"Days of Acne and Roses" finds Wendell the grocery boy (Jay Ripley) too shy to ask Laurie out, so she decides to help him build up his confidence. She's forced to cancel their first date, as she must perform at a concert out of town, but he assumes she's insincere about wanting to go out with him. The awkwardness quickly fades away, Wendell confessing to Laurie that since he's gone out with a 'nice girl,' he dreams of giving the 'rotten ones' a chance too! (Laurie: "as males go, you're normal!"). Former child actress Ann Jillian enjoys one of her earliest adult roles, if still playing a teenager, flirting with Wendell. The featured song is the upbeat "I'm on My Way Back Home" (from the LP SOUND MAGAZINE), composed by Jack Keller and Bobby Hart, also heard in "Hel-l-l-p." Of course, Bobby Hart, in partnership with Tommy Boyce, virtually created the sound of The Monkees, especially with their debut single "Last Train to Clarksville," followed by "I Wanna Be Free," "She," "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," "Words," and "Valleri." Meanwhile, Jack Keller was also closely involved with The Monkees, co-writing "Hold On Girl," "Your Auntie Grizelda," "Early Morning Blues and Greens," and "If I Ever Get to Saginaw Again" (also co-producing much of the debut album with Boyce and Hart).
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