Artist:
The Mamas & the Papas
Title:
All the Leaves Are Brown: The Golden Era Collection
Year Of Release:
2001
Label:
MCA Records [088 112 653-2]
Genre:
Folk Rock, Psychedelic Pop, Sunshine Pop
Quality:
CBR 320 kbps / FLAC (tracks+cue, log)
Total Time: 2:34:17
Total Size: 353 mb / 995 mb
WebSite:
Album Preview
This is where fans of the group can sort of stop and settle down at last. MCA Records had previously let the Mamas & the Papas' music out on CD in a trickle; the debut LP was upgraded and a compilation of remastered hits showed later in the decade, but the rest was left to languish. This two-CD set makes up for that neglect, assembling all four of the quartet's '60s albums on two CDs and augmenting them with the mono single versions of "I Saw Her Again," "Words of Love," and "Creeque Alley," plus the non-LP single "Glad to Be Unhappy." One just wants to luxuriate in the sound of this reissue and its little details, like the rhythm guitar on "Do You Want to Dance" that cuts right through the air, the string basses on "Go Where You Want to Go" that sound like they're just across the room, and the rest of the first album. The real keys to the value of this set, however, are the second and third LPs by the group, superb albums which were either never reissued on CD at all or never upgraded from the mid- to late '80s. The group's second album has never enjoyed as strong a reputation as its predecessor, possibly because of the painful and convoluted circumstances under which it was recorded (Michelle Phillips was fired and then reinstated a few weeks later, but a version of the cover does exist that features Phillips' temporary replacement, Jill Gibson, in the lineup). The songs may not quite match up to the selection or the sense of free experimentation that went into the first album, but coming from any other group, the contents of The Mamas & The Papas LP would have been considered a triumph. "No Salt on Her Tail" and "Trip, Stumble & Fall" could have been outtakes from the first album, while "Dancing Bear" put them into Peter, Paul & Mary territory. "Words of Love" didn't quite come up to the standard they'd set for themselves, but "My Heart Stood Still" nearly succeeds in turning the Rodgers & Hart standard into a folk-rock piece of incomparable beauty. The whole second half of the disc is a revelation in sound, simply because apart from the hits, none of its material had shown up on CD before, and here it is with resolution so close that Joe Osborne's bass sounds like it's practically in the listener's lap. Cuts such as "I Can't Wait" and "Strange Young Girls" -- although the latter is never cited as a strong point, it has a depth and richness in its appearance here that calls to mind textural echoes of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album -- and "Once Was a Time I Thought" (where they tread onto Spanky & Our Gang-cum-Manhattan Transfer territory) help make this set essential to virtually any fan of the group. The quartet's third album, Deliver, which is divided between the two CDs, is similarly improved in a startling upgrade from the mid-'80s CD that makes their version of "My Girl," in particular, sound gloriously radiant. Their fourth album, Papas & Mamas, although never in the same league with the group's earlier records, can be considered nearly essential musically for the upgrade on "Rooms," "Too Late," "Mansions," and the classic "Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)." As an added attraction, in addition to the single mixes on three of their hits, the disc also features superb notes built around recollections by the surviving members of the group and longtime session musicians, such as Eric Hord.
:: TRACKLIST ::CD 1If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears 1966 Originally Dunhill LP 50006:01. Monday, Monday
02. Straight Shooter
03. Got A Feelin'
04. I Call Your Name
05. Do You Wanna Dance
06. Go Where You Wanna Go
07. California Dreamin'
08. Spanish Harlem
09. Somebody Groovy
10. Hey Girl
11. You Baby
12. The In Crowd
The Mamas & The Papas 1966 Originally Dunhill LP 50010:13. No Salt On Her Tail
14. Trip, Stumble & Fall
15. Dancing Bear
16. Words Of Love
17. My Heart Stood Still
18. Dancing In The Street
19. I Saw Her Again
20. Strange Young Girls
21. I Can't Wait
22. Even If I Could
23. That Kind Of Girl
24. Once Was A Time I Thought
The Mamas & The Papas Deliver 1967 Originally Dunhill LP 50014:25. Dedicated To The One I Love
26. My Girl
27. Creeque Alley
CD 2The Mamas & The Papas Deliver 1967 Originally Dunhill LP 50014:01. Sing For Your Supper
02. Twist And Shout
03. Free Advice
04. Look Through My Window
05. Boys And Girls Together
06. String Man
07. Frustration
08. Did You Ever Want To Dry
09. John's Music Box
Originally Non-LP Dunhill Single 4107:10. Glad To Be Unhappy
The Papas & The Mamas 1968 Originally Dunhill LP 50031:11. The Right Somebody To Love
12. Safe In My Garden
13. Meditation Mama (Transcendental Woman Travels)
14. For The Love Of Ivy
15.Dream A Little Dream Of Me
16. Mansions
17. Gemini Childe
18. Nothing's Too Good For My Little Girl
19. Too Late
20. Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon)
21. Rooms
22. Midnight Voyage
Mono Single Versions:23. I Saw Her Again
24. Words Of Love
25. Creeque Alley