS vinyl so I thought it was time to share what I found and what I own from McCartney’s short tenure on the Columbia label – specifically reissues of his Apple/Capitol albums and not new recordings.
For me, sharing McCartney’s recorded output is the best way to celebrate his life so what better way than on his birthday to delve into his Columbia Records pressings and post some photos here as you rarely see them online.
For those who don’t know, Paul McCartney was signed to Columbia Records exclusively for the North American market from 1979 to 1984.
Not only did he release new albums on Columbia (“Back to the Egg”,“McCartney II”, “The McCartney Interview” (not a studio album, it contained interviews), “Tug of War”,“Pipes of Peace” and “Give My Regards to Broad Street”) he also released his eight of his albums that originally came out on Apple/Capitol Records from 1970 to 1977.
The Apple/Capitol albums he reissued on Columbia include: “McCartney”, “Ram”, “Wild Life”, “Red Rose Speedway”, “Band on the Run”, “Venus and Mars”, “Wings at the Speed of Sound” and the triple Lp set “Wings Over America”.
The initial Columbia issues of McCartney’s Apple/Capitol albums that had goodies like booklets and posters and special labels (“Red Rose Speedway”, “Band on the Run”, “Venus and Mars” and “Wings at the Speed of Sound”) were issued exactly as the originals but were then replaced a couple of years later with copies with just the basic red Columbia label and no frills.
One exception is the “Wings Over America” triple album that was reissued in 1984 shortly before McCartney went back to Capitol in North America and it was issued just like the original issue but without the poster.
I own Columbia issues of the “Venus and Mars” album both with the posters and stickers and the issue with the same fold out cover but no extras (see photos below).
I believe the Columbia reissues of McCartney’s Apple/Capitol albums first started appearing around 1980/81 and continued until that last Columbia reissue of the “Wings Over America” album in 1984.
I have to say that while it’s not common to find the Columbia albums they aren’t too terribly hard to find out in the wild except for maybe the “Wings Over America” set which I’ve only seen once and bought.
Weirdly enough I’ve just recently come across two different Columbia pressings of the “Wild Life” album (one a promo copy and one a pressing from Canada) so the Columbia pressings do turn up unexpectedly from time to time. They must have sold relatively well especially “Band on the Run” and “Venus and Mars” which are the ones I see the most.
One thing I can say for sure is that these Columbia pressings of McCartney’s albums sound very good, and in some cases, excellent. I found the Columbia pressings of “Band on the Run” and “Ram” to sound the best of the Columbia issues but the others aren’t far behind.
All of the Columbia pressings I own are in excellent shape with quiet vinyl and are a joy to listen to compared to some of my Apple/Capitol pressings which are a bit more worn.
Well, that’s all for now. There are a ton of photos above and below of my Columbia pressings so feast your eyes if you’ve never seen them.
Again, Happy Birthday Sir Paul and may you have many more!
Until next time be happy, healthy and well and see you soon.
Well here we are, yet another 50th anniversary of a beloved record from my past.
(Note: It’s technically the 51st anniversary but I won’t quibble)
Yesterday, several brand new 50th Anniversary editions of George Harrison’s 1973 “Living in the Material World” album were issued on both vinyl and CD formats and of course I have a couple of them to share with you: the 2 CD set which features a nice poster, booklet as well as a second disc of outtakes and the orange vinyl version of the single album that is a Barnes & Noble exclusive.
(Note 2: There’s also a deluxe set that includes CDs, vinyl, Blu-Ray and a hardback book as well another vinyl version available separately that includes a double vinyl version of the album with the outtakes on a second vinyl disc.)
My history of this album dates back to 1977 when I purchased the album on vinyl at a local record store called Karma Records. I remember it well as the guy at the register looked at the album as I brought it up to pay for it and said that this album wasn’t as good as Harrison’s first album and then he proceeded to take me to a copy of the “All Thing Must Pass” 3 Lp set.
Of course the eleven year-old me only had enough money to pay for the single album of “Living in the Material World” and besides I was so attracted to the front cover which I thought looked like some sort of pirate hand outstretched from the great beyond that my mind was set on (sorry for the pun) getting this particular record.
