Rant #2,062: Good Clean Fun

I am sick of talking about and reading about some of the trendiest subjects bouncing around the news and the Web, including our President's supposed latest faux pas (at least in some people's eyes), and the latest witch hunt for the next "victim" of the scourge of supposed sexual harassment (even if the behavior was consensual, it was sexual harassment anyway, as some say), so I figured that today, I would keep this column as light as possible, making it a good segueway into a nice, three-day weekend (for some of us, at least).

What could I talk about that would make this column as light as air today?

Let me see ...

Everybody is beginning to talk about Dr. Martin Luther King, since his celebration is on Monday, but you know what? Fifty years after his death, he is still a very controversial figure.

I would rather leave that for Monday (yes, you figured it out, I have to work that day).

And again, I am sick of hearing about and talking about the nonsense that permeates the supposed serious, hard news today.

How about talking about the Monkees?

The Monkees, you say, why am I talking about the Monkees?

Simple. For a band that had its peak more than 50 years ago, they continue to be a very, very hot commodity in the marketplace, with several new releases.

Let's start off with this one.

I received it when I purchased the latest "Super Deluxe Edition" of one of the best-selling albums of all-time, "More of the Monkees" by the Pre-Fab Four.

Rhino Records has been giving a second and third and fourth look to the Monkees' recordings ever since they came into possession of their entire catalog some years ago, and hence, they have been releasing three-CD boxed sets of their albums for the past few years.

The "More of the Monkees" release, which contains both mono and stereo versions of the original album and a host of extras, came out just a few days ago, and as is the norm with these releases, Rhino includes a new 45 with each of them, which contains even more bonus tracks.

This 45--"I'm a Believer" (2017 remix) backed with "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" (vocals only) is a nice record, a little different from the original release, and the B-side, in all honesty, is much more interesting than the A side this time around, because it gives the listener more of an aural peak into the process that went into creating this tune, featuring only the vocals from the hit song.

Here is the original picture sleeve of this monumental record, a former No. 1 record for the Monkees which was so popular, that its B side also charted, at No. 20.

Heck, this is a busy time for the release of Monkees stuff, more than 50 years after the fact.

And if you are into comic books, well, the Monkees are featured as guest stars in a new comic book that is on the stands now.

As I reported a number of Rants ago, the Archies welcome the Monkees to their comic book this month, and for collectors, there are several different covers of the comic book to collect.

Here is one of them.

Now, of course, the Monkees had their own comic book in the 1960s, as part of the Dell Comics stable of comic books based on popular shows of the time, everything from "Star Trek" to "Dark Shadows."

And in real life 2018, both Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork continue to tour, separately now, and Mike Nesmith has geared up his other classic band, the First National Band, for a series of concerts out west, at least for now only.

Why are the Monkees continuing to be so popular in 2018, more than 50 years after their heyday?

It is really hard to say, to be honest with you.

They were a combination TV show/rock act, which makes them unique in the history of rock and roll, and gave them extra visibility which evidently lasts to this day.

The reruns continue to be around, permanently etching their 20-year-old selves on us ... like Jerry Mathers, no matter how old he really is, will aways be that little kid on "Leave It To Beaver."

The Monkees are old school, and they keep current by releasing a new album every few years, like 2016's "Good Times1" which was rated one of the best albums of that year by seemingly every music publication on earth.

My take on this is that they harken back to a different time, in particular for the younger generation of Baby Boomers who were 10 years old or less in 1966.

We weren't babies anymore, but we were still young enough not to fully understand the intricacies of life yet, and the Monkees simply represent(ed) "us" at the time.

They burst onto the scene when we were still little kids, and faded off the scene when we were becoming young teenagers.

Davy Jones passed away a few years ago--bringing our own mortality into focus--but the other three members move on, seemingly ageless, even though they are all well into their 70s.

And maybe most importantly, the music is absolutely timeless.

So, on a day where I didn't want to talk about anything too controversial, I chose the Monkees to spotlight.

Now, I might get some angry people saying that the Beatles are the "true kings of rock," and I would certainly agree with that 1,000 percent.

But you know what? The Monkees aren't half bad, either, and you can't go wrong with the spree of new releases centering around them that are currently out right now.

Speak you to again on Monday. Have a nice weekend.