The Mamas & The Papas — Farewell to the First Golden Era

This 1967 release was another 1979 garage sale find, I feel pretty certain, and another Mamas & Papas record in fairly rough shape that I just never bothered to get a better version of. As has been noted, this represented the only golden era for the band. Twelve songs, including some non-singles (which I always like in a collection) – this is pretty much everything you would ever need from The Mamas & The Papas. I play it about never, because these songs have never left the supermarket zeitgeist and I just rarely feel the need to hear them.

However, the version of “I Saw Her Again Last Night” on this is a much better mix than on the original album, so it’s worth it just for that.

One additional thought, from a conversation I’ve had with my record-geek friends: Creeque Alley is such an exceptional origin story/song that I don’t know of another like it. It truly and entertainingly tells the story of how the group came together – but the chorus tag is so shockingly cruel to one of their own members: “No one’s getting fat except Mama Cass.” Even by ’60s standards, the amount of attention paid to Cass Elliott’s weight was horrifying, and the extent to which she had to go along with jokes about it on television appearances (shows that wanted her to perform) was, in my memory, stunning. Other than her incredible voice, all that was ever talked about was her weight. Just . . . cruel. Hey, society, how about we don’t?