Reviews (page 11 of 13)
I’ve always respected the Mamas and the Papas more than I really liked them. This is a nice album, they have lovely voices, but I don’t think that I’d really choose to listen to it. C
Beside the big hits I was surprised but the style of music it was. More of a beach boys style than I was expediting.
Alright. Very twee
I can hear the drugs. Not bad though.
Two maybe three good songs, but the two are very good, unique in style, and classics. Rest of the album: meh.
Music is much better than the album art.
Fine album with a couple major hits. Everyone has performed California Dreamin' in 5th grade music class.
Feels like a Beatles album in a lot of ways. Nice mixing and vocals but I’m just not crazy about it.
Это не плохой миленький фолк-рок из 60-х, довольно неплохие песни есть, но мне не нравятся где то процентов 40 песен на этом альбоме. Если хотите окунуться в популярную музыку той эпохи - то рекомендую слушать, но сейчас он слушается не прям, что очень хорошо
Not too bad. A couple of good songs, but just a little too boring and melancholic to keep my attention throughout. The vocals are nice though. Additionally, this may be the first album so far in the list that I can say I have a bit of an issue with in terms of stereo mixing. I appreciate records that make creative use of stereo, but this was far too wide. Maybe I'll seek out a mono version of this if I decide to listen again someday. Favourite: California Dreamin'
Een fijne plaat, met ‘Monday, monday’ en ‘California dreamin’ als bekende deuntjes.
Obviously very familiar with the huge hits from this record, but not so much else from this band. This album is pretty meticulously arranged with beautiful harmonies. Very pleasant listen. Really evocative of a very specific time and place with the mid-60s AM radio gold sound.
Very good surprised how many I actually knew
There's some classic stuff here, but doesn't do much for me. I'm not a huge fan of big full group harmonies that were popularized by CSNY, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, and The Mama's and the Papa's but there are definitely some songs that overcome that particular grievance of mine. 5/10
Fine. Some classic hits.
the classics were good
Released in 1966, the album showcases the group's unique harmonies and eclectic musical style, blending elements of folk, rock, and pop to create a sound that is very catchy. The album opens with "Monday, Monday," the band's breakthrough hit also serves as one of my favorites on the entire thing. The song's bright melodies and intricate harmonies immediately set the tone for the rest of the album, which features a mix of upbeat tracks like "Got a Feelin'" and "Straight Shooter" alongside more contemplative tunes like "California Dreamin'" and "Go Where You Wanna Go." The album also features covers of two classic folk songs: "The In Crowd" and "Do You Wanna Dance?" The band's interpretations of these songs add their own unique twist. Overall this is a decent record and a very solid debut. Their blend of folk, rock, and pop creates a unique sound that feels nostalgic, and their intricate vocal harmonies add a layer of complexity to their music that is very enjoyable.
bisschen eintönig aber an sich stark
California dreaming top. Ansonsten ganz schön aber auch etwas unoriginell und teilweise langweilig. 5-6/10
Nothing exactly groundbreaking to come out of the 60s
Album cover is the epitome of what the internet would call a “blursed image”… Choons were pleasant and wholesome to be fair, like a Beach-Boys-lite
A couple of nice classic songs, but found the rest a bit slow...
Pitch slide singing is bad. Having only heard greatest hits, there were some other good songs here like In crowd. Classic M&P harmony. Some songs sound creepy, is that from movies/media that use M&P in a creepy context? California Dreamin’ is kind of a masterpiece.
How to separate the artist from the music...in this case, knowing anything about the artist casts an ominous overtone over otherwise totally listenable pop.
Great debut that has their biggest hits. Embarrassing that they didn’t understand how to spell their name in the beginning.
This has a number of classic hits. They are definitely period pieces that only work if your in the mood for nostalgia. It has a few losers in there as well. While the songs are good, the album is mediocre. I'd rather hear the songs in a '60s mix than listen to the whole album again. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Not every track on this album is as good as Monday, Monday and California Dreamin' - there is much standard mit 60s Pop music here (I find Spanish Harlem especially dreadful). The Beatles and Beach Boys influences are hard to ignore, but while, most of the time, I'm missing the spark that made both of these bands stand out, altogether this album holds up well enough. 3/5
That was a nice album to listen to. First half better than the second, even though California Dreaming is the most recognizable. Almost had more range than just folk songs, but they were done well enough for me not to care about the lack of range. Wasn't incredibly original either with a fair number of the songs being covers and not that different from their source material. I liked the album, but apart from maybe two or three songs, there really isn't much here. 3/5
3.5/5
Good album, mainly easy listening but not too exciting, has good song songs but nothing mind boggling and it’s mainly just a good listen, but nothing I personally love
Definitive "summer of love" soundtrack. It has the sunny, sweet harmonies that are so cozy and simple. Also has the incredible California Dreamin', what a powerhouse. The rest is also good but man does nothing on here beat California Dreamin'. Solid stuff.
Fine
Странно давать 3 звезды после того итальяшки из 50х, но тоже строго хиппи, слушать можно любому. Строго в жанре, но прям включай и слушай. Три звезды потому что не отвал башки
California dreaming
good
Well-crafted and carefully confected, with lovely, near-sublime harmonies, but it's light to the point of weightlessness – on the substance, it’s just slightly heftier than the Carpenters. It also seems quite contrived and opportunistic in capitalizing on the ethos of hippiedom/grooviness. The strings are the giveaway, cheesing things up quite a bit in ways designed for middle-market appeal. Indeed, the hits are hits for a reason – primarily, the inoffensive enjoyability. In another era, they would've been a barbershop quartet or a variety show act (perfectly at home on the Sonny and Cher show or the Osmonds, but not totally out of place on Lawrence Welk, even). "Do You Want to Dance" sounds so square that it's hip, "The In Crowd" reads less satirical than the group choosing ill-suited material (same is true of "Spanish Harlem"). Overall, too wholesome and milky to be remotely edgy or cool, the feeling is of tame, proto-chamber pop, and their version suffers considerably in comparison to that of the Beach Boys.
