Customer Reviews

All The Leaves Are Brown: The Golden Era Collection

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It starts with the quality of the sound. It's simply superb. I'm not sure what digital magic was used, but the music sounds far superior to most re-mastered works from the late 1960's. From the clarity of the voices to the stereo separation, this is an aural treat that will make you smile with delight. Buy the CD for the sound quality alone. "If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears" indeed.

It's also a treat to have the first four albums on one double CD (plus the single, "Glad to Be Unhappy"). Except for the remarkable improvement in the sound quality, the compendium doesn't fiddle with the songs or their order. You're listening to the first four albums.

And if you do listen to the double CD, you'll find The Mamas and the Papas were considerably more than their "16 Greatest Hits" and other foolishness. Much of the time a group's experiments reveal more about them than their Top 40 successes ever can. It's all here for you.

A few quibbles: Cripes, the printing on the liner notes requires a magnifying glass - a powerful one, too - if you want to read them. And out of the thousands of photos, I think they could have found some better ones.

But you won't buy this CD for the liner notes or the photos. The Mamas and the Papas spoke with their music, sometimes gloriously, sometimes painfully, always beautifully. In two and a half years, they put together music that may very well be immortal.

Highly recommended.

This fabulous 2-CD set consisting of the Mamas & the Papas digitally re-mastered first four albums is a big bonanza for fans! John Phillips, Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot, and Michelle Phillips' beautiful vocals JUMP RIGHT OUT AT YOU !!! These songs with their poignant lyrics, exquisite harmonies and lovely melodies show why the group has transgenerational appeal.

The primary musical creative force of the Mamas & the Papas was John Phillips. He was a solid songwriter who put his pain to pretty music. But John Phillips' true brilliance was in arranging vocals. You'd get a "high" from the Mamas & the Papas' soaring harmonies. When the foursome sang AT THE VERY TOP OF THEIR RANGE, it was instant magic. Phantom overtones!

Here are gems that show that Denny Doherty's one of the greatest singers of the rock era! His voice is clear, rich and effortless, and his beautiful lead vocals are showcased on killer tracks as "Do You Wanna Dance" "Twist and Shout," "My Girl," "Dancing Bear" (a Cass Elliot favorite), "Spanish Harlem," "You Baby," "Too Late" and not to exclude the sweet 'n hummable, "Nothing's Too Good For My Little Girl."

Denny sang lead on two of the Mamas and the Papas biggest hits; the chart-topper, "Monday, Monday" and the infinitely popular "California Dreamin." If you love his singing as much as I do on these tunes, you must get his two solo CDs: "Waiting For a Song" features romantic Denny in fine voice as well as Cass and Michelle on backing vocals. "Watcha Gonna Do," has a country-folk-rock favor, supreme musical arrangements and some of Denny's best songwriting. In addition, check out Denny's peerless work as lead vocalist on pre-Mamas & Papas' "The Complete Halifax Three."

No one sang like Cass Elliot! She was "a big girl who could sing her tail off." Cass had a rich timbre in her voice and would belt her heart out on every number. Elliot shines on the Vaudevillian, "Words of Love." Also great is her straight-from-the-heart, "Sing for Your Supper." Cass' super lung work on Lennon-McCartney's "I Call Your Name" exposes her "lust" for Beatle John, and she does a superb salute to Motown with "Dancing in the Streets."

"Glad to Be Unhappy" sings of unrequited love, where Cass Elliot can be heard singing "and I got it pretty bad," about her crush on Denny, perhaps? Some rumblings between John and Michelle surprisingly interject Cass' pretty "Midnight Voyage" lead on this number, and Elliot shows why "Dream A Little Dream" was the launching pad to her successful solo career.

You've never heard a soprano so pretty and pure as Michelle Phillips' on "Dedicated to the One I Love." Michelle also plays the ultimate rock fan with her lead vocal on "String Man." I enjoy Michelle's ethereal intro on the tune, "Got a Feelin.'" [Denny performs this number again on his great "Watcha Gonna Do" solo CD]

Both "Got A Feelin' and the Ms and Ps' classic, "I Saw Her Again" were written by Denny Doherty (melody) and John Phillips (words) about Michelle Phillips & Denny's love affair. They are two of my favorite songs. Doherty performs both these numbers in his current musical "Dream a Little Dream - the Nearly True Story of the Mamas and the Papas," along with other Mamas & Papas' hits. P>"Straight Shooter" is a great rocker, as is "That Kind of Girl" (".you're on your first, and she's on her twelfth.!" "that kind of girl's the kind that makes you dizzyyou'll always ask and wonder who is he?!).

