By admin 
The Monkees returned more than once — but on “Every Step of the Way” they sound like a band remembering how to mean it.
On their reunion album Pool It!, the group stepped into the 1980s and came away with a song that refuses to feel second-rate. The track is glossy, yes, full of synths and reverb, but it also carries a simple, stubborn heart: a promise of loyalty and steady march forward that lands harder than you might expect from a pop act once dismissed as a television creation.
Recorded with producer Roger Bechirian, the song combines a shimmering guitar riff with understated piano and layered harmonies. It opens with a crystalline guitar line that sets an almost cinematic mood and then settles into a steady beat that pushes the listener along. The piano gives it warmth; the synths give it sheen; the voices — Micky Dolenz up front, with Davy Jones and Peter Tork on harmonies — give it the human pulse.
The lyrics repeat a simple mantra: every step of the way. That repetition becomes the song’s backbone. It is not grand poetry; it is a plain, steady vow. It is the kind of line older fans, who remember singalongs and Saturday morning TV, recognize as true to the band’s promise: to make tunes that stay with you.
“We wanted to make something that felt honest, even in new clothes,” — Roger Bechirian, producer
Bechirian’s fingerprints are obvious. He brought the polished 1980s pop-rock sound without stripping the band of its melodic identity. The production choices — shimmering synth pads behind the chorus, reverb on the lead vocal, crisp rhythmic guitar — give the song a contemporary edge while allowing the trio’s harmonies to remain audible and central.
Musically, the track is a guided tour through familiar territory with a few modern detours. The guitar carries emotional weight through crisp, dynamic chords; the piano anchors the melody with a refined touch; and the rhythm section keeps the forward motion tight but never frantic. For listeners in their 50s and older, these are comforting ingredients: familiar textures served with a new glaze.
“I’ve followed them since my teens. This one felt like meeting an old friend who’d learned new stories,” — Joan Peters, longtime Monkees fan
Beyond nostalgia, the song matters because it shows the band’s willingness to evolve. Pool It! did not revive The Monkees into chart-toppers, and the record did not eclipse their 1960s classics. But songs like “Every Step of the Way” create a bridge. They demonstrate that the group could adapt to later decades without losing the clarity of melody and plain-speaking sentiment that defined their earlier hits.
There is a tension here worth noting. The production’s sheen sometimes flattens the raw edges that gave early Monkees records their spark. Yet, at key moments, the human voices cut through. Micky Dolenz’s lead carries a slight rasp and urgency that keeps the song from slipping into mere retro polish. The harmonies from Jones and Tork are brief but effective, a reminder of the band’s natural chemistry.
For older listeners, the song’s message — perseverance, staying the course — lands in a different register. It reads like an adult reflection sung in the idiom of pop. The arrangement’s classical touches, small piano flourishes and careful guitar voicings, lend a dignity that younger pop productions often lack.
Pool It! may not sit on the highest shelf of The Monkees’ catalog, but “Every Step of the Way” insists on attention. It is an unexpected late note from a band many had written off, and it shows how simple, steadfast songs can still move people. The record and this song in particular reveal a band aware of its past but not trapped by it — a group still willing to step forward, sometimes trembling, sometimes certain, always—