Psychedelic Bubble Gum

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY JUN 29, 2015

Hart, half of a songwriting duo that crafted hundreds of 1960s and '70s pop hits and gave the made-for-TV band the Monkees their signature theme song and "Last Train to Clarksville," aims to inspire readers' creativity with this earnest but not terribly interesting autobiography. Fans of mass-produced pop will be pleased to read about Hart's early songwriting days, which gave the world "Come a Little Bit Closer," a great hit for the long-ago Jay and the Americans, and led to a gig (with writing partner Tommy Boyce) supplying tunes for the "Pre-Fab Four." Apart from an engaging discussion of both songwriting and the technical production aspects of some of his Monkees work, there's little exploration of the songwriting craft. Instead, Hart piles on plenty of earnest, cheery aphorisms about creativity, offered in several lists of maxims, helpful hints, and inspirational sayings. These include "Your Thoughts Create Your Reality" and other distillations of the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, a book whose influence Hart cites throughout his ghostwritten account. Readers may appreciate the brief look at the mid-1960s machinery of creating mass musical entertainment, but there's not much else that will keep anyone but a deeply dedicated fan turning the pages.