Dis-Association Dept.
Credibility issues plagued The Association from the get-go. They used session musicians and outside songwriters, they had sunny, poppy hit singles all over the radio, they looked straight outta Squaresville (the pose of hipness never came naturally to them), and, like the Monkees and the Mamas And The Papas, and to a lesser extent the Beach Boys, never stood a chance with the hippies. It's that San Francisco superiority complex that few L.A. bands (the Doors and the Byrds, for example) cracked - a sneering suspicion of anything professionally produced. Plastic, man!
They're still relegated to the back burner of music. Their record labels consistently and bafflingly fail to do them justice. The credibility issue, unjustifiable back then, is no longer relevant. The records stand as perfect examples of 'sixties pop, and 'seventies pop rock.
You'd of thought, would you not of, that given the sheer amount [amounts are always sheer - Ed.] of talent across the group, solo projects would be abundant, but they ain't. There's only three bony-fido solo albums. Russ Giguere's Hexagram 16, the only contemporary release, from '71, includes bandmates Jerry Yester and Jules Alexander (who contributes stunning album high point Pegasus) in the A-list credits.
Caveat: This is binkerbo's rip from vinyl - thank you! - with authentic crackles. If you have an improvement, please feature your generosity and good taste in the comments!
If we leave out the Henske-Yester/Rosebud albums, because not solo, we had to wait until until 1990 for Japan to release Jerry Yester's terminally obscure Just Like The Big Time, Only Smaller. I'm still waiting. I've never found it and it's driving me nuts. If you have it, I will be your pal forever - or not - your choice! Pass Your Light Around, from 2017, is a gorgeous compilation of "old" tracks that's at least as good as anything by the Association (or Rosebud), and which stirred up surprisingly little excitement on release. FoamFeatured antecedently, I suspect newer readers might have missed it, so here it is again. It's a sublime, good-spirited, uplifting and (of course) impeccably-made album, and although I don't have the credits, I'm damn sure that's FoamGoddess™ Judy Henske lending her vox.
I've deleted a comment here referring to Yester's private life, which has no place here. This is where we celebrate art, not judge individuals for all their terrible failings. It's important to be able to make a distinction between art and artist - if we start to ignore or censure or dismiss (or destroy) any work of art on the grounds it was made by someone who failed in some way, there'd be precious little left in galleries or concert halls or libraries. Make the distinction. What is good art is good.
ReplyDeleteMaking Yester's album available does not in any way endorse his behavior as a private individual. It's a beautiful album.
It's the old story of "knowing the back story". It seldom increases your enjoyment, and can sour it. Enjoy art for what it is, not for who made it. If you knew the back story of pretty much any album ever made, you might have moral qualms about listening to it. This absolute moral judgement - that art made by a bad guy cannot be good - is a very Millennial tendency, and leans in a very worrying direction.
I had read that deleted comment and began thinking about that very question and intended asking it here, but you have pre-empted me. It's a tricky one, but I'm sure you're correct in your comments. Didn't a certain Jewish teacher make some comment about throwing stones and being without sin? Not to mention specks of sawdust and great planks in one's eye.....I don't have the Yester album you ask about, but I'm putting out feelers to see if anyone out in the ether has it. If I find it I'll let everyone know. And I thought it was Jim Yester in the Association, but I see that Jerry did join for a few months. Brothers?
ReplyDeleteThe commenter said he'd be "giving this one a miss" because Yester broke the law. That's what worries me. To be consistent, he'll also get rid of all his Lovin' Spoonful albums, all his Association albums ... and so on.
DeleteWe know - if we want to look - that what he did was a terrible thing. That's one thing - over there. Over here - something else entirely. Something that shows how great people can be. Music.
Musicians, in addition to being (variously) talented, skillful, and hard-working, are only human beings, capable of the worst human behavior as well as the best. What a surprise.
Me, I really don't want - or need - to know what they do in their private lives. Doesn't mean I don't know right from wrong, or I'm morally indulgent as far as musicians are concerned. Just that I keep the best, discard the rest.
Just a note for further comments - keep 'em about the music puh-lease - I don't want this place to get too serious! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI'm in total agreement.
ReplyDeleteMy all-time favorite musician is Miles Davis, who was a world class asshole......so what?
Any chance of something "stealthy", Farquhar?
May 16 5am
DeleteAssociation? And Then... Along Comes? You Boettcher life!
ReplyDeleteI'm seeing Yester-Henske-Farewell Aldebaran over yonder:
ReplyDeletehttps://ulozto.net/file/UpjTQ7KYt/judy-henske-jerry-yester-1969-farewell-aldebaran-usa-psychedelic-folk-rock-s-a-bob-dylan-donovan-tim-buckley-the-lovin-spoonful-the-doors-rosebud-female-vocal-zip
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ReplyDeleteJKC - last time I saw Miles perform live was around '84. It was a twin bill with him and Wynton Marsalis' group as the opener. When Davis was performing, Marsalis was standing offstage in the wings, with his trumpet in hand. I thought that was odd, since the two of them had had a few public dust-ups. Sure enough, Marsalis steps onto the stage with horn to his lips, and Davis shoved his ass off. Afterwards, I found out that Davis had given his approval to Marsalis to join him onstage. Apparently, it was a trick and an attempt to show up Marsalis in front of his family and in his hometown (concert was in NO). Yeah - love Davis' music, but god damn he was a massive prick.
