Maps of Music

Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (1967)

Where the lyrics of Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. take you, and where it was really made.

The title is a set of four astrological signs, and the album holds one of the earliest pop recordings of the Moog synthesizer.

Place unknown

Do you know where this album was recorded, or where its cover was shot? Tell us and we will add it to the map.

Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.: fourth album by the Monkees
Released November 14, 1967
Made when the band had more control over its music and played many of the instruments itself
Sold over three million copies
Fourth consecutive album by the band to reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200
Among the earliest pop records to feature the Moog synthesizer

By early 1967 the Monkees were one of the most commercially successful pop acts in the United States
Criticism followed the revelation that the group had not played instruments on their first two albums
Don Kirshner was dismissed by Colgems Records in February 1967 after releasing a single without the band's approval
Headquarters, the third album, was played mostly by the members themselves; it reached No. 1 but was displaced after one week by Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The next project moved toward psychedelic sounds; Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz attended the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967
After difficulty on Headquarters, Micky Dolenz stepped away from drumming, and producer Chip Douglas brought in session musician Eddie Hoh for percussion
As with Headquarters, the Monkees selected the material themselves

Sessions began at RCA Victor Studios in Hollywood in April 1967
'Cuddly Toy' was recorded on April 26, the only time Micky Dolenz played drums on this album
Michael Nesmith sang lead on five tracks, more than any other member
'Pleasant Valley Sunday' was recorded on June 10; its guitar riff was created by Chip Douglas and played by Nesmith
'Words' was re-recorded on June 14 with a Hammond organ solo by Peter Tork and later released as the B-side of 'Pleasant Valley Sunday'
Newly available eight-track technology allowed more overdubs in the later sessions
Moog synthesizer overdubs were added to 'Daily Nightly' and 'Star Collector' in October

Cover drawing by Bernard Yeszin shows four blank faces standing in a field of watercolored flowers
The flowers were meant to represent the flower-power movement
The title comes from the astrological signs of the members

1	Salesman	2:37
2	She Hangs Out	2:58
3	The Door Into Summer	2:49
4	Love Is Only Sleeping	2:31
5	Cuddly Toy	2:39
6	Words	2:52
7	Hard to Believe	2:37
8	What Am I Doing Hanging 'Round?	3:09
9	Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky	0:27
10	Pleasant Valley Sunday	3:15
11	Daily Nightly	2:33
12	Don't Call on Me	2:52
13	Star Collector	4:28
14	Special Announcement	0:36
15	Goin' Down (alternate mix)	4:46
16	Salesman (alternate mix)	2:37
17	The Door Into Summer (alternate mix)	2:53
18	Love Is Only Sleeping (alternate mix)	2:32
19	Daily Nightly (alternate mix)	2:32
20	Star Collector (alternate mix)	4:52

The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s.
The group was conceived in 1965 by television producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the NBC sitcom of the same name, which aired from 1966 to 1968.
Casting drew 437 applicants; Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Micky Dolenz were chosen.

Early music was largely performed by session musicians such as the Wrecking Crew under Don Kirshner's supervision.
The band had four consecutive No. 1 albums in 1966–1967: The Monkees, More of the Monkees, Headquarters, and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
They had three No. 1 singles: "Last Train to Clarksville", "I'm a Believer", and "Daydream Believer".
The members gained control over their recordings in 1967 after a conflict with Kirshner.
The film Head (1968) was a commercial failure; the group broke up in the early 1970s.
A revival in 1986 led to intermittent reunions, new albums, and tours until 2021.

Billboard highlighted 'Salesman' and 'What Am I Doing Hangin' Round?' as topnotch selections
Cashbox described the record as a sure to please powerhouse and predicted chart success
NME's Allen Evans noted 'Cuddly Toy' and 'What Am I Doing Hangin' Round?' as standout tracks
The emerging counterculture press did not cover the album
Rolling Stone and Crawdaddy did not review the album

The 2004 edition of The Rolling Stone Album Guide gave the album one-and-a-half stars
AllMusic critic Tim Sendra wrote that the album is one of the Monkees' best and one of 1967's best
Record Collector praised the album as a pop-psych triumph with Americana signposts
Record Collector also called it the real challenger to the Beatles, citing 'Pleasant Valley Sunday' and 'Daily Nightly'

Entered the Billboard 200 at No. 29, rose to No. 1 the following week, and stayed there for five consecutive weeks
Peaked at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart after a January 1968 UK release
Sold more than three million copies and reached multi-platinum status in the United States
'Pleasant Valley Sunday' peaked at No. 3 and 'Words' at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100
'Daydream Believer' became the group's final U.S. No. 1 single
Rhino issued a two-disc deluxe edition in 2007 and a four-disc superdeluxe edition in 2025

'Cuddly Toy' was written by then-unknown Harry Nilsson, and its royalties let him leave his bank job for music full-time
Chip Douglas said sales might have been higher if 'Daydream Believer' had been included as originally intended
Micky Dolenz owned one of the first twenty Moog synthesizers ever sold
The title takes the signs of the members: Dolenz Pisces, Tork Aquarius, Nesmith and Jones Capricorn
'Daydream Believer' was held back as an ace in the hole for the next album