Justus (album)

Justus was the first Monkees album since Head (1968) to feature all four Monkees. It was also the first album to be exclusively written, performed and produced by all four members of the band. Although preliminary work on the album was begun using songs from various writers, upon Michael Nesmith's agreement to join the production, it was agreed that all songs would be written only by the four members of the group. Nesmith sang lead vocals on a remake of his "Circle Sky", wrote the song "Admiral Mike" (sung by Micky Dolenz), and provided background vocals for all tracks. Demo versions of "You and I", "It's Not Too Late" and "What a Night" appear on Davy Jones's solo anthology Just for the Record, Vol. 4. Justus was the final studio album to feature contemporary recordings of Jones before his death in 2012. The title is pronounced as either "Justice" or "Just Us", the latter implying that only the four Monkees perform on the album. ==Release and promotion==

Released in October 1996, Justus coincided with the 30th anniversary of the band's debut album. Concurrent with the album's release, Rhino Entertainment released an accompanying VHS tape of the same name, featuring music videos, interviews and backstage footage. The tracks "Circle Sky", "You and I" and "Regional Girl" were promoted with music videos in the 1997 television special ''Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees''. These songs, along with "Oh, What a Night", were performed as part of the 30th anniversary reunion tour. On May 28, 2013, Friday Music reissued the album on CD and included a DVD of the original Justus special. ==Track listing==

Credits adapted from CD liner notes. The Monkees • Micky Dolenz – drums, vocals • Peter Tork – bass guitar, keyboards, vocals • David Jones – percussion, vocals • Michael Nesmith – guitars, vocals Technical • The Monkees – producers • Mike McDonald – engineer, mixing, mastering • Bob Bullock – engineer • Steve Mixdorf – second engineer • Terry W. Bates – second engineer • Grant Greene – second engineer • Tim Gerron – second engineer • Rachel Gutek – art direction • Greg Allen – package design • Jay Silverman – cover photography • Henry Diltz – inside photography • Scott Shaw – cover concept ==References==