Brian and Joeman are back, this time to discuss what each of them truly believe to be one of the most exciting live albums, right up there with Buck Owens' Carnegie Hall Concert, The Rolling Stones' Get Yr Ya-Ya's Out and KISS Alive! The album in question? The Monkees' Live 1967, released with little fanfare by Rhino in the summer of 1987, and compiled from three concerts in August '67, during a two month summer tour during which they played as a self-contained psychedelic/garage/jangle-pop quartet. Despite both of us purchasing this episode’s featured album the same summer at the same place (Newbury Comics in Harvard Square), Joeman (John Hendrickson) and I did not yet know each other in the summer of 1987. But we did both belong to an exclusive demographic: Late 80’s adolescent Monkees freaks that were also 1) feverishly absorbing as much rock and roll history as possible (so we knew what was what) and 2) enthusiastically pursuing an instrument (Joeman=guitar; Brian=drums) because each of us had already noticed that life did not appear to get much more fun than being in a good rock band.In the relative dark ages of 1987, it was easy to be surprised by a new release by a beloved artist. Being informed took much more work. And that was cool! The pleasantly unexpected is harder to come by in the 21st century.Neither of us saw Monkees Live 1967 coming and it flipped both of us out irreversibly. It’s indeed a perfect presentation.—One’s FIRST impression upon seeing the album cover for the first time: These are four guys serious about being in a band. No pearly white smiles, no embarrassing outfits or goofball expressions, just the guys at work. Guitar necks and drumsticks are seen being put to work. All with a subtle psychedelic glow contrasting with the black background. Excellent job by whomever at the Rhino Art Dept was responsible, because…—One’s LAST impression, should one listen to the full album, is shock, exhilaration, joy, ready to take on the fucking world!! The promise of the album cover is paid in full, with interest! Why? Because the last song echoing in the listener’s ears, a 5 minute “Stepping Stone” with a perfect psychedelic jam and nods to their new buddy Hendrix, is simply, still, one of the few live recordings that kills me EVERY time (The Who’s “A Quick One” from the Rock and Roll Circus and the Grateful Dead’s “Morning Dew” from Cornell 1977 are the other two that come to mind). Listened to out of context, one might mistake the freakout section for Syd-era Floyd or Cale-era VU—except for the screaming girls in the background. It's so good. For this fleeting moment in Monkees history, they wanted to tour as a real band and play the songs the way THEY wanted to play them. Indeed, The Monkees succeeded in creating a unique sound between the four of them, and it worked. For a certain breed of Monkees fans--the ones who identify more with the music--especially the music they weren't supposed to create--more than the TV series,  Live '67 is a personal victory—vindication that they were a very cool REAL band, even if for a very short time. It should’ve been a victory for the four Monkees at the time, because what we hear is audio proof that in the summer of 1967 they could get as freaky in concert as anyone at Monterey Pop, and rock harder than some of their contemporaries. But nope- the weirder they got, the fewer albums they sold. They’d keep a percentage of mainstream oldies fans that would crop up with each subsequent reunion, but then there are those like Joeman and myself, who represent the formidable, insatiable, nuanced fan. And Live 1967 was most likely the radioactive spider that bit us and others like us back in the summer of ‘87, setting us on this bizarre path. Join us as we start to explore this excellent live album.