The Albums of the Mamas and Papas
Here is a list of the full-length albums that the Mamas and the Papas put out in their time together from 1965 to 1968. These include four original release albums and one compilation. (Information is for US releases only.) I have also included the Mamas and Papas reunion album of 1971. In addition to a list of the songs on each record and a brief overview of my opinion of the album, I have included links to the liner notes/photos of each.
If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (January 1966)
 | This was the first full album released by the group, and it contains many of the hit singles such as "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday" which they had released previously. I like all the songs on this album although the bigger hits obviously stand out. From the start, though, you can see the variety of approaches that the Mamas and Papas take to singing including gentle ballads, folk pop/rock, and
cabaret-style reviews.
Charted at #1 - Dunhill LP 50006 |
Side One: Monday, Monday | Straight Shooter | Got a Feelin' | I Call Your Name
Do You Wanna Dance | Go Where You Wanna Go
Side Two: California Dreamin' | Spanish Harlem | Somebody Groovy
Hey Girl |You Baby | The In Crowd
The Mamas and the Papas (August 1966)
 | This is actually the first CD I ever bought and I still love it. It was a good showcase for the song-writing ability of John Phillips in that it is the first record in which he wrote or co-wrote almost every song. It also demonstrates an even further expansion of the group's styles since the album contains impossible to categorize songs like "Dancing Bear" and "Strange Young Girls" and even an
accappella number ("Once Was a Time I Thought").
Charted at #4 - Dunhill LP 50010 |
Side One: No Salt on Her Tail | Trip, Stumble, and Fall | Dancing Bear
Words of Love | My Heart Stood Still | Dancing in the Street
Side
Two: I Saw Her Again | Strange Young Girls | I Can't Wait
Even If I Could | That Kind of Girl | Once Was a Time I Thought
The Mamas and The Papas Deliver (February 1967)
 | Unlike the other albums on this list, some of the best songs on this particular record are ones not written by John Phillips. The wonderful covers of "Dedicated to the One I Love", "My Girl", and "Twist and Shout" found here help to balance what are some otherwise not too spectacular songs. One stand out work, however, is the unique "Creeque Alley" which manages to chronicle the entire history of the Mamas and Papas in a few lyrically brilliant stanzas.
Charted at #2 - Dunhill LP 30014 |
Side One: Dedicated to the One I Love | My Girl | Creeque Alley
Sing for Your Supper | Twist and Shout | Free Advice
Side Two: Look Through My Window | Boys & Girls Together | String Man
Frustration | Did You Ever Want to Cry | John's Music Box
Farewell to the First Golden Era
 | This album is a compilation of songs from the past three albums of the Mamas and Papas. Apparently, it's release was to be their last album for some time and was to coincide with the departure of John, Michelle, Cass, and Denny for Europe and the Mediterranean. (See liner notes)
This had much to do with the internal problems of the group. The
trip turned immediately disastrous. As a result, the group recorded
in the US instead and released an album the next year. This uncertainty about the future
would forecast the eventual end of the group.
Charted at #5 - Dunhill LP 50025 |
Side One: Dedicated to the One I Love| Go Where You Wanna Go | Words of Love
Look Through My Window | Dancing in the Street | Monday, Monday
Side Two: Creeque Alley | Got a Feelin' | Twelve Thirty | I Call Your Name
I Saw Her Again Last Night | California Dreamin'
The Papas and the Mamas (April 1968)
 | Lyrically, this is probably one of my favorite Mamas and Papas albums. Again written almost entirely by Papa John, this record speaks more to social issues of the time and to the escapes that people sought from them. It also offers a slight change in musical flavor towards more of an "Eastern" or "psychedelic" feel on many of the songs such as "Meditation Mama" and "Gemini Childe". Overall, I consider it to be a very good album.
Charted at #15 - Dunhill LP 50031 |
Side One: The Right Somebody To Love | Safe in My Garden | Meditation Mama
(Transcendental Woman Travels) | For the Love of Ivy
Dream a Little Dream of Me | Mansions
Side Two: Gemini Childe | Nothing's Too Good for My Little Girl | Too Late
Twelve Thirty | Rooms | Midnight Voyage
People Like Us (October 1971)
 | This reunion album of 1971 met with a rather cold reception both critically and commercially. Even the members of the Mamas and Papas themselves were apparently unhappy with the results. This may have to do with the fact that the sound of the album does not really flow naturally from their previous work---hardly surprising given the three year gap and the absence of Lou Adler as producer. The experimentation with the emerging influences of the seventies (world rythms, funk guitar, and even country/western) seem somewhat out of place. Nevertheless, the harmonies of the group remain intact and give a familiar ring to some of the songs (though none seem to stand on their own as remarkable hits.)
Charted at #84 - Dunhill LP 50106 |
Side One: People Like Us | Pacific Coast Highway | Snowqueen of Texas
Shooting Star | Step Out | Ladey Genevieve
Side Two: No Dough | European Blueboy | Pearl
I Wanna Be a Star | Grasshopper
Blueberries for Breakfast
For a list of singles released by the group, see the Mamas and Papas 45's page.