In 1986, The Monkees' TV show was resurrected on MTV, and the band went from being a rock-hipster joke to a well-respected example of classic '60s pop. A greatest hits collection, featuring three new tracks by Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork, and a full slate of reissues of the band's original albums all sold well, and a concert tour was a big success. And so three of the Monkees--Michael Nesmith declined to participate--went into the studio to record a full reunion album.
The results were, surprisingly, not dire in the least. Choosing postpunk veteran Roger Bechirian (Elvis Costello, The Undertones) to produce helped keep the '80s-style slickness at manageable levels, and also improved the choice of covers--a version of Wreckless Eric's "Whole Wide World" is particularly inspired. Apart from a few missteps (though no more than on most of the group's '60s albums), not bad at all.
Rovi