The Monkees were the first band to break the Top 40 using a Moog synthesizer, and were primarily responsible for my love of them. Mickey Dolenz bought Bob Moog's third production model, and it was first used on their forth album "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd."
Being a Beatles fan as a kid, I had a bit of a prejudice against the Monkees (as a lot of poms did at the time)...they were regarded as a bit of a rip-off, a calculated attempt to cash in. It wasn't until I realised that the songs were actually very very good that I forgave them the hype. I always thought Mike Nesmith was the coolest. But Jones was a good, boyish foil for Nesmith's coolly-cynical persona, and Dolenz's general lunacy.
"Clarksville" and "Pleasant Valley Sunday" are, with "Daydream Believer", some of the best pop songs ever written. Sad, but inevitable, this parade of our heroes from our young days as they leave the stage......
Very sad news.
