Reviews (page 12 of 13)
California Dreamin is awesome and I liked Go Where You Wanna Go. Rest were meh and I hate Monday, Monday
This kind of got me in a Stockholm Syndrome kinda thing. I started it like 4 times and got bored and then finally I said "okay we're doing this" and it was fine. All the leaves are brown and all that
Folk Rock without any highlights besides California dreamin‘
the monday track is so horrible. The rest is just lame.
Dollarstore beach boys und ich mag nd emal beach boys so richtig
Nope, low rent Beach Boys, and I don't particularly like them either. Most of this sounds to me like it came out in 1956 not 1966, the same year as Revolver. Whenever this music shows up on a movie soundtrack I'm annoyed by how on the nose it is. My overall enjoyment of the album was in 1 star territory, but I'm giving it 2 because they do have nice voices and there were a few pleasant moments on the drums and bass. California Dreamin annoys me overall, but there is a cool sound hidden in there.
I just couldn't do this. I tried. It's not horrible but I just don't like the folky-poppy, all the four-part harmonies (if that's what they're called), too folksy for me. Did not enjoy.
I can appreciate what it was at the time, but it feels a little bland when you consider all the other folk options from the same era. I never knew about the controversy, I guess if they were still performing in 2026 they would have been a no-brainer pick for the TPUSA alternative halftime show. I didn't hate it but I don't think I'll be returning often. On the plus side you can listen to the whole thing in the time it takes to pinch a loaf.
One great track. The rest is forgettable. This list should be about great albums, not mediocre albums that contain one historically significant track.
The sixties called. They want their Easy Listening Starter kit back. Absolutely no problem.
Partially known. Aside from the 3 big songs, not very interesting.
Cool, but not for me
We had a good run of 60s rock albums. I was starting to think I was a changed man; that "60slop" was a word of the past. Sadly, it was actually The Beatles single-handedly carrying the decade for me these past weeks. The Mamas & The Papas here do harmonize nicely, I suppose, but the music didn't move me in any way. Standout: California Dreamin'
Pop. Bubblegum. Pop.
Good songs, very rememberable. Points deducted for the weird history of this group.
The unmistakable sound of Laurel Canyon. The vocals on the album are great - especially given there are 4 singers . Was it all I hopped it would be … Was this Monday morning, as I listen , so good to me? Sadly no . The singles are excellent the rest is okay but a little slow.
Not for me
Listening Notes Classic 60s Cali pop rock The vocal performances are a highlight Really well produced record but outside of the singles, nothing too memorable or noteworthy with half the tracks being covers Standout Tracks "Monday, Monday", "California Dreamin'" First time? Yes Will it go into your rotation? No
Eh, musically it’s not bad and I like the harmonies. Knowing about John Phillips doesn’t help. The hits (Monday, Monday and California Dreamin’) were great but the rest of the songs were not that interesting.
Monday, Monday is a good song and California Dreamin’ is a great song but the rest of mostly filler. They at times sound like they are copying the Beatles, and literally covering them with one song. Plus some weird shit happened in that band.
Spanish Harlem was good, but mid otherwise
This wasnt too bad to listen too
2 bangers and the harmonies. Not sure it's top 1000 though.
I liked this album!
It's been such a rough run lately.
Didn’t do it for me. One or two pretty recognizable bops.
not my style
Outdated
not for me
It's weird to think of a group like this doing lots of drugs.
The songs are all great but this is not something I'd go to for multiple listens. Kinda bland '60s stuff.
It sounded fine. The 2 singles carried it for me. I prefer The Beach Boys cover of “Do You Wanna Dance?” I don’t know if I would ever come back to this album though…
pretty good for the sixties. Monday, monday souns like a song i've heard before. The album sounds like waking up on the right side of the bed, kinda with the beat at least. 5/10
A couple of decent tracks, one great track. I thought this was mostly pretty forgettable. I wouldn't listen to the whole album again.
No acabé de escucharlo.
Some of the melodies feel purposefully grating. I can appreciate the skill it takes to make them but I didn't care for it much.
Sympa lais pas fan de toutes les musiques, évidemment California Dreamin’ est indémodable mais le reste me laisse dubitative
Monday, Monday California Dreamin'
not really my thing!
Fine at low volume in a coffee shop but not for my cans!
not my favorite like the vibes though
- Ew, another pedo. - The singles are great - California Dreaming, Monday Monday… Go Where You Wanna Go is good, too. The other songs didn’t really do much for me - a lot of covers that weren’t as good as the originals. - Some nice harmonies, and some fun instrumentation.
Classics and other “groovy” songs
Nah. 2.2
1001 albums generator, why do you keep giving me boring 60s pop albums and not the good stuff of that decade? This one has got one good song while the rest is unintersting. Plus, the band's name is stupid and the album cover is ridicolous...
#21 Like if the Beatles and ABBA had a baby. +1 for California Dreamin'.
Damn the harmonies There’s that episode of the Simpson’s where Homer gets long luxurious hair and has 2 hippie chicks surrounding him brushing his hair. This album may as well be in the background. This album is halfway between the 50s and the late 60s, I wish it was more the late 60s, sometimes it feels too old fashioned. Songs: Monday Monday California dreamin The in crowd
Mid Beatles ass sounding album
I was surprised by how dated this one sounded - I thought it would sparkle more. The well known tracks still sound great and Cass Elliot’s voice still shines but some songs, like Spanish Harlem, with those strings, sound like something by a crooner from 10 years earlier. I think I’ll stick with the Best Of…
Something that would be on at your nan’s house
It's alright? Even the hits I had never heard. It sounds like a softer version of Jefferson Airplane.
Four stars for the mamas - two stars for the papas
Sounds great, but I can't get past the horrific abuse allegations.
a bit dated....
This album fits very well into its time frame, however it falls a bit flat in every characteristic for the time. It isn't really upliftinglike The early Beatles, it definitely doesn't sound like the Beach Boys, by far not as experimental as the late Beatles. It just doesn't really do anything. 'California Dreaming' is however an all-time classic hit and will never be forgotten. It is easily the best song on this album as well. It almost lifts it to a 3/5, however it falls just short of that. 2/5
I like just California Dreamin, the rest I didn't really care for.
