Davy Jones

Vol. 4 of Davy Jones' ongoing anthology covers material he recorded during 1996, and it consists of nothing more than demos. Some of these tracks found their way onto Justus, the Monkees' 1996 "reunion" CD, while the rest remain in unfinished form. Fans and collectors may find the early, raw demos of "You and I," "It's Not Too Late" (presented here with Pachelbel's Canon in D as an intro), and "What a Night" interesting, but to be honest, they do not deviate from the Monkees' versions. In this sense, it does not present any insight into Jones' creative process. This CD also features yet another version of "I'll Love You Forever," which has also been recorded by the Monkees, but again, this live track does not add a great deal, and sounds remarkably like the Monkees' already available live version. Jones has a pleasant voice, and the material here is not so much bad as it is bland. This is great wallpaper music, and does not require any attention. By the end of the CD the listener is bored, and little light has been shed onto Jones as a solo artist. This is an important CD for Monkees fans and completists, but others should pass on it, sticking instead to classic Monkees albums. As with Vol. 1 through Vol. 3 in this series, the packaging is nice and photos are included, but little information is offered about contributing musicians. ~ Aaron Badgley, All Music Guide