“Blistered” taken from the LP ‘and then . . . along comes The Association’’ | (London Records HAT 8305) December 1966
The Association | Blistered | (London) 1966 | Some people think musicians are weird, and many would think The Association weird. Like Russ who spends his spare hours walking alone around the city . . . his favourite all-time job was running a merry-go-round because “people didn’t bug me and I could think.”
And Ted who reminds himself not to be vain by placing a mirror so high above his apartment floor he can’t see himself. Or Brian who’s held 33 jobs in six years and is quite a philosopher.
And Terry, who has enough credits for two degrees yet never graduated from college . . . and has also managed to learn 23 instruments. Or Gary who doesn’t smoke, drink or eat meat and would like to travel to India to “study the mystic religious life there.”
And happy-go-lucky Jim who almost became a Certified Public Accountant like his mother, until he began “freaking out in the music field” and hasn’t added a column of figures since.
The Association | Blistered | (London) 1966
But then it’s the creative people who keep the world from being one gigantic Dow Jones average . . . people like the Association who are really adding something worthwhile to today’s music scene.
The Association has been called the first “show-rock” group around today—which means they can play bluer blues than the Rolling Stones: harder hard-rock than the Raiders, and put more folk into folk music than the Kingston Trio—and they still come out with their own unique sound.
And they’re one of the few groups who have worked up a funny, professionally tight act to entertain their audiences. They’ve proven by this first album that they can write music as good—or better—than anybody around today.
The Association | Blistered | (London) 1966
Eight out of the twelve songs are written by The Association. I personally think “Cherish” is one of the most hauntingly beautiful love songs to come out of this Beatle-era—or any other era. But just as many others prefer the lovely “Standing Still.”
Whatever your choice, one thing is certain, The Association will be on top of the music heap for a long time to come. (Phyllis Burgess, Entertainment Editor ‘TEEN Magazine. © 1967 Valiant Records, Hollywood)
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