Mamas and Papas a real mixed bag. Some lovely tracks (Monday Monday, California Dreamin) but it's all very slow and lacking energy
This one did not age well. One standout songs and a bunch of forgettable 60's music.
The "do you wanna dance" is super eerie. The other covers are pretty good. Very 60s. 5/10
Call this a double yellow line because it's middle of the road and brother you do not want to cross it.
I'm sure that this was very good for it's time.
Only 1 good song which is very famous. Rest of album is boring
Never really been a big fan of this beachy style of folk, it just gets so repetitive, feels like the same song over and over.
California Dreamin’ is in a league of its own. Tracks 1 and 11 are decent, and in spite of the pretty harmonies, I find the rest of the album boring
It splits the difference between sunny 60s psychedelic pop and 70s AM radio staples, with echoes of popular music from the ’50s. The harmonies are nice, but outside of the big hits “Monday, Monday” and “California Dreaming,” it feels pretty light on substance — delicate and pretty, but not especially memorable. I confess that this album betrays an innocence and optimism that I find hard to square with our present-day Bad Place reality. Which is a depressing thing to realize, and it’s not their fault. But I am also just now learning about the dark back story of this group, which is.
Like the harmonies but still a bit schmaltzy.
Four people in one bathtub? These fuckers are crazy.
Porridge is too hot, porridge is too cold.
2/5
Ok
Can we believe what we see and hear? With John Phillips, not at all. No sickly sweet production could cover his unpleasantness. In 1960, Psycho was the first film to show a flushing toilet, hinting at the effluent that pop culture tries to imagine away. The bidet on the cover of this album makes the same transgressive move: can the four hippies in the tub be as wholesome and peace-loving as their image and their sound makes out? Can we really believe that Phillips "stopped into a church (he) passed along the way" without bursting into flames? He's tempting us to prod the surface and touch his gross, wriggling id beneath. It should be no surprise, then, that the music is so insubstantial: it's a fake front, there is no heart, because the heart is small and black. The veil of production is as garish and thin as Jimmy Savile's running shorts (I just googled Savile to check the spelling of his surname and the platform describes him as "media personality and DJ. John Phillips too is a "singer-songwriter.") Of course, one can and should separate the artist from the art, but, when the artist is toying with you, as though he were the Zodiac Killer, you don't have to be taken in. Wan, banal stuff. 1.5 Sure they are all on the cover piled in a bathtub together but that’s as indecorous as this album gets. Everything here feels clean and polished to sparkle. Careful arrangements and lovely little details in the piano and the bass, and the strings, and of course the vocals weave in and out spotlessly. But for the most part there is only the sparkle and nothing much behind it. Most of these songs weren’t worth the effort. Inoffensive fluff. Can the Polished Turd help but spring to mind? There is a toilet on the front cover. Looking at that toilet actually - did toilets used to sit lower? It just seems too close to the floor. I could research that - that’s something for me to do instead of ever listening to this again. 2/5
California Dreamin' evokes the era perhaps better than any other song. Sadly, the rest of the album doesn't live up to it. Some of it is pleasant enough, but the rest is fairly dull easy listening.
Good pop album. Bass was doing some interesting stuff. Harmonies got boring fast but I can see why they've inspired so many covers.
I'm not disputing this album being in the list; makes a lot of sense from the political and musical point of view. Yet I did not find it very interesting or entertaining; just plain ok. 5/10
This mostly seems to rely on the strength of its singles. Unfortunately, the version I had access to uses the singles mixes, so I don’t know quite what the original LP sounded like.
No son malos, pero es realmente aburrido. Rock de semilla, medio coral.
Helt ok, fine harmonier, men litt masete etterhvert når det er ett helt album med bare det. California Dreamin er en banger da, det skal de ha
Too much of the same era
4/10 - not unpleasant, a bit boring though but very west coast sound
Great if you're into that kinda thing, no denying they're talented vocalists. The album just felt like a lot of less good than the original covers. If you dig Rockapella, this prob your Abbey Road
When this popped up I knew I was going to hate it. I'm 670 albums into this project, so I'm going to finish it, but I'll tell you - I'm not excited for it anymore. There's just waaaayyyyy too much 60s and 70s bullshit, and many of these bands have five and six albums - Bowie, apparently, has nine! That wouldn't be so much of a problem except they've left out some very obvious albums from other eras/genres and it's frustrating. I guess this is less of a review of the album and more a vent about the project. So here's the album review: it stinks. it sounds like the Beatles added a chick and some tambourines. It's such a template of 60s flower child hippie bullshit. It sounds like the Monkees. It sounds like every other hippie, flower child template album in this project, of which there are about 30.
First half of the album was pretty dull to me, but the second half made me pay more attention
ZzZzZzzzzzZzZzZzzzzzZzZzZz tai um grupo que cairia no esquecimento se não fizessem um filme ou série sobre os anos 60 de 3 em 3 anos (que obrigatoriamente vai tocar california dreamin)
eh anos 60 até o cu fazer biquinho. não no bom sentido. ouso dizer que só tem california dreamin' nesse aqui. o resto eh paia.
Un poco sinmas
I would never listen to this album, just not my kind of thing. But two stars because California Dreamin' is an all time greatest song.
Boring…
I was bit worried that this album might be full of California dreaming type of hippie stuff (before the hippie time i know), but there are decent 60's pop songs in this one. Not bad.
I would count playing with stereo image as useless feature that just annoyed me. Otherwise neutral shit.
By no means is it a bad album, actually, I can absolutely see the appeal of this being a great album; it just is not my cup of tea in the slightest. "California Dreamin'" is obviously the album's standout track; "Monday, Monday" also stood out, but the rest just blended together into an unremarkable pile. 2/5, added no songs to the liked playlist.
what you get when a heroine addict is aggressively mediocre. There are a few songs that are played on ye olde radio but the rest are like hippies taking one step away from 1950s early 60s rock, as in there is bridge to more modern music and they aren't over it, or in the middle, but have one foot on the bridge and one in the 1950s. Not terrible, just aggressive beige.
