Insight Out
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Insight Out is the third album by the American pop band The Association and was released in June 1967 on Warner Bros. Records.[1] It was the band's first album release for the Warner Brothers label and it became one of the top selling LPs of the year in America, peaking at number 8 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and being certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in December 1967.[2][3][4] The album's success was largely attributable to the inclusion of the U.S. hits "Windy" and "Never My Love", which reached number 1 and number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart respectively[5] and were among the most-played records on AM radio during the late 1960s.[3]
Insight Out was the first Association album to feature new guitarist/vocalist Larry Ramos, who had joined the band just prior to the album recording sessions as a replacement for departed lead guitarist/vocalist Jules Alexander.[3] The album also saw The Association working with record producer and recording engineer Bones Howe for the first time. Howe, who had previously worked with The Mamas & the Papas and The Turtles, was brought in by the band's manager and Warner Bros. Records in an attempt to steer the group in a more commercial direction.[3] As a result of Howe's focus on obtaining a radio-friendly sound, The Association ceded much of the instrumental playing on Insight Out to a team of top L.A. session musicians, including drummer Hal Blaine, bassist Joe Osborn, keyboardist Larry Knechtel, guitarist Al Casey, and guitarist/sitarist Mike Deasy.[3] The group also returned to using songs written by non-band members for Insight Out, in stark contrast to their previous album Renaissance, on which the band had written and performed all of their own music.[3][6]
"Requiem For the Masses" is an ambitious and somber piece written by multi-instrumentalist Terry Kirkman, featuring layered Latin vocals[3] and lyrics dealing with the Vietnam War.[7] Though its appearance in single form was limited to the b-side of "Never My Love", disc jockeys often preferred the song to its a-side, and it became a minor hit.[7]
Reception and reissues
Music critic Matthew Weiner, writing for Stylus magazine, has described Insight Out and its follow-up Birthday as "minor classics in the late-sixties pop genre",[8] while music historian Richie Unterberger viewed the album, within the context of The Association's back catalogue, as "characteristically eclectic".[3] In his review for the Allmusic website, Bruce Eder has described Insight Out as "an enjoyable folk-rock album", but also noted that the LP was recorded "somewhat in the shadow of Harpers Bizarre's experimental "Feelin' Groovy" single.[9]
Insight Out has been reissued a number of times on CD, including a remastered edition of the album in its standard stereo configuration on Collectors' Choice Music in 2003 and as a Japanese release on Warner Bros. in 2005, with the addition of two bonus tracks. In 2011, Insight Out was reissued in a deluxe CD package by Cherry Red Records, featuring the original mono mix of the album and multiple bonus tracks.[1]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wasn't It a Bit Like Now?" (Terry Kirkman) | Kirkman and Ramos | 3:33 |
| 2. | "On a Quiet Night" (P. F. Sloan) | Yester | 3:21 |
| 3. | "We Love Us" (Ted Bluechel) | Bluechel and Ramos | 2:25 |
| 4. | "When Love Comes to Me" (Jim Yester) | Yester | 2:45 |
| 5. | "Windy" (Ruthann Friedman) | Giguere and Ramos | 2:56 |
| 6. | "Reputation" (Tim Hardin) | Cole | 2:38 |
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Never My Love" (Don Addrisi, Dick Addrisi) | Kirkman and Ramos | 3:10 |
| 2. | "Happiness Is" (Don Addrisi, Dick Addrisi) | Ramos and Bluechel | 2:13 |
| 3. | "Sometime" (Russ Giguere) | Giguere | 2:38 |
| 4. | "Wantin' Ain't Gettin'" (Mike Deasy, Snr.) | Cole and Giguere | 2:20 |
| 5. | "Requiem for the Masses" (Terry Kirkman) | Kirkman | 4:06 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Autumn Afternoon" (Outtake) | Don Addrisi, Dick Addrisi | |
| 13. | "On a Quiet Night" (Instrumental) | P. F. Sloan | |
| 14. | "Windy" (Instrumental) | Ruthann Friedman | |
| 15. | "Sometime" (Instrumental) | Russ Giguere | |
| 16. | "We Love Us" (Instrumental) | Ted Bluechel | |
| 17. | "When Love Comes to Me" (Instrumental) | Jim Yester | |
| 18. | "Never My Love" (Mono 45) | Don Addrisi, Dick Addrisi | |
| 19. | "Sometime" (Mono 45) | Russ Giguere | |
| 20. | "Requiem for the Masses" (Mono 45) | Terry Kirkman | |
| 21. | "Windy" (Mono 45) | Ruthann Friedman | |
| 22. | "Never My Love" (Instrumental) | Don Addrisi, Dick Addrisi |
References
- ^ a b "Insight Out: Deluxe expanded mono edition - product information". Cherry Red. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
- ^ "Insight Out chart information". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Unterberger, Richie (2003). Insight Out (Media notes). Collectors' Choice Music.
{{cite AV media notes}}:|format=requires|url=(help); Unknown parameter|albumlink=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|artist=ignored (|others=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|notestitle=ignored (help) - ^ "The Association - RIAA Awards". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
- ^ The Association USA chart history, Billboard.com. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ^ Eder, Bruce. "Renaissance album review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
- ^ a b McGlynn, Tim. "Terry Kirkman - Requiem for the Masses". Schaumburg High School Concert Choir website. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
- ