Album of the Day

The Monkees were in a rather strange place in 1968. They'd spent two years as pop stars on the order of The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, but – even though the craftsmanship of their hits frequently rose to that level – never got anything resembling the critical respect accorded those bands. Micky, Davy, Mike and Peter were aware of that disconnect, and the movie HEAD, which premiered this month in 1968, reflected it. The wildly creative film poked fun at the group's “manufactured image” while boasting a killer soundtrack. The last Monkees album before Peter Tork left the band, HEAD includes such gems as “The Porpoise Song,” “Circle Sky” and “As We Go Along.” While not a success on original release, both the film and its music went on to become cult favorites; it may have taken a few decades, but The Monkees have finally gotten the respect they deserved.