62/100 ALL THE LEAVES WERE BROOWNNNN this album was just kinda boring, half of it was mid, half of it was decent, california dreamin was unfortunately the best song and the only reason i say unfortunately is because 1. the song itself isn't that great and 2. it breaks the trend of my albums having popular tiktok sounds in them and they were never the best song until this. flip you the mamas and the papas. but in all seriousness, this album is bland af i wouldnt even say its not my cup of tea it was just too repetitive towards the back half
mediocre nothing crazy
I'm sorry but I hate this. The singles are fine. It just makes me depressed in a musty old house kinda way.
Chungking Express is one of my favorite movies. It's hard for me to divorce this group from being anything but the source of the song in that movie and to be completely honest, I prefer the film's other needle drop, the Cantonese cover of the Cranberries' "Dreams".
It was ok, won't listen again
Album filled with sugary songs about love with grade school lyrics. Without the obligatory cutscene of 1960s Venice Beach in the backdrop California Dreaming is about as boring as it gets. Very much feels like the product of its time and place.
Encore un album fun! Son bien 60s, heavy sur les harmonies et la tambourine Manque peut-être un peu de grit à mon goût, un peu corny (Sauf la toune California Dreamin)
Snoozefest
I just generally don’t enjoy these multi-singer groups. There’s some good songs on here for sure (California Dreaming = banger) but I just can’t imagine myself returning to this.
I'm just not in the mood for this today, the vocal harmony is really good but I'm going with a 2 for now.
This is like having after works drinks in your office in the late 60s. Your straight-laced boss who is completely out of touch with the world asks what music is cool these days. Excitedly, you hope for him to put the Doors, the Rolling Stones or maybe even some Hendrix on, but that slow drawl of Monday, Monday reminds you that you are drinking in an office with acquaintances, not partying in the club with friends. Everyone makes polite conversation, and there is a hint of the party lifting as California Dreamin comes on. But that doesn’t last long. You’re not having a terrible time, but you are painfully aware that there are far more enjoyable parties going on down the road.
It seems very safe middle of the road soft rock that is not offensive but not interesting to listen to either.
I only listened to this for California Dreamin'. Monday, Monday SUCKS
Starts off with Monday, Monday. Never knew the artist, but now I do! Same thing with California Dreamin'. Seems like this may be a recurring theme... Overall, strong Beatles vibes, especially on Straight Shooter. This makes sense I suppose for 1966 as that was a common sound of the era. Favorites: - Straight Shooter - California Dreamin' - Somebody Groovy
While an enjoyable album to listen to, not too much stood out for me other than the classics “Monday, Monday” and “California Dreamin”. Some nice harmonies throughout, but maybe I just wasn’t in the right mindset for this vibe today. Favorite tracks: - Monday, Monday - California Dreamin’
All of these 60 signs song the same. They are good, but all the same, I enjoy them, but they have the same vibe
4/10
Wow, what treacly, soulless, mid-60s pop crap. Saved only by the classic song “California Dreamin’.” But otherwise, a long slog for a 33-minute record.
Vraiment fade, j'ai l'impression d'écouter un des premiers albums des Beatles, jusqu'àHelp (mais ils ont même pas le mérite d'être les premiers à l'avoir fait). Désolé Alice... :/
Pas mon époque! Je n’ai aucune envie d’y revenir.
Meh, it was ok.
Not a fan of Beatles clones. One great song with the rest of the album being something I would never really listen to.
“California Dreaming” is an all-timer, the rest is just fine. It’s fine.
Meh. To samey. 2-3/10.
Classic album with some excellent songs I recognise, but won’t listen to it again.
It’s just not my taste to be honest ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Yeah, good, I think 60s music doesn't really draw me in. Can respect it, especially California Dreamin', but leaves me wanting more
I thought The Beach Boys yesterday sounded aged. Well actually this wasn’t so bad. But it wasn’t so great either. Perhaps it’s my youthful ear but I think there’s a reason the only song from this I know is California Dreamin’. Not actively bad but not my cup of tea.
This kinda style and sound is ok in small doses
california dreamin la única buena
Listening on a 'Monday Morning'. Thats got to be a 1 in 7 chance. But I'm in summer, not 'on a winters day', it's June. Thats a 1 in 4 chance. But at least my Spanish Red Roses are doing well this year. All pretty innocent times. The album cover was banned because.... shock horror... there is a toilet in the picture, I mean, how could they, disgusting! Burn them! Have they no principles. In spite of their crap name and album cover, the songs took be back in time to more innocent days, not that I can remember them, my romanticised version of them. Whatever. Geeks.
I don't think I'm old enough to understand why this is here. It's a fine simulacrum of 60s ice cream pop.
The hits were the only specks of gold. I suppose it wasn't bad, but for a band that sounded like a cross between Jefferson Airplane and The Beach Boys you'd think I'd be more excited.
Surprised I didn’t enjoy this a lot more, I feel mamas and papas are more of a single band than an album band!
This album is the most 60s sounding album of all time. It’s almost like stock music written for a Walmart commercial set in the 60. It’s basically AI generated “60s rock.” It feels like a mix of a bunch of more interesting bands. It’s a little bit Beatles, a little bit Beach Boys, a little bit The Byrds, a little bit Jefferson Airplane, a little bit CSNY, a little bit Bob Dylan… but it’s not really as interesting as any of those other bands, except for the song California Dreaming. That’s a classic. It deserves its acclaim and longevity. The rest of the album is pleasant when it’s on, inoffensive, but not memorable. Even their cover of “Do you wanna dance” is kinda of boring. There are tons of better covers of that song, including The Beach Boys version (and the Ramones version). I think the nicest thing I could say about the album overall is that it does really summarize a lot of popular 60s rock music in a weird way? You kinda get the gist of the rock space at the time through this album. But personally I’d rather listen to almost any of their contemporaries. Ultimately, I feel that this record deserves a 2.5 out of 5… it’s fine. But because I have to either knock it up to 3 or down to 2, I’m gonna knock it down because of the final track, The “in” crowd. It’s the only outwardly bad track on this album. The lyrics really lack self awareness. Either they are bragging about being cool, which feels deeply uncool. Orrrr they’re not cool and they are do this ironically and are seemingly bitter about not being cool… which also isn’t cool and isn’t going to convince anyone that you deserve to be cool. So ya… because of this stupid final track, I’m rounding down.