"Go Where You Wanna Go's" harmonies are stellar. "No Salt On Her Tail" (another Cass Elliot favorite) has the "boys and girls" echo each other. I love the guys' lower range here! And "Trip, Stumble and Fall" iswellreally cool!

"Strange Young Girls" is hauntingly beautiful, with nice solos from Cass and Denny. The duos' duet on "Safe In My Garden" is lovely, as well.

The surreal ending of "Even If I Could" may have put ideas in the heads of Lennon-McCartney for their "Strawberry Field's Forever" finish.

The climatic ending of "My Heart Stood Still" (Michelle Phillips' favorite) will take your breath away. And "Once Was A Time I Thought" is done acappella. No other pop foursome could sing together without accompaniment this well!

"For the Love of Ivy" was a D.Doherty/J. Phillips composition that almost made the theme song for a Sidney Poitier movie, immediately after Sidney's huge success with "To Sir With Love." The rhythmic changes will blow you away.

Also included, the awesome 1967 hits, "Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To the Canyon)," and Creeque Alley" (pronounced "Creaky"), the semiautobiographical story about how the Mamas & the Papas got their start.

Witness rare lead vocal by John Phillips on the peaceful, "Meditation Mama." And for a change of pace, "Mansions" a song about the group's lavish living, is worth a few listens.

You'll never hear voices this clear and beautiful together again!

Those who know me know my distain for compilations. But this isn't exactly your usual compilation; it is the first four albums plus some extra tunes. All of the albums are presented in their correct order of play - a must to make this finicky critic happy. Three of the four albums here are available separately, all but the glorious second album. If you love this group, doing without the second album is not an option. If you don't already own it, the release at hand becomes a must.

My review of the first album appears under its title, "If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears." The second album, called "Cass, John, Michelle, Dennie," begins with "No Salt On Her Tail" and ends with "Once Was A Time I Thought." It has the variety of the first album, but the more darkly hued tunes are even more moody and beautifully wistful. "Dancing Bear" and "Strange Young Girls" are even as magical as the enchanting "California Dreamin'." "Words Of Love" is, of course, classic Cass. (After the short instrumental break, the bridge returns and she really lays it on us: "You oughta know by no-o-ow...you oughta know, YOU OUGHTA KNOW BY NOW!" Cass knocks my socks off.) "I Saw Her Again Last Night" is one of the most deliriously delicious songs I've ever heard. Chords, melody, harmonies, the tension on the bridge (different key from verse), the brash modulation back to the verse, the "too-oo-oo-oo-ooh" add-on to the chorus after the middle eight, the raucous slamming of the double-time drum accents on the last half of the second bridge, the stop-time break just before the coda, the shock wave of "Ah!" harmony when the coda kicks in...pure ecstasy from start to finish.

The third album, called "Deliver" (1967), is similar to the first two (both 1966), but the imagination isn't as intense. It's quite enjoyable, but it's not the classic that the first one is, nor does it pack the wallop of the second one. The fourth, "The Papas and the Mamas" (1968), is the most psychedelic of the lot. John's best songwriting was on the first two albums, but as far as I am concerned, this group could do no wrong. So, while the first two albums are my favorites, I still love the other two and I couldn't do without all four.

Drawbacks: I rarely listen to two albums in a row by the same artist; also, the fourth album differs a little from the first three stylistically. Therefore, a bit of programming might be in order if you decide to get this. "Deliver" is split between the two discs - an inconvenience no matter how you look at it, but an absolute disaster while driving a vehicle. With these slimline, dual-CD cases it's a two-handed affair to remove and replace the discs, lest you risk breaking the case, a disc or both. If this sounds like a potential problem, you could supplement this set with the single copy of "Deliver." (Oh, that we lived in a perfect world!)

Compared to many other releases in the current compilation glut, there's really nothing stingy about this release. But, splitting the "Deliver" album between the two discs mutes my enthusiasm. Nonetheless, if you don't own any of the original albums on CD, this release is appealing and quite a bargain considering all you get for the price. If you get hooked on this group, you'll want their reunion album, "People Like Us" (1971), as well.
Cheers,
Murray

This collection is and always will be the best Mamas and Papas CD anyone could ever want to own. Why? Because it contains EVERY MAJOR RECORDING THEY MADE IN THE EXACT ORDER THEY MADE THEM. Nothing is missing!! Of course, I'm dismissing the half-hearted "People Like Us" contractual-obligation album recorded four years after their break-up. That one sounds like it came from another band (and Cass barely appears on it). No, these are the songs to have, and this is the place to get them. It's not just the overly familiar hits that make this indispensible. One after another, the unique album cuts reinforce why the Mamas and the Papas were so special. Songs like "No Salt On Her Tail", "Dancing Bear", the exquisite "Strange Young Girls", and the almost overwhelming "My Heart Stood Still" display the legendary harmonies of this group in all their splendor. No one was ever remotely able to duplicate what this bunch did in a few short years. It's interesting that the Mamas and the Papas were so embraced by teenagers in the 60s, because this is rather adult music, in theme and approach. Of course, no one looked or sounded like them, and the accompanying essay and photos give the uninitiated an idea of how striking and unique they truly were. Hipsters, yes. Musicians, without doubt. Listen and learn.

