Part of the idea behind the formation of the Collage was to emulate the Mamas & the Papas’ lineup with a two-man, two-woman quartet of harmonizing singers. The group’s sole self-titled album does indeed resemble the Mamas & the Papas in some ways, but has a yet more pronounced sunshine pop feel, as well as yet lusher production (even using some of the same Wrecking Crew musicians heard on records by the Mamas & the Papas and so many other Hollywood pop/rock sessions of the period, with Wrecking Crew saxophonist Steve Douglas producing). The songs have a sweeter tone, almost as if elements of the Mamas & the Papas and the 5th Dimension have been layered with production and songwriting a little more oriented toward an adult pop/variety entertainment audience. While four of the ten songs were written by the male half of the Collage (Ron Joelson and Jerry Careaga), there are also covers of compositions by notable figures on the Los Angeles pop/rock scene (Kenny Edwards and Bob Kimmel of the Stone Poneys, Roger Nichols, Tony Asher, Curt Boettcher, the Addrisi Brothers). There are some mild psychedelic touches, but also some hammy vaudevillian ones, and as Careaga himself writes in his excellent lengthy liner notes to Now Sounds’ expanded CD reissue, the Collage’s original songs had showtune-style melodies. He also admits that the album wasn’t "commercial or radio-friendly," and while that in and of itself isn’t a knock against the LP, the songs aren’t quite high-caliber enough <b>…</b>
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