The Association – THE ASSOCIATION***

Look At Me Look At You/Yes I Will/Love Affair/The Nest/What Were The Words/Are You Ready For That/ Duboque Blues/Under Branches/Up For Europe/Broccoli/Goodbye Forever/Boy On The Mountain

Self titled album from the vocal harmony group The Association that would be the last to achieve a respectable US chart placing. They would release a couple more albums to only limited public interest. (US:32)

“My only problem with this album is that some of the tracks are too sugary sweet or too gentle for my liking, although it is a good album to relax to.”

“Here we find mostly soft, semi-folk sounding vocal harmony pop, some of it featuring a country flavour. At times, though, it seems as if some of the harmonies are missing something. For me, no real standouts on this one.”

“By the time this album was released, The Association had run their course as a hit producing band. That is unfortunate as there is some fine material here. Overall, a pretty good album, though far from their best.”

“The album, The Association, was the beginning of an attempt to modify their sound as the music world changed around them. Look At Me Look At You is catchy and probably the best tune on the album, and Dubuque Blues comes close. The rest of the songs range from average to good but when taken as a collective whole they hold together well.”

“This album has its moments, but you can hear the treacle starting to seep through the cracks to take over their sound. Producing no hit singles, it marked the end of The Association's classic period.”

“Comprised of nearly all original material The Association seemed eager to wipe clean the slick, canned sound of the previous two albums. This resulted in what is considered by many as their best album vocally, with painstaking care being given to vocal arrangements and harmonies, always an Association trademark.”

“The Association marked the beginning of the downward arc for the band commercially: there were no hit singles, and record sales weren't too hot, either. But creatively, the band had never been better. By this time, they had branched out into creating songs that were a bit more sophisticated and arty.”