Rating: 3/5
Review:
Nice but undistinguished
I have the greatest respect for John Phillips' work, not
least as the organiser of the legendary Monterey Pop and the musical power
behind the Mamas and the Papas. (And I
won't mention having been ridiculously jealous, like every other heterosexual
male teenager at the time, of his being married to Michelle Phillips). I liked much of what he did and I was very
sad at his untimely death in 2001. However, I can't really agree with the rave
reviews here; this is a decent album but I don't think it's in the same league
as his collaborative work.
This is a collection of largely pretty songs which sound
very much of their time – a bit Dylan-ish in some places, a bit Al Stewart-ish
or John B. Sebastain-ish in others and so on – and they're largely amiable and
enjoyable. Nothing really stands out,
though; the opener April Anne is good without being exceptional, most is
pleasant but rather forgettable and a couple of tracks - Captain, for example –
are really pretty weak both musically and lyrically. The sound is…well, it's nice. Nice but undistinguished. John's vocals are good, but he wasn't really a
lead singer so they're quite laid back, and the whole things has a strong late
60s/early 70s/ Woodstock-y tone. Nothing
wrong with that, of course, but there's not much to make me sit up and take
notice as there was with the Mamas and the Papas' magnificent harmonies,
original music and Cass Elliot's fantastic voice.
I'm sorry to sound critical, but over three-and-a-half
decades on, this fades into the background hum of the time for me. There's nothing wrong with it and it's a
nice-sounding album, but it's not one I go back to much.
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