The Monkees

What a difference a half-century can make: The Monkees were one of the most successful pop acts of the 1960s but were viciously maligned as a prefabricated Beatles knockoff created purely to populate a weekly sitcom — all of which was true. But in the process the group made some of the most memorable pop songs of a vibrant era . . . Now, in an era where such qualities are an unequivocal benefit if not a virtue, it’s hard to imagine the extent of puritanism the group faced, but Kemper places it all in refreshingly contemporary and judgment-free context, viewing the group’s history through a clear-eyed artistic angle as well as a business one. * Variety, 'Best Music Books of 2023' *
Tom Kemper helps us understand what it is that continues to make the Monkees phenomenon ‘compelling, fascinating and divisive’ . . . Kemper distinguishes himself in demonstrating how the group represented the spirit both of their time and place. -- Andy Miller * The Spectator *
This fascinating and witty account . . . is full of interesting insights . . . [and] Kemper is impressive in unpacking particular songs . . . a fresh and engaging take on an oft-told story. -- Clive Webb * Shindig! *
Author Tom Kemper, in this absorbing new book, offers an intelligent, insightful look at the many factors that melded to create the Monkees phenomenon and the band's lasting impact. He goes into the evolving Los Angeles music scene and the rise of Top 40 radio, the burgeoning pop art world - factors that helped to nurture the Monkees' massive reverberations . . . Kemper documents the band's amazing journey and how the world responded. -- Paul Freeman * Pop Culture Classics *
Belittled at the time of their creation in the mid-Sixties, as made-for-TV Help-era Beatles clones, The Monkees’ music has stood the test of time, and then some. Tom Kemper suggests, in his excellent book, that the initial snobbery surrounding the group, at least in elevated critical circles, came about because of the rise of a new rock culture based on authenticity, individual expression and idealism. -- Simon Evans * Choice: 'Pick of the Paperbacks' *
The Monkees: Made in Hollywood is an entertaining title on one of the greatest pop swindles in history and the L.A. music scene of the 1960s. It comes with lots of lore on how several of their songs were produced, renamed or recycled or which inspiration or song by another band created what riff in a Monkees recording and so forth. The book is compiled with the thoroughness of an insider who could connect all the separate determinations and unique characteristics of that Californian scene and the network of producers, managers, songwriters and record publishing companies behind it. * PopCultureShelf.com *
Kemper's book clarifies so much that is misunderstood in the story of the Monkees. * Susanna Hoffs, The Bangles *
I spent the entire summer of 1987 on the road opening up for the Monkees, and I didn’t learn 1 per cent as much as I’ve learned about them from this thorough and remarkable book by Tom Kemper. * "Weird Al" Yankovic *
The Monkees gets into the vast machinery that goes on behind the scenes of producing perfect pop – still relevant today even if the names and corporations have changed – and does it with a lot of fun. * Chris Shiflett, Foo Fighters *
A knowledgeable and incisive portrait of the popular music industry. * Paul Hirsch, Northwestern University *