5 Best Monkees Ballads
The Monkees‘ ballads were some of the best of their time. They released many of their best ballads during their 1960s peak. Despite this, they also put out an all-time great ballad in 2016.
5. ‘Daydream Believer’
Of The Monkees’ ballads, The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits says “Daydream Believer” is their only one to top the Billboard Hot 100. And who could deny power of the song? That tinkling piano, those horns, and Davy Jones’ great vocal performance are pop music heaven. “Daydream Believer” was also the band’s final No. 1 single, making it more bittersweet. Notably, The Beatles’ “Hello, Goodbye” knocked the song off the top of the chart. Considering The Monkees were inspired by The Beatles, that’s like the Prefab Four coming full circle!
4. ‘I Wanna Be Free’
“I Wanna Be Free” is a song about not committing to one partner. That’s the sort of subject matter than can make singer look like a jerk. However, Linda Ronstadt pulled it off in “Different Drum,” Lynyrd Skynyrd pulled it off in “Free Bird,” and The Monkees pulled it off in “I Wanna Be Free.”
Jones really shows off his musical theater chops in “I Wanna Be Free,” and the baroque pop beat shows the band were a lot more than simple teeny boppers. It’s a shame this was never a single.
3. ‘I’ll Be True to You’
“I’ll Be True to You” might be the most unfairly neglected track on The Monkees’ debut album. It’s a cover of The Hollies’ “Yes I Will” that blows the original out of the water. The sweetness and innocence of The Monkees never worked better than on this song. The Monkees’ version has a doo-wop sensibility that suits the band surprisingly well. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if they had taken their music more in this direction.
2. ‘Porpoise Song’
“Porpoise Song” is a ballad from another dimension. It’s beautiful, haunting, and avant-garde. The riffs from here sound like they could have been written by angels. Micky Dolenz doesn’t get as much praise as certain other 1960s singers, but here he shows off the power of his voice. The Monkees’ Head is a divisive film, but critics seem to agree that “Porpoise Song” is a great song. While some psychedelic experiments are dated, “Porpoise Song” sounds as fresh and relevant as it did in 1968.
1. ‘Me & Magdalena’
During a 2016 interview with Goldmine, Peter Tork was asked about the band’s 2016 album Good Times! “Well, it’s kind of interesting,” he said. “Back when we were making the CD, I heard the track of ‘Me & Magdalena’ and Michael’s voice alone — and I was very moved by it. I was swept away.
“[Producer] Adam [Schlesinger] chose to produce it as a duet with Micky singing a second part above Mike, and I’m a little disappointed because I think Mike’s vocal was just amazingly tender and a breakthrough for him, revelatory,” he added. “I think that the effect is slightly diminished by the duet effect, but that’s the artistic high point from my point of view.”
The Monkees were a great pop group and some of The Monkees’ ballads deserve more attention.
