Monkee Business: The Revolutionary Made-For-TV Band

I wasn’t born when the Monkees were at the height of their powers or, rather, I was towards the end of that era but was too young to really know of them. I know of them now though but not through this book which,, I can’t truly criticise as I didn’t read that much of it on account of the fact that i just don’t like what I call journo-speak. ‘He recalls’ ‘she said’ ‘they rememberd’ and so on and so forth. Of course these things were recalled or they wouldn’t be mentioned. Naturally episodes are ‘remembered’ by people. We don’t really need to be told. This is supposed to be a book not a newspaper article. I give it three stars just because it might not be a bad book for some it’s just not my cup of tea that’s all.

Whilst their albums have enjoyed frequent releases since their back catalogue was bought up by Rhino in the late 1980s there continues to remain a dearth of biographies for the biggest manufactured band of all time. Since the publication of Monkeemania  The Monkees : Monkeemania  in 1986 there has been just the excellent Sandoval book  The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation , a couple of editions of Micky Dolenz's autobiography and the odd execrable solo Monkee book (Total Control anyone?). Therefore this newly revised book from Eric Lefcowitz is to be welcomed. It delivers a well researched and brutally honest account of the band's origins right through to their truculent and seemingly endless reunion tours sans Nesmith. There are new anecdotes aplenty and insights into the fault lines that existed between the four actors almost before the series went on air.Refreshingly and as might be expected, all these years later, the heart throb turns out to be a diva, the Texan is the arch manipulator, the dumb one is ultimately most damaged by the instant stardom and only Dolenz comes out the other side with anything resembling a normal life intact. The book pulls few punches and so the other players in it who get a less than impressive description are the band creators - rich kids Rafelson and Schneider and the Simon Cowell of his day Don Kirshner. Kirshner knew what would make the charts but as the Monkees demonstrated their music was far more interesting when he had been pushed to the sidelines.Whilst later years for each of the Monkees is covered it does feel a little cursory and in light of the regular fallings out its a shame that Lefcowitz couldn't have extended this part of the book. (I'd pay money to read more about Davy Jones and his difficulties to retain an audience or his composure when drunk on stage!)Still it is an excellent read and should be for anyone interested in music from the sixties or those who having read Peter Biskind's book  Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-drugs-and Rock 'n' Roll Generation Changed Hollywood now realise that modern Hollywood started in the fall of 1966 with a comedy show on NBC. The Monkees : MonkeemaniaThe Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop SensationEasy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-drugs-and Rock 'n' Roll Generation Changed Hollywood

Read this three times now. Am into all types of music..Just thought the whole Monkees thing was amazing!!!!!'Great stuff never dies.

Not enough gossip!

Great book about the story behind The Monkees. I have read a few and this is the best available on Amazon.