THE ASSOCIATION: "Stop Your Motor"

Original released on LP Warner Bros WS 1927

(US, July 1971)

Although their chart hits had long since dried up, "Stop Your Motor" became the Association's penultimate long-player and second to last attempt at garnering any degree of hipness. Sadly, the sextet could not have been more out of step with the concurrent popular music trends, which must have been doubly frustrating as this effort actually includes a fair share of decent tunes that would have fit nicely into the burgeoning singer/songwriter genre. When "Stop Your Motor" was issued in the summer of 1971, it heralded the end of a two-year absence of new material. In the interim there had also been marked change behind the scenes. Most notable was the slightly ersatz production style of Ray Pohlman, a longtime session musician and member of Hal Blaine's infamous "Wrecking Crew." Yet another L.A. studio stalwart, Don Randi, had taken the reigns of one of the Association's most vital assets - scoring the band's trademark vocal harmonies. Randi's handiwork is at its best on the midtempo opener, "Bring Yourself Home," or the decidedly laid-back lilt of "It's Got to Be Real." While the disc primarily consists of originals from within the combo's own ranks, "P.F. Sloan" is not only one of the record's best tracks, it was penned by singer/songwriter Jimmy Webb as a paean to the West Coast balladeer and composer of the same name. Among Sloan's best-known works are "Eve of Destruction," "Sins of a Family," and "Lollipop Train (You Never Had It So Good)." In fact, the Association covered Sloan's "On a Quiet Night" some four years earlier for the "Insight Out" (1967) album. Other standouts include Terry Kirkman's (percussion/woodwind) "That's Racin'," which is a whimsical precursor to the burgeoning stock car competitions that would evolve into the NASCAR craze over the ensuing decades. Perhaps the track that most accurately recaptures the Association of old is Gary "Jules" Alexander's (guitar/vocals) familiar mixture of trippy-tinged folk-rock on "Funny Kind of Song," which recalls his earlier contributions "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies" and "Remember." "Stop Your Motor" was essentially stillborn upon release, stalling out at number 158 and driving a final nail in the band's relationship with Warner Bros., with whom they had been associated for five years. They would return with the equally dismissed Waterbeds in "Trinidad!" (1972) before splintering shortly after the death of Brian Cole (vocals/bass) in August of 1972. (Lindsay Planer in AllMusic)

ASSOCIATION: The Third Album

Original released on LP Warner Bros WS 1696

(US, June 1967)

The Association's third album is not in a league with its debut, but "Insight Out" is an enjoyable folk-rock album with a few digressions into garage punk, novelty tunes, and psychedelia, all displaying much of what the group did best. The harmonies and choruses are among the most beautifully textured singing in a rock outfit this side of the Beach Boys, while the playing is engaging. "Insight Out" was done somewhat in the shadow of Harpers Bizarre's experimental "Feelin' Groovy" single - the opening number, "Wasn't It a Bit Like Now," was an exercise in nostalgia similar to the later successful songs of Harpers Bizarre. "On a Quiet Night" and "We Love Us" are folk-rock ballads on which the group's harmonies are the highlight, while "When Love Comes to Me" is a breezy little mood piece that resembles a slightly more ornate cousin to Simon & Garfunkel's "Punky's Dilemma." In that company, the number one single "Windy" (the presence of which helped drive up sales of this album) sounds almost heavy and hard-rocking. It and the accompanying single, "Never My Love" (which was later a hit for the 5th Dimension), are the strongest tracks here. The group's attempt at a harder, garage-band-type sound on "Reputation" is passable, but this obviously wasn't what fans were buying the album to hear. The sunshine pop sound of "Happiness Is" and the radiant "Sometimes" were more to the point, and these are prime Association material, comprised of soaring harmonies and hook-laden guitar parts. (Bruce Eder in AllMusic)

THE ASSOCIATION "Renaissance"

Original released on LP Valiant VLS-25004

(US, November 1966)