Pleasant enough to listen to. Less pleasant to read about them!
C'è "California Dreamin'", un capolavoro. Il resto è molto basic
Some nostalgia here with several of these songs. But honestly, the album was just fine. It sounded a bit dated and was...non-offensive.
6/10 ehhhh i know how influetnial it is but . why
6/10. Yeah, this is a pretty good album, but also I remembered these songs sounding a bit less boring than they are.
California Dreamin' is like a song out of a collective memory. Spanish Harlem is a creepy as fuck song. Its a fine 60s record.
California dreaming xx
Didn’t get to listen on a Monday, Monday. What were they thinking?
Yes, it's aged, but you got to hand it to the band, they did wonderful things harmonising their voices. As usual, most of the songs on this albums are duds, but the famous tracks fully deserve to be. At least they made them short back then (albums, that is).
ALLTHELEAVESAREBROWN
Hippy!
Alright but heavily influenced by better bands of the time
3.75
a pleasant grab bag of feel-good oldies. 2 legendary songs and a lot of filler. 3.5/5
Nice
Kuuntele mahdollisesti uudestaan Hyvää 60-luvun radiomaista rockia, tulee jokin mieleen mutta en tiedä mikä. Melkein 4 tähteä, mutta laitetaan 3
Some great tracks on this album. Fantastic harmonies.
Cute album cover...
I enjoy the Mamas and the Papas in general, and "California Dreamin'" is inarguably great, but the rest of the album's less remarkable. They lose points for breaking my cardinal rule of covers: if you're going to cover a song, make sure it's as good or better than the original. Nearly half the album is comprised of covers (five out of twelve), most notably "I Call Your Name," "Do You Wanna Dance," and "Spanish Harlem," and none of them clear that bar. That said, they've all got great voices and I don't dislike anything here. This is a three-star album if ever I saw one.
weak version of all what made the 60s great. simple short songs and simple tunes. over and over. male female vocals is what makes them unique. in 66 other bands were experimenting and doing other creative things. these are not. the whole album sounds the same.
California Dreamin' is undeniably a fantastic song, and as a life-long Californian myself, I FEEL this song on a visceral level. But the rest of this album is something I basically suffered through. With only a few exceptions, I am not a fan of the 60s folk-influenced vocal harmonies, which I find to be too sweet and lacking in any interesting dissonance. Several bands fall into this category for me, including the Byrds (so well-represented on this list) and the Mamas and the Papas. It's fine, it's just not my thing. I feel like I can feel my teeth start to ache after three or four songs ...
It felt very chill, but not something that I think I'm going to come back to
Delightful sunshine pop and Laurel Canyon vibes
6,5/10
3 TIL Monday, Monday is by The Mamas and the Papas. True classic, that one. That song and this album have a lot of the 60s tropes that I find interesting and endearing. I think it reminds me a lot of The Monkees, who I’m extremely nostalgic about. The harmonies I found to be really nice and well done. They are ultimately what I think gives this album legs. The middle gets pretty run of the mill so I’m pretty whelmed by this one. A vanilla but well executed 60s album
A classic and still timelessly beautiful
3.7
Some nice tracks on here. The whole thing is a bit boomery though
Nice songs, well performed. Still felt quite dated and had a few bland songs.
The two massive hits are brilliant. The rest is a bit wishy washy. The vocal harmonies give an interesting different texture but it also seems very twee.
cozy listening, very pleasant. nothing jarring or irritating. 3.
feels a bit disconnected idk how to describe it
I never really got the appeal of this group. Definitely some classics on here and (I suppose) an iconic album in some senses. I guess I just prefer the dirty hippie music to the more polished, happy, sunshiny hippies.
More dull than I thought, especially given how short the songs are. California Dreamin is obviously a highlight but even then Bill Withers did it better. The rest is fine, twee, good to rock your head too while walking around a garden in wellies. A bit like the Magic Numbers before the Magic Numbers, but no one remembers them (and probably for good reason)
Niet slecht, niet super goed ook
100% soundtrack de um musical. música para ouvir enquanto se passeia num bairro americano típico de filmes de Hollywood
Was not vibin at all at first but California dreaming saved it for me
Interesting
6/10 solid
California dreaming is quality. Probably a daft thing to say but the album felt very dated. Was ok though
Some great songs. Sounds like white stripes got inspiration from them
A relatively short album. Several of the songs were recognizable. It is that has that 60s sound of folk and pop. California Dreamin is the best song on the album.
Mummy
Lush well crafted '60s harmonic folk-pop.
¿Es el disco de California Dreamin'? Es el disco de California Dreamin'. El resto de las canciones no son malas pero no son de la calidad de California. Quitando esta última, las mejores son Straight Shooter y Monday, Monday. El sonido de la banda me gusta aunque tampoco se me hace un disco memorable. 2 es muy poco y 3 se me hace generoso, pero en esta ocasión corrieron con suerte.
