Rant #2,088: Good Clean Fun

They're back.

Or at least two of them are.

It was announced this week, literally almost out of the blue, that the Monkees are back on the concert stage, and will tour as a two-some--Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith--this time around, with a relatively short tour that has already sparked speculation that it will soon be expanded.

Nesmith--who reportedly said that he would never tour as a Monkee again after performing as one during a couple of shows in 2016 to support the critically acclaimed "Good Times!" album--will tour with Dolenz, who has carved out a name as a popular concert attraction both with the Monkees and on his own.

Peter Tork has declined the invitation this time. Tork helms another working band--Shoe Suede Blues--and they coincidentally have a new album out, which he is currently promoting, so while he wishes Nesmith and Dolenz well--and hasn't shut the door totally to some type of three-some in the future--he won't be with them this time.

And with that, Nesmith and Dolenz will go out as the Monkees for the first time ever as a duo, billed as "The Monkees Present the Mike Nesmith and Micky Dolenz Show."

Yes, the Monkees are the true Eveready bunny; just when you think they are down, they always appear to dust themselves off, and resurrect themselves in some conglomeration.

Dolenz has been performing as a Monkee for a generation after the original incarnation, and seems to be very comfortable as a Monkee.

It has taken Nesmith a bit longer to get into this, to understand the phenomenon that he was so much a part of, but has pretty much rejected since breaking away from them to forge his own interesting musical career since 1970 or so.

Yes, on occasion he has performed as one of them--in 1986, when they literally came out of nowhere with the help of MTV to regain their popularity and he rejoined them briefly, later, to record the album "Justus," and even later, after the death of Davy Jones, to complete a threesome with Dolenz and Tork in a concert setting.

And yes, he did perform a few dates to promote another out of left field project--2016's "Good Times!"--which was one of the great comeback albums of all time, universally acclaimed as one of the top LPs of that year by even Rolling Stone Magazine.

On that particular album was a cut called "Birth of An Accidental Hipster," which highlighted the vocals of both Nesmith and Dolenz, and demonstrated once again how almost seamlessly their vocals caress one another. It was also universally acclaimed as one of the top rock tracks of that year, and you can bet that it will be performed on this tour, as will another outstanding cut from that album, "Me and Magdalena."

Sure, you will get the usual cadre of Monkees songs, like "Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm a Believer" and "Daydream Believer," but with Nesmith on board, you will certainly get a good chunk of his own Monkees music, such as "You Told Me," "Papa Gene's Blues," and maybe even "Good Clean Fun."

All of these songs have been performed through the years on previous Monkees tours, but here, you will have Nesmith doing his own tunes, which is always a treat, with his hickory-tinged vocals still in tip-top shape.

So, the question begs to be answered:"Why?"

Well, the answer is pretty simple: "Why not?"

"The Monkees" is a cash cow for Nesmith, Dolenz and Tork to always go back to when the need arises. The very name sells plenty of tickets, to both the Baby Boomer crowd and succeeding generations.

Nesmith, who as I previously said was late to the fold on the understanding of this cash cow, was always thought of as the creative force of the foursome. He was the one who was thought to be a legitimate musician and songwriter and singer, the only real deal among the foursome ...

Which of course was not true, but he was the only one of the four who got any kudos for his Monkees work way back when.

It really took the punk revolution of the mid to late 1970s to force a re-look at the Monkees--all four of them--and what they brought to the table.

The punks loved the Monkees, because as their legacy, they stood up to "the man" and forged their own course toward the creative good.

And when the Monkees hit again through MTV exposure in 1986, the acceptance was complete.

Constant reissues of their albums have shown that they were a bit more than Beatles clones, and constant touring under the Monkees name by Jones and Dolenz, and later with Tork, certainly demonstrated that these guys had the chops to do what they do, and were even better equipped than many of their contemporaries.

And the ship may be docking for good now.

Jones is gone, the three remaining members are getting up there in age, but they proved with "Good Times!" that even though the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame continues to shun them, they continue to be perhaps the most popular and successful rock and roll act that is still not in those supposedly hallowed halls.

We, as fans, have literally grown up with them, and we, too are not getting any younger, so this might be the last hint of Monkeemania anytime soon.

Of course, I said the same thing in 2016, and here we are two years later, and we have another incarnation of the Monkees.

So one never says never.

Yes, my family will be going to the show at the Beacon Theater in New York City, and while we will be sitting in virtually the last seat in the last row, we will still be there, witnessing Monkees history one more time.

And having seen them perform in one incarnation or another who knows how many times over the past decades, I know that I will be getting just what I want, and I guess that makes this all perfect for me and for other fans who just love the concept and love the music.

I can't wait!