The Monkees - "L.A., D.C., Houston and Openshaw"

There were a lot of outtakes from The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees album, and I guess that shouldn't be surprising. Despite the success of the previous two albums, Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. where the band members worked together as a team, for The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees the members worked mostly independently. As a result, there were a lot more tracks than were needed for a single album.

I guess I could have reconfigured The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees into a double album, but that's not as fun as creating a whole new LP.

SIDE A

1. Changes

2. If I Ever Get to Saginaw Again

3. Rosemarie

4. Lady's Baby

5. Carlisle Wheeling

6. Come on In

7. My Share of the Sidewalk

SIDE B

1. Tear the Top Right off My Head

2. Shake 'Em Up (and Let 'Em Roll)

3. Party

4. Nine Times Blue

5. War Games

6. Merry Go Round

7. Auntie's Municipal Court

The only real problem with assembling the tracks for this album is that it has only three with Micky Dolenz on lead vocals -- "Rosemarie," "Shake 'Em Up (and Let 'Em Roll)" and "Auntie's Municipal Court." The latter song actually appeared on the album The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees, however, I use the original, aborted track listing for that album (see here) that didn't include that song. Considering Micky sang most of the band's hits, the album is a bit lacking without more of his voice. But on the other hand, it allows the other three members to shine a bit.

I thought the jangly “Changes” sung by Davy was a good opener for side one, and Peter’s rockin’ “Tear the Roof Right Off My Head” a good opener for side two. Besides Micky's three lead vocals, Davy and Peter have lead vocals on four tracks each, and Mike sings lead on three.

All songs can be found on Missing Links, Missing Links Volume Two or Missing Links Volume Three. 

For an album title, I took a cue from The Monkees' Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. album that was named after their zodiac symbols (both Nesmith and Jones having the same, Capricorn). L.A., D.C., Houston and Openshaw is named after the towns each band member was born in.

For an album cover, I used a tie-dye (or is that batique?) background and placed over it The Monkees logo. Then I added London underground signs with the names of the cities, as well as the Colgems Records logo. Came out nice, I think.

The Monkees -- "Headquarters" and "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd."

The Monkees' two best albums are arguably the two they released in 1967: Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. So it's interesting, I think, that neither one was released with its original tracklist. Someone, somewhere for some reason rearranged the songs on both albums, cutting some tracks and leaving the public with two albums that would have been better left alone. Thankfully, in this day of digital music we can recreate the original album running orders.

SIDE A
1. For Pete's Sake
2. I'll Spend My Life with You
3. Forget That Girl
4. You Just May be the One
5. Shades of Gray
6. A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
7. Band 6
8. Sunny Girlfriend

SIDE B
1. Mr. Webster
2. You Told Me
3. The Girl I Knew Somewhere
4. Zilch
5. Early Morning Blues and Greens
6. Randy Scouse Git
7. I Can't Get Her Off of My Mind
8. No Time

Headquarters was the first of the band's albums, in which the band was actually in control and played most of the instruments. Previously, session musicians were used extensively and the Monkees themselves would do the vocals. Eventually, the band members rebelled and got creative control. The result was an album that was more than just a collection of pop tunes, although there are those as well.

In its original tracklist, the album opens with Peter Tork's "For Pete's Sake" which would later become the closing song of the TV show. And the album closes with rollicking "No Time." If eight songs per side seems like the album would be a bit long, guess again. Only "Shades of Gray" goes over three minutes, and each side clocks in less than 19 minutes.

All tracks are available on the deluxe version of the album.

SIDE A
1. Special Announcement
2. She Hangs Out
3. Salesman
4. Cuddly Toy
5. Words
6. Don't Call on Me
7. Goin' Down

SIDE B
1. The Door into Summer
2. Hard to Believe
3. What am I Doin' Hangin' 'Round?
4. Daily Nightly
5. Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky
6. Pleasant Valley Sunday
7. Star Collector

I have a special soft spot for this album as it was the first one I ever owned. I think my mom bought it for me around 1969 when I was four or five. I've no idea why she selected this one over any of their other albums, but I know I played it constantly and drove my grandmother crazy one summer.

Headquarters tends to get the most attention these days, but for my money, PAC&J is the better album. And in its original configuration, it's even better in my opinion. You've got the faux sound frequency test ("Special Announcement"); some of the first use of a Moog synthesizer on two songs ("Daily Nightly," "Star Collector"); psychedelic rock ("Words"); mixed with twangy country ("What am I Doin' Hangin' 'Round") and pop rock ("She Hangs Out"), a song about drugs ("Salesman"), a song about a gang bang ("Cuddly Toy), a spoken word tongue twister ("Peter Percival..."), etc. etc. It's a crazy album.

All tracks are available on the deluxe version of PAC&J.