Customer Reviews

San Francisco

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

 

 

There are "one-hit wonders" who deserved that status (and were lucky to reach that level) and then there are others about whom you can only scratch your head and ask why their careers stalled after scoring it big the first time. Scott McKenzie definitely belongs to the latter camp. "San Francisco" is a song that is still remembered fondly and continues to be played on oldies and some contemporary adult stations. Further commercial success eluded this talented singer however and after two albums recorded in the late 60s and early 70s, he pretty much dropped from sight. (He has toured in recent years with the reconstituted Mamas & Papas, but if any recorded work has been released, I am not aware of it.)

More's the pity, because Scott McKenzie was a fine singer who clearly had more to offer than one hit single (good as it was). As the other songs included on this re-release demonstrate, he had a rich warm voice and a fine sense of diction--a little huskier in places than the sweet singing of the title track would suggest, but never less than impressive. Tracks like "What's the Difference" (both "chapters") and "Like an Old Time Movie" display a folk-based sensibility that was comfortable with the reigning folk-rock and folk-pop styles of the time. "No No No No No," one of several John Phillips tunes on the album, sounds like a Mamas & Papas track without the female voices, and his version of "12:30," although similar to the M&P's hit version, actually gains a sense of intimacy as a solo performance that the original lacked. Perhaps the one mistake on this release was the focus on material clearly identified with other artists. The Tim Hardin and Donovan penned songs here already had definitive versions released by the songwriters. McKenzie might have done better to seek out less well known but equally deserving material.

The irony of "San Francisco" was that this gentle bit of folk rock served as a paean to the scene that was quickly replacing that genre. Many of the San Francisco groups, including the Dead and the Airplane, had strong folk roots as well but were trading that in for the psychedelia that was to be prevalent for a the next several years. Of course, the Airplane's Marty Balin was still singing songs that were as sweet and balladic as anything recorded by McKenzie, but even his work was seen as something of an anachronism by '68 or so. Within a few years,however, the singer-songwriter movement would become well established, and it's a shame that Scott McKenzie couldn't find renewed success in that era--if not on a James Taylor level, at least on par with Don McLean or, say, Kenny Rankin, a similar artist in many ways, who at least was able to record fairly consistantly throughout the years.

I saw Scott McKenzie as an opening act at the Hollywood Bowl where the Mamas and the Papas were performing. I dropped my jaw listening to this man sing. I bought the album immediately, have loved it and the music for a long time. When I found it released on CD, had to have it....but had to reconstruct the album cover (Thank you PhotoShop) to make it look like the original record...

"Celeste" is beautiful, "Rooms" is stirring...even both versions of "Whats the Difference" are great. Actually, there isnt a song on the album I don't like, and don't remember fondly.

San Francisco is an album that will make you return to the sixties. (Even if you weren't born untill 1984 like myself!) Scott McKenzie has such an enchanting voice. Once heard it is impossible to forget. The classic song "San Francisco" featured on the album is one of the greatest songs ever made. If you enjoy classics from the 60s, or just like great music this is the album for you.

I was alive, well, and a year out of high school when "San Francisco" hit the air in Houston. The song is one of the true time & place classics in my memory. Others being "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"-Righteous Bros, "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"-Walker Bros. and "Nights In White Satin"-Moody Blues. Some fans don't know that McKenzie and John Phillips were friends and when Phillips needed an anthem for his '67 Monterey Pop Festival,he tapped on Scott McKenzie's shoulder. The album was recorded in one night and was produced by Mamas & Papas and Johnny Rivers producer Lou Adler. Phillips sang chorus and harmony on several of the album's cuts. McKenzie's singing is unique in pop music. His huskey, plaintiff voice draws you in and truly wins your emotions to the point of view of his material. Although "San Francisco" was his most popular and remembered song, "Twelve-Thirty", "Like An Old Time Movie" and "What's The Difference Pt II" (later recorded by Johnny Rivers for his Realization album) are great examples of McKenzie"s ability to win a listener's heart. Scott's follow-up album "Stained Glass Morning" didn't come close to the mark he had set for himself with his first effort and most of us lost track of him. I have both albums on LP and was deighted when "San Francisco" (originally titled "The Voice of Scott Mckenzie") became available on CD. His "Anthology" is now available and I am anxiously awaiting it's arrival from England. The inability to find McKenzie's music until just a few years ago represented a large void in my CD collection-now filled. Scott McKenzie is one of my favorite singers and this album is well worth the asking price!

