Rock 'n' rollin' boomers who grew up with the Beatles and the Stones can't be trusted when it comes to appraising so-called manufactured pop groups (the Monkees among them) with theoretical ties to some faceless Corporate "Man." Even though they were, of course, the generation that first bought and enjoyed this stuff, the counterculture — and the self-contained groups that represented it — have since encouraged listeners to turn their backs on any '60s or '70s act that didn't write their own hits.

This dismissal overlooks the fact that even the Beatles and the Stones hosted guest players on their records, and that far less critically lauded bands like the Association were packed with worthy songwriters and musicians. Remembered for AM radio staples "Along Comes Mary," "Cherish," "Wind," and "Never My Love," this six-to-seven-member Los Angeles ensemble created some of the most sweetly-finessed harmonies this side of the Beach Boys. Most shared lead vocals and contributed material: Multi-instrumentalist Terry Kirkman wrote "Cherish" and some lesser hits, while others penned key cuts on this Rhino-curated collection that encompasses folk-rock, psychedelia and quintessential examples of what's been retroactively classified as "sunshine pop." While heavier groups of the '60s and early '70s… read more »