Michelle Phillips – Victim of Romance

Okay, yes, Michelle Phillips is a very famous, very talented singer in one of the most iconic groups of the ’60s, The Mamas and The Papas. She was also, for more than a few children of the ’60s, considered iconically beautiful, and in my 20s, I was certainly shallow enough to consider this cover well worth investigating the music inside. For $2 anyway.

Released in 1977, this was her first and only solo album, helped (not surprisingly, given her history and connections) by a quality team that included Moon Martin and Jack Nitzsche. The record got good reviews but didn’t sell, and not too surprisingly. Her singing is very good throughout, but it’s a real Whitman’s sampler of songs and styles – if it was meant to show off her capabilities, it was successful. But really, it’s boring to listen to, the production is a little flat, and there isn’t really a single here. So . . . I’ve kept it for decades – I’m sure I bought it at Desert Shore Records in Syracuse around 1981 or so – but whenever I bother to play it, it’s just to remind myself why I never play it.