La verdad es que podría ser un álbum absolutamente olvidable de no ser por California Dreaming' que junto con otro par de rolas define el sonido de la época. Curioso el cover a The Beatles y también Monday Monday es una rola decente, pero el resto llega a ponerse aburrido.
Pretty good album, but California Dreamin is probably the only song I will go back for
10/06/2022 Damn, this album launched me back to high school, which is fitting bc listening at 23 just wasn't as enjoyable of an experience. Idk what it is about this album that just doesn't do it for me anymore, nothing is inherently wrong with it, it just doesn't bring anything particularly outstanding or special. -- Pretty standard day, not too much going on. Phillip is coming to visit tomorrow, hopefully we will have a full and fun weekend <3
I’m glad I can now say I have listened to a Mamas and Papas album, but at the same time I could’ve gone my whole life without listening to it and been fine.
3.5
wistful and soothing
Fun listen, reminiscent of driving around in a droptop with your friends Even putting aside my bias against the jangly and dazzling sound of the time period, I had difficulty connecting with any of the tracks. I have a hard time remembering the second half of the album, I'll drum that up to my lack of interest in the style and listening to it at work Highlights: California Dreamin', Straight Shooter I'll probably revisit sometime later in my life, when i can take the time to really invest my attention
My grandpa listened to them
3.7 - Sunny pop with rich harmonies reminiscent of “Pet Sounds” but without the same jazz-inflected emotional depth. “California Dreamin’” and “Monday, Monday” are obvious standouts and there’s some easy listening bubble gum throughout.
Vocals are so loud, like 3x as loud as the drums. beetje knullig. zit wel goed in mekaar maar het doet me niet zoveel
Obviously California Dreamin' is a timeless classic. As for the other tracks, they are nice to listen to, but not quite as timeless
Made me think of the Monkees
Trevligt. Passade bra att laga mat till :)
This was okay. California Dreaming is a 1 star song and the rest didn't fuck me off.
I like them, but I thought this album as a whole was just okay. Nothing really special to me.
One of the few sunshine pop albums consistently good all throughout, and possibly the one that popularized the genre in the late 60s. It's groovy with fun singalong tracks but also peaceful folk-like tracks. Incorporates several psychedelic elements, such as the trance-like "Got a Feelin." Puts a spin on other types of pop at the time. Lots of covers look back to 50s traditional pop but put a groovy, almost Beatlesesque rock n roll spin to them. I'm always a sucker for harmonious vocals, and the instrumentation is really light and fun, especially with the strings. I do like the diverse styles, but I'm disappointed how the two massive singles are objectively far superior to any of the other tracks, which indicates potential for an incredible album. There are a few songs, especially toward the end that I just do not see much merit in. Mixing is weird with the completely separate channels but otherwise sounds good. Not bad by a group of psychopaths. Out of the four members, one slept with every rock musician, one impregnated his own daughter and injected her with cocaine, and one suffocated to death on a ham sandwich. Favorites: Monday Monday, Got a Feelin, I Call Your Name, Go Where You Wanna Go California Dreamin, Spanish Harlem, The In Crowd
Fine, pretty old sounding but lots of nice harmonies and probably pretty influential at the time
At first I was worried this would be happy-go-lucky disconnected smile pop from the 70s, but I got the sense that as the album progressed the drugs and depth came in…ha!
California Dreaming is a great song but the rest kinda just blend together. Not my cup of tea but still enjoyable to listen to. 3.5 but not good enough to round to 4.
Pop Rock. Se hace un poco aburrido.
Two perfect pop songs that have stood the test of time. And considering how fucked up these four band members were at the time, that's quite an accomplishment. Credit has to go to producer Lou Adler and all around great guy John Phillips Considering the wild accusations detailing what an absolute horrible father Phillips was, he clearly doesn't deserve the moniker of Papa. But that doesn't make him any less of a songwriter, just like OJ Simpson is no less of a running back. The Mamas and Papas were more of a singles group than an album group. All the filler on this album proves it. But Monday Monday and California Dreaming will live forever.
Mixed feelings. Half of songs sounds still fresh other half too cheesy.
Love the singles
Nice and classy. Easy in the ears and parents
Het niveau van hun hit halen ze eigenlijk nergens, maar toch leuk allemaal.
Heel gaaf om eens een hele plaat van gehoord te hebben!
Not bad at all.
Best geinig, behalve dat vreselijke nummer over a rose in spanish Harlem.
The songs I knew are still wonderful, along with a couple others. "In" Crowd is an outside choice I wish was followed further.
California Dreamin’ is such a perfect pop encapsulation of the 60s. Some of the rest of this album was alright, too.
One of my favourite album covers for sheer ‘fuck it, this’ll do’ factor, and also one of my all-time favourite songs for singing along to every vocal part at the top of my lungs (California Dreaming, obvz). There are some other very pleasant tunes too, but nothing quite memorable enough to elevate this album to 4-star territory.
Not exactly my favourite style/era of music, but a plus was that California Dreamin' was really good. The album also wasn't necessarily a slog but I probably won't listen to any of the other songs afterwards.
It’s enjoyable
Enjoyable but may not return to it
california dreamin goes. rest is alright
Soke great tunes but overall pretty average.
Good. Not really my thing but good.
This was pretty nice, although not something I see myself listening to very often.
I think I liked it, It sounded pretty aggressively old, but not dated in a way that makes it bad.
