Fans of The Monkees' album Pool It! are sure to enjoy this lively and revealing discussion about the group's 1987 LP, led by Mark Kleiner (host of the Nesmith, Tork, Goffin & King podcast who has also penned superlative liner notes for various 7a Records releases) and his longtime friend and former Monkees pen pal, Lee Baber. Watch and listen as Mark and Lee welcome guests like producer Roger Bechirian (who expresses his desire to undertake a remix of the album), session guitarist Mark Christian, songwriters Michael Levine ("Since You Went Away") and Tom Teeley ("Don't Bring Me Down"), Monkees collector Ed Reilly, and graphic designer Delana Bettoli.
Thanks also goes to Mark Kleiner for sharing this photo of The Monkees taken by Rick Barham during filming of the music video for "Heart and Soul," the lead single from Pool It! Rick acted as the gaffer during the video's production.
24 Comments
Corey
7/30/2021 13:58:07
With the momentum The Monkees had behind them at the time this album should have been so much better. Its a bottom 2 album for me along with Justus. Maybe I need to re listen to it and see if I can find a gem or two.
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Dan
7/30/2021 23:22:36
Justus is tough for me because it clearly doesn't *work* as a project, BUT, it does have some really smart moments.
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Jason Cunningham
7/30/2021 15:12:14
I've been thinking for a while that someone should redo Pool It! by adding new instrumentation that has the Monkees '60s sound. Someone please make it happen!
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7/30/2021 15:44:15
Well you got Xmas Party record it do not sound like a 60s record sounds more of 80s 90s record
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Corey
7/30/2021 18:09:21
Yeah, X Mas Party sucked to IMO. Bottom 3 with Pool It and Justice. I do like the idea of hearing the stripped down version of Pool It. I think we can all agree that it has the worst cover art
Dan
7/30/2021 23:02:12
I don't think that monkees records need to sound like the 60's, as even some of their 60's records don't sound like the "jangly guitars" of goodtimes/more of, or headquarters.
Scott Scottsman
7/30/2021 21:37:33
It's worth revisiting Pete Weiss's great interview of Roger Bechirian, excerpts of which are available here: https://tapeop.com/tutorials/90/roger-bechirian-bonus/
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Dan
7/30/2021 23:13:13
Davy Jones seems to have been a king of self-inflicted destruction when it came to records. In the 80's he could have launched a pretty compelling career as 60s rocker gone "new wave". He isn't a bad singer, and he had the attitude for a sort of Gary Newman kind of electronic record.
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Scott Scottsman
7/31/2021 07:10:29
Well said, Dan...it didn't have to be this way!
JJ Lloyd
7/31/2021 10:14:22
I agree 100%. Davy was often his own (and the Monkees) worst enemy during the reunion years. Not taking part in the "Then & Now" sessions, threatening to quit if "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" was released as a single, badmouthing Nez every chance he got, killing the 2nd movie with an insane salary demand, etc.
Janice
8/2/2021 08:21:18
I recently read Harold Bronson's Rhino Records Story book, he has a section on the Monkees, he mentioned how during the 1987 tour how the Monkees then wives/girlfriend were involved in alot of the guy's decisions, how Davy's then wife who was also acting as his manager told him that Davy was going to be bigger than Springsteen, I spit my coffee out when I read that! and how Davy could be the most considerate and the most inconsiderate of the guys.
Guy Smiley
7/31/2021 09:49:33
Pool It? More like “Stool It!”
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Lord High 'n Low
7/31/2021 10:40:12
I agree with Guy in that Peter's songs are great. I always liked Gettin In and still do. Someone did a cover of it that I found on YouTube a while back but it's gone. It was excellent.
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Freddie Fredder
8/1/2021 12:15:56
I'd love to get Henry Diltz' raw perspective of what happened during that time.
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Scott Scottsman
8/2/2021 18:41:47
...well, Bechirian has been pretty up-front about what an awful experience it was (see link above). That's a good place to start...
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Lesnar
8/2/2021 10:40:48
Other than the singles I hated Pool It! Purchased it on release day and hated it! Besides revisiting the singles on box sets I hadn't listened to it since. Then a couple of years ago I gave the Fridays music reissue a spin and...it's Not so bad actually. Weird how time can change your perspective. Now I'm not saying it's great or anything.Far from it! But I do enjoy it more now except for the bad cover,that hasn't changed,haha!
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JJ Lloyd
8/2/2021 16:18:29
The only complaint I had with Justus (then and now) is not enough Nez on lead vocals. A re-do of Circle Sky and nothing else disappointed me to no end. He should have had at least 2 more songs.
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Dan
8/3/2021 00:28:12
I agree. I think that the Monkees project was obviously a deeply alienating experience for all four guys, and one that they never really came to terms with. It probably didn't help that Nez had this stellar career following the Monkees, that is artistically important, but never reached the commercial heights of the Monkees. Unlike Paul, who processed being a Beatle by going off and being Wings, and being Paul, and being super successful as a person... the Monkees individually never really had that opportunity... and I think it really impacted the reunion years. Nez speaks about not knowing what the Monkees were, or are, and even now you can tell he still doesn't get it. So if I had to guess, he probably had some ideas about doing a Monkees record, and then when it came time to cut vocals, he took a step back. Plus, with Pool It a recent memory (Davy Micky and Peter were all touring in some iteration well into the 90's) and Davy still being a very prominent ass in interviews... it makes sense that he would try and be a little less visible.
Freddie Fredder
8/2/2021 11:46:00
Nothing brings out the haters (myself included) like the topic of Pool It !
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James Rollner
8/3/2021 15:40:44
Like many people, I did not like Pool It when it first came out, but, as the years went by, my appreciation for it (and '80s music in general) has grown. Whereas, I initially really liked Justus, but, since have come to see that as their worst album. Pool It isn't in the same league as even Changes or Present, but, it is a pretty interesting take on what The Monkees were about in the 1980s. Mark Kleiner also makes for a hilarious and slightly subversive host!
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Freddie Fredder
8/3/2021 20:35:41
The only thing worse than Pool It !, Justus , and X Mas party is that 1997 reunion special written by Nez.
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EugeneTMaleska
8/30/2021 13:53:33
So true! OMG, it is terrible.
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