Dolenz Jones Boyce amp Hart - Concert in Japan (13 tracks) +Album Reviews

The first Monkees reunion

rick | ERLANGER, Cayman Islands | 02/29/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Two of the Monkees join with their 2 former writers and producers to form a new and maybe better group. About 10 years after the show ended the public wanted the Monkees back. They toured, of all places, dinner theaters in America and stadiums in Japan. This CD was recorded in Japan. They sing many of the popular tunes they preformed and wrote in the 60's. This is a very good CD for being done live. If sales go up on this CD maybe it will convince Capitol to re-release the only album on CD this group ever did. A very fine album called...what else "Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart" So please buy this cd. If you work for Capitol then please re-release the above mentioned album."

Attempted Monkees revival a mild success

rick | 08/10/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The original DOLENZ, JONES, BOYCE AND HART album released on Capitol Records in 1976 is a vastly underrated pop album. Why it has never seen proper re-release is beyond me, especially when Rhino Records has released almost everything Monkees related. "I Remember the Feeling" is one of the best Monkees side-project songs...with vastly underrated pop singer Micky Dolenz belting out the lyrics like nobody else can.This is the live album from this very same era, recorded in 1976 in Japan. It's an enjoyable affair, and the quality of the songs are high, including Boyce and Hart's biggest hit, "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight?" and the Dolenz/Jones original, "Savin' My Love For You." Of course it's also hard to go wrong with Monkees pop classics "Pleasant Valley Sunday," "Last Train to Clarksville," "Cuddly Toy," and "Steppin' Stone." The backing band is tight (including ex-Paul Revere Raider Keith Allison on guitar), and the arrangments are pretty much true to form. Davy Jones doesn't sound quite up to snuff vocally, but it is not a major detraction. The medleys, however, were a mistake...they cheapen the memory of the original songs. "Daydream Believer" as part of a medley? What were they thinking? Overall, this disc is a good remembrance of this part of Monkees history, with liner notes (and some great DJBH-era photos) by Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval to boot. These performances do not best the actual Monkees revival concerts of the '80s and '90s, but is an enjoyable listen nonetheless. However, this live album would be easily trumped by the official release of the actual DOLENZ, JONES, BOYCE AND HART album."

Didn't live up to legend

jonathan A. Jepson | Sacramento, CA United States | 10/05/2006

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Back when this originally was issued, it was an expensive and rare album to come by. I'd never heard it, but being quite the Monkees fan, I was anxious to hear it, and felt sorry I didn't go see them when the toured the US. Once the CD finally came out 20 years later, I realized (as happens more often than not) I didn't miss a thing. As has been stated, the album is horribly recorded - I've heard better audience tapes! The performance is pathetic. These guys should have been ASHAMED at their performance. It's no wonder the project didn't continue. It was an abomination, and an insult to the great original work they did together. A lot of times, the legend of a recording is more exciting than the recording itself. This is a prime example. Unless you can get it for free, don't bother with this one."

Laughably bad

Dave | United States | 07/10/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The CD starts off promisingly enough with a decent run-through of "...Clarksville", but unfortunately, it heads straight into the pits shortly thereafter. The album sounds sloppy & uninspired. Yeah, there is a "hard to come by" Dolenz/ Jones penned song, "Savin' My Love For You", but, with the group indulging in such a "we couldn't care less at this point" performance, it's basically irrelevant what song they are playing. And Davy's singing performance throughout is disastrous--his voice sounds shot--especially on "I Wanna Be Free" which at least has definite camp value. The condition of Davy's voice may very well explain why the Davy-sung Monkees staples "Valleri", "Daydream Believer", and "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" get stuffed together into a let's-get-them-out-of-the-way-quickly medley form. But the biggest abomination is the slaughtering of "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" which gets reduced from a kickass garage rock classic to pure Vegas-worthy schmaltz thanks to Dolenz's pathetically mindless, tuneless vocal antics. Those who are diehard Monkee/ Boyce & Hart fans through & through might be curious to hear it at least once to see for themselves the quality (or lack thereof) of it, but this can pretty safely go in the "trash it" pile, since there's barely any reason to even listen to it other than as a historical curiosity."

Wow

Propinquity | 03/07/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Although this isn't the greatest album, I think it's a must for Monkee fans. Aside from the fact that it's it's Micky and Davy, The addition of Boyce and Hart adds another level. Also of great interest is a song written by Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz. "Saving my love." I'm a Nez fan but I definitely like this CD."

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