Scott McKenzie was a neighbor of mine for nine years and let me just say, he is one of the nicest, men I have ever met.
Not only is he mega-talented, but he is a soft spoken, humorous guy who occaisionally flys over to Europe where they celebrate his music and lyrics in a very big way. And he still writes lyrics for today's musicians.
America has trouble celebrating it's own history, be it music, architecture, culture....maybe we should take note from Europe and leave some old buildings up, and celebrate the musical pioneers that created "LOVE" and "Peace' songs which we need the most right now!
Enjoy ths CD!
In Mexico there is a Disco Remix of "San Francisco" w/ Scott and 1 year ago I danced to it at a fun place where everyone was singing along to those classic lyrics.
Cheers Scott!

Oh, to be transported back to 1967. I know, you've heard it before, The Summer of Love, but it was beautiful. New ways of expression: peace signs, flowers, be-in's, love-in's. Gentleness and color everywhere. The words most in vogue were love, peace and brotherhood. And it seemed that some of this philosophy might actually infiltrate the political arena, paving the way for a new and better world. Musically, the genius of The Beatles inspired other artists to great heights. One of the most familiar sounds floating around like incense at the time was the celestial harmony of the Mamas & Papas. And one of their friends, Scott McKenzie, with a little help from John & Michelle Phillips of the M&P's, sang one of the most memorable lyrics of the time: "If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair." It might sound corny now, but it didn't then.

I bought this CD after hearing "San Francisco" on the local oldies channel, with no idea of what the rest of the album would be like. I'm happy to say that I am not disappointed. Scott has a smooth tenor voice that is appealing and a little plaintive. It is a good fit for the material, mostly folk-rock of the time. Getting specific, there are two covers on the album that are "scaled down" in a similar manner. "Celeste", originally by Donovan, is less dramatic, less ornate in Scott's hands, but affecting nonetheless. Same for "Twelve-Thirty", originally by the M&P's. Three consecutive tracks - "Like An Old Time Movie", "No, No, No, No, No", and "Don't Make Promises" - have a lot in common. All three are about difficulties and disenchantment with a woman, all three have good string and horn arrangements, and all three sound pretty much like the music of the M&P's. (Not surprising, since John Phillips wrote "Like An Old Time Movie".) "It's Not Time Now", written by John Sebastian & Zal Yanovsky of the Lovin' Spoonful, is another good folk-rock song. "What's The Difference (Chapter II)", written by Scott, is a pretty ballad with strings and prominent reeds. "Rooms", also by John Phillips, stands out because it has a rather dark, meandering melody, more complicated than the average pop tune, and an offbeat guitar solo. The two tracks that I like least are "Reason To Believe", an attempt at a more "rock" sound, and "What's The Difference (Chapter I)", which is a little too light for my taste. But all in all, the album is very pleasant, and if you like the M&P's or other soft rock bands like The Carpenters, I think this CD will please you. A product of its time, it is a good reflection of its time also.

This album was obviously thrown together in 1967 to maximize the financial return from the mega hit "San Francisco". The fact that it is solid thruout was a huge surprise to me in the 60's and it still holds up today. His voice really fits the Tim Hardin songs, the John Phillips songs are well done, and his original song "What's the difference" is excellent.

If you like the song "San Francisco" you should love this album. I recommend it to any ex-hippy or ex-hippy wannabes.

This cd was purchased recently, I have listened twice to this cd, will lots more, I was surprised at how crystal clear and beautiful scott's voice is, I liked his version of reason to believe and loved San Francisco. Just have to say he can sing!

In a previously posted review of this album, I erroneously attributed authorship of the song "No, No, No, No, No" to "Papa" John Phillips, who did in fact pen four of the eleven songs on this release. "No, No..." was actually written by G. Stephens and M. Polnareff, which doesn't mean that it doesn't sound exactly like a Mamas & Papas song (sans Michelle and Cass) because it does. In fact you'd almost swear that John Phillips was doing the vocals on that one; McKenzie's otherwise distinctive voice is apparently multitracked here giving it an anonymous--though not unpleasant--quality.

It is McKenzie's voice that makes this release distinctive, since as I mentioned in the previous review, the material selection could have been better. But he was a remarkable singer, with a warmth and sense of diction that was rare even among folkies.Another (minor) caveat, though: as with many recordings of the period, the string arrangements are a little clunky in spots. In the post-"Pepper" world, everyone was jumping on the orchestrated bandwagon, sometimes to good effect, but more often a bit heavy handed or just ill thought out. In the afore-mentioned "No, No..." the string section sounds like it was being played down the hall in another room.

This is a great album, and not a bootleg - most importantly, I know, to most people checking, Yes, this has a fine, lp length version of "San Francisco/Flowers In Your Hair". It also has "What's The Difference", "Celeste","Like An Old Time Movie" and a half dozen more songs. I wish that Scott's music wasn't so hard to find; this is a German import and that just struck me as hilarious: I live a bus ride from the Haight, for Pete's sake!, and I couldn't find a copy anywhere. Come on, local shops - show some loyalty to your legacy!