SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DAVY JONES – LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU: ON THE ROAD WITH DAVY | MICKY DOLENZ – TIMELESS

DAVY JONES | MICKY DOLENZ
LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU: ON THE ROAD WITH DAVY | TIMELESS
7a RECORDS | FRIDAY RIGHTS

Although he has been gone since 2012, there is still some music by Davy Jones the world has yet to hear. 7a Records have established themselves as the place to go for archive solo Monkee material, and they continue to produce brilliant CDs, such as Let Me Entertain You: On The Road With Davy. Micky Dolenz, however, the lone surviving Monkee, has recently recorded six tracks for an EP, Timeless. While one may be forgiven for forgetting that The Monkees were more than a television show, one may not be as familiar with their solo outings. This is sad, as there has been some brilliant music since they split in 1970 and both of these releases provide ample evidence of that argument.

One might be surprised to learn that Davy Jones toured relentlessly throughout his professional career. Either solo or with The Monkees (or variations of the band), he toured constantly. This CD, Let Me Entertain You: On The Road With Davy consists of live recordings dating back to 1979. Jones loved being on the stage, and this comes across on these recordings. Jones also put on great shows and while he incorporated the hits (“Daydream Believer,” “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You,” “Valerie”), he also included some surprises. His version of “Every Step Of The Way,” a song from The Monkees reunion album Pool It in 1986 sounds better than the studio version.

Even more interesting are his versions of Paul Young’s “Toast” (which was the name of Jones’ band in 1979) and Ian Dury’s “Hit With Me With Your Rhythm Stick.”  But Jones is also a great interpreter of songs. His versions of Van Morrison’s “Bright Side Of The Road” is brilliant, while his take on Chris DeBurgh’s “Lady In Red” is very close to the original, with a little of Jones’s flair. His cover of the obscure Harry Nilsson song “Nobody Cares About The Railroads Anymore” is absolutely wonderful.

Micky Dolenz is also a brilliant interpreter of songs. Dolenz’s last EP, released in 2023, featured covers of R.E.M. songs. This EP, Timeless, features some interesting covers and collaborations.  The EP opens with a cover of Paul Westerberg’s “Terri.” The song is a deep dive into Westerberg’s catalogue, but it is a song that is worth discovering.  Dolenz does a great job with it. His voice and arrangement turns the song into a pop song. However, many songs were written for Dolenz, such as Andy Partridge’s “Any Way You Want Me To.” It is classic Partridge and Dolenz works magic. Other songs were by his producers, in particular Sam Hollander’s “Something Happened” (which he co-wrote) is a beautiful song about The Monkees, while Pete Donnelly’s “Where Do The Tears Come From” is very cool country-rock.

Vickie Peterson wrote “Waiting For Day”, which serves as an opportunity for Dolenz to perform a duet with his sister, Coco, who has worked with Dolenz and The Monkees for many years. It is a highlight of the EP. Their voices are perfect together and it is lovely to hear them together. Dolenz sounds great throughout the CD and he is able to bring a lot to the songs. His voice is as strong and good as ever.

Say what you will about The Monkees, but they always worked with top notch writers. Their albums featured songs by Neil Diamond, Carole King, Mike Nesmith, and many others. These two releases, while featuring some original songs, demonstrates just how well both of these artists can interpret a wide variety of styles. These two releases are fun but also show how seriously both artists take their craft as singers and players. Let Me Entertain You – On The Road With Davy and Timeless are two sides of the same coin. Dolenz and Jones worked together on several projects, so it is apt to put these two together. Both brilliant, and both may surprise even the harshest critics of The Monkees.

LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU: ON THE ROAD WITH DAVY RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 16, 2026
TIMELESS RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 4, 2026

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