Search - Association :: And Then Along Comes Mary

A classic debut

Jason Penick | Oakland, CA | 07/12/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Not only does this-- the Association's first record-- contain the mega-hits "Along Comes Mary" and "Cherish" as well as equally good cuts like "Remember", "Standing Still" and "Message of Our Love", but it's also the first album ever produced by a guy who would go on to define Spectro-pop/ Psych-pop... Curt Boettcher produced this Pet Sounds-influenced gem of a record in 1966 at the age of 22! Boettcher would later go on to produce and play with the groups Ballroom, Sagittarius and the Millennium, while the Association would release six more fine albums before calling it quits in 1972. An expensive import, but worth every penny."

The Association's Rare Debut Album

Alan Caylow | USA | 03/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm absolutely thrilled that the lion's share of albums by the wonderful late-60's group, The Association, from their second album, "Renaissance," to their 2nd-to-last album, "Stop Your Motor," are all available in the U.S. at last. However, the band's 1966 debut disc, "And Then Along Comes The Association," is still only available as a Japanese import CD, probably because the majority of the album is already featured on the group's anthology set, "Just The Right Sound," which includes from this album such Association favorites as "Along Comes Mary," "Cherish," and "Enter The Young," as well as "Your Own Love," "Don't Blame It On Me," "I'll Be Your Man," "Standing Still," "Remember," AND the bonus single, the excellent Bob Dylan cover "One Too Many Mornings," and "Forty Times." So, dear Association fan, you may be asking yourself, why pay import price for tunes you already have?I say you should still buy this CD for (A) the original album cover art, (B) the enclosed lyric sheet, and (C) the four songs that are NOT featured on "Just The Right Sound": the fun of "Blistered," the spacey "Message Of Our Love" (nicely capped off by science-fiction sound effects), the short-but-punchy "Round Again," and the fine melodic pop of "Changes." So, in conclusion, "And Then Along Comes The Association" may indeed be a pricey import purchase for completists only, but really, folks, this IS a classic Association album, and if you happen to love this classic, harmonic pop/rock band as much as I do, then "...Along Comes The Association" is definitely worth seeking out. Happy hunting!"

The Association's debut album with some nice bonus tracks

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 09/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Association's 1966 debut album is still their best album and captures their smooth harmonies and pop-oriented sound, which sometimes dips towards psychedelia. The album reached #5 on the Billboard album charts and features their first two hits, "Along Came Mary," which topped off at #7 and "Cherish," which made it all the way to the top and deserves to be considered one of the great love songs of all-time (David Cassidy did a more than decent cover of it with the Partridge Family). The album also benefited from the talent of Curt Boettcher, who made "Then...Along Comes the Association" one of the first American rock albums to really use stereo sound to the advantage of the artists. It is Boettcher, as well as the six members of the group, who created the Association's signature sound. The problem was that while the Association refined their sound, the world of music changed and moved beyond them by the end of the Sixties. This Japanese reissue ups the rating for this album by tacking on five bonus tracks, which includes alternate versions of both hits and a trio of B-sides. Of course, if you want just one Association album then you want to pick up the group's greatest hit collection, which will give you their other #1 hit, "Windy," and a #2 with "Never My Love." But if you want a second Association album in your music library, this one is the obvious choice."