Pleasant little pop album with some great harmonies. Not much to write home about though.
i mean its alrightt
Every aesthetic impulse I have is telling me to hate this music. And I think I do actually hate it. Just look at them sitting there in their bathtub, like someone photoshopped The Shaggs onto a Papa Roach album cover. California Dreamin is a classic, Monday Monday is good too, and props to them for letting the fat one into the band long before such things were done. If only that were enough.
The classics on here hold their ground, but everything in between is horribly dated. There’s also something in the Beatles cover that irks me. As if the kids from Glee truly believed their rendition of Don’t Stop Believing to be superior. Barring California Dreaming, there’s just no drama here. Which is a shame since that song is phenomenal. ⭐️⭐️
I don't know why this album bothered me. Their songs are decent in small doses.
2,4/5
Nice … but if I’m honest I expected to like it more than I did. The group has such a big reputation and I love the music fry this era but this was just nice. Maybe it suffered because of my expectations. Vocal harmonies were spot on and the tunes catchy enough but not really my cup of tea
Mediocre, at best. Very stupid band name and album cover.
So it turns out that Mama Cass didn't actually choke to death on a ham sandwich, but what is certain is that John Phillips is an absolute monster. I suppose leading with that isn't really fair for a review that's supposed to be about the music, but it's hard not to think about how the main songwriter of the group is such a colossal waste of oxygen...so like it or not, it's going to inform my opinion here for better or worse. Okay, now that we got that out of the way, onto the music. California Dreamin' is a fantastic song, no doubt, but beyond that (and maybe Monday Monday, but we're mainly going on recognition here) there wasn't much else that stood out to me as being on nearly that same level. Overall, the sound really isn't my thing...I can appreciate the faux hippie vibes as much as the next guy, but most of these arrangements are just far too syrupy for me. The harmonies are great, of course, but some of the excessive arrangements actually seem to take attention away from their vocal talents, which should absolutely be a constant focus. Maybe its being informed by my understanding about how a lot of the hippie movement was kind of a facade, but I get a kind of "manufactured" vibe from a lot of the music, and I don't hear much all that much genuine conviction in the performances. Or, maybe it's the knowledge of John Phillips being a piece of shit that gives me that impression. Either way, another album who's impact I certainly understand, but the music for the most part just doesn't do it for me.
Oldie but goodish. Hate to say this but Harmonies can get a bit bland after 3 songs.
meh
Mostly bad except the California Dreamin song. I generally like 60s music to some degree, but compared to a lot of albums this one seemed very boring.
Not my favorite group. Nice harmonies though.
A couple of amazing songs on here but the rest of the album is unbelievably bland
Kinda boring, it's cute but veryyy repetitive
Califonrnia dreamin' - in times of Donald Trump...
2 sterne
Enjoyed California Dreamin' and quite an inoffensive album overall. Don't love it - ok for background. Quite pop-folky. 5/10
Most songs here are a little bland and forgettable, but California Dreamin'... holy shit, what a masterpiece of a pop song. I don't hate this album, but there's just nothing that interesting here, and it's pretty outdated. At least it's short... 5/10
This album was a little too corny for me. With such a focus on the vocals you get these amazing harmonies and performances but are forced to suffer through the cornball hippy platitudes. The lyricism and production texture of the album just makes me think this was cooked up in a lab for maximum profits. Rating: 2.5
60s pop with solid harmonies usually does the trick for something that is at least pleasant sounding. From what I know about this band, that is exactly what I'm expecting from this album, especially since it has "California Dreaming" on it. Looks like it will be squeaky clean. Safe and edgeless music for the whole family. Predicting that it will be fine, but nothing special. Monday, Monday The production on this song definitely hasn't aged well. Extremely 60s. The harmonies are pretty good. As for songs about not liking Mondays this one is pretty okay. Has some decent lyrics. Decent. 3.5/5 Straight Shooter Does a bit more with the band, the guitar is alright, though the percussion is just annoying. Has some country vibes. The alternating vocals and the harmonies they create sound pretty nice. Decent. 3.5/5 Got A Feelin' Creepy sounding. The instrumental has some unsettling energy, especially the ticking clock. The voices are pretty nice. It was a good decision to keep the track short, any longer and the ticking would've been annoying. The layering of the two different vocals is the highlight here, paired alongside the strange instrumental it works out into a decently executed song. Not mindblowing by any means, but I swe what they're going for. Decent. 3.5/5 I Call Your Name Really standard 60s pop song. Extremely uncool, has less edge than a circle. The harmonies are good, but the song is really uninspiring, does very little for me. Average. 2.5/5 Do You Wanna Dance I didn't know I could grow even whiter by listening to a song, but I think I'm starting to become translucent. This is a song where the stereo really does a number on me. Sounds terrible in my headset. Makes me nauseous. The song isn't terrible, but the production has aged so badly that it's nearly unlistenable on my setup. A victim of time. 1.5/5 Go Where You Wanna Go I don't like the vocals. Earpiercing. The recording quality does not help. Annoying chorus. Terrible sounding strings. Not good. 1.5/5 California Dreamin' Quintessential 60s song. It's cultural impact is still felt to this day. Used in plenty of media to indicate the time period. Covered many times by different artists and has plagued many an accapella troupe. Really catchy and fun to sing along to. The dark undertones in the lyrics and the haunting echoing backing vocals create a sinister feeling which keeps going throughout the track. A track where the dated production does it some favours by upholding the eerie atmosphere. Classic that has stood the test of time. A bit overplayed, but still pretty fantastic. 5/5 Spanish Harlem Corny. Both in terms of lyrics, composition and lyrics. Just extremely dated and lame. Ick successfully acquired. A relic of its time best forgotten. 1/5 Somebody Groovy The datedness has somehow come full circle and transformed into charm. Doesn't sound all that great. "Groovy" used to describe a person is a slang term which I'm really glad didn't stick around. Average. 2.5/5 Hey Girl Sounds really empty instrumentally, genuinely has demo vibes. Production hasn't aged well in the slightest. Forgettable lyrics. Did not like. 2/5 You Baby Kinds sweet. Sounds awful, especially the backing vocals, awful recording quality, sounds really muddled and unclear. Aged poorly, though there's an okay song buried in there. 2/5 The "In" Crowd Quite a decent concept. Still sounds horrible, the mix has a lot of problems, though mainly with the vocals. The organ is snappy and fun, the band performance in general is pretty good. Ruined by the mix. 2/5 This has aged extremely poorly, it sounds absolutely terrible on my setup for the most part. Some songs were almost entirely ruined by it. Much of the writing is extremely basic and forgettable, and to modern ears a lot of it also comes off as corny. Some of the tracks have a bit of charm, even some of the charm coming from how dated it sounds, though most of it is just bland. The harmonies, the singing ability and the synergy between the performers remains at a high level throughout, though doesn't quite do enough to carry the album. Apart from a few hits (mainly California Dreamin') there's not much on here worth caring too much about. There's plenty of other music from this era I'd rather be listening to. Dated. 2/5 Fave track. California Dreamin' Least fave track. Spanish Harlem
Rating: 5/10 Meh.
