Finally, a sensible "Greatest Hits" from the Association
David Goodwin | Westchester, NY United States | 12/08/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Strangely enough, despite being one of the quintessential "few hit wonder with good deeper catalog" acts of the 1960s, The Association have had precious few, single-disc "Greatest Hits" comps in their favor. The Warner Brothers "The Association's Greatest Hits" disc missed several singles for album tracks from "Birthday," while most other compilations used re-recordings of the original tracks; the Japanese got a great, 20 track disc, but at the usual import prices.
With "The Essentials," Rhino finally fills this niche once and for all. As far as I can see, all of the major tracks are here: Never My Love, Along Comes Mary, Cherish, and Windy are the four big radio tracks, while Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies (a GREAT song, bizarrely missing from the earlier, WB disc), Goodbye Columbus, and No Fair at All round out the slew of minor hits. "Enter the Young" is the far-superior take from the first album, and "Six Man Band" is an excellent Greatest-Hits-only bonus. Some tracks are missing in action from the Warner Brothers disc, but few should miss the "why-was-it-there?" We Love Us.
Quibbles? I'm still perplexed by the inclusion of the twee "Time for Living" ("The Time It Is Today" is a better song, and is one of the few original-GH tracks that deserved to be ported over), and I wish Rhino had seen fit to include some of the tracks from their oft-overlooked--but excellent--self-titled 1969 album. These are minor issues, though.
Verdict: If you're looking for an inexpensive, single-disc original-recordings "Greatest Hits" collection from The Association that's more comprehensive (if more concise) than the ancient, poor-sounding Warner Brothers disc...finally, someone saw fit to provide! Grab it without remorse."
RATED 5 STARS WORLD'S #1 DIGITALLY REMASTERED MUST HAVE ASSO
MOZART SCHOLAR, AUDIOPHILE & AUTHOR | SAN FRANCISCO CA & HONOLULU HI | 10/17/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"RATED 5 STARS WORLD'S #1 DIGITALLY REMASTERED MUST HAVE ASSOCIATION CD 2006
ABOUT ASSOCIATION'S THE ESSENTIALS CD
FAMOUS AS ONE OF THE FINEST POP HARMONY GROUPS OF THE 1960S LIKE THE BEACH BOYS, THE ASSOCIATION WAS A SIX-MAN POP BAND FROM LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA WHO BLENDED POP, ROCK, AND FOLK WITH GORGEOUS VOCAL HARMONIES IN A LUSH ADULT CONTEMPORARY SOUND THAT STILL CONTAINED A HIPSTER'S EDGE. THE ASSOCIATION WERE ALSO NOTABLE FOR BEING THE LEAD-OFF BAND AT 1967'S MONTEREY POP FESTIVAL, THE FIRST 1960'S ROCK FESTIVAL.
HIGHLY POPULAR FOR THEIR TIGHT VOCAL HARMONIES AND ONE OF POP'S ALL-TIME MOST ROMANTIC GROUPS, THE ASSOCIATION WAS ONE OF THE FIRST BANDS TO ENDORSE MARIJUANA WITH THEIR FIRST #1 HIT ALONG COMES MARY (1966). THE ASSOCIATION'S OTHER #1 BILLBOARD HITS INCLUDED CHERISH (1966), WINDY (1967), NEVER MY LOVE (1967), AND EVERYTHING THAT TOUCHES YOU (1968). THE ASSOCIATION'S SIX BAND MEMBERS INCLUDED: TERRY KIRKMAN (FOUNDER, LEADER, VOCALS, BRASS, WOODWINDS); JULES ALEXANDER (VOCALS, GUITAR); RUSS GIGUERE (VOCALS, GUITAR); JIM YESTER (VOCALS, GUITAR, KEYBOARDS); LARRY RAMOS (VOCALS, BASS, GUITAR); TED BLUECHEL, JR. (VOCALS, DRUMS).
ASSOCIATION'S THE ESSENTIALS REMASTERED CD TRACKS:
1. ALONG COMES MARY
2. ENTER THE YOUNG
3. CHERISH
4. PANDORA'S GOLDEN HEEBIE JEEBIES
5. NO FAIR AT ALL
6. WINDY
7. NEVER MY LOVE
8. EVERYTHING THAT TOUCHES YOU
9. LIKE ALWAYS
10. TIME FOR LIVIN'
11. GOODBYE, COLUMBUS
12. SIX MAN BAND
"
A Great Harmony band
chester | wrong island NY | 07/10/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Most of us have heard The Association's most famous tunes maybe literally a thousand times, usually blasting out of a mono AM car or home radio in the old days. It's a real treat to hear these hits (and some that should have been) on this fine sounding remaster. These guys are one of the finest vocal bands to ever enter a studio (the playing is great too, actually). It features "Cherish," probably the best / most-played unrequited love song ever not sung by a saloon singer!
Enjoy this great CD from this somewhat underrated band."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1