Letters to the Editor
mynamehere
Published Letters: 51 Editor's Choice: 1
-
Off Topic
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]King, I know you've mentioned you're a fan of The Monkees so I was just wondering. Yesterday Madonna was inducted into the Rick and Roll Hall of Fame and The Monkees are still waiting for little well earned cred. What do ya think? And oh yeah, The Dodgers are going to compete for the National League title this year. For real.
-
Typo city
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" and "a little well earned cred." The Dodgers prediction was not a typo. Really.
-
Whispers
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You mean a band like The Byrds or The Beach Boys? Wait sorry, they used studio musicians for much of their recordings. Their in though, aren' they.
-
ok no more typos
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]They're in aren't they.
-
Well
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]From Whispers
To dig more deeply into the difference here:
Yes, lets dig a little. I won't use too much more of the space here on The Monkees, but a couple of last points.The Monkees origin and how they transcended that is much more rock and roll than Madonna will ever be.
Most people just know the first part, that they were prefabricated as a group. However most know nothing of what happened after they took control of their music and image. Read up on that and listen to their third albums ongoing. They hold up much better than a lot of so called classic rock from that era. I guarantee if most people listened to the post Kirshner music without The Monkees name being attached they would agree. Incidentally, even as far back as the first album they participated in some capacity writing and playing on some of the songs.
Also, Madonna is rock and roll? In what world. Like a Virgin? Burning up? Lucky Star? What? She's about as rock and roll as Ed Kranepool and Ken Landreaux. Who in the rock and roll world has Madonna influenced? REM, a notable hall of fame band cites The Monkees as a prime influence and for awhile refused to be inducted until The Mokees were as well. All I can say is, check out their movie HEAD. Jack Nicholson writing, Pre Easy Rider Bob Rafelson directing, a Frank Zappa cameo. All I'm trying to say is this band does not get the props they ultimately deserve.
-
Still trying to forget
[Read the article: Sex, '70s style]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The episode where Mickey Rooney and Eve Arden play a couple who try to regain their sexual vigor by attempting to role play. The sight of Eve Arden in a low cut french maid outfit stroking Mickey Rooney's bare chest still sends shivers up and down my spine.
-
Or wait
[Read the article: Sex, '70s style]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm sorry that was a recent nightmare, not an episode of this frequently witty show.
-
Too cool
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]King, I'm honored you would take my letter and use it to kickstart a column. I've been a salon faithful for yeas and that was my first lettter. Also, your suspicions are correct, mynamehere is not my real name, but Mach Shooty Babbitt was already taken.
I'm impressed with the caliber of knowledge of The Monkees by a lot of the readers here. Chillman especially. I think he nailed it best as far as including musical legacy elements like Nesmith's country rock songs. Also, The Monkees were the first to use the Moog synthesizer in rock (Daily Nightly). Also,for what it's worth, The Beatles themselves were fans, and not just of the tv show. George Harrison recruited Peter Tork to play on his soundtrack for Wonderwall. I could give a ton more facts about their musical conributions, but the facts are out there for those who want to know them.
As far as comparing Madonna vs The Monkees. It's just not a fair comparison for a variety of reasons. While I agree that Madonna has had a vast influence in fashion, porn, and pop culture in general way beyond The Monkees, it's doubtful she's inspired to many in the rock genre.
The Monkees paradox as I like to think of it, is that they are as genuinely rock and roll as anyone in the hall now even though they were "prefabricated." Rock at it's finest is supposed to represent integrity, soul and joy. To link it to a sports metaphor, The guys who made up The Monkees were brought in from the minors to play as the New York Yankees, but fought for their right to be an expansion team. They fought the powers that be and gave up millions to do what they all thought was the right thing. I mean how cool is that?They gave up the steroids and played the game as it was meant to be played. The result of that move are a few albums that I think are indisputably great and as genuine as they come. Lastly for my money, Sunny Girlfriend is three minutes of pure pop joy that can't be beat.
-
You don't have to wait long
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]mynamehere- While I agree that Madonna has had a vast influence in fashion, porn, and pop culture in general way beyond The Monkees, it's doubtful she's inspired to many in the rock genre.
King replies
Madonna not influential in music? Are you kidding? Ask a female pop singer with at least one Billboard Hot 100 single in the last 20 years who her influences are. I'll wait here.
Stop waiting. You quote me then respond to a different statement. I never said she wasn't influential in "music." I said it's doubtful she inspired what I and probably many other people would consider rock musicians or even vocalists. Big difference there. More Monkee musical legacy trivia. Frank Zappa asked Mickey Dolenz to join The Mothers of Invention.