"I thought Pisces, Aquarius was the one that caught it all. We went back to the basics of making music for the television shows -- trying to make good pop records -- and I think we did a good job."
-- Michael Nesmith
Track Listing (CD)
1. Salesman
2. She Hangs Out
3. The Door Into Summer
4. Love Is Only Sleeping
5. Cuddly Toy
6. Words
7. Hard To Believe
8. What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?
9. Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky
10. Pleasant Valley Sunday
11. Daily Nightly
12. Don't Call On Me
13. Star Collector
14. Special Announcement (Prev. Unissued)
15. Goin' Down (Prev. Unissued Alternate Mix)
16. Salesman (Prev. Unissued Alternate mix)
17. The Door Into Summer (Prev. Unissued Alternate Mix)
18. Love Is Only Sleeping (Prev. Unissued Alternate Mix)
19. Daily Nightly (Prev. Unissued Alternate Mix)
20. Star Collector (Prev. Unissued Alternate Mix)
Track Listing (LP)
Side 1
1. Salesman
2. She Hangs Out
3. The Door Into Summer
4. Love Is Only Sleeping
5. Cuddly Toy
6. Words
Side 2
1. Hard To Believe
2. What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?
3. Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky -- Pleasant Valley Sunday
4. Daily Nightly
5. Don't Call On Me
6. Star Collector
AMG Review
One of their better efforts, featuring the double-sided hit "Pleasant Valley Sunday"/"Words," and some of their best album tracks, like "She Hangs Out," "Star Collector," and "Cuddly Toy," the last of which was one of the first Nilsson songs to be covered by a major artist. As usual, some of the country-rockers and half-baked psychedelic tunes are tedious, though a couple tracks are notable for featuring some of the first uses of a Moog synthesizer on a rock record. The CD reissue adds some previously unissued alternate mixes, as well as the killer soulful B-side "Goin' Down," which ranks as one of their very best tracks despite its obscurity.
— Richie Unterberger
Ann's Review
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones, Ltd. is by far my favorite Monkees album. It has also been well received by critics, as can be seen in the AMG review above. I wish all of the people who put the Monkees down would hear this album, because if they did they would be less pessimistic people. It's that good.
I do find it slightly odd that Micky only sings 3 songs on the original album: Words, Pleasant Valley Sunday, and Daily Nightly. These songs are among the best on the album, however, so Micky's presence is never forgotten. Plus the added bonus of Goin' Down on the CD helps showcase Micky's vocal talent.
Mike never sounded better than he did on PAC&J Ltd. Not only did he sing some killer tunes (Salesman, The Door Into Summer, Love is Only Sleeping, What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round, and Don't Call on Me, to be exact), he also penned the killer piece of psychedelia Daily Nightly. I have to say, the man could and still can write a damn good song.
She Hangs Out, Cuddly Toy, and Star Collector, are some of Davy Jones' very best vocal work. It's good to see him get away from the usual sappy (albeit pretty) lyrics that he was often laden with. And let us not forget Davy's crowning acheivement on this album, which is playing the chimes in Words!
If there is one thing that I don't like about PAC&J Ltd, it is the lack of use of Peter Tork's vocal talent. Of course this is the case with all Monkees' albums, so I won't nitpick. And Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky is adorable!
The songs Daily Nightly and Star Collector are of note because they are 2 of the first songs to make use of the Moog synthesizer. If fact, Micky Dolenz plays the Moog synthesizer on Daily Nightly, and brilliantly, may I add.
Other Stuff That Might Be of Interest...
Daily Nightly is about the Sunset Strip riots that took place in the late 60s. It features Micky Dolenze playing (untrained) a Moog synthesizer, the first time one had been played on a mainstream pop record. Interestingly, Micky did not play it on Star Collector, his friend Paul Beaver did.
Mike Nesmith had been playing around with Don't Call On Me for about 4 years prior to the Monkees recording.
Goin' Down was taken off the original album lineup when Love is Only Sleeping was added.