California dreamin is a classic and evokes an era so well. But the rest if it I couldnt warm to. I dont know why but i dont imagine id like people who enjoy this music. Its too twee and smug.
Sry, I am too young for this.
I can’t get over the album cover. What possessed them to all climb into the bathtub. That’s some good kink. Although after what I read on Wikipedia about one of the Papas I’m now concerned these people could have been related. Which would be bad kink. Is it me or does that toilet look kinda gross? I can’t tell if that’s just an ugly yellow tint you get in old photographs or if they needed to do some scrubbing. Those boots are kinda awesome. I could see myself picking up a pair just like those if I ever was going to rock some hippy retro vibe. Sadly I can’t speak for the music on this album just the cover. as it was so vanilla. I will give it a 2 for the boots alone.
This would be a 1 if not for California Dreamin'
I always liked how Michele Phillips ate a banana while singing on live TV because they wouldn't let the band actually play live. Also Mama Cass apparently had some killer parties. But this album is pretty stale outside the big hits.
I actually hate "California Dreamin'". The rest of the album is fine, but it's not something that I'd care to listen to again.
Liked it pretty cool. One song I already really liked. Lots of potential to love. But also I think one that most people would hate.. not me however so I guess who cares.
This really didn’t age well.
Bland and boring. Only California Dreaming holds water. Glad we've evolved passed this kind of music
Not really my style
As I get into this one, it feels like a 2-3/5. I'm familiar with some of it. It's okay, but not hard hitting. Post Listen: 2/5. Not my style.
some objective bangers on there but nfm.
Groupe inconnu. Belles harmonies vocales, mais rien d'original par ailleurs. Au final l'album est plutôt ennuyeux, je n'y reviendrais pas. =>2/5
I see the vision but it’s not for me… this is like what I imagine in my head when I think of generic 60s music
Good harmonies, but otherwise a one hit wonder. I like my California beach pop rock to be happy, and most of these lyrics are a downer.
Worst thing you can be is boring. This is so inoffensively dull I had a headache from halfway through.
Slow and repetitive
Are these albums really randomly generated? Because the first track on this album seems like the perfect starting track for a daily album challenge... "Monday, Monday." Always have love "California Dreamin'" and have heard other various Mamas and Papas songs over the years, but this was a first time I sat down and specifically listened to them in one big chunk and my reaction is kind of "meh." The end of the album snuck up on me and all of a sudden Spotify was playing "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield. I guess it just because background noise. All of the songs just started to sound the same.
Calforonia was dreamy the rest, nightmarish
Apart from California Dreamin' this bunch of harmonising hippy grocers don't bring much to the party. Apart from their apostrophes, obvs.
couple of tunes I already knew but not worth another listen.
The three singles—Go Where You Wanna Go, California Dreamin’-and Straight Shooter are quintessential 60s flower pop. The rest of the album is filler and the covers are done better elsewhere.
Don't remember much about this other than California Dreamin'
Stämsång, annars låg verkshöjd.
Not really my style.
Mamas & The Papas are ALL about the HARD PAN. It was so striking on "Monday, Monday" that I had to research. According to reddit this is the answer: "John Phillips kept bouncing the mixes down to another track each time he’d overdub harmonies. Its the same reason the first Crosby Stills Nash album isn’t a sonic marvel. Bounce downs made the sound weaker and also limited mixing options, which is why the backing tracks are often confined to one channel only." 1950/1960s was also apparently the early days of stereo mixing and professionalizing audio engineers. In early days they could only pan 100% L or R. I know this is incredibly snobby but if I could get my hands on the mono recording it'd be a 3.5 but this stereo recording hurts my head. If I ran the Mama & Papas estate I'd make this my top priority to get my mono recordings to replace this trash.
Very forgettable. Not don't understand why it made the list. Two decent/good songs in 'Monday, Monday' and 'California Dreaming'. Wasn't shit. Just wasn't good either.
It's fine to take your daughter to the fairground or buy her some shoes every now and then, but maybe leave it at that.
like i guess. good background noise
Playschool music. Pom pom pom pom. California Dreamin is nice.
I listened to this ages ago and forgot to rate it; a second listen doesn't help it. Thankfully, it was quite short
Love California Dreaming, but the rest is twee and bland. The vocal separation to different channels is understandable for the time, but it really sucks. It's well sung I suppose, but the material and musical arrangements are nothing special. I'm going with 2 stars, as I didn't hate it, there were one or two good tracks, but I'm never going to listen to this again if I can help it, and the remaining 10 tracks were just an instantly forgettable blur of saccharine nonsense. Some of it felt like it would belong on a parody album, which I think I would have given a higher score to, maybe a 3.
The album has its moments, but it doesn’t quite live up to its iconic reputation. While "Monday, Monday" and "California Dreamin’" are undeniably catchy, much of the album feels repetitive and lacks the same spark. It’s fine as a piece of 60s nostalgia, but it doesn’t hold up as a must-listen today.