"california dreamin'" is one of the best songs in the history of music. it's beautiful, the harmonies are incredible, it contains such emotion, and the instrumental part makes me cry. that being said, the rest of the album was a let down. it was catchy, pleasant pop of the sixties. but not as memorable as i would have thought. i listened to this album a few times through, and with every listen, i was expecting to like this more and more, but i didn't. the rest of the album is just average and doesn't have the same spark contained in "california dreamin'". i'd be remiss if i didn't mention mama cass, who had the best voice in this group. when she's on lead vocals, the songs sing.
Honestly, I expected to like this more considering this is the same album that birthed Monday, Monday and California Dreamin'. The album was just kind of one-note for me, and I found most of the tracks to be forgettable. They certainly didn't come anywhere close to living up to the hype of their biggest hits. Overall, though not remarkable, it was still very listenable 60s pop.
Uber-melodic twee pop from a badly-named band next to a crapper.
I'm going to start off by saying some good things about this album. Two of the best pop songs ever recorded reside on this album ("California Dreamin'"/"Monday, Monday"), and across the board, the harmonies that came out of this band are astounding. The Mamas and the Papas are still synonymous with the idea of perfect vocal harmony, over 50 years after this album came out. They sound so great here. That said, time hasn't been kind to all of the songs on the album, some of which come off as hokey and dated. The covers are rather bland, lovely vocals notwithstanding. On balance though, when the Mamas & the Papas nail it, they really nail it. It's sunshine in a bottle with a little melancholy on the side, which is still pretty charming. Fave Songs: California Dreamin'; Monday, Monday; Go Where You Wanna Go; I Call Your Name; Spanish Harlem
На удивление, альбом не запомнился, хотя он очень красивый и мелодичный, в духе Битлз.
Monday, Monday is a great track but California Dreamin' really takes the cake. And this is their debut you say, impressive.
It’s alright
Solo los singles
It may sound like its sunshine and rainbows and California dreamin’. They look so happy in that bathtub. But don’t dig deeper. I regret reading about the history of the Mamas and the Papas. I should have just enjoyed the music.
California Dreamin’ is fantastic! Flutes don’t get very much dap in rock music. So, I’ll give a deserved shout out to Bud Shank for his flute solo, which I love. I also very much enjoy Monday, Monday. The rest of the album varies between mildly interesting to boring filler. Interesting side note that I Call Your Name is a John Lennon cover. The Beatles version apparently has their first attempt at ska in the bridge. It’s hard to recognize.
3.3 - Folksy 60s classics, but a little lame at times. Great vocals on "California Dreaming". Easy listen.
What a weird little pop-folk album. It's not good. It's not bad. It's mostly bland. The production is so overly inoffensive it's ALMOST offensive. The lyrics and music are actually so mismatched that they create a level of cognitive dissonance and the overall effect is very ... cultish. Like, these people are clearly in some sort of cult that's barely papered over with a weird, mid-century, Brady Bunch/Beach Boys veneer.
While there are some classic tunes with the harmonies we love, I just don’t feel this is a 1001 level album. And stop it with that version of Do You Wanna Dance.
Ohhh it’s the california dreamin people! Lovely harmonizing, aggressive stereo mixing that forced me to switch off of headphones and listen out loud
Bueno
I think it was my first complete listen of this album. Very nice tracks, especially California Dreamin' (of course). I'll have to make my mind whether it should be on this list or not. Let me give it a few more listens. For the other morons around here, it's more of a 3.5 stars.
Quality music, but trapped in time
Immediately, the feeling that one is sitting down to watch an office sitcom engulfs the mind as "Monday, Monday" drones on. Trudging along, "California Dreamin'" comes on and now if the listener has ever watched television or been to a department store, the familiarity settles in. Now, there is an expectation that if a band is capable of such a one-hit wonder, could it be that the rest of the album is worth a shot? Truthfully, it is, because this is a very safe listen. You can play this casually in the car with your windows rolled down and no one will judge you too harshly. One's mother could even be adequately assured that their progeny has not given their soul or subjected their brain to filthy music. Whether or not the listener can enjoy this album is where the real test lies. This is a safe album, there is no sense of profound, no lasting persona on part of the band that gives notoriety. This reviewer in particular does not look for any of that, but is simply pointing what should be obvious, and letting that be the guide. The album is fine. It is not boring per se, it carries with it a gentle nostalgia and an appropriate amount of hype, a reprieve from another overrated 60s rock band. Shots fired.
Groovy baby, like Austin powers in musical form
Three
3/5
Californian confectionary.
Thought it was going to be super old school, but knew a couple songs. Overall more enjoyable than the album cover led me to expect
Many classic songs. Many songs appropriate for the era. Harmonizing gets a little tired when consuming the whole album in one sitting.
The Mamas & The Papas sing about 60s sleaze, but they do it in such a folksy, white way you don't even notice. Groovy, man. They remind me so much of "A Might Wind." Not surprised by it, but jst a general observation. The music sounds so... dated to me. Even the hits that I know, hard to believe they are well over 50 years old. But they are, and each one has the weight of those 50 year on it. I'd probably give this a meh. Recognized the songs I was supposed to, but not much jumped out at me.
Very conflicted with my judgment here. I listened to the album close to 10 times because I couldn't make up my mind. I admit it got better with each listen. The biggest issue for me is there are two incredible tracks (Monday, Monday and California Dreamin) - with great lyrics and harmonies and decent musical accompaniment - and then a bunch of other tracks. I was trying to figure out whether the rest were anywhere near as good. I really came to appreciate Straight Shooter. Go Where You Wanna Go was solid. The harmonies and vocals were quite good, and the lyrics provided some complexity; I Call Your Name was ok but I didn't love the vocals as much (lyrics are a credit to the Beatles). So, pretty good side one and great opener to side two...then? I found their version of Spanish Harlem annoying but Somebody Groovy was solid. Hey Girl and You Baby had some good harmonies too but felt bland compared to side one. Feels like a 3.5, and I'm rounding down to go with my initial reaction that still lingers.