ReplyDeleteJust in case we need some disambiguation - it's perfectly okay to chronicle (extra)ordinary assholery here. That's in the public domain, part of showbiz, and inherently laughable, if not exactly funny.
DeleteI think (I think I remember ...) Kenny Garrett playing an incredible solo on Human Nature (Live Around The World) and Miles getting pissy about the applause, breaking into it with a whiny "I do this shit every night". And there's Buddy Rich - genius-level drummer, amateur human being. And so on ...
I met Buddy at my octagenarian pot dealers house in Palm Springs. Ernie Rudisill aka Ernie Rudy 'The Daffy Drummer' had played with Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye for over two decades. He had to have inspired some of Keith Moon's antics. This guy was all cross sticking flash and major rifts. We're having tequila and Ernie starts getting into Buddy's shit about being a prick and they started laughing. Buddy said it was all an act but that since he was the greatest he felt entitled to get what he wanted and that "if some asshole didn't get that he was king, he's shit on his plate".
DeleteDon't be a lazy-assed bum all your life, FiveGuns. Work this up into a piece and grab that trading card!
DeleteDiscorporate!
ReplyDelete“I remember one time - it might have been a couple times - at the Fillmore East in 1970, I was opening for this sorry-ass cat named Steve Miller. Steve Miller didn't have his shit going for him, so I'm pissed because I got to open for this non-playing motherfucker just because he had one or two sorry-ass records out. So I would come late and he would have to go on first and then we got there we smoked the motherfucking place, everybody dug it.”
ReplyDelete― Miles Davis, Miles: The Autobiography
Mm. Not a good look. He called Hendrix "hillbilly music." The amateur psychologist in me traces it back to a spoiled middle-class childhood, Mama's best little boy tootling his trumpet just for her.
DeleteI love the story where Hendrix is invited to dinner at Miles' house. His wife invited him, along with other notables as they were becoming rock royalty and she wanted him to mix it up and be able to get along with others. Miles spends a couple of weeks writing just awesome music for Hendrix. Jimi shows up for dinner, on the nod, and Miles gives him this fat binder of songs he'd written for him. Jimi opens it up, gives a cursory glance at a couple of pages and closes it, going "Cool, man" and that was it. Jimi and everyone else go home and Jimi left the binder on the table. Miles blows his top "That mothafucka didn't like my shit" etc. His wife tells him "Miles, you should know Jimi can't read music", so yeah, to him Hendrix was hillbilly music. I personally think Hendrix was a hack. Listen to any live recording, he can't jam, he's not a team player, he goes steaming off into some noise and the band gets some riff going to support the shrieking cacophony and make it passable as being something you get paid to do at a gig..play songs, but when he comes back he doesn't go with the jam. He makes a bunch of scratchy noises that alert the other players to stop so that Jimi can do his next "genius" thing. He can't really play. Could have been the drugs. The thing I thought was so laughable in my article "Woodstock Was Complete Bullshit" (had I said it was great, I wouldn't have sold anything) the crowd, on pot and acid, thought they were at one with the musicians and to a man almost every musician on that stage was on heroin. I gleefully threw candy at Jimi, with every other preteen when he opened up for the Monkees in Seattle. We booed that fucker off stage. Hendrix's studio albums are all the production. His cherry picked and altered live stuff is okay. The boots tell the truth. He couldn't sing, half the time he's out of tune. He has no idea what the band is doing and then insults them.
DeleteIt's an opinion, FiveGuns, and well expressed. Thank you.
DeleteThanks, Farq. I will use your words the next time someone pontificates about Ike Turner's woeful behavior as opposed to his music. Well stated.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I thought of a biblical-style analogy - when I go to the tree, I don't bring back the rotten fruit.
DeleteGlass houses, stones, name-your-Super Group (HERE).
ReplyDeleteThe list of f-ups and malcontents who made Great Art is LONG. Endless, perhaps..?
I am all for focusing on the ART. (Look that way, not this...)(At - who? - moi..?!)
Pop Fame is an ego trip & few handle it well. I think it is best expressed with the simple fact that in the last few years Todd Rundgren frequently wore a bulletproof vest under his stage attire during live shows. And hes a sarcastic character if there ever was one in front of an audience. If you ever get to meet your "idols" you're likely in for a dissapointment. If your not just a sad "fanboy" their humanity is quite a mindfuck.
ReplyDeleteThen of course the greatest rock'n'roller of all, Chuck Berry, wasn't above putting cameras in the women's toilets in his club. But nothing can sour his songs.
ReplyDeleteYester recording on Ebay:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ebay.com/itm/Jerry-Yester-MFQ-Just-Like-The-Big-Time-Only-Smaller-Lovin-Spoonful-Japan-CD-/254185742251
Huh. Can't get a download from that blog no matter where I click.
DeleteThe Ultimate Stealth Link...
DeleteChuckle Berryboy infamously had Polaroids taken with, erm, his gal pals (after he got busted)(he still "carried on"...)
Runt-grin remark reminded me....
"Wacky Stage Banter Award"? Snide James Taylor. A frustrated Stand-Up comedian...
https://myzuka.club/Song/12644229/jerry-yester-pass-your-light-around
ReplyDeleteI have defeated my grandson's usurpation of my commenting ability Above is the linkyou seek'
ReplyDeleteCowculatorjohn
Already linked, May 16 5am
DeleteSigh..
ReplyDeletecowculatorjohn
No luck, I'm afraid, with the other Yester album. I put out feelers, but no replies, So it goes.
ReplyDeleteThank you! It's a mystery, that one ...
Delete