Clean It!

Yes, I got the kitchen cleaned today. Like the bathroom, it really needed to be done. The top of the stove was really grimy. I listened to the Monkees records I bought last week as I scrubbed.

The Monkees Present is the best of the three records produced after Peter Tork left the group, with great songs from Micky (the album version of "Mommy and Daddy," "Little Girl") and Mike ("Listen to the Band," "Oklahoma Backroom Dancer"). Davy's best showing was the fun "Looking For the Good Times."

Pool It! takes us from psychedelic '69 to big-hair '86...and unlike previous Monkees efforts, it sounds it. There's no denying when this album came out, from the goofy water-themed cover to the heavy use of synthesizers on songs like "Heart and Soul," "Secret Heart," and "I'll Love You Forever." Also unlike previous Monkees efforts, despite some not-bad material ("Heart and Soul" was a minor hit in '86), it hasn't worn well.

Work was steady-to-dead, no major problems besides a few obnoxious customers. It'll likely pick up over the weekend, when we get into the beginning of the month.