Monkees Soundtrack Moves to 'Head' of Class

I know I write about box sets and reissues ad nauseum. It's because I'm old and listen to a lot of fabulous music from my era and beyond. Let's face it. Acclaimed and properly aged are more or less the criteria for a deluxe edition. Thus, my fixation. Well, here's another one. (And you can bet I'll be writing about yet another one in the next day or two.)

Back in February when I wrote about Rhino Handmade's deluxe edition of 'The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees,' I proclaimed my unapologetic love for the band, and today I get to do it again. On Oct. 26, the same label will release a monster version of the wonderful and often weird soundtrack to 'Head.' Of the 58-tracks spread over three discs, 20 of them are previously unreleased and include live performances and alternate stereo mixes of just about every song on the original soundtrack. The last disc is a complete 1968 radio interview with Davy Jones that was only released as a rare promo LP. Finally, if you pre-order on Rhino's Web site, you gets a 7" single of "Porpoise Song"/"As We Go Along."

Like many of these multi-disc sets, you need to be a real fan. For one thing, it's $60. I should add if you haven't owned any Monkees records, this is not the place to start. The film was a complete flop, and neither the soundtrack nor the 'Porpoise Song' single cracked the Top 40. To say these were firsts is a huge understatement. In other words, this was the beginning of the end of what seemed like an indestructible pop group. So, why give so much attention to a disaster? Commercial success aside, the music is bold and some of the best work the band ever did... from Goffin/King goodies to the Michael Nesmith-penned "Circle Sky." It's too bad their core audience (teen girls) weren't ready to grow up a bit. Today, thankfully, 'Head' has plenty of cred.

The Monkees - Porpoise Song (Theme From 'Head') (Single Version) (mp3)