The Monkees: Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork.

Monkees: Peter Tork (acoustic 12-string guitar); Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith (12-string guitar); Micky Dolenz (background vocals).

Personnel: Michael Nesmith (pedal steel guitar).

Additional personnel: Al Gorgoni, Don Thomas, Sal DiTroia, Gerry McGee, Hugh McCracken, Louie Shelton, Wayne Erwin (guitar); 'Unknown' (acoustic guitar); Frederick Seykora (cello); Vincent DeRosa (French horn); Stan Free (Clavinet); Artie Butler (organ); Jerry Yester, Larry Taylor , John London, Lou Mauro, James Tyrell (bass guitar); Billy Lewis, Herb Lovelle (drums); Tom Cerone, Gene Estes (tambourine); Chip Douglas, Neil Diamond (background vocals).

Audio Remasterers: Andrew Sandoval; Dan Hersch; Bill Inglot.

After the release of More of the Monkees, on which the band had little involvement beyond providing vocals and a couple Mike Nesmith-composed songs, the pre-fab four decided to take control of their recording destiny. After a well-timed fist through the wall of a hotel suite and many fevered negotiations, music supervisor Don Kirschner was out and the band hit the studio by themselves. With the help of producer Chip Douglas, the band spent some time learning how to be a band (as documented on the Headquarters Sessions box set) and set about recording what turned out to be a dynamic, exciting, and impressive album. Headquarters doesn't contain any of the group's biggest hits, but it does have some of their best songs, like Nesmith's stirring folk-rocker "You Just May Be the One," the pummeling rocker "No Time," the MOR soul ballad "Forget That Girl," which features one of Davy Jones' best vocals, Peter Tork's shining moment as a songwriter, "For Pete's Sake," and the thoroughly amazing (and surprisingly political) "Randy Scouse Git," which showed just how truly out-there and almost avant-garde Micky Dolenz could be when he tried. Even the weaker songs like the sweet-as-sugar "I'll Spend My Life with You," the slightly sappy "Shades of Gray," or the stereotypically showtune-y Davy Jones vehicle "I Can't Get Her Off My Mind" work, as they benefit from the stripped-down and inventive arrangements (which feature simple but effective keyboards from Tork and rudimentary pedal steel fills from Nesmith) and passionate performances. Headquarters doesn't show the band to be musical geniuses, but it did prove they were legitimate musicians with enough brains, heart, and soul as anyone else claiming to be a real band in 1967. [Rhino's 1995 reissue adds six previously unissued tracks recorded during the Headquarters sessions including an early take of the single "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" and rare demos "Nine Times Blue" and "Pillow Time."] ~ Tim Sendra

One of the Monkees' two best albums, HEADQUARTERS is also the one '60s album on which the band played nearly all the instruments, save for a string section and occasional bass from producer Chip Douglas. Since Michael Nesmith had instigated the revolt that led to the band's musical independence, he's in the forefront here, and his songs are uniformly excellent. The banjo-driven "You Told Me" and "Sunny Girlfriend" are two of his best country-influenced tunes, and "You Just May Be the One" is magnificent REVOLVER-influenced psychedelic pop.

Douglas' "Forget That Girl" features one of Micky Dolenz's best vocals, and Dolenz's own "Randy Scouse Git" is an impressionistic, trippy delight. Perhaps the album's best track is the Davy Jones lead "Early Morning Blues and Greens," a moody slice of atmospheric pop. Even oddities like "Band 6" and "Zilch" are interesting ephemera. This reissue features six interesting alternate takes and demos.

Rolling Stone (p.95) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[A]s a pop encounter with the hippie moment, it's hard to beat."

Q (5/95, p.127) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...the only one which features Tork, Nesmith, Jones and Dolenz playing on every cut without heaps of session players. Even their songwriting stands up as classic country-esque 12-string folk-pop..."

NME (Magazine) (2/18/95, p.51) - 7 - Very Good - "...Palpably fun and groovy, it is the sound of blind men suddenly marvelling at the gift of sight, with at least three self-composed gems: Nesmith's `You Just May Be The One,' Tork's `For Pete's Sake' and Dolenz's `Randy Scouse Git,' a wild portrait of London life at the height of Beatlemania..."