For their third album, the Monkees were determined to wrest control of the creative process, and with producer Chip Douglas functioning as frequent bassist and auxiliary member, they were indeed able to play most of the instruments and write much of the material. It would be nice to report that the result far exceeded previous efforts and established the group as visionary artists, but in fact Headquarters was, again, pleasantly inoffensive pop/rock. There was more of a country flavor and a sense of personal involvement, though the group still tapped songwriting pros like Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil for about half the songs. Standouts included Michael Nesmith's "You Just May Be the One," one of his best Monkee tunes, and Peter Tork's "For Pete's Sake," which became the show's closing theme. [The CD reissue includes six unreleased tracks and alternate takes, a couple of which ("All of Your Toys" and Nesmith's "The Girl I Knew Somewhere") rank among their finest.]