Monkeemania – The Very Best of The Monkees Rhino ****

They may have been manufactured, but for fans of 1960s pop music The Monkees remain one of the best groups of the era. Created for a US television show, The Monkees (Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones) had the cream of US pop songwriters to choose from. As the seasons went by, however, a rebellious streak kicked in and they demanded to write their own songs (Nesmith had previous form as the only bona fide songwriter in the band). This collection is probably the most efficient that has been issued over the years because it gathers all their hit singles (including classic bubblegum pop such as Last Train to Clarkesville, I'm a Believerand Pleasant Valley Sunday) and several of Nesmith's superb compositions (including The Girl That I Knew Somewhereand You Just May Be the One). See monkees.com

Download tracks: I'm a Believer, You Just May Be the One