This set is...an INCREDIBLE gift from the music Gods!!! All four of their original albums REMASTERED...what GLORIOUS sound! The packaging is beautiful, though it could have been better, but so WHAT? The music sounds GREAT;
"If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears" sounds even better here than on the remaster of two years ago; their VERY best album "The Mamas And The Papas" is rescued from inexplicable obscurity, featuring "Strange Young Girls" and the STUNNING "My Heart Stood Still"; their stylistically adventurous third "Deliver", with the lost gems "Boys And Girls" and "String Man" (a showcase for Mama Michelle's talents); and their bizarre, psychedelic fourth "The Papas And The Mamas" (with the masterpieces "Safe In My Garden" and "Mansions")...wich needs to be treated as the unique individual work of art that it is! BEST OF ALL...those four distinct voices blend gorgeously in harmonies that will melt your heart! And like never before, the individual gifts each singer brings are crystal clear! NEVER have they sounded this magnificent on disc! A remaster and reconsideration of all of the M & P's solo efforts is long overdue as well! In the meantime REJOICE that we have been given this...and buy it for everyone you love!

Those who are looking for a "favorable, but.." review or more crass and cruel jokes about ham sandwiches, look elsewhere.

For us hippies in the 1960's, there were two songs that made us realize that moment when we looked up when everyone else looked down: If You're Going To San Francisco and California Dreamin'. We realized that it had nothing to do with actually GOING to San Francisco or LIVING in California - it was the idea that things would be approached differently from then on.

John Philips wrote both songs. We knew he understood something deeper about a vibe that was in the country but had not been codified - and he wasn't even a hippie himself. Funny about that.

What he did was to select the finest voices he could find among the end of the popular folk music era and bring them together to perform a new kind of music. People who mistakenly lump his work in with The Association have ears of tin (though I like their work). This is instead the crossroads of The Hi-lo's, the Weavers and a kind of unabashedly romantic soft rock (before that was a pejorative term)that has not been performed since.

This collection comprises some of the finest pure SINGING of the decade of the Sixties, and that was my revelation from it. I had not properly remembered just how good a singer Cass Elliott was. Her voice is just magnificent. Denny Doherty, as one of the two great classic voices to come out of California in the Sixties ( the other being Marty Balin) is just breathtaking in both his approach and his mastery of the material. John's backup singing and his incredible vocal arrangements just lead me to wonder what he could have done with a modern studio with 128 vocal tracks. And as for Michelle, aside from being the absoulute pinnacle of attractive female rock singers then or now, I only wish the interior relationships would have permitted her to sing more leads. The great thing about this collection though is that you can hear EACH VOICE in EACH SONG to the extent that you can follow just John's voice in I Saw Her Again or just Denny in Stumble and Fall. Every lyric in every song can be clearly heard. Imagine that today!

There is more to this collection than just music - it contains artistry. If you like SINGING, even if you aren't sure about the material, BUY THIS SET. If you like the Mamas and Papas, YOU NEED THIS SET. If you want a quick Cliff's Notes on what late 60's music was really supposed to be all about YOU WANT THIS SET.
PS: Make absolutely sure you listen to the "studio chat" piece on the end of Disc 2...it'll clean your ears.

And by the way, speaking as a hippie - Cass died from a heart attack, not from a ham sandwich. Please don't defame her memory any longer with that sad-a**ed urban legend..

There have been many Mamas and Papas compilations put together over the years, and I have listened to everyone of them (at least the ones released in the U.S.) As any Mamas and Papas fan will tell you, the only problem with these collections is the fact that it is impossible to choose 12 or 20 songs as "their best." There is always something missing.

From their very first album, Mamas and Papas records were packed with fantastic music and outstanding vocals. It wasn't just the top-ten single hits that were great, but every song was ear-candy. All the Leaves Are Brown is a two CD set that includes every song recorded for their first four albums...in order. You get all the greats..."California Dreaming," "Dedicated to the One I Love," "Monday, Monday," and "I Saw Her Again." Plus, you get other fantastic cuts that are seldom included in an anthology of this super-group's work. "Somebody Groovy," "My Heart Stood Still," "Even If I Could," and "Mansions," just to name a few.

