The Way Podcast 12/20/2012: The Monkees "HEAD" OST Vintage Vinyl

On tonight's podcast I played the entirety of the Monkee's innovative soundtrack to their heavily psychedelic 1968 film HEAD. The soundtrack consists of six Monkees songs interspersed with dialogue and sound-effect samples from the film. The soundtrack was partially edited and mixed by a young Jack Nicholson, who also wrote the script for the film, purportedly under the influence of LSD. I used my original vintage vinyl copy and it sounded great!

Stream the podcast here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/archive-complete/1356048001.mp3

Simon & Garfunkel: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme MONO CL 2563

I played this album on the podcast a few weeks ago, but it really deserves to be shared. There isn't much more that can be said about S&G's majestic 3rd LP. The album finds them at their most psychedelic, with songs like the Indian flavored "Patterns" and the marijuana anthem "Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine", but also at their most serene with sparkling folk ballads "For Emily" and "The Dangling Conversation". However, Simon's sharp pop sensibilities remain though with tunes like "Cloudy", "Homeward Bound" and "59th Street Bridge Song".

The version I am presenting here is an original mono LP that is very hard to find despite it being released in 1966 when mono LPs were still being pressed in numbers comparable to their stereo counterparts. The mono mix of this record I believe is superior to the stereo format, mostly because the instrumentation, mainly the rhythm section, spring to life in ways the stereo mix can't replicate. Particularly on "Cloudy", the brushed drums and the high organ tones seem much more in the pocket alongside S&G's vocal harmonies. The complexity of the instrumentation in "59th Street Bridge Song" becomes much more apparent in the mono version as well.

Ripped to HQ .mp3 @ 320vbr using EAC's .WAV editor and dbpoweramp w/ LAME 3.97. Flat transfers, no pop removal, surface noise reduction or EQ changes.

Get the album HERE

The Monkees: The Monkees (1966) MONO Vintage Colgems LP Transfer

Here it is, the Monkees terrific debut album in it's original MONO format, straight from a vintage Colgems vinyl pressing. Sure, the Monkees didn't do much more than sing on this record, but Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, the producers and writers behind the vast majority of the tunes on this record made sure that the music was concise, catchy and played by top notch session musicians who weren't just there to phone it in and get their check. The instrumental tracks are full of razor-edged jangly guitars, wild drums and just the right amount of psychedelia and fuzz sprinkled throughout. And you can't forget to include the fantastic vocal performances from Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones. The result is a dizzying cocktail of bubblegum, garage rock and pop balladry that gave the group major chart and commercial success.

Ripped to HQ .mp3 @ 320vbr using EAC's .WAV editor and dbpoweramp w/ LAME 3.97. Flat transfers, no pop removal, surface noise reduction or EQ changes.

Get the album HERE

Enjoy!

-Casey

The Monkees: "More Of The Monkees" & "Headquarters" in MONO Vintage Vinyl Rips

It's been a while since I've done a podcast so I thought I'd share something in the meantime. I recently ripped to mp3 my vintage vinyl copies of the Monkees 2nd and 3rd albums More of The Monkees and Headquarters, respectively. Both albums here are presented in their original and superior mono mixes. More of The Monkees in particular sounds miles better than my remastered CD copy, Jeff Barry's crisp pop production really comes to life on these vintage vinyl pressings in ways CDs can't quite replicate . Chip Douglas's production on Headquarters was never that great to begin with but the sound of the original vinyl pressing is significantly less dulled down than the CD reissues. However, Douglas's production would improve tenfold on the Monkees next album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., which is generally considered to be among the best Monkees LPs.

Ripped to HQ .mp3 @ 320vbr using EAC's .WAV editor and dbpoweramp w/ LAME 3.97. Flat transfers, no pop removal, surface noise reduction or EQ changes.

Get the More of the Monkees HERE

Get Headquarters HERE

Enjoy!

-Casey