The Association: The Association ''Live'' CD Track Listing

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The Association The Association ''Live'' (1970)
2003 Collectors' Choice Music\n\nOriginally Released July 1970\nCD Edition Released December 9, 2003\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: This 75 minute album, originally a double-LP (recorded live at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on April 3, 1970) is a valiant attempt at capturing their concert sound on record. Unfortunately, it fails for several reasons, beginning with the fact that the instrumental mix is very bass-heavy--even with adjustments to compensate, this overwhelms much of the rest of the band on several key numbers. Additionally, the group's singing, though more than adequate, lacks the presence needed to give their harmonies the necessary radiance to make the music fully attractive, coming off instead as anemic. The real problem is that cutting a live album was a thankless task for this group--so much of their sound was dependent on a studio-driven perfection, that live recording was an exercise in futility (let's put it this way--the Beach Boys pulled this off more than once, but they had a resident genius around part of the time doing their arrangements; the Association, no genius in the ranks). "Goodbye Columbus" is a case in point, receiving a breezy, cheerful number that gets a spirited performance, but it still sounds thin and emaciated, because the single is the way that song is supposed to sound, period. By contrast, their rendition of "Get Together," complete with lyrical and soaring harmonies, is a masterpiece of a kind--or it would be if it were a prelude to a studio recording where the balances could be refined and perfected. As it is, the band often sounds clunky on their instruments, even as they sing their hearts out. "Seven Man Band" features some ferocious fuzz guitar that gets buried in mix. Some songs do work--"Cherish" is a bit emaciated but ultimately makes for interesting listening, while "Requiem For The Masses" and "Enter The Young" come off well on any terms. It's hardly worth the inflated price of the Japanese imported CD, except for the most hardcore completists. -- Bruce Eder\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nYou wouldn't think that a band with such a polished studio sound would be a good live act, but the Association were real pros, not only capable of hitting those incredible harmonies in a live (and high-altitude!) setting, but also -- given their reliance on studio musicians -- surprisingly capable players as well. This April 3, 1970 show at the University of Utah also reveals some other sides of the band, as they cover some songs (Let's Get Together; Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You) that reveal, lurking behind those note-perfect arrangements, was a pretty fine folk-rock group. We've squeezed the entire, 74-minute double live-album on to one CD -- it's a great listen! Includes One Too Many Mornings; Along Comes Mary; I'll Be Your Man; Goodbye, Columbus; Get Together; Wasn't It a Bit Like Now; Never, My Love; Goodbye Forever; Just About the Same; Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You; Seven Man Band; Time It Is Today; Dubuque Blues; Blistered; What Were the Words; Remember; Are You Ready; Cherish; Requiem for the Masses; Windy, and Enter the Young. \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nA surprisingly-good set, now a better bargain, February 15, 2004 \nReviewer: David Goodwin from Chicago, IL USA \nI've always been amazed at the sheer amount of abuse heaped upon this album. "Out-of-key," "poorly performed" and at worst "irrelevant," "The Association Live" gets an awful lot of flack, and in my opinion, most of it is sorely undeserved.\n\nTrue, the band wasn't exactly the hippest property around at the time (heck, this is from a Salt Lake City concert). And yes, there is a definate aura of studio tamper-ment that hovers around the album. But let's be honest, folks; how much does hearing The Association live and "raw" really matter?\n\nIn fact, when this album works best, it works as a wonderful "prism" through which their sixties hits are refracted. For although their self-titled album was slightly behind them by this point, the spirit that formed it was clearly still in attendence (and you can read my review of their self-titled album if you want to know my opinion on THAT heavenly piece of plastic). Thus, pure live, slightly overdubbed, or pure studio, each song is given a spirited re-arrangement that manages to freshen up even the most saccharine of their hits. Call me a heretic, but I think the version of "Goodbye Columbus" here absolutely blows away the hit version; while some of the studio perfection is inevitably lost, the sheer energy (And these guys are more than capable!) of the rendition and rearrangement let it become something *more* than the studio version. The same goes for the played-to-death "Cherish," which I enjoy here far more than I do the hit version.\n\nAdditionally, some of the re-arrangements are very indicative of a lot of thought and creativity. In particular, Terry Kirkman's flute becomes a primary instrument in many songs, and in some cases ("Along Comes Mary" and "Time it Is Today") this manages to completely transform the songs. \n\nDownsides? Well, some of the selections chosen are a bit dubious (although I absolutely love the inclusion of "Goodbye Forever," one of the oft-overlooked gems from Self-titled/Stonehenge), and while some of the rearrangements work, I'm ambivalent regarding the decision to turn "Dubuque Blues" into a "shouter." And the crowd banter, while amusing the first few times through, is occasionally a bit awkward (one skit about "getting in touch with those around you" goes on for uncomfortably long). \n\nThis all used to be something of a foregone conclusion, though, as "Live" was previously only available as a prohibitively-expensive Japanese import. Thankfully, Collectors Choice has reissued the set domestically, and while these domestic CDs have come under fire for losing the bonus tracks on the Japanese issues, this had nothing to lose in the first place! A few listens have revealed nothing obvious missing from the import CD version.\n\nStill, most listeners (and especially Association neophytes and/or those who aren't exactly sure if a live album by such a historically-unhip band is a great investment) will do well by first tracking down a cheap vinyl copy of the album, which tends to be fairly easy to do. I love "Live" for its rearrangements of some seriously-overplayed tracks and uncelebrated gems, but those looking for something more approximating the hits will do better to stick with the studio incarnations.\n\nHalf.com Album Credits\nMichael Shields, Engineer\nRay Pohlman, Producer\n\nAlbum Notes\nThe Association: Jules Alexander, Ted Bluechel Jr., Brian Cole, Russ Giguere, Terry Kirkman, Larry Ramos, Jim Yester.\n\nRecorded live at the University Of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, on April 3, 1970.\n
This rock cd contains 22 tracks and runs 74min 32sec.
Freedb: 46117616
Buy: from Amazon.com

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