Не понравилась такая музыка.
I kind of get sick of the sort of folk bubblegum pop from the 60s. It's just super lame. I mean I guess I see the appeal of it as something that's easy to listen to and won't challenge you at all but that's not really something I enjoy much. This being hailed as one of the best albums ever recorded is so strange to me - it sounds like countless other albums from the mid 60s. I was glad when it was over. 2/5
Monday, Monday: Very interesting, accurate since I am listening to this on a Monday, kinda folk music, actually kinda cool
A lot like ABBA, who I also don't really like. Too upbeat and groovy for my tastes, and I don't mean groovy like "has a groove" I mean it like 60s.
I guess I always assumed all The Mamas and the Papas songs would be as good as California Dreamin' but I had never really listened to much else. Well unfortunately the rest of this album anyway didn't do much for me. But oddly enough for the first time in my life did I accidentally hear "and I pretend to pray" instead of "and I began to pray" and apparently it was originally supposed to be "pretend" but Mama Cass sang the wrong lyric. I'm not sure how I heard "pretend" but it's strange that I did and then read about the lyric switch.
California folk rock.
If it were for pure nostalgia, I'd give this a five. But apart from the two standouts and the singers' performance this is an overall average album, with some covers that are close to terrible. Unfortunately, this kind of music soon became carrier for all kinds of memorable advertisements, which makes it hard to listen to without spontaneous imagining of toothbrushes. Has ages pretty badly.
Niin pehmoista menoa, että huomaa kyseessä olevan ns. vanhan albumin. Ei kiinnostellut mikään kappaleista.
Mjjaa
First off……what a horrible album cover. Could they have at least cropped out the toilet?? And the facial expressions certainly tell a story…..only Cass looks happy. And John looks pissed off at the world. The three classic songs aside…..much of this album sounds like bad elevator music. Ick.
Trist skiva som går i slowmotion. Inte ens California Dreamin är speciellt bra. 60- talet är inte speciellt bra. De orkar inte ens få till peppiga Yeah. Det låter som de tycker det är lika tråkigt att sjunga musiken som det är att lyssna på den. Det räcker nu!
Unmemorable, beatles soundalike
This is just one of a million different lame mid-sixties folk groups that happened to hit it big by tie dyeing their beatnik wear and hiring the Wrecking Crew to play super dumbed down easy listening electrified folk rock behind them. This is just slightly less lame Sonny & Cher. The only counterpoint to that is the fact that "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday" are undeniably great songs.
Okay I get it this album is 58 years old, the songs are well crafted, but I prefer the Ramones cover of Do You Wanna Dance. Overall it fine, but a little too poppy for me.
“California Dreamin’” is a great song, the rest of the album doesn’t do much for me. Super saccharine stuff, way too many orchestral flourishes for me.
Bullshit
Not its fault, but it's very dated/old fashioned. No real concept of the album being one cohesive unit.
2,5/5
Started out ok but ended up liking it a bit less close the the end. Besides the big hit, 2 more songs were saved.
Only added two songs to my Playlist.
Didn't really listen that intently but boring, 2.1.
I think instead of these four, Mama Cass should make her own kind of music!
This album is really boring im sorry
I was familiar with this album and have played California Dreaming on repeat! But other than Got a Feelin’ I can’t say I like the album, even as much as I enjoy the band’s style of music and harmonizing. It is really redundant and gets old rather quickly.
90% do álbum é música de fundo pra viver a vida, os outros 10% são músicas ok, mas que você ouve e depois já esquece. Melhor Música: Spanish Harlem, You Baby. Pior Música: N/A 2.0/5
Very Fallout vibes. This is how I imagine most music before The Beatles! Some cute songs, Monday and California dreaming
Thankfully short. Hard to believe this was considered hip at the time.
let’s copy the beetles and beach boys at the same time
3 really good, recognizable, timeless songs. The rest sound okay, but haven't really aged as well as the hits.
It's okay, but seems a little generic; I'd rather listen to Buffalo Springfield. "California Dreamin'" is a stone-cold banger, though - enough that I may listen to the rest of the album again.
I wanted to get eviscerated by soft spoken harmonies but this thing is just kinda dinky. Has its moments. 2/5
This ranged from corny to just ok for me. It’s not bad but it’s not great. Two notes, the Ramones version of Fo You Wanna Dance is infinitely better than the one on here. And I can’t hear California Dreamin’ without thinking of The Dead Milkmen and the sketch from the Kelsey Grammer Sketch show (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1v9cRhT8Gno&list=FLUEiFsihiBtiiqTbVRZMiWw&index=2&pp=gAQB)
Very wholesome and very classic, it feels like a hallmark of a simpler time. I didn't dislike it, but I also genuinely don't have much esteem for it.
California Dreamin' is a great song. Other than that forgettable at best. Also, is Spanish Harlem a song about grooming?
Vocal Harmonies are really good the big songs are still around for a reason Just not my style.
Good vocal harmonies. This didn't do much for me besides that.
Ok
Outside of two good songs, this really grates on you after awhile. I could only make it about 3/4 of the way through the album before I had to just turn it off. It's too much of the same same a capella over and over and over again.. sometimes purely a cappella with no music. Not great, and only saved 1 star because of two stand out songs.
I see that M&Ps are kind of a bridge between the pop vocal groups and the late 60s rock movement. To me, aside from California Dreaming, which is an amazing tune, this is all out dated and boring now to me. I understand John Phillips wrote many of the tunes, and their harmonies are great, but it is a very limited sound.
Never listened to this whole album, but have heard Monday Monday and California Dreamin of course. I like those two songs but the remainder of the songs on the album were meh to me.
Very of its time. California Dreamin' is so beyond over-played that I don't enjoy it anymore. I hadn't heard of most of these, and enjoyed a handful (Go Where You Wanna Go, The "In" Crowd) but the songs are mostly forgettable to me. Listened through twice, and didn't really recognize anything on the second roll through. Not a terrible album, just nothing special.
