If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears

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

.

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

Great harmonies. Sounds of the 60s

ok

California Dreaming outpaces the rest of the album by so much

Some pretty good songs but personally not a massive fan of their sound

The Mamas & the Papas, what an odd group of people! Some of the stories about what went on within this band are pretty wild, to say the least. They were incredibly prolific though during there three or four years together. Their sound is all about harmony and melody. Those vocal harmonies are obviously what made them distinctive, and If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, their debut album, is probably the best example of what they did well. The problem for me is that once you get beyond the big songs, there isn’t actually that much going on. Of course, it contains two absolutely impeccable songs that pretty much everyone knows. “California Dreamin’” is a masterpiece and still sounds fantastic 60 years later, while “Monday, Monday” is another beautifully written pop song. Throw in a handful of covers and there are some other nice moments, but quite a lot of the album is instantly forgettable once it finishes. In some ways, this could almost be their greatest-hits album. So much of what they’re remembered for is already here on their debut, and for me they never really bettered it afterwards. It’s certainly a pleasant listen and there’s nothing particularly bad about it, but outside of “California Dreamin’”, I wouldn’t be too bothered if I never heard the album again. Favourite tracks: “California Dreamin’” is the obvious one, an iconic song and an absolute masterpiece. I also enjoyed “The ‘In’ Crowd” and “Monday, Monday”. Least favourite tracks: Nothing was horrible, but too much of the album felt like melody and harmony for the sake of it without enough underneath to make the songs memorable. Album artwork: Interesting! Certainly memorable, although probably not one I’d want hanging on the wall.

2/5

V rádiu je to v pohode. Album by som si nekúpil.

If you can believe your eyes and ears there was a great many people who enjoyed the Mama’s and the Papa’s music. It is essentially showtunes for the, then, geriatric set and a number of those songs are still played far too often on channels no one really listens to except for long haul truckers and those working a midnight to 6:00 shift. Which is to say, if this is your thing then it is a genius record filled with soft rock and folk tunes to be strummed on an acoustic guitar and sung around campfires and at elementary school assemblies. No knock on Mama Cass Elliott whose voice is golden. I wouldn’t have put this record anywhere remotely near this list but someone obviously did. It would also explain the plethora of very shitty records on this list from such luminaries as Bob Dylan and Steeley Dan. This is better than those pieces of shit, but only just. 2/5

counterculture lite. "california dreamin'" is an all timer. "monday, monday" is pretty good. the rest is fairly forgettable hippy sappy dreck. even the beatles' cover is so boring you don't even realize it's a beatles' tune. nice harmonies and production tho.

Nothing sounds special I thought it was a little boring. 5/10

Pleasant enough harmonies I guess but so MOR. Reminded me of Sunday evenings as a child when my parents listened to a half hour radio programme called "Sing Something Simple" with the Cliff Adams Singers (I know - who?!?!) The tame "nice" songs they sang always prompted me to run upstairs and put the loudest LP I had on to drown it out! This wasn't quite as bad as that but getting near and so I don't need to hear it again thanks.

Assez quelconque. A part california dreamin je ne retire rien. C’est plutôt mou et niais 4/10

I think this is a "you had to be there" album. California Dreamin' was honestly the only song on here I actually kind of liked. The covers of "Do You Want To Dance?", "Spanish Harlem" and "The In Crowd" were borderline offensive as to how bland they were.

Har du hørt det ene nummer, har du hørt dem alle. Med undtagelse af California Dreamin', der er nice 2.5

The only song I liked was california dreamin

I pulled this album a few days before the Young Rascals' Groovin, and it's fairly similar. This one is definitely on the poppier side though, and has less, well, groove. California Dreamin' is obviously a classic, but the rest of this is mostly unmemorable. Spanish Harlem is kind of OK. These guys are another one-hit-wonder that don't really deserve to have a full album on this list. 2/5

Day 6: Its alright

No mi gusta. Saccharine

meh, it's fine. i don't hate it, and the ramones covered "do you want to dance?" and dead milkmen get a great parody out of "california dreamin'". but, it's still, fine

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

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

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)