Customer Reviews

Wilson Phillips

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My product arrived faster than they anticipated time they allotted. The product was new, sealed and in the condition the ad said it was. I would most definitely purchase from this seller again.

Even though it seems almost cheesy, I have to admit how fantastic this album is. Their voices and harmonies are sublime.

I know that I'm writing this in 2004, but since you've featured this on Amazon, I wanted to talk about this classic. Wilson Phillips made a very good pop album in 1990! I played it over and over for some 6 to 7 months during '90-'91! I was so happy that "You're In Love" went to No. 1, because I played that over and over, far more than Hold On or Release Me! It deserved to win Grammys, but it got shut out of its nominations at the awards in '91. The breezy pop, the smooth landscapes and its balance of pop and rock from previous decades are what make it great. With their new album California, just released this week, this just makes everything come full circle for them and makes this first album more respected now. I remembered that their debut album got bashed by critics, but where are those critics now? They need to shut up and listen to this album again and accept the fact that they're back and still performing now! This is a classic many, many times over and it's so beautifully done!!!!! Loved those harmonies of theirs!

Nice debut album. they blend their voices nicely and the music is easy, and light--even if the themes aren't always.

1990 was not a great year for new CD acquisitions, but of those that I got, I snagged Wilson Phillips' debut CD because of that comforting first single that I kept hearing over and over on the radio. "Hold On" will probably go on my list of all-time favourite songs, however long that list might be. This song of emotional and mental emancipation and self-affirmation, powerful keys and guitars, with the trio's harmony vocals. And as for "Don't let anyone step all over you", "open your heart and your mind", and "you could sustain, or are you comfortable with the pain," yes... must work on that.. still. And as for that refrain, "things will go your way/just hold on for one more day," I only wish! Oh, Joe Walsh does some rhythm guitar here.

The second single "Release Me" still has shades of 80's pop, with those melodic keyboards by producer Glen Ballard. And whoever is singing lead on mid-paced Byrdsy "Impulsive" sounds a lot like Susanna Hoffs. But the solo slide and rhythm guitar is done by Mr. Walsh.

I wonder how many figured out the two protagonists in "Next To You (Someday I'll Be)" named via their surnames, Montague and Capulet. Probably the same people who've read their Willie the Shake. For those who haven't, the first names are Romeo and Juliet. This is singleworthy, but the last lines, romantic as they are, do tell of the couples' fate: "wings of love come carry us/to a place that's made for us."

However, what deservedly became a single was "You're In Love" which puts a brave and mature face on someone meeting an ex-love and is happy enough that the other's in love, albeit with someone else.

They cover Tim Hardin's "A Reason To Believe" a few years before Rod Stewart came out with his cover. They're one of many, and they do it admirably, as their harmonies really enhance this 60's folk chestnut. Steve Lukather does rhythm and solo guitars here; also Joe Walsh shows up with some additional rhythm guitar.

"Ooh You're Gold" features a skippy, up-tempo acoustic guitar, with girl-who-sounds-like-Susanna doing lead bits. Another nice love song.

The next two songs I used to program over and over as a pair. "Eyes Like Twins" for its power harmonies in the chorus and Steve Lukather's trademark Toto guitar. The verses are more mid-paced with low-key vocals, until they come alive. The idealistic and inspirational "The Dream Is Still Alive" ties with "Hold On" as my favourite song, and casts a romantic and favourable light on the 60's Summer of Love and counterculture figures, when "in a purple haze/people dreamed out loud, they were not afraid/they stopped the war but not the dying/some got a little bit lost along the way," referring to those who ended up on the pig farm and later became yuppies. This is sung from the POV of a couple who experienced that time, and the dream that's still alive is also that of the pair. Politically, Wilson Phillips affirms the title of the song despite the Reagan/Bush years.

Sweet harmony vocals with polished pop production, with some super songs and a sound that refuses to say goodbye to 80's pop/rock fusion. And the majority of the songs were written by the trio and Glen Ballard. Too bad it only lasted with this and Shadows And Light, their second and last album. Now how about a reunion album?

This is a great album from the collective daughters of Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) and Papa John Phillips (Mamas and the Papas). These young ladies have great musical genes, and they put them to good use on their fantastic debut. A longtime pop classic, this album spawned multiple radio hits and set the tone for pop music in the early '90s.

Three of the songs went to #1, which is exceptional for any album by any group at any time, with the huge hits "Hold On", "Release Me", and "You're in Love" holding that distinction. It's not just the hits though. Every song is great, from the upbeat "Impulsive", the more reflective "Eyes Like Twins" or the cover of Rod Stewart's "Reason to Believe". The production on the songs is done by hired gun Glenn Ballard, and as always the arrangements and orchestration are impeccable.

Wilson Phillips followed up their debut with an excellent second album that just didn't seem to strike a chord with fans and lead shortly thereafter to their breakup. Nonetheless, their debut stands as one of the best pop albums of the last twenty years and is a listening pleasure. Also of merit is that both Chynna Phillips and the Wilson sisters have released solo albums that, although critically ignored contain some great music in the WP tradition.

I fell in love with their voices and how well they harmonized. Songs were right on and some brought tears to my eyes. Just the right thing to have in the car while traveling. Great CD.

I loved their first album, a bit disappointed in their 2nd but it still was good. Great harmonizing and more personal songs to the singers. Sorry they broke up.

I can't believe that some people think of Wilson Phillips as being cheesy pop music. These girls know how to write and they know how to sing! They also had the fortunes of working with producer Glen Ballard whom you all may know as Alanis Morissette's producer for "Jagged Little Pill". I noticed whenever magazines review Ballard's works, they leave out the fact that he worked on this debut for Wilson Phillips. Its a phenominal album and any music critic should recognize this as being one of the best albums ever made. The music is melodically gifted with beautiful lyrics. This was a VERY successful album which spawned 4 number one singles - "hold on", "release me", "impulsive", and "you're in love". Actually I can't remember if "impulsive" went number one, but top 10 nonetheless. Plus, it includes the top 40 hit, "dream is still alive". But that isn't even where the hits stop! Even the songs that weren't released are favorites! A great remake of "A Reason to Believe", the powerful lyrics of "Eyes Like Twins", and a couple more tracks being led vocally by Carnie "Over & Over" and "Someday I'll be Next To you"...also great songs. The only track I don't really care for is "Ooh you're gold". To me the songs sounds out of place with everything else, but it still doesn't make this album any less amazing. BUY IT! If you like pop music at its best like Abba, Erasure, Fleetwood Mac, Madonna, Cher, etc... you can't go wrong with this one.

This is a good album by Wilson Phillips, It features three number one singles "Hold On", "Release Me" and "Impulsive". This is a very good album but some of it is just filler, unfortunatly there second album didnt sell as well and soon were out of the spotlight. This is a good album.