"Renaissance" was a difficult album for the Association to record. Coming in the wake of a serious hit album ("And Then...Along Comes the Association") and two huge hit singles ("Along Comes Mary," "Cherish") and at a time when the group was experiencing more bookings than its members had ever dreamed possible, "Renaissance" was rushed out under pressure from the band's label. Alas, "Renaissance" bore little resemblance to its predecessor. For starters, the Association had lost the services of producer Curt Boettcher, who was the architect of the earlier album's extraordinary sound. Additionally, "Renaissance" was comprised entirely of original material, much of which had been written while the group was touring. These songs were competent and showed some flashes of inspiration but, apart from "Come to Me," nothing here offered anything even remotely as catchy as either of the band's two previous singles. With Association rhythm guitarist Jim Yester's brother Jerry Yester producing, "Renaissance" has a more stripped-down, conventional folk-rock feel. Apart from lead guitarist Gary Alexander and wind player Terry Kirkman, none of the other members played on this album, but Alexander is a delight, mixing melodic folk-rock picking and strumming, throwing in a few high-energy licks on one or two numbers, and even using a koto for the album's single, "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies." The latter, despite having a grotesque title when following up a single like "Cherish," is a prize piece of pop psychedelia, all gorgeous harmonies and spaced-out sensibilities backed by a bracing beat. "Renaissance" wasn't a bad album, but was a more routine, predictable recording than its predecessor and, without a hit single to help push sales, it never reached audiences in remotely the same numbers. (Bruce Eder in AllMusic)

And Then... Along Comes the Association

Original released on LP Valiant 

VLM 5002 (mono) / VLS 25002 (stereo)

(US, July 1966)

The Association's debut album may be better listening today than it was in 1966, because it can be appreciated more - and it definitely deserves a better reputation than it has among folk-rock, psychedelic pop, and pop/rock enthusiasts. The album is usually neglected because of the Association's reputation as a soft rock outfit and the prominence of the hits "Cherish" and "Along Comes Mary," both of which are too poppy for most serious '60s archeologists. The original LP was one or two songs short of uniformly high-quality material, but that defect was compensated for by the better numbers and the production of the late Curt Boettcher. Admittedly one of Boettcher's softer creations, "And Then... Along Comes the Association" displayed the same creative use of stereo sound separation - the interlocking instrumental and vocal parts divided in discreet two-channel sound - that was to characterize his work with groups like the Millennium and Sagittarius a little later in the decade. Indeed, "And Then... Along Comes the Association" was among the earliest American rock albums to make full creative use of stereo sound and to exploit it on behalf of a group. In those days, the stereo mix on a rock album was usually little more than an afterthought by the producer and engineer (most of whom hated rock & roll), but Boettcher appreciated just what he had here, with the six singers and instrumentalists in this band, and he spread their work out in front of the listener in vivid detail, giving each "voice" (human and instrumental) a close airing, yet meshing them together as well. (Bruce Eder in AllMusic)

THE ASSOCIATION '69

Original released on LP Warner Bros-Seven Arts WS 1800

(US, August 1969)

Never known as an album band, with the release of "The Association", this band proved to listeners that it was moving in the right direction. Helped along with such Top 40 singles as "Goodbye Forever" and "Dubuque Blues," the Association were expanding their horizons in the ever changing market of pop/rock. Other highlights include "Look at Me, Look at You" and "Under Branches," and although the Association didn't exactly burn up the album charts, it did help to show that there was more to this band than just Top Ten singles. Well worth the effort in seeking out. (James Chrispell in AllMusic)

THE ASSOCIATION "Birthday"

Original released on LP Warner Bros / Seven Arts WS 1733

(US 1968, March 7)

"Birthday" is a strong record. Vocally, the intricate harmonies shine, and there is a lyrical depth on some songs that challenge the Association's reputation as a mere pop group. Granted, there are some light moments, such as the opening cut, "Come On In" (though the vocals do stand out on this cut). And "Toymaker" and "Hear in Here" show the vocal limitations of the lead singers. But "Like Always" does an excellent job of wryly commenting on the loss of a relationship, with the usual fine vocal interplay. "The Time It Is Today" mixes the political and personal in an effective way. And "Everything That Touches You" (their final Top Ten ) is one of their finest love songs, if not one of their best songs, period. The vocals are as intricate as the arrangement, and the sincerity of the lyrics is very apparent. Production by Bones Howe gives the record a very commercial, clean sound that fits well with the material presented. (Michael Ofjord in AllMusic)