Love the album cover. Love California Dreamin. Hate the apostrophes. That’s about all there is to say about these Mammas and Pappas.
I remember loving 'California Dreamin' as a teen and looking up other music by the Mamas & the Papas & even then being disappointed it was a bunch of upbeat, Monkees sounding pop-folk that didn't come even close to how good that single is. I didn't change my mind today.
Boring
2/10
They sound happy
California Dreamin' is wonderful, and Monday, Monday is decent, but after that it all feels too much like something written for Austin Powers.
Pretty good album with a few iconic songs on it. I had never heard "Spanish Harlem" before and it's pretty good. I'm sure I will listen to this again at some point but it isn't something that I would go out of my way to hear.
California Dreamin, classic. Pretty inoffensive record overall, sounds like background music for a movie set in this era. Not too memorable otherwise.
California Dreamin -riktig Steamer Intressant att de gjort ett ikoniskt ”sound”, bara inte ett jag gillar så mycket
While there’s a handful of excellent songs filled with 60’s pop harmonies, the majority of this is bland hippy pop that feels like it lasts an eternity. It certainly has at least two songs I could tolerate being in 1001 Songs list, but so does Cass Elliot in her short solo career, and those are even more essential, yet a Mama Cass album is nowhere to be found on this list. Suspicious, isn’t it… Yeah, this album is not essential. And not very good. You know what songs to add to a playlist. Keep it at that and move on.
Very dated and uninteresting
feels like something ive already listened to but worse
2.5
That was the goofy 60s. CA Dreamin’ and Monday Monday are OK songs (remember them well from back in the day) and have listenable harmonies. Every other day, every other day I’m listening to something else. (2.4*s)
I get that this was the 60's but this album is too singy-songy for me, it sounds a bit hokey overall. They have some nice harmonies but they sound too much like the Beach Boys and other groups of this time to really stand out on the list. There's one great song (obv "CA Dreamin") and a few other decents but it's not enough to carry the rest. "Straight Shooter" should be named "Straight Ripoff," I've never heard it before but somehow I have (because it's def a copy of some other band's song). Minus points for the typos and the toilet on the cover. Bye boring white people.
Anneliese Brown
2.08
\"Straight Shooter\" is a bop but the rest of this album blends into one big cheery samesong.
Not really my kind of music, aside from a couple of songs. Good voices though.
Not for me
As I've stated previously, pop music of this era can tend to grate on me, particularly of the earlier psychedelic period as I don't think some of it has aged very well. The Mommas and the Pappas and almost any group adjacent or connected to them all tend to fall in this heap. Though, I was hoping to be a little surprised by this, and granted I was caught off guard a little, as a few of these songs, either directly or inadvertently, seemed to be templates for much later acts of baroque indie pop rock which emerged about 15 years ago or slightly earlier. The song 'Do You Wanna Dance' remarkably sounds like the blueprint for Jens Lekman's 'Maple Leaves'. So going through this and spotting those elements was fun, but this album is fairly bland and safe.
2 pretty boring only good song is California dreaming. I feel like this what what parents of hippies wanted their kids to listen to
I don’t vibe with it
Contemporary mid 60's album, lush melodies and vocal layers in all shapes, forms and keys. Really quick listen and most of the songs are similar in structure. Dare I call this album generic? The mamas and the papas get tremendous acclaim for their contributions to pop music and while I agree at some times, I mean the beatles we're kicking ass in 1966 too.
Gear: Focal Clear (ZMFed) Artwork: ich mag meinen Augen nicht trauen - was für ein Griff ins Klo für ein Gruppenfoto Mix: antike Stereo-Späße Musik: trippy-flop Hippie-Pop Wertung: 🚽🚽(🚽)/5 (inkl. +1 für "California Dreamin'")
Every time I liked a song the next song was terrible. But at least I liked some songs, it's more than I hoped for
bad and the in-group made me cringe in real life but I didnt mind it too much
Meh! Good harmonies
good vibe and california dreamin is a classic but kinda get bad mojo from allegations 2.5/5 NNN
Sounds like the Beatles, but worse
better for insomnia than a good kicking to the head...
I am a fan... Ben was obsessed with California dreamin this time last year and I get to why, it's catchy as hell. I could never be arsed to listen to the rest of the album and I suppose I can say I'm glad I now have. It hasn't changed my life admittedly, and the album covers confuses me so much. I do really like straight shooter, I call your name, do you wanna dance and somebody groovy, however they have not been added into liked songs. The album probs won't go in my library and I won't be too upset if I never have to listen to it again- maybe bar California dreamin just for the feels😍😍 And apparently John had an incestuous relationship with his daughter later on- that's put a dampener on things💀💀
Mleh
Pop radio ready, pop choir here and there; other than the covers, there's pretty much just one song here, David Gray-like. Three versions of that sound were big hits. Half a century later, it's still kind of a yawn.
There’s some individual songs I like, but not really an album I’d listen to all the way through
This album really didn't stand out to me. I'm sure it's amazing for it's time, but not for me.
Boy, this just did not work for me. I tried to get in the right mindset, thinking... "oh these harmonies are good. Oh, the fellow playing the organ has skills..." Nah, never cared a lick about what these people thought about Mondays or California.
Bit hippy happy for me California dreamin’
So-so, very dated and not wearing well
Cute, doesn't grab me
Sure some of their hits are great but Ive never been a fan.
I remembered many of these songs from my childhood. They did not age well. I’ll admit their voices harmonize well. However, their original songs were all pretty whiny about how miserable their life and loves are, and their covers of songs like “Do You Want to Dance,” and “Spanish Harlem” are downright lethargic. Muzak would do a better job. I could listen to a song or two again, but not more without falling asleep.
California Dreamin' - best thing on this album. Thought the rest of the album would be great. Nope. Pedestrian in places, leaning too heavily on Beatles and Beach Boy influences. The harmonies are obvioulsy technically perfect but it doesn't make the best of the women's voices, especially Cass's. Where the Phillips and Doherty's voices are forefronted you get that dead-behind-the-eyes-stalker-nice-boy boyfriend sound which I guess was popular of the time, but not for me. Phillips questioned whether Cass should join the band as he thought her voice might be wrong and her weight would kill their branding. Ironic, that she was the only one to carry on with a decent solo career.
