it's funny how timing can change your perception. The Monkees were launched when I was at the exact age to fully appreciate them. We were desperate for more Beatles stuff (movies, records, gossip - you name it) and the Monkees filled the gap very well. That's one of the reasons I'll always have a soft spot in my head, er heart, for them.

On the other hand, I used to wonder why it took me so long to appreciate Elvis. After I thought about it I realized that when I began to get into popular music, Elvis was either in the army, or in all those movies. At the time, he was the antithesis of hip and so I didn't "get him" until later. By the time the Bay City Rollers came out, there was no way I could fall for that!

I have tried to keep this in mind with my kids, with positive results. I haven't had to eat my words as much since I learned to wait before expressing my initial reaction to bands like the Beastie Boys or Radiohead. I rarely say "how can you listen to that crap" anymore. And I have actually learned to like a lot of the new stuff as much as a lot of the old stuff.

I can see the headline - "OLD DOG LEARNS NEW TRICK". who would have thunk it?