California Dreamin' (The Best Of The Mamas & The Papas) - Mamas & The Papas (The)

No home should be without a Mamas & Papas compilation album, and this is one of the most readily available. You should even be able to pick it up for around £5.00 or £6.00 at Sale time, which is, as they say, a snip.
It not the most comprehensive collection (you'd need to get "Creeque Alley" for that), and it's a shame that "It's getting better" and "Make your own kind of music" are not on here. But then these ...
...were possibly licensing difficulties?

The Mamas and the Papas were an integral part of the US 60s scene. They seemed to hang out with everyone, they appeared at the big rock festivals, they had a good time, making good music along the way - it all sounds so effortless.

"Dream a little dream of me", sounds as though it was a solo Mama Cass record, though it wasn't - all the emphasis is on her wonderful, clear ... more

No home should be without a Mamas & Papas compilation album, and this is one of the most readily available. You should even be able to pick it up for around £5.00 or £6.00 at Sale time, which is, as they say, a snip.
It not the most comprehensive collection (you'd need to get "Creeque Alley" for that), and it's a shame that "It's getting better" and "Make your own kind of music" are not on here. But then these songs were released as solo Mama Cass recordings, so there were possibly licensing difficulties?

The Mamas and the Papas were an integral part of the US 60s scene. They seemed to hang out with everyone, they appeared at the big rock festivals, they had a good time, making good music along the way - it all sounds so effortless.

"Dream a little dream of me", sounds as though it was a solo Mama Cass record, though it wasn't - all the emphasis is on her wonderful, clear vocal.
All the hits are here: "California Dreamin", "Monday Monday" (starts off so quietly that I usually end up turning the volume up), and "Dedicated to the one I love" - all beautiful harmonies, and very reminiscent of the hazy days of Summer - and the 60s for anyone old enough to remember those days!
There are plenty of flower-power memories here: "I call your name" even reminds me of Tiny Tim. It is, in fact a Lennon and McCratney song, though. Many of the Mamas and Papas recordings were cover versions: "You baby" is a gorgeous, exhuberant version of the Turtles' song, equally as good as the original, and "Twist and shout" is a slowed down version of the showstopping tune, one that you could even do a bit of romantic dancing to.

But the best songs were written by the band members themselves. "California Dreamin" and "Monday Monday" are John Phillips compositions, and "I saw her again" was written by Denny Doherty. This song is my own favourite from the album, a song blatantly about two-timing - pretty brave in view of the fact that relationships within the band were pretty incestuous - and I especially like the hesitancy when he sings "I saw her... I saw her again last night, and you know that I shouldn't..." Did he mis-time when he should come in, and they kept it anyway, or was it intentional? Either way it really adds something to the song.

All well worth a listen, especially if you've only ever heard the big hits before.
 

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