My oldest brother who was buying “The Stranger” album by Billy Joel came up behind me and said to the clerk that I wanted the album that I brought to the counter so off I went with my first copy of “Living in the Material World”.
I have always enjoyed this record and even way back in 1977 I thought the musical textures of the songs on the album were very rich and I was then, and still am, a huge fan of the album especially the songs “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)”, “Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long”, “Try Some, Buy Some”, the title track “Living in the Material World” and most especially “Be Here Now” which is my favorite song on the album.
Since that time of course I have purchased multiple copies of this album, mainly various CD issues, and each time I have enjoyed it more and more and as time goes by it stands up as one of my all-time favorite solo albums by George Harrison.
I will say the thing about many of the most recent CD and vinyl reissues of the album, and the original vinyl album as well, is that the sound of the album is a bit murky in spots.
That may be a hallmark of Harrison working with Phil Spector but nevertheless while I enjoy the songs on the album I have always wanted a bit more clarity in the mix to help make the album sound a little less congested.
With this new 2024 remix I think Dhani Harrison, George Harrison’s son, along with Paul Hicks who are responsible for this new remix have done an admirable job of making the album sound less congested and they’ve also boosted Harrison’s vocals up more in the mix this time out.
I’ve read online that some people don’t like Harrison’s vocals this much up front as they think it exposes his weaknesses as a singer but for me I think it works fairly well. While not being known as quite the vocalist that Lennon or McCartney were George Harrison still has a way with his vocals in that the emotion always filters its way to the top even if he isn’t quite as smooth at times as he fellow Beatles in his delivery.
My only real criticism of this new 2024 remix is that it’s mixed a tad bit too loud for my tastes but it’s not horrible. In fact I think the vinyl version as usual sounds a bit more dynamic than the CD but at lower volumes the CD sounds good as well. If you play the CD loud though the bass tends to overwhelm the mix making it somewhat congested sounding as the original mix which is a shame.
The outtakes on the second disc of the 2 CD set however have really nice dynamics and aren’t as punched up sounding as the regular album. I would have preferred that the main album remix was mastered this way but overall I think it’s a nice mix and one I will return to when I’m in the mood for this album.
I also have to say my pressing of the orange vinyl was perfect, no distortion, no ticks and played perfectly all the way through and didn’t really need a major cleaning.
The loudness of most current remixes these days of older albums makes the vinyl versions well worth seeking out if they’re available as most of the time they sound more dynamic allowing you to enjoy the remix more than the CD counterpart.
(Note 3: Why oh why don’t they save the loudness for streaming and let the CD and vinyl issues have the best dynamics. I’m sure it’s mostly an older crowd buying these formats so why not make them sound as good as possible – rant over.)
And I must say I really enjoyed the alternate takes of the songs on this album from the 2 CD set as they are more stripped down then the original 1973 versions which really benefits some songs on the album such as “Sue Me, Sue You Blues”, “The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)” and “Try Some Buy Some” for instance.
The only other nitpicky thing which I think is kind of crazy is that on the deluxe set with the vinyl, CDs and Blu-ray there’s a bonus track on CD 2 as well as a 7-in single – “Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)” . That bonus track could easily have fit on CD 2 of the regular issue. You can stream it and download it but I think that’s really short-sighted not to include that track on all versions. Just my opinion.
As for the groovy orange vinyl Barnes & Noble version that I bought if you’re interested in it it seems like they didn’t press a lot of them. In fact at the Barnes & Noble store I bought it from they only had one copy sent to them and it wasn’t even unpacked when I went to the store to inquire about it.
If you’re a diehard fan of The Beatles or George Harrison this new remix is well worth it in my opinion. Of course to me these remixes aren’t better then the originals just a different way of listening to a particular album. If you don’t want a physical copy check it out online and give it a sample.
I can see the resistance to remixing older recordings but with the lovely outtakes and the nice liner notes it really does give a new way of appreciating older recordings like “Living in theMaterial World” album and if you can afford it and are a fan of physical media then you should seek a copy out.
As usual you can take a gander at the two different versions of the new “Living in theMaterial World” that I bought above and below.
Well that’s all for now.
Until next time be healthy and well and see you soon!
Records, CDs and Music: 