I only wish there would have been a way to include their fifth recording, "People Like Us," in with this set. While the sound of the "People Like Us" cuts were very different, and it was not the commercial success that the first four recordings were, there are some cuts that should not be looked over. Like "Step Out," "Pearl" and the title song. Very smooth and sophisticated and would have completed a history of the music journey that Cass, John, Michelle, and Denny were on.

Yes, there are other anthologies and greatest hits packages by the Mamas and Papas out there, and some have great before-the-group and after-the-group recordings by the individual members. But the All the Leaves Are Brown set really captures what this band was all about in their heyday. Four distinct voices and personalities that merged to create a unique sound that caught the eyes and ears of a generation, and continues to be listened to and loved to this day. If you want the ultimate collection in one set, and really want to get to know the Mamas and Papas, buy this. You will love it.

"All the Leaves Are Brown" trumps all previous collections of because the tainted mix of the orginal masters have been given a loving digital facelift. This remastering of the four Mama's and Papa's albums is not high tech sleight of hand, but an enhancement of what fans knew was hidden in Lou Adler's atrocious rendering of the masters. John Phillips is arguably one of the great songwritters of the 20th century and it is a pleasure to hear all of the shimmering melancoly and double edged power of his lyrics. Now I finally know that it was "McGuinn and McGuire" that were getting higher in the autobiographical "Creeque Alley". It's startling to discover that Michelle Phillips actually doing something besides being the "blond hippie chick" as a counterpoint to Mama Cass' Rubenesque, earth mother beauty. The remastering has leveled the volume mix of each voice and we discover that each of the four members as equal collaborators in the intricate vocal arrangements. Free from the upper and lower register distortion, the vocals initailly startle the listener with their intimacy. In opening song, "Monday Monday", Mama Cass, Denny and Michelle weave their intricate operatic vocal lines around the John's plantive lead vocals. Denny and Cass' rendering of "I Call Your Name" will break your heart with the voluptous beauty of the vocals. Denny's gorgeous tenor and Cass' muli-octave wonder voice are so well blended that sometimes it's impossible to tell who's singing what.

It's hard to beleive that the Mamas and Papas existed only two and half years, because their musical legacy is so rich. One wonders what they could have accomplished over ten or fifteen years. Unfortunately the demands of musical stardom laid claim to the Mamas and Papas,prematurely. The years passed... Cass died, Denny retreated from from the spotlight, and Michelle's photogenic beauty lead to a respectable acting career. I hope John finally found some peace of mind in ensuing 30 years. Many point to John Phillips as an object lesson in the excesses of fame, but I'm greatful that for a fleeting moment, John was able to share his brillance with us.

If you didn't know, this 2 CD release actually contains all 4 classic Mamas and Papas albums: IF YOU CAN BELIEVE YOUR EYES AND EARS, THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS, DELIVER and THE PAPAS & THE MAMAS, somehow excluding their less popular album, PEOPLE LIKE US, (an album that failed to reunite the group). However, all the greatest songs are here! If you enjoy The Mamas and the Papas and can't find the classic albums, I recommend you buying this CD set....and the price will save you some dough as well.

Upon listening to the full panoply of their music after years of neglect, I was astounded at how fresh The Mamas & The Papas music had remained. I can still remember seeing their farewell appearance on the Ed Sullivan show and not quite understanding what the big deal was. Now I understand! Nearly all of their music has aged well. In the brief 36 months in which they recorded, they produced an amazing catalog that matched vocals and instruments so well, that, indeed their voices were the instruments. While I have had my favorites tunes, I was surprised by how many songs I had never heard before from the first two albums that resonated so well, even in 2003.

My only quibbles are that three really pretty good tunes from their highly disrepected (deservedly so) final album "People Like Us" ("People Like Us," "Pacific Coast Highway," and "Snowqueen of Texas") were left out as well as no representation of the Mugwumps, to which Denny and Cass belonged -- which also produced beautiful blends of voice and instrument. The Mugwumps were a great precursor to the M&Ps. But that's a quibble. I doesn't diminish the pure pleasure you will experience listneing to this CD.

Strangely, shortly after John Philips died, one of the co-authors of a book I published in early 2004, "Dream It, Do It: Inspiring Stories of Dreams Come True," told me that she was stunned to learn that the fellow named "John" in her Alcoholics Anonymous group was indeed John Philips of The Mamas & The Papas. She learned it from the photos in the newspaper following his death. Not once, in all the years they were members of this AA group, did he tell anyone about his glorious musical past. Very interesting.... Says something about the guy (although I'm not quite sure what).