ALBUM REVIEW: The Monkees - Missing Links

    Missing Links came out in July of 1987, but all of its material was recorded two decades prior - everything on this 16 track album was unreleased Monkees material, straight from the vaults, capturing a little bit of every era of the group. You would think it ends up scattered with so many different sounds and ideas, but it doesn't sound any more scattered than their '69 releases - in fact, it may sound even more focused. The leftovers we're given on Missing Links don't fail to disappoint, and it began the revelation of how much stuff the Monkees were hiding from us, as two more volumes of the Missing Links series would follow. From pop gems to country rock genius, The Monkees' dive into their own back-catalog leaves you hungry for more.

    One thing I want to commend the album on is its flow and track listing. For what could've essentially been a compilation, the material on Missing Links flows in a very natural, album-like fashion, which makes for a damn-enjoyable listen. It's as well structured and tight as any album the group had done prior, like a spiritual successor to Instant Replay, but maybe even more tight. In addition, for back catalog exploring, they mostly hit on some lost classics, making for an incredibly fun listen. The upbeat "All of Your Toys" was the first song the group recorded together, unreleased for years because of licensing issues. Of course, it was all worth the wait, as what we end up hearing could've easily been a hit for the group - a song incredibly full of joy and life, painted by their desire to record their own music finally being fulfilled.

    Now obviously that's not the only standout. Mike Nesmith himself gets plenty of great moments on this record, including early versions of his songs "Nine Times Blue" and "Carlisle Wheeling," both of which are amongst the best Monkees songs never released. We also get some first two album leftovers from Mike with "I Don't Think You Know Me" and "Of You," both of which fit in excellently with the material on those first two albums, although I think I prefer the latter. "Apples, Peaches, Bananas and Pears" occasionally played on re-runs of the show in the 70s, but this marked its official release - it's a fun enough leftover from More of the Monkees, and is a fun way to begin the record. Peter's unfinished masterpiece "Lady's Baby" gets a released version on here, and it's a beautiful, incredibly raw, lovely tune about a woman he was living with and her newborn baby. I think it's a highlight of the group's catalog, let alone Missing Links. Micky's "Rosemarie" is a great R&B tune, with a pretty damn good vocal performance to boot. Really, Davy is probably the closest thing to a weak link, mainly just because his tunes leave the most to be desired - "Party" and "Storybook of You" are pretty poultry cuts, but at least he has "If You Have the Time" and "So Goes Love." The only other weak cut is "Teeny Tiny Gnome," (or "Kicking Stones," if you're cultured) a pretty ridiculous number, but you probably could already guess that from a song named "Teeny Tiny Gnome." At least the organ part kicks ass.

    The first release in the Missing Links series paired beautifully with the Monkees revival of the mid 1980s, mainly due to the show's perpetual airing on MTV. For the budding Monkees fan, you'll find plenty of deep cuts to enjoy on Missing Links, ranging from lost pop hits to country rock gems to beautiful folk songs. It flows excellently, hardly misses a beat, and is a great dive into the group's towering vault of unreleased material - if you feel like goin' down, throw it on.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Missing Links.