LindsayBW's Full Review: Greatest Hits by The Mamas & the Papas
I have to admit, I'm a bit of a newbie to the Mamas & the Papas. It seems strange, seeing how my two favorite genres of music are late 60s-early 70s classic rock and straight-up pop. The Mamas & the Papas are a band that fulfill both of those categories, adding soothing vocal harmonies, clever lyrics, and extremely catchy songwriting. Yet, somehow, before a few days ago, I'd only heard two songs by this band.
Last year, I started working on my Radio / Television degree. Over my spring semester, I became music director of our modern rock station. Since our radio director suddenly quit, our television instructor (who also employs me as his assistant) took over and made the decision that almost made my summer. (Unfortunately for the radio station, the Spice Girls reuniting is my official event of 2007.) We decided we would be changing our format to classic rock, which has come to expose me to music I didn't even know existed. Including this 20-track Mamas & the Papas collective.
For someone who hasn't heard much of the band, this Greatest Hits collection is a stellar introduction. Featuring 20 tracks spanning from only two years of recording (1966-1968), the compilation spans four of the Mamas & the Papas' studio albums: If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (1966), The Mamas & the Papas (1966), The Mamas & the Papas Deliver (1966), and The Papas & the Mamas (1968). It does not include any songs from 1971's People Like Us, but explains why inside the booklet. In fact, the booklet, written by Joseph F. Lardeo, is quite informative to newcomers, and explains in respectable detail the formation and demise of the band, as well as a timeframe of singles, albums, and chart positions.
The album contains classic rock and oldies radio standards like California Dreamin' and Monday, Monday, both of which have a timeless quality. The former has great lyrics and sets a vivid mood of daydreaming of far away, sunny beaches, a feeling as a Midwesterner that I can definitely identify with. Of course, the vocal harmonies are impeccable, but as this was the focus of this particular group, it would be reduntant to say so on every track. So just assume that the harmonies are tight like shrink wrap throughout the album. Although the band calls it "pretentious" in the booklet, Monday, Monday is just a beautiful piece of pop music. John & Michelle Phillips' voices blend so beautifully together on the verses, and the middle eight is classic. The song creates such a generally easy and relaxed feeling, it's easy to see why it was a number one hit.
The Mamas & the Papas actually had various top 40 hits in the years they were active, although all of these songs were new to me. One of them is I Saw Her Again, from their sophomore eponymous effort. The song is incredibly catchy with strange melodic twists and harmony that, even on an album such as this, is layered meticulously. The lyrics may border on 60s simplicity, even though the content is about Michelle's affair with bandmate Denny Doherty. The musical arrangement and hooks, however, are undeniable. Their third album, The Mamas & the Papas Deliver, delivered, in fact, two top 20 singles, including the frank and clever Creeque Alley. It's a folksy, homespun and autobiographical look at the band's formation. They even poke fun at one another, singing "No one's getting fat except Mama Cass." At times, you feel like you're not in on the joke, but the melody is catchy enough and the country element is very appealing. Also from this album is the top 30 hit Look Through My Window, a melancholic song about isolation. The key structure may be a little similar to California Dreamin', but it's got nice strings and a very laid-back feel. It needs repeated listens to really grow on you.
In 1967, Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon) charted, and understandably. It's a real delight, with a great balance between melancholic ideas and bright, optimistic ones. Its tone changes throughout, and it's got very interesting instrumentation. The chorus is absolutely sing-song, which in this style of pop music is vital. A cover of the 1936 Rodgers & Hart song Glad to Be Unhappy charted this year, as well. It's a brief number, but a very refreshing break in style for the band. The drum beat accents the strange vocal syncopation quite well, and the duet-style vocals are nice. The last song on the compilation to chart was the closer, 1968's Dream a Little Dream of Me, which was released as a Cass Elliot single. It really is quite appealing, a simple, jazzy number. Mama Cass's vocals show soul that needs unleashing; she sounds relaxed and absolutely serene. This track is definitely a highlight, despite the rifts it caused between the band (at least according to the booklet).
Aside from radio successes, the album offers many album cuts that show a great deal of talent as well. Go Where You Wanna Go is a real highlight, a swinging pop sensation full of intricate vocals and a stomping good beat, great catchy hooks, and a strange epic quality. This is one of my favorites on the album. There are a variety of covers on this album, my personal favorites being You Baby (originally by the Turtles) and I Call Your Name (originally by the Beatles). The former is sugary, sweet pop, and serves more of a guilty pleasure than a serious piece of art. And obviously a band of this musical caliber can pull off the early Lennon / McCartney composition, putting a jazzy, Motown spin on it. Other covers include Dancing in the Street, My Girl, and Twist and Shout, all of which are decent, but really nothing special. Another great album cut is the Mama Cass led Words of Love, which features both great vocals from Cass and songwriting by John Phillips. It's a great, soul-filled, clever little pop number that's really irresistable. The Michelle led Dedicated to the One I Love is sweet and relaxed with a building chorus and driving piano line. It's not especially memorable, but it's a nice little song. The slightly depressing No Salt on Her Tail is great, a song that just feels free spirited. The melody is completely catchy and the lyrics are inspired with loss. It's a real highlight.
Overall, this greatest hits collection is a great introduction to a band whose catalog may be forgotten by history. Though their big hits will always live on, this entire collection captures the free-spirited pop, rock, and vocal harmonies that defined music of 60s counterculture. As well as showcasing a series of hits that brightened up radios throughout America in the late 60s, but album cuts that are overlooked today even by classic rock and oldies FM. If you have any inclination towards pop, classic rock, vocal harmonies, and flowers in your hair, this is definitely a compilation worth adding to your collection. It's undeniably good for a rainy day.
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Tracklisting
1. California Dreamin'
2. Go Where You Wanna Go
3. Monday, Monday
4. I Call Your Name
5. Do You Wanna Dance
6. I Saw Her Again
7. You Baby
8. Dancing Bear
9. Words of Love
10. No Salt on Her Tail
11. Look Through My Window
12. Dancing in the Street
13. Dedicated to the One I Love
14. Creeque Alley
15. Glad to Be Unhappy
16. Twist and Shout
17. Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)
18. My Girl
19. Safe in My Garden
20. Dream a Little Dream of Me
Skip It: Do You Wanna Dance, Dancing in the Street, My Girl
Repeat It: California Dreamin', Go Where You Wanna Go, Monday Monday, Words of Love, No Salt on Her Tail, Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon), Dream a Little Dream of Me
California Dreamin': If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, The Mamas & the Papas, The Mamas & the Papas Deliver, The Papas & the Mamas, People Like Us
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