In 2016, nobody expected a bunch of seventy-year-olds to release the best pop album of the summer. It sounds fake. If you told a music critic in 1967 that The Monkees—a group literally manufactured for a sitcom—would drop a Top 10 record fifty years later that actually garnered "Best of the Year" nods, they’d have laughed you out of the room. But The Monkees Good Times happened. It wasn't just a nostalgia trip; it was a masterclass in how to handle a legacy.
Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Michael Nesmith pulled off something rare. They didn't try to sound "modern" in a desperate, electronic way. They went back to their roots. They leaned into the sunshine pop, the jangle, and the slightly weird irony that made them famous in the first place. Sadly, Davy Jones had passed away in 2012, but his presence hangs over the whole thing like a friendly ghost.
It’s a weird story.
How Adam Schlesinger Saved the Monkees' Legacy
The secret weapon here was Adam Schlesinger. You might know him from Fountains of Wayne or his incredible work on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. He wasn't just a producer; he was a superfan with a vision. Schlesinger understood that for The Monkees Good Times to work, it needed to bridge the gap between 1966 and 2016 without feeling like a museum piece.
He did something brilliant. He started digging through the archives. He found unfinished tracks from the sixties—songs written by Neil Diamond, Harry Nilsson, and Boyce & Hart—that were just sitting there in the vault. These weren't leftovers; they were gems.
- "Love Is Only Sleeping" (The 1967 version was a classic, but the new sessions captured that same vibe).
- "Good Times" (The title track). This was a 1968 demo by Harry Nilsson. Micky Dolenz actually recorded a "duet" with the late Nilsson by singing over the original vocal track. It’s haunting and joyful all at once.
Schlesinger also reached out to modern songwriters who grew up idolizing the Prefab Four. We’re talking about Rivers Cuomo from Weezer, Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie, and Noel Gallagher from Oasis. These guys didn't just phone it in. They wrote songs specifically tailored for Micky’s manic energy or Mike’s country-rock drawl.
The Tracks That Actually Matter
If you haven't listened to "She Makes Me Laugh," go do it now. Rivers Cuomo wrote it, and it sounds more like The Monkees than The Monkees did half the time. It’s got that bouncy, infectious riff that feels like a Saturday morning cartoon in the best way possible. Micky Dolenz’s voice? Honestly, it hadn't aged a day. He still has that brassy, theatrical belt that cuts through any mix.
Then you have "Me & Magdalena." This is the heart of the album. Written by Ben Gibbard, it features Mike Nesmith and Micky Dolenz singing in harmony. It’s a slow, gorgeous desert-rock ballad. It’s about aging, travel, and quiet moments. It proved that The Monkees could be profoundly moving, moving past the "I'm a Believer" bubblegum image.
The album also features "Wasn't Born to Follow," a Carole King and Gerry Goffin tune. Peter Tork takes the lead here. Peter was always the most underrated member, the "smart" musician playing the "dumb" character on TV. Here, he gets to show off his banjo skills and that thin, earnest voice that fits the psychedelic folk-rock vibe perfectly.
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The Weirdness of 1960s Vault Finds
It’s kinda crazy to realize how much material was left on the cutting room floor back in the day. The Monkees Good Times utilized "Whatever’s Right," a Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart song that sounds like it should have been a smash hit in 1967.
Why wasn't it?
Politics. The band was famously fighting for their right to play their own instruments back then. They were sick of being told what to do by Don Kirshner. In the chaos of the Head era and their eventual breakup, dozens of top-tier pop songs were just abandoned. Bringing them back in 2016 felt like a cosmic correction.
Mike Nesmith, who was always the most reluctant Monkee, really showed up for this record. His track "I Know What I Know" is a standout. It’s quirky, slightly avant-garde, and deeply personal. It reminds you that Nesmith wasn't just a guy in a wool hat; he was a pioneer of country-rock.
Why the Critics Finally Gave In
For decades, the "serious" music press looked down on the group. They were "The Pre-Fab Four." They didn't write their own songs (at first). They were a TV show.
But by 2016, that argument felt dusty. Most of the legendary bands we love used session musicians. The "Wrecking Crew" played on everything. When The Monkees Good Times debuted at number 6 on the Billboard 200, it was a validation. Rolling Stone gave it a warm review. Pitchfork—the gatekeepers of indie cool—actually praised it.
The album succeeded because it was honest. It didn't try to hide the fact that these guys were older. It celebrated the joy of pop music. It’s basically a love letter to the fans who stayed loyal through the lean years of the 70s and 80s.
The Technical Side of the Sound
Schlesinger recorded much of the album at ProTools-equipped studios, but he used vintage gear to get that warm, analog "thump." You can hear it in the drums. They aren't gated or over-compressed like modern pop. They have air.
- Vocals: Micky recorded most of his parts in Los Angeles.
- Harmonies: They layered the vocals to mimic the 1960s "wall of sound" style.
- Instrumentation: While they used session players for some parts, the members played where it counted. Peter's banjo and Mike's distinct guitar style are all over the place.
Honestly, the mixing is what saves it from being a "tribute" album. It feels punchy. If you play "You Bring The Summer" (written by Andy Partridge of XTC) next to "Last Train to Clarksville," the transition is seamless. That’s a massive technical achievement.
Dealing with the Absence of Davy Jones
You can't talk about this album without mentioning Davy. His death in 2012 was a massive blow to the fandom. He was the "cute" one, the heart of the show.
Instead of replacing him or ignoring him, they used a vintage vocal track for the song "Love to Love," written by Neil Diamond. Hearing Davy’s youthful, 1967 voice mixed with the 2016 instrumentation is a gut punch. It’s the perfect tribute. It turned the album into a full-circle moment for the entire quartet.
Practical Ways to Experience Good Times Today
If you're just getting into this era of the band, don't just stream the hits. The deep cuts are where the magic is.
- Listen to the Deluxe Edition: It has extra tracks like "Terrifying" and "Me & Magdalena (Version 2)" which are arguably better than some of the standard tracks.
- Watch the 2016 Tour Clips: Micky and Peter toured this album heavily. Seeing Micky hit the high notes in "Goin' Down" at age 71 is something else.
- Check out the Vinyl: The artwork is a beautiful throwback to the 1960s Colgems label style. It’s a great piece for any collector.
- Compare the Songwriters: Look up the original versions of the "vault" songs. It’s a fun rabbit hole to see how the 2016 versions evolved from the 1960s demos.
The Monkees Good Times isn't just a "good for their age" record. It’s a great pop record, period. It stands as a final, triumphant chapter for a group that spent fifty years trying to prove they were more than just a television cast. They weren't just actors playing a band; by the end, they were one of the most resilient acts in rock history.
To get the most out of your listening experience, start by queuing up "Me & Magdalena" and "She Makes Me Laugh" back-to-back. This perfectly illustrates the dual nature of the band: the melancholic, thoughtful artists and the high-energy pop icons. After that, dive into the Adam Schlesinger-produced tracks on the rest of the album to see how a modern producer can respectfully update a classic sound without losing its soul.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Track Down the "Good Times Plus" EP: This contains several tracks not found on the standard release, including "A Better World" and "Love's What I Want."
- Explore Mike Nesmith’s "The Prison": If you liked his contributions to the album, his solo work is a deep, cosmic country journey that explains a lot of his musical DNA.
- Read "I'm a Believer" by Micky Dolenz: For the full context of the band's history leading up to this final peak, Micky's autobiography is the definitive source.