"Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd." is the fourth studio album by The Monkees, released on November 6, 1967. This album marked a significant shift in the band's creative control, as they took on a more active role in the production and instrumentation of their music. Unlike earlier albums where they had little to no input, The Monkees performed many of the instruments themselves, though they still used session musicians to complement their sound. The album also represented an important milestone in the use of the Moog synthesizer in popular music, with Micky Dolenz introducing the instrument to the band. Dolenz, who owned one of the first Moogs ever sold, played it on the track "Daily Nightly," while Paul Beaver contributed on "Star Collector."
The album sold over three million copies and was the band's fourth consecutive album to reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, a testament to their popularity at the time. The single "Pleasant Valley Sunday" b/w "Words" was released from the album and became a major hit, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The success of this album helped cement the Monkees as a force in the music industry, particularly during the height of their TV sitcom fame.
While the band was taking on more responsibility for the music, the demanding filming schedule for their television show meant they still relied on studio musicians more than they had for their previous album, Headquarters. The involvement of session musicians gave the album a more polished sound and allowed the band to experiment with more complex arrangements and new instruments, like the Moog synthesizer. The album's tracklist includes some of the band's most memorable songs, including "Daily Nightly" and "Star Collector," both of which reflect the band's growing experimentation with new sounds.
The title of the album references the astrological signs of each of the four members: Micky Dolenz is Pisces, Peter Tork is Aquarius, and both Mike Nesmith and Davy Jones are Capricorns. The album cover, created by Bernard Yeszin, features a drawing of the four Monkees with blank faces standing in a field of flowers, with the band's guitar logo partially buried in the ground.
In 2007, Rhino Records released a deluxe two-disc edition of the album, which included remastered stereo and mono mixes, along with alternate mixes, outtakes, and a booklet of essays and session information by Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval. This edition offered fans a deeper dive into the making of the album, with the original artwork and the original Colgems vinyl labels on each disc.
Overall, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. stands as one of the band's most artistically ambitious albums, showcasing their ability to blend pop, rock, and experimental sounds while embracing new technology in music production. It remains a key release in the Monkees' discography and one of the highlights of their career.