Not too bad, some ok songs.
This was my first time listening to a whole album from the Mamas and the Papas. I have heard "Monday, Monday" and "California Dreamin'" many times. The rest of the album was less familiar, but I wouldn't be surprised if I had heard more than those two tracks. The Mamas and the Papas are not a group that I would pick for myself to listen to, but I do admire the layers of their vocals, which are a mix of harmonies and interplay of overlapping lines. "Monday, Monday" is the track I like the most from this album and perhaps from the band. It was good to hear a full album.
Definitely prefer Mama Cass. The music is cheerful overall but nothing really stood out to me besides California Dreamin'. Maybe would appreciate this more as background music in the summertime.
This was okay - never really been exposed to much of them outside of their hits. Can't really see myself listening to them often but they do suit a warm summer's day. Minus 1 million points for those incorrect apostrophes, however.
Much better than I expected. Harmonies were lovely, interesting the way they weaved in and out. Honky tonk piano was terrible though.
The album that makes me ask: "Whatever happened to all that hippie shit?"
I was reading that they rejigged folk songs into this new genre of 60’s pop with harmonies. Quite impressive. Another interesting tidbit from Wiki was that the album cover showing the toilet was actually banned for being offensive! Wow. I find this flavour of vocal harmonies much more palatable than what the Beach Boys were doing. Wong Kar Wei used California Dreaming to brilliant effect in his Chungking Express, that song really made that film, it wouldn’t be the same without that song
The famous ones are good.
a little "old sounding" but i enjoyed it. some of the tunes were quite catchy. Def some songs i've heard from "somewhere" which speaks to the albums legacy I suppose.
I liked it
Short and sweet. 6/10
It's a good band. The best songs in this album are "California dreamin'" and "Monday, monday".
Lovely classic.
6/10
Great sounding 60s record, love the harmonies. California Dreaming a classic
Monday, Monday and Dreamin are great. The rest of the album is just ok.
beetje bleiterig
It's fine. Monday Monday and California Dreaming are known songs and are good. The rest was just okay, to me.
Docent
Alright.
Truly a great album for its time. A little dated style now, but very enjoyable. 3/5.
Good best
Pleasant surprise
I need good albums
al igual que la primera vez que lo escuché, pasó sin pena ni gloria.
Gorgeous Wrecking Crew pop tinted/tainted by what an awful person was John Philips. Worth a listen for the arrangements and harmonies, but not going into frequent rotation.
Nice vocals, excellent time stamp, and some all time classics in there
Decent old pop album. The songs are upbeat and fun. Pretty quick easy listening album. Overall I thought it was pretty good. 6.3/10
California dreaming is a classic. Rea of the album was aight.
California dreaming is good. The rest are just not my thing, but it’s not bad per say.
California Dreamin' is the only remarkable track here. Not a bad debut album for the 60s though.
Really chilled vibe, enjoyed the album
Good stuff. Catchy tunes. Nice harmonies. Buuut, not my bag.
i knew some of these songs which was surprising yo me and i actually did enjoy them. i thought it seemed advanced for its age slightly and amazing singing and harmonies. 7/10
// Favs: Monday, Monday Score: Light to Decent 3
groovy harmonies with classic 60's rock folk sound. some great tracks and some not so memorable.
my ears hear different things and i don't known how i feel about this --> definitely off-putting id rather not listen with headphones cuz i dont like the effect of hearing different things in different ears No Salt On Her Tail - 2/5 not bad just not my thing Trip, Stumble And Fall - nice, i like this one better 4/5 Dancing Bear - hum idk about this one, quite slow probably not for me 3/5 Words Of Love - oh come on, this is sweet 4/5 My Heart Stood Still - sounds good, hits me emotionally definitely and i really want to jam with it , just the different ears competing that i didn't like 3.5/5 Dancing In The Street - i like but too much song break in the middle and the weird talking bit 3/5 I Saw Her Again Last Night- reminds me of the beach, its good just doesn't hit for me 2/5 Strange Young Girls - meh for me 2/5 I Can't Wait- this is hella cute 4/5 Even If I Could - soopa nice don't like the end of it though 3.5/5 That Kind Of Girl - i dont vibe with the lyrics but otherwise the vocals and music is nice 3/5 Once Was A Time I Thought - FUCK THIS IS KILLING ME, DUDE FOR REAL, SHORT BUT SOOOO SWEET 5/5 kills the ending 100% i think its well-made its just not something i will probably every listen to again 3/5 overall 39/60= 65% based on individual scores
another one I am looking forward two as I know a few of their songs fake out ending, monotonous opener but that was deliberate considering the theme of the song but an odd opener straight shooter gives me just dropped in vibes which came out a year later I call your name is a great cover "John... John..." go where you wanna go is about the odd arrangement of the group which makes Fleetwood mac seem normal California dreamin is a near perfect song for me "When they were recording that song, they wanted a solo, but didn’t want the usual guitar solo. John Phillips walked out into the hall of the Hollywood recording studio they were at and Bud Shank was in that hallway as well. John grabbed him and brought him into the studio. Shank listened to the hole he was supposed to fill and nailed it on the first take" Spanish Harlem is also a great cover if 8 or 9 tracks could be a 4 but bit hit and miss so a solid 3
Heard a Jens Lekman song that he sampled.
