The Association - The Greatest Hits!

Overcoming Shame

Don't you hate those reviewers who complain about a greatest hits album that one obvious song is missing, and yet I'm going to pull a facsimile of that exact review. Regarding the greatest hits of the Association, I sent away for it just blindly, assuming without reading the fine print, and you know what they say about assuming? Well it happened to me. I wanted one song, the theme from "Goodbye Columbus," and when the CD came I didn't even look for it, just thrust the disc into the player, and waited. And waited. And waited. Heard a bunch of nice songs, but you know, I said to my kids, I never did hear "Goodbye Columbus." Us neither Dad. "Gimme that sleeve," I swore. It's actually a beautiful image, of the six members of the Association grouped, some sitting, some sitting or kneeling, on the rich green banks of some magnificent morning lake; they're all pushed to the right side in keeping with the Hudson River School, or some fantastic Turner painting like "Juliet and her Nurse," where it's the landscape, not the incidental human onlookers, that matters.

In tiny letters the names of the songs are listed in saffron--too small for me to read. "Kids," I cried out, "do you see the word COLUMBUS anywhere?" No Dad. The truth is that even in their heyday the Association were hard to swallow, especially if you had an ounce of cool in you. I became fascinated with their minimalistic procedures towards language, almost on the Aram Saroyan level, they would focus in on one word at a time, "Windy," perhaps, or "Cherish," and each track would be this close, intense examination of how the word worked, its function in society. The blend of their voices was less jaunty than the Beach Boys, indeed it had something of the faceless piety of the Vienna Boys Choir. Had they reached puberty? Hard to tell. I remember the guilty pleasure of hearing them boom out, "Hello life! Goodbye Columbus!" on the radio waves and delighting in the misery that this iteration must be causing author Philip Roth *at that very moment.* It was like the Preston Sturges film SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS--he thought he was writing O BROTHER WHERE ARE THOU, but the Association had rendered his sensitive novella into ANTS IN YOUR PANTS 1969.

Or "Enter the Young," has there ever been anything more twee--? And yet, and yet, when all is said and done, they had something--their very awkwardness and sincerity had a moral force like Luther pounding those proclamations into the cathedral door. I did love them, despite never knowing one from the other, despite the cloying sentiments of "Never My Love" or "Everything that Touches You." They weren't rock, not exactly, they were like looking the the US flag intently, then switch your gaze to a white wall and something like Jasper Johns flag pops out at you in yellow and green--yes, they were like listening to rock and then watching a white wall to see what might develop. A meditational exercise like Tai Chi. They're flawless really. May 15, 2008

Sometimes Not the Real Thing

I bought this vinyl version several years ago and it was mixed well. I bought a version of this cd a couple of years ago and the mix was not the same and the music itself just sounded not like the original. Since then I've down loaded the songs I like and got lucky. Sound quality was excellent and was exactly like I remembered it. I have read about these early rushed to cd's from the analog version and questionable original masters. One execellent example is the awfull and embarassing cd version of several of the Jefferson Airplanes first records. This seems to have been the case in what you may or might no get when getting this cd version. As always, let the buyer beware. Good luck. December 14, 2007

The Association's Greatest Hits

What a piece of schlock, but it's lovely schlock. This will remind you of the innocence of the 60s. It's a shame that this might still be the best representation of this group. This isn't a great collection but about half of it is a blockbuster. My favorites are "Everything That Touches You", "Never my Love", "Cherish", "Windy" & "Six Man Band". To me, these songs make owning this album worthwhile. November 27, 2007

Mellow 60's

This group brings back some very strong and pleasent memories. If you like 60's ballad's then this is some of the best of the time. November 7, 2007

rich harmonies, romantic ballads and strong songwriting

The Association scored some major hits during the 1960s; and this CD gives us all five top ten hits plus several other great songs. No, this single CD is NOT definitive; but it makes a great CD anyway and it's perfect for the casual fan.

The track set begins with "The Time It Is Today." The musical flourish at the beginning sports that late 1960s feel; and they sing really well! The Association harmonizes well and the percussion coupled with guitars work wonders for the arrangement. Excellent! "Everything That Touches You" gives us a charming, supple love ballad with great guitar and percussion again. The Association sings this ballad with all their heart and soul; the song explores the joy a person feels when they find their one true love.

"Never My Love" stuns me with its beauty; they sing to perfection of an undying love. Again the singers harmonize flawlessly and the arrangement showcases the guitars and percussion to produce the hallmark sounds of The Association. The chorus enhances the beauty of "Never My Love," too. Great!

"Along Comes Mary" is nothing short of a masterpiece; this song deals with the joy a man feels when Mary cheers him up as a friend and possible lover. The hand clapping becomes a type of musical instrument itself; and The Association sings "Along With Mary" with panache and feeling. The subtle tempo changes all through "Along Comes Mary" bolster the number; and the flute solo in the middle of the number takes you by surprise and beautifies this ballad even more.

"No Fair At All" has a gentle rhythm as the song explores a love going wrong; the men sing beautifully and the flute makes the number very touching. "Cherish" is a sophisticated ballad that explores the love a man feels for his woman all the while knowing that his one true love does not truly love him in return. "Cherish" again sports that late 1960's sound; and The Association use their guitars and percussion once again to create their trademark sound. I predict that you will enjoy "Cherish" very, very much.

"Windy," a popular song that you may well recognize when you hear it, gives us a man's lyrics describing his relentlessly upbeat and happy lover girlfriend. "Windy" has great lyrics; this scores another masterpiece for The Association!

The liner notes give you all the lyrics and the song credits, too. There is a brief essay about the band; and the artwork impresses me greatly.

The Association may not have stuck together over many years, but the music they did make stands the test of time very well. Many of these great songs will be instantly recognizable to you as you listen to this awesome CD. Yes, I agree with others who note that this CD could have been a more complete retrospective with more hits. Nevertheless, this CD works great as an introduction to the band; and casual fans will love this album. The Association was a strong group that made music history; and we are much better off for their sharing their artistry with us.

Enjoy!
August 25, 2007

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