John Phillips - John the Wolfking of L.A.

Love Wolf King

but i have a hard time understanding the words and i would love to find a site with the lyrics . alienproyect@yahoo.com . U see , english is my 3rth language . Too bad the cd did not come with words of wisdom ... Otherwisw , incredible compositions and lovely musical structure ...
Defining a particular time in California Folk Pop ... August 12, 2008

Very Pleasant Surprise

Great mellow (not to a fault) county-rock/singer-songwriter album. Fiddle, Dobro, and Darlene Love(!) throughout. February 19, 2007

It's not really a surprise

No, it's not a surprise that John the Wolfking of L.A. is a great record--John Phillips was the pen behind the Mamas and the Papas, transforming the emotional turmoil of the group's inner drama into some of the most classic and catchy pop music made in the late 60's as their primary songwriter and vocal arranger. Although he wasn't thought of as the group's best singer (and unfortunately didn't highlight his vocals on this record as much as he could), I think Phillips has a very soothing and emotive voice--of course he didn't compare to the technical prowess of Denny and Cass, but they were doing something different--more of a slick pop sound that was more about straight-up aesthetics. This record is pure personality.

The opener is pure magic--Phillips sings over Elvis Presley's backing band (a tight rhythm section and some great pedal steel texture) about "April Ann," a tale full of colorful and melancholy characters, quoting several popular film titles along the way. Although Phillips reportedly buried his own voice in the mix, I don't think it's really that hard to hear, and a pleasure to hear at that! After the first track, the album just keeps up the quality. The second song is another melancholy slow-burner, with great lyrics and some great stoner imagery.

Overall, Phillips' record is laid-back good times music--I guess you'd call it country-rock (because of the pedal steel), but really it doesn't fit too neatly into any genre--it's just well-written, mellow, catchy rock and roll, and after a couple listens you won't really care how it's categorized--you'll just want to keep listening. John the Wolfking is definitely a vacation and beach album--several of the songs reference the ocean and the beach ("Malibu People" and "Down the Beach") as well as referencing broad ranging locales, like Tangiers and Mississippi.

Phillips sure knows how to set a mood, and the infectiously mellow groove permeates his best solo record. I think the song that might sum it up best is "Mississippi," a listless (just like the river) thumper, with some feel-good vibes and some sly lines. John the Wolfking of L.A. puts on no pretense, and it comes off great as a result. It's too bad Phillips never achieved much solo success, since he would have produced quite a bit of great music continuing in the same vein. I highly recommend this album to fans of country/folk rock, as well to adventurous fans of the Mamas and Papas (it's not terribly similar though). I should also add that the album has several bonus tracks that are only slightly less strong than the original album, which should be listened to as its own discrete unit, separate from the bonus tracks. Hope you enjoy! February 13, 2007

MUST HAVE

Even if you don't like the Mamas and Papas, this CD is a must for every music collection. February 6, 2007

Long overdue!

This is an album I have been trying to buy for several years on cd but the only versions available have been a Japanese cd and an equally hard to find British version on Edsel.These always seemed to sell for upwards of $100.00.
I read in the now defunct ICE magazine that "Wolfking" was being reissued in the states at last by Varese but almost 18 months went by with no further word, nor did it appear on their website.
Well, it's here at last and well worth the wait. This was John's best post Mama's and Papa's work. The songs are all top notch and John's performances are great. The band consists of the cream of LA's session players, many of who had also worked with the M&P's and Johnny Rivers among many others.
The 8 bonus tracks include works in progress,leftover sessions and the single version of the lp's only hit, "Mississippi". My recomendation is to grab it while you can. It could be equally rare as the previous reissues soon. January 9, 2007

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