Easy listening
It was alright, not really my taste. Kinda sounds like the Beach Boys except without the cool harmonic stuff.
2 Sterne Abzug weil weil keiner meiner beiden Eltern dabei war
One of the defining sounds of 60s folk. A simpler time, when vocals and words could tell the story
Jedan sasvim pozitivan albumčić, volim glazbu 60ih. Daju taj jedan poseban osjećaj razbibrige i sreće.
I enjoyed this album. Though some songs are rather repetetive. I didn't think this album was anything particularly interesting though.
Very much a reflection of their time, and a fun pop band with great vocal harmonies. To state the obvious, California Dreaming is an American icon. Listening to the whole album, I was quite bored. The overall sound is not to my liking but I get that it's produced in line with the popular music of the time.
They're good but not for me, or at least my mood
Surprisingly nice and modern for its time.
Pop gems.
Not bad. Very of its time. California Dreaming is a stone cold classic though!
ok :)
Good listening... came out when I was in Third grade.... remember the bus driver playing it on the radio on our way home
Exactally what you’d expect from a bunch of hippies that watch scooby doo and sing in bathtubs.
Nice enough
Not really for me Best tracks: California Dreamin’, Monday Monday
Uber 60's harmonious pop. Best Tracks: Straight Shooter, California Dreamin', The "In" Crowd
false
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fine
Happy to share that I do not hate the 60s as my scathing review of Pink Floyd suggested. Short groovy perfection in song form, they knew what's up.
Poop
Pretty good, not sure how often I'll be in the mood to listen to it.
nice. not sure i like my music to be nice but there you go. Saved 3 tunes and love mama cass.
Musialem pominac tego picka podczas daily przesluchu, skoro nie ma zadnej notki, ale pora to zmienic, na tapete leci the mamas & the papas czyli banda cztero osobowa tworzaca muzyke okolo rockowo folkowa, o dosc mocno popowym brzmieniu, na pierwszy rzut oka nie kojarzylem bandy, ale spojrzenie na trakliste i juz zwraca na siebie uwage california dreamin, jeden z kultowych trakow pokolenia dzieci kwiatowych, bo to rok 66, wiec zaczyna sie kounterowa kultura, nie mozna o tym zapominac sluchac tej plyty, bo niektore traki dzieki temu zdobywaja kolejne dno i tak jak california dreamin wieja nuta psychodelii, ktora dobrze wpasowala sie w tamte gusta, skoro jest plyta na tej liscie, nie jest to konceptowy album, a raczej standardowy jak na tamte czasy zbior trakow, ktore wczesniej ukazaly sie juz jako single z nowym materialem i tak wlasnie piosenki, ktore juz wczesniej byly wypuszczone najbardziej mi podeszly i laduja na plejce, czyli wspominay juz dreamin i otwierajacy monday, monday, dawno nie bylo tak dobrego mono mixu, ktory brzmi tak oldskulowo, ze az chcialoby sie odpalic go na jakims lepszym sprzecie i pomieszczeniu na to pozwalajacym, ale jest to dosc krotki seans, bo tylko 32 minuty na 10 trakach, odpalilem sobie video do califoni dreamina z jakiegos wystepu w tv i juz wiem skad tak potezne harmonie sie tam biora zarowno po meskiej jak i zenskiej stronie, bo to wlasnie wokale sa tutaj na spotlajcie, chociaz zdarzaja sie solowki czy to na elektrycznych skrzypeczkach, jak na spanish harlem czy fletowka na kaliforni dremowej, zblizajac sie do konca plyty mam dziwne uczucie, ze gdzies to juz slyszalem, zwlaszcza you baby, czy to tylko popowy kontent za mocno wszedl, czy gdzies to bylo samplowane
This was a classic album with hits like Monday, Monday and California Dreamin'. The other songs were fine and I found myself bobbing my head, but none of them were memorable enough to get a mention. I saw on the iTunes info that there was a lot of infighting with this group, and while it must have been tough for mothers and fathers to be fighting, at least they had time to all scrunch into a bathtub to take an album photo. Or maybe that is what started the fighting.
This album is not so special at all, but it deserves 3 stars for the absolutely special songs. "California Dreamin" deserves the 3 stars itself for being a great song itself.
This album paps a masthead anthem in ‘California Dreaming’. Some other gooduns too. Some Beatles inspired (or vice versa) vocals and guitar on a few tracks
Don’t get me wrong, there are some phenomenal songs on here, but in between it gets kinda hard for me to stay focused... just kind bland in between greatness. Favorite Tracks: “Straight Shooter,” “California Dreamin,” and “The ‘In’ Crowd”
Folk vocalists who are better at singing than they are at anything else. It makes me think of what the Beach Boys would sound like without Brian Wilson's musicianship. I recommend the tracks "Straight Shooter" and "California Dreaming", and only listen to the rest if you really enjoyed those.
Warm feels for California Dreamin'
California Dreaming is great. So weird that this music was countercultural and edgy in the 60s, sounds today like cute songs children would sing.
Første album -- meget spændende, men ingen fucking idé om hvordan man skal rate det, eller hvad man skal sige. Klassisk 60'er lyd I guess. Nogle sange var brandvarme såsom Spanish Harlem, Got A Feelin' og California Dreamin'.
Don't listen to to much from the 60s but this was a fun and easy listen. Spanish Harlem was nice and Do You Wanna Dance had a chill vibe
Great singing, amazing harmonies. Some of the filler songs are just kind of "meh" but overall a strong debut album. 3 stars.
