Davy Jones Would Have Made ItOkay - so way over here in the far edges of Amazon-Land, we find some used copies of the self-titled album "David Jones." Here follows a wee little review that I hope sparks some discussion and gets people interested in the Monkees all over again. The guys are in their 60s now, and it is time they got some widespread, critical respect.Did Davy Jones have what it takes to make it in pop music, if not rock, had there never been a Monkees? This album, his first, had been released on the Colpix label briefly in 1965, and then pulled from distribution when Davy signed on with the Monkees. Davy had been on contract with Columbia - Screen Gems (which had formed the Monkees Colgems label) - and so the same company controlled both this and the Monkees albums.The album was re-released in early 1967, to capitalize on the wild success of the Monkees and their main teen idol, Davy Jones.Columbia had already seen something they liked in Jones, otherwise they would not have signed him and produced this album. He had earned rave reviews for his Broadway performance as the Artful Dodger in the production of Oliver. He had the unique disinction of appearing on the same Ed Sullivan show that premiered the Beatles in the US, in a stage production of a scene from Oliver. With the album's first release, Jones made a promotional tour of radio stations, with marginal success, and was proving to be a quick and charming wit. The album's second single, "What Are We Going To Do?" gained some respectability on the Hot 100, but did not crack the Top Forty.Then came the Monkees, and the album was pulled.Jump two years later, and the re-release.I can remember my sister coming home with the album. "More of the Monkees" had just come out, and kids could not get enough of them. I have no data on this, but I am pretty sure that the album did much better with this second release. There was a famous scene on a Monkees episode, where Mike and Peter are trading record albums with each other. One of them has the David Jones LP, which ends up being worth several albums of other contemporary pop artists (or, so the bit went).I remember all the neighborhood girls being underwhelmed with the album. The style was early 1960s, pre-Beatles. Jay and the Americans, Lou Christie, maybe a little Hermans Hermits - that kind of thing. Very pop, but definitely not Boyce and Hart, or Jeff Barry.But still, very good. Davy Jones can sell a song, and he presents a suitable mixture of styles here. He is not afraid to show off his Manchurian brogue, on tunes like "Maybe It's Because I'm a Londoner," and "Put Me Amongst the Girls."His Broadway rock style (distinctly his own) is evident here, on songs like "Any Old Iron", "Baby It's Me," and "What Are We Going To Do?" But there is some great driving pop as well: "This Bouquet," "Take Me to Paradise," "Dream Girl," and Face Up To It." These songs are excellent pop tunes, that, had Davy Jones a different level of acceptance in rock circles, could have rivaled the best stuff from the Beach Boys, Bee Gees, and Four Seasons, from the same period."My Dad" is the schmaltzy, campy offering from the album. But, Davy Jones did truly love his father, Harry Jones, and we can accept this one. His Dylan cover, "It Ain't Me Babe," rivals, or even surpasses, the more popular version by the Turtles. And the requisite ballad, "Theme for a New Love," rounds out the set.The album did not take off with the Monkees fans at the time. His hair style was wrong on the cover pictures: the early Sixties greasy-kid look (Paul Anka, early Everly Brothers, etc.), and the musical style sounded too dated at the time.But now, wow, what a powerful pop punch this piece packs! These songs are well-crafted, perfectly suited to Davy Jones, and stand on their own. I do not know why it was never re-released on CD back in the 1980s, when the Monkees had their big revival, and then again during the mid-1990s resurgence. This album, and Jones' second single, the self-titled Davy Jones album, both could have cracked the top album charts. I think it has something to do with ownership. I'm pretty sure that Davy Jones himself does not own the rights, or he would have released them both on his own indy label. And it is doubtful that Columbia sold the rights to Rhino.Too bad. This album is good, a real joy to listen to, and today's Monkees fans and rock history buffs would love it.We need to see this album made available on mp3 and CD! Come on!10
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