May 11, 2022 Playlist

"Head" by The Monkees (1968)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
The Monkees "Head"  1968 (USA/UK)
This album was the soundtrack to one of my three favorite psychedelic films of the sixties (the other two are Midnight Cowboy and Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls). The movie Head starred The Monkees and was released to no acclaim about a year after their groundbreaking TV show had been cancelled. It was probably intended to be their high point, but it wound up being the beginning of the end: they only made one more appearance as a quartet after the movie flopped, an amazing, mind-blowing disaster of a primetime TV special called 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee (1969). Believe it or don't, their movie soundtrack album was edited together by Hollywood legend Jack Nicholson, who was a little-known B-actor at the time, but he happened to be pals with Bob Rafelson (co-creator of the Monkees TV show and the director of Head) and of course the prefab four Micky, Davy, Mike & Peter. (Jack and Micky in particular were notorious drinking buddies in the 1970's And when you watch the Head movie, keep an eye out for Nicholson and Dennis Hopper who make a cameo during the diner scene: immediately after Head, they started work on Nicholson's breakout film Easy Rider which was produced by Rafelson and directed by Hopper.) Anyway, this album is really only six Monkees songs, and the rest of its under-30-minute runtime is padded out with groovy random dialogue and soundtrack stuff in a very psychedelic style. But the six Monkees songs are really among their best ever: both sides of the flop single "Porpoise Song / As We Go Along" are ultra-classic flower power pop, Mike contributes the jangly rocker "Circle Sky", Peter chips in two very sixites question-songs called "Do I Have To Do This All Over Again?" and "Can You Dig It?" The weakest number is Davy's novelty showtune "Daddy's Song", which is still campy fun and was written by legendary songwriter Harry Nilsson (who got his first national exposure writing songs for the Monkees, as did Neil Diamond!)
(N) = New Release
   
Artist Song Album Year Country
SpiritFresh GarbageSpirit1968USA
Crosby Stills & NashLong Time GoneCrosby Stills & Nash1969USA/UK
Fairport ConventionTale In Hard TimeWhat We Did On Our Holidays1969UK
Bob DylanQueen Jane ApproximatelyHighway 61 Revisited1965USA
The Rolling StonesNo ExpectationsBeggar's Banquet1968UK
Kurt Vile Like Exploding Stones(watch my moves) (N)
2022 (Verve)USA
 
 
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Microwave Dave
   / Acid Dent		Night Gnomes (N)2022 (What Reality?)Australia
Psychedelic Porn CrumpetsThe Tale Of Gurney GridmanSHYGA! The Sunlight Mound2021Australia
The Babe RainbowNew Zealand SpinachChanging Colours2021Australia
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Candles
   / The Funeral		Omnium Gatherum (N)2022 (Flightless/ATO)Australia
Guided By Voices Never Mind The ListCrystal Nuns Cathedral (N)
2022 (GBV Inc.)USA
   
 
The MonkeesDitty Diego - War Chant
   / Circle Sky (Mike Nesmith)
   / Supplicio
   / Can You Dig It? (Peter Tork)
   / Gravy		Head
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		1968USA/UK
The MonkeesAs We Go AlongHead
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		1968USA/UK
The MonkeesDaily Nightly (Mike Nesmith)Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.1967USA/UK
The ByrdsI See You5th Dimension1966USA
The TurtlesI'm King Kamanawanalea (We're The Royal Macadamia Nuts)
   / You Told Me (The Byrds)		The Turtles Present The Battle Of The Bands1968USA
The BeatlesI Am The WalrusMagical Mystery Tour1967UK
   
 
Jefferson AirplaneTriad (The Byrds / David Crosby) Crown Of Creation1968USA
Ultimate Spinach(Ballad Of) The Hip Death Goddess Ultimate Spinach1968USA
The Grateful DeadSt. Stephen
  --> The Eleven (live) 		Live/Dead1969USA
Dr. Timothy LearyYou Can Be Anyone This Time Around You Can Be Anyone This Time Around1970USA
   
 
Jason Stein, Damon Smith & Adam Shead The Deaf Voice Of LightVolumes & Surfaces (N)2022 (Balance Point Acoustics)USA
Adam Shead & Bill Harris KerbOrthostat (N)2021 (Scripts)USA
Jeb Bishop, Alex Ward & Weasel WalterVertical MethodFlayed2019USA
   
 
Donald ByrdWitch HuntStreet Lady1973USA
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