Aside from the bad covers, chill music
One or two songs from this band sound good. More than that is a little difficult to handle.
Another album with 1 great song (California Dreamin') and the rest is meh.
Great harmonies. The covers are meh. Love Mama Cass's voice so much.
Fine but not that interesting. Covers or is about getting drugs.
Very nice to have listend to an album of 'The MAMA'S and the PAPA'S'. I had never listend to an album of them.
A fun and solid pop album though to be honest it mostly stands out to me because California Dreamin' was in Chungking Express. This Aussie gives it 3 Woolies out of 5.
Packs a huge 1-2 punch with go where you wanna go and California dreamin
Nice
Letkeätä Kalifornian meininkiä. Moniakin tuttuja biisejä löytyi vaikka nimistä tunnistin vaan California Dreaminin. Ihan kiva levy mutta ei kuitenkaan sytyttänyt ihan täysillä. Peruspositiivinen kolmonen.
california dreamin meuszovo
I liked the mainstream songs. But still hard to enjoy knowing the history of this band...
Familiar songs and some not so familiar. Currently watching Mad Men, and could definitely hear this style of music in the later seasons.
couple of hits but not super exciting, worth a listen and maybe even good for a vinyl if cheap enough
Short - only 35mins long. Pretty basic.
worst album cover
Pretty good, liked it will listen again sometime.
eh, poppy
Nice. All of John Phillips songs sound to me like the Brady Bunch would cover them.
Tilgængeligt 60’er pop, vokalbaseret, flere kendte sange
Nice soundtrack for a weekend of family fun
I have never realized how corny the lyrics are
Couple of good ones on here but all in all not too much to bring back to this album again
I guess it's worth hearing once to just be able to place the music that is abused to do establishing shots of San Francisco in the mid 60s in all movies.
fuck
Teško je ocijeniti neke ovakve stvari koje nisu nimalo za mene ali više poštujem ovaj album nego hiljadu Beatlesa koje sam natjerana slušati a još su i lošiji i manje stvoreni za mene nego ovo.
this is kinda underwhelming outside the big singles, which are SO GOOD
Some good songs, meh really.
Kinda meh. Some songs are forgettable, some are really good.
Like slightly more lame Beatles.
California dreamin är en fin läckerbit med skönsång och harmonier. Monday monday, också trevlig och lättsam 60-talspop. Men i övrigt rätt tunt. Låter omsöm som något bortglömt ur Beatles-katalogen, ömsom som Family four i schlagerfestivalen.
Väldigt ordinär 60-tals pop. Calafornia dreamimg sticker förstås ut. En klasslåt. Gillar även somebody groovy. Men därutöver? Absolut inget värt att varken ställa inskivsamlingen eller att lägga på minnet.
En 60-talsbagatell. Två saker jag ogillar med The Mamas & The Papas: Nr 1 The Mamas Nr 2 The Papas
Nice harmonies and a few fun lyrics but feels stagnant after the first couple songs. Highlights: "Got a Feelin'", "Somebody Groovy", "You Baby"
No exactly my taste in music, it sounds very samey to me. Funnily enough, the most famous song "California dreaming" is my favorite just because it feels like its got more substance to it. Shoutout to somebody groovy too, a bit of a sleeper. probably a 2.5 for me, not my jam personally
Perfectly fine stuff and, I guess, indicative of a certain time and place. But nothing that exciting - another one where you question why it's in a list of things you MUST hear. It's not brilliant, it's not unusual, it's innovating. Just a perfectly pleasant listen.
2.5/5 Californian Dreaming is the standout but there's not too much else that interests me on this album. It kind of sounds like all the other music around this time. It's not a bad thing, it just doesn't do much for me
meh. if I wanted 60's harmonies, I'd listen to Beach Boys
California dreaming es un exito tan gigante que solo eso ya la hace merecedora de ingresar en una lista de 1000 discos.Pero para mis gustos no entraría ni en una de 10000.
Nunca habia escuchado algo que no sea California Dreamin pero me lleve una sorpresa, no pense que me iba a gustar tan poco la banda. No me da una energia ni linda ni oscura, simplemente la musica rock psicodelica no me va mucho, ejemplo los beatles en sus canciones mas psicodelica tampoco me gusta, nose si lo relaciono mucho con las drogas o que, pero no me llevo mucho. Me imagino viendo una peli como la masacre de texas o la tipica pelicula yanquee que va menejando un grupo de hippies en una combi por una ruta. Top Picks: 1- I Call Your Name (es la que algo me sorprendio tiene algo disinto) 2- California Dreamin 3- me da igual
It’s fine
Mix dégueulasse ??? L’instru à droite et les voix à gauche… dégueulasse. 3 chansons de répit et c’est reparti… ouais ça va que c’est des années 60 quoi. Y’a une version mono MDR. Bon c’est vachement mieux. Sons de hippie
It was alright. Realized the hits instantly.
1.5
One all timer here, the rest throwaway. Also, isn’t it kind of crazy that when Papa John Philips’s daughter wrote in her 2009 memoir that her dad had groomed her into a ten year physical relationship, the media reported it as a tawdry but consensual affair? I guess Monday, Monday is pretty good too, but I prefer Neil Diamond’s cover.
.
