I’m not sure exactly when I became a fairly hardcore fan of The Monkees, but there are a few things I do know for sure.
- I know it was my university girlfriend who introduced me to the band and their music outside of the context of their classic television show, and that’s when I realized there was much more to them.
- I was lucky enough to see them in a few iterations – Davey Jones, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork in 1996; Micky, Peter, and Mike Nesmith in 2012; Micky and Peter in 2016; and finally, Micky and Mike in 2018.
- I’ve bought their catalogue in various formats over the last 15 years – CD box sets, individual albums, you name it.
- If Monkees manager and historian Andrew Sandoval puts out a book on the band via his Beatland Books imprint, I’m buying it. His latest one, The Monkees on TV – Season One, is currently available for pre-order.
Speaking of whom, Sandoval is involved in the latest RHINO Records release from The Monkees, the gorgeous multi-disc set Made For TV: Official Soundtrack to Season One of The Monkees.
Here’s the logline: MADE FOR TV: FAVORITE EPISODES AND BIGGEST HITS FROM SEASON 1 OF THE MONKEES is a LP/2CD/BR collection serving up the first season’s greatest hits with 14 rare, broadcast-exclusive TV mixes created especially for the show, more than two dozen songs from the season, plus 10 fan-favourite episodes—including the series premiere. Monkees historian and author Andrew Sandoval produced the set and contributed the liner notes, including detailed guides to the episodes and songs.
The fine folks at RHINO, who have been putting out everything Monkees for decades now, have done yet another fantastic job of repackaging and contextualizing the group’s music and legacy. The packaging of the set pops, with an outstanding cover and Sandoval’s insightful multi-page liner notes. Sandoval has a canny ability to deliver Monkees history in a variety of ways – his Day-By-Day book is as in-depth as it gets, while his liner notes scale things back in an easily digestible way.
I’ve listened to both the LP and 2-CD versions of Made For TV, and as I’ve listened to so much Monkee Music over the years, I’ve been able to pick out the differences between the mono and stereo versions. The LP has a ton of selected mono songs from Season One and, on my dedicated vinyl speakers, they just sound fantastic. Meanwhile, the 2 CDs in the set offer all the songs from the first season of The Monkees and, unsurprisingly, it’s a great listen. When it comes to music, The Monkees canon is as good as it gets, and it’s highlighted here once again.
I’m still making my way through the Blu-ray disc included in Made For TV; I do own all the episodes as part of the massive The Monkees: The Complete Series Blu-ray box set, and I’m guessing the disc here uses the same mastering. For the hardcore fan, this is perhaps the least necessary aspect of this set, but I do appreciate Andrew Sandoval curating these 10 episodes. It’s a nice addition, and less obsessive fans may be extremely satisfied, whetting their whistles with these classic episodes.
For fans who love The Monkees, whether hardcore or casual, Made For TV: Official Soundtrack to Season One of The Monkees is genuinely an enticing set. It’s yet another gorgeous offering – more bands need shepherds of their catalogues the way Andrew Sandoval and RHINO Records celebrate that of The Monkees.
Made For TV: Official Soundtrack to Season One of The Monkees is out August 14 from RHINO Records. You can order it here.
