This two-CD set, issued in Europe about a week before Rhino Records' expanded box appeared in America, resembles either a considerably expanded and upgraded version of the old Arista Records set Then & Now..., or a more entertaining successor to Rhino Records' 1998 Anthology. The disc, running just under 80 minutes and containing 29 songs, is for the listener who wants the hits and the best album tracks all gathered in one place, including ubiquitous numbers like the television series' second-season end credit track, "For Pete's Sake." These have been remastered, so there's lots of presence in all of the playing, and the vocals never sounded better; the songs all have thick, dense textures, much heavier and harder and upfront than they did on the radio in 1966-1967, with good stereo separation. This set is proof, as though any were needed, that the nicest thing ever to happen to the Monkees' music was getting it moved into the hands of Rhino Records, whose library was the source for these masters. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
The Definitive Monkees
11/26/2002
All Music Guide Review
The Definitive Monkees Track Listing
Credits of The Definitive Monkees
- Edgar Lustgarten
- Cello
- Jacqueline Lustgarten
- Cello
- Louis Mauro
- Bass
- Hugh McCracken
- Guitar
- Lew McCreary
- Trombone
- Don McGinnis
- Arranger
- Jay Migliori
- Saxophone
- Ollie Mitchell
- Trumpet
- Wayne Moss
- Guitar
- Dick Nash
- Trombone
- Erno Neufeld
- Violin
- Michael Ney
- Drums
- Sonny Osborne
- Banjo
- Al Pachucki
- Engineer
- Dean Parks
- Bass
- Donald Peake
- Arranger
- Norbert Putnam
- Bass
- Uan Rasey
- Trumpet
- Lester Robertson
- Horn
- Michel Rubini
- Organ, Harpsichord
- Billy Sanford
- Guitar (Electric)
- Jerry Scheff
- String Bass
- Richie Schmitt
- Engineer
- Ralph Schuckett
- Keyboards
- Paul Shure
- Violin
- Curly Smith
- Drums
- Clifford Solomon
- Horn
- Tommy Tedesco
- Guitar
- Phil Teele
- Trombone (Bass)
- Don Thomas
- Guitar
- Russ Titelman
- Conductor
- Peter Tork
- Organ, Double Bass, Harpsichord, Piano (Electric), Vocals, Producer, Vocals (Background), Piano, Guitar
- Ray Triscari
- Trumpet
- James Tyrell
- Bass
- Bill Vandevort
- Engineer
- Jerry Yester
- Bass
- Vincent DeRosa
- French Horn
- William Hinshaw
- Horn
- Thomas Scott
- Trumpet
- Gregory Bemko
- Cello
- Tom Cerone
- Tambourine
- David Filerman
- Cello
- Mack Johnson
- Horn
- Gerry McGee
- Guitar
- Alex Murray
- Violin
- Richard L. Noel
- Trombone
- Lester Sill
- Producer
- Peter Doggett
- Liner Notes
- Bobby Helfer
- Trumpet, Clarinet (Bass), Piccolo Trumpet
- Clyde "Whitey" Hoggan
- String Bass
- Galen
- Design
- Jules Chaikin
- Horn
- Coco Dolenz
- Vocals (Background), Vocal Harmony
- Robert Salcedo
- Engineer
- Manuel Stevens
- Trumpet
- William Paul Ackerman
- Drums
- Gerry Coffin
- Producer
- Joey Osbourne
- Bass
- Bill Lewis
- Drums
- Bob West
- Bass
- Stan Free
- Clavinet
- Lyle Ritz
- Bass
- Keith Allison
- Guitar (Electric)
- James Burton
- Guitar
- Mike Deasy Sr.
- Guitar
- Lloyd Green
- Guitar (Steel)
- Jack Nitzsche
- Arranger
- Red Rhodes
- Guitar (Steel)
- Davy Jones
- Chimes, Vocals, Vocals (Background), Producer, ?, Tambourine, Maracas
- Shorty Rogers
- Arranger
- Louie Shelton
- Guitar
- Laurence Juber
- Guitar (Electric)
- Micky Dolenz
- Drums, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
- Jim Gordon
- Percussion, Drums
- Michael Cohen
- Keyboards
- Larry Taylor
- Bass
- Peter Abbott
- Engineer
- Al Porcino
- Trumpet
- Hal Blaine
- Drums
- Jeff Barry
- Arranger, Producer
- Roger Bechirian
- Percussion, Producer, Engineer, Arranger
- Dennis Belfield
- Bass
- Max Bennett
- String Bass
- Eddie Brackett
- Engineer
- Harold Bradley
- Guitar
- Bud Brisbois
- Trumpet
- Dennis Budimir
- Guitar
- Artie Butler
- Organ, Arranger
- Kenneth A. Buttrey
- Drums
- Jerry Carrigan
- Drums
- Roy Caton
- Trumpet
- Bill Chadwick
- Guitar (Acoustic), Producer
- Hank Cicalo
- Engineer
- Gary Coleman
- Percussion
- Henry Diltz
- Clarinet
- Bonnie Douglas
- Violin
- Chip Douglas
- Bass, Vocals (Background), Producer
- Bobby Dyson
- Bass
- Michael Egizi
- Keyboards, Programming
- Wayne Erwin
- Guitar, Vocals (Background)
- Gene Estes
- Percussion, Tambourine
- Virgil Evans
- Trumpet
- Frederick Seykora
- Cello
- Scott Gordon
- Engineer
- Al Gorgoni
- Guitar
- Ray Hall
- Engineer
- Bobby Hart
- Organ, Vocals (Background), Producer
- David Hassinger
- Engineer
- George Hawkins
- Bass
- Chris Hinshaw
- Engineer
- Eddie Hoh
- Drums
- Bill Hood
- Saxophone
- Jim Horn
- Saxophone
- Jim Hughart
- String Bass
- Jules Jacob
- Horn
- Felton Jarvis
- Guitar, Producer
- Norm Jeffries
- Percussion
- Nathan Kaproff
- Violin
- George Kast
- Violin
- Jack Keller
- Piano, Producer
- Jan Kelley
- Cello
- Myra Kestenbaum
- Viola
- John Kitzmiller
- Tuba
- Larry Knechtel
- Bass, Keyboards, Piano
- Danny Kortchmar
- Guitar
- Paul Leim
- Drums
- Richard Leith
- Trombone (Bass)
- Henry Lewy
- Engineer
- John London
- Bass, Tambourine
- Herb Lovelle
- Drums
- Doug Lubahn
- Bass
- Buddy Spicher
- Fiddle
- Bill Martin
- Percussion
- Carole King
- Vocals (Background), Producer
- The Monkees
- Producer, Main Performer
- Michael Nesmith
- Organ, Vocals (Background), Guitar (12 String Electric), Guitar (12 String Acoustic), Producer, Vocals, Pedal Steel, Arranger, Guitar (Electric)
- Leon Russell
- Keyboards
- Ken Bloom
- Guitar
- Buddy Collette
- Saxophone
- Matt Harris
- Vocals (Background)
- Plas Johnson
- Saxophone
- Ted Nash
- ?
- Lou Blackburn
- Trombone
- Pete Candoli
- Trumpet
- Doug Dillard
- Electric Banjo
- Clarence White
- Guitar














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