I have been trying to separate the art from the artist in this project, and sometimes it's quite hard to do (Kanye?). In today's case it was very simple. John Phillips was a horrible human being, and I mostly didn't enjoy this album. The song I sort of liked was the one that was Beatle-esque, but ironically the Beatles song on the album was one of the worst cover versions I've ever heard. There was nothing specifically horrible about this. I just found myself getting annoyed with just about every song. Straight Shooter was the least Mama's and Papa's sounding, so it's the song I liked. Since it was the second track I thought that things would get better, but they didn't.
Dreary.
Catching up with this after listening to The Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks was a mistake. This is exactly everything I dislike about 60s pop rock. It's just so dull.
Adequado. Puta nome tosco pra uma banda, ein? Mas ok, eles gravaram California Dreamin’. E realmente, é uma canção brilhante, tocante, assombrosa, linda de doer… Mas é isso. O disco é isso, California Dreamin’ e alguns outros cortes que não valem muita coisa. É triste porque é perceptível que o grupo era talentoso. As harmonias são ótimas, mas de resto, o disco não passa de adequado, formidável no máximo. Acredito que aqui temos uma situação de “lugar certo, hora certa”. Por isso quero dizer que não consigo imaginar qualquer outro período na história da música popular que um grupo como esse faria sucesso, a não ser nos anos 60, na década da inovação e da quebra de paradigmas. California Dreamin’ carregando a nota inteira do disco. 2.5
More oldies. Some decent ones, some boring ones.
I’ve definitely heard some more memorable folk albums during this project, but there were still a good one or two in here
This album just wasn’t for me, but “California Dreamin’” is a classic that I will always love.
2/5
Got boring fast. To be honest, I’ve never really liked California Dreamin. At least they made this a short album.
Classic album but not really for me. I’m sure there are deeper motifs embedded in the lyrics and background vocals. Lots of chorus effects.
A bit bland and cheesy for me. The harmonies are too much. That cover of Do You Wanna Dance? is truly awful. But there is California Dreamin' with its strange ambiguous lyrics. The cover is cruelly amusing with Michele Phillips sitting in the lap of her new lover while literally giving her miserable looking husband the boot.
California Dreaming 5/5. Rest of album? 2/5
Ännu ett band som det finns en anledning till varför man bara har hört en av låtarna.. alla andra var zzzz...
This was ok.
Me sonó todo el álbum a una película de Tarantino :p y la que más me gustó fue California Dreamin’
Safe, groovy filler. It really puts the boundary-pushing folk rock classics in sharp relief.
This album looks exactly how it sounds. You had four incredibly talented voices with exactly zero vibes. The highs are high but generally it's too corny to enjoy.
Yeah man it was just another old folk/rock album. It was alright. Again, I didn't hate it, I recognize the talent and everything else. I appreciate it for what it is. And of course California Dreaming is a certified hood classic. But dude idk if it's just the sheer number of these kinds of albums on this list or what but I don't want to hear this album ever again, or any one like it. I'm having some Folk burnout I guess.
i don't like folk but I can imagine it was a banger in the sixties cali
Ironically, this is not what I want to be listening to on a Monday morning. At times it reminds me of earlier Beatles, other times it reminds me of the Beach Boys, but the harmonies are a bit too saccharine for my taste and a lot of it feels like bubblegum pop. Coincidentally, yesterday's album from the generator was another album from 1966, the Mothers of Invention's Freak Out, which is essentially the exact opposite of this album and it's one I much prefer. I feel like it's albums like If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears that lead to Frank Zappa's satire and parody on Freak Out.
In a nutshell: Harmonies! Harmonies! Harmonies! Lovely harmonies. Good bass. Feels sterile and chaste in parts. Overplayed singles. Overall: 3/10
I was pretty disappointed with this one. While Monday Monday and California Dreaming are undisputed bangers, the rest of the album is just not great. Some songs are better, some less, but nothing truly exceptional. (Got a feelin is a great song) It'll be a 2.4, 5
No me gusto. Aunque California Dreaming es un hitazo.
I have coined a new phrase after listening to this album, "Aggressive Harmonies". I was expecting this album to be a continuation of my 4 streak. At only 34 minutes long I was expecting a situation like that Simon and Garfunkel album i had, just wowing me with a handful of beautiful sweet songs... but here we are, stuck in my headphones with 4 people singing over each other singing stupid stuff. I like California Dreamin' and can forgive the business of the song when it's sandwiched in an Oldies mix, but even it is a little much when you're just listening to a half hour of vocal one uppery. Also, Do You Wanna Dance does not need to be re-recorded and re-arranged, it's pretty perfect as is.
It's okay
Couldn't get in to this at all.
Whilst California Dreamin is one of the best songs of all time, the album was a dull washed out experience with often annoying stereo mixing that I wouldn't want to hear again.
honk shoo
The album is mostly covers of other songs, California Dreamin' is alright, but they sound just like a calque of The Beatles. Not my jam, not my flavor, also fuck John Phillips.
Notablebtextzeile: Any time of the year, don't you hear? Spending cash, talking trash I'll show you a real good time. Auch wenn sie hier fast irgendwie zufällig Rapgepose erfinden, finde ich die künstliche gute Laune, die "ich bin besser für dich Baby Lyrics" und die abstrus kitschigen Arrangements gepaart mit der penetranten Kalifornien Ideologie echt unerträglich. Hier spätestens wird Hippie komplett Mainstream und Pop und jeglicher möglicher Gegenkultureller Elemente enthoben. Ne, ne, ne.
Nope (nonono, nonono, nonono). Zu weichgespült. Gar nicht meins.
Tut niemandem weh. Schön zu hören.
Kjedeleg
I listened to half of this one and was like no