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Although the UK-released EMI version of this twenty-track album that I own is subtitled ‘Music for Pleasure’, I must confess that I approached the task of this review with less than pleasure-filled thoughts. I came away from it with the same mixed bag of sentiments.
Yet one *must* recognize the iconic status of the Mamas and the Papas in 1960s carefree culture. From ‘California Dreamin’ to ‘Twist and Shout’ and on through to the closing ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’, this odd foursome were troubadors of the happy, not-so-committed-to-convention-as-our-parents-were take on livin’ free before times became as dark and edgy as they eventually would.
The album cover pose states as clearly as the music how happy Mama Cass was (or tried to be) not being beautiful. ‘And no one’s gettin’ fat except Mama Cass’ spoke the same message with words.
The anthemic ‘(You gotta’) Go Where You Wanna Go’ probably states the tM&tP creed as well as any other of these songs, which – I gotta’ give it to’em – remain hummable and even find themselves on my unconcious lips more often than I’m comfortable admitting as I make my most-review rounds.
If you’re a tM&tP fan, you’ll love this album. But you’ll pay a pretty penny to get it.
If you’re not already a tM&tP fan, you’ll probably wonder whether people ever really listened to music like *that*.
‘Fact is, they did. And they loved it. Even if we don’t.
Icons don’t have to be pretty. ‘Just iconic.
Canter Bridge 
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