Fun album - folksy with songs we all know.
No longer contemporary and not very inspiring except for the two three well-known songs.
I think this album showcases the greatness of The Beatles more than listening to one of their own records does. This album came out in 66' and in my opinion, more or less sounds similar to a lot of the sounds going on in some of the earliest Beatles works. But the thing is, those records came out a few years earlier, and by 1966, the Beatles had released Revolver, and Rubber Soul the year before that. Just compare a song like Taxman, Eleanor Rigby, or Got to Get You Into My Life, to any of the songs on this record. They sound way more modern and varied than anything on this first Mama Papa record. I know people hear The Beatles and they don't hear anything innovative. This is what I'd point them to to compare to. What would you rather listen to in 66'?
California Dreaming is a banger, rest of the album is boring
hoe lief en poppy het ook mag klinken, wanneer de 34 minuten aanvoelen als een uur (is het album nou nog niet afgelopen??? Nog een nummer????) dan kan het geen goede score opleveren.
Couple good tracks, but this is just so pedestrian.
Monday Monday and California Dreaming are great songs but I didn't care for the rest of them. I did not know that this is the original Do You Wanna Dance. I like the Ramones version better. This band is groovy but there are many flavors of groovy. This groovy is a little too vanilla for me or something.
Could only recognize california dreaming. The rest is just white noise
Some nice harmonies and orchestral arrangements, but this is a miss for me. One revelation: Jens Lekman sampled “Do you wanna dance” in his song “Maple Leaves”.
It's got that really dated 60's sound that's hard to get past
needs more doo wop
Didn't really like it :)
I had high expectations and the harmonies are gorgeous, the two huge hits are evergreen, but overall it has dated and is just another 60s pop album, albeit by talented arrangers and singers.
Sounds like every 60s album ever
There was a song or two that I liked, but overall I found this album really repetitive and boring- which isn't good because I don't really like their sound to begin with.
Not like I remembered. Definitely could smell the Haight Asbury heroin scene now, not back then though.
this had their bangers so there’s that. could i write poetry to this? n
I thought I actually liked The Mamas & The Papas, but boy I did not. Just some real hippy dippy bullshit. Mama Cass has a good voice though.
This doesn’t do a whole lot for me outside of California Dreamin. The harmonies are lovely, of course, but I find the songs to be pretty trite and cover of Spanish Harlem is pretty whitewashed.
1960s albums often fall into one of two categories, trying to be the Beatles or sound like a music for a distance time before the Beatles (and the music that influenced them) existed. If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears in the latter. California Dreamin’ is great, one of the most famous songs of all time. The rest sounds like it could be from WW2. Even Monday, Monday isn’t good. 4.3/10
Surprised how little I liked this record. Found it the instrumentation annoying and the whole thing just kind of bland. "Straight Shooter" sounds like someone just tried to copy "Day Tripper" by "The Beatles". Honestly the only song i really liked is the really excellent "California Dreaming", just listen to that and skip the rest.
Viel Country Rumgeheule Wundert mich nicht; dass man nur "Monday Monday" und "California Dreaming" davon kennt
Sappy, basic. May have been creative for its day but not interesting now
cowboy music for boring people
Wow, this one is very typical of the era it was made in. Listening to it, I can imagine what it was like to live through the 60's. Baby boomers in their youth, booming economy, relative peace. At the same time, there was so much civil unrest, with the Vietman war raging, high profile deaths and assassinations, I can understand why something so bubbly, cheery, and harmonizing would be appealing to listen to.
Volop variatie! Van naar zeurende muziek als “Got A Feeling” naar gedateerde muziek als “Do you wanna dance” naar ‘Lalala Yeah’ in “Somebody Groovy” naar zoetsappige muziek als “You Baby”. En dan komt er op het einde ineens een geinig nummer. Doet mij wat aan Amy Winehouse denken. Dat helpt het album naar de 1,5 ster.
Sommige muziek is tijdloos, andere muziek is gedateerd. Soms komt dat door de opnametechniek (hier klinkt alles ook weer enorm hol, alsof ze in een lege kerk staan), soms door de vorm van de liedjes (tergend traag, achtergrondkoortjes die op de voorgrond staan, wat lullige instrumenten). Dit heeft dat allemaal. De evergreens houden het nog enigszins staande, maar het overgrote deel is echt simpelweg te oud en heeft de tand des tijds niet doorstaan. Te oud, te gedateerd, te saai.
2/5
California dreamin' was not good enough to redeem my interest in the rest of the album.
Tveir bangerar, restin frekar ómerkileg.
Just because it's old doesn't mean it's good. This thing is barely holding together sonically. The mixing is offensive. The stereo split to hard left and right is disgusting. (Turns out there is a mono version that immediately doesn't drive me nuts, though it does peak and hiss like crazy.) This has so many Beatles moments (not a good thing) and the Spanish Harlem cover doesn't really improve on the original. California Dreaming is just shy of 3 minutes, and while great, doesn't justify the syrupy sickly nature of the rest of the album.
Grooovay
Speciaal tot maandag gewacht om dit album te reviewen. Monday, Monday hit net ff anders als het daadwerkelijk maandag is! Verder is het redelijk prima muziek. Niet echt nummers die eruit springen ofzo, alleen California Dreamin, natuurlijk... Spanish Harlem is ook wel een fijn klassiekertje. Verder trekt dit me toch niet heel erg, niet alsof ik hier nu echt geweldig enthousiast van word eerlijk gezegd. FAVO: California Dreamin, Spanish Harlem
Not necessarily a fan as comes to be a little monotonous.
Mamas and papas Good album title and cover. I was kinda disappointed. I like the harmonies but the lead vocals are very underwhelming. Monday Monday is good. Straight shooter had some fun 60s pop rock moments. “ Got a feeling” is weird and kind of off putting. California dreaming is cool. Extra points for having a flute solo.. Some filler on here like I I wanna dance and somebody groovy. I’ve only heard the Aretha Franklin version of Spanish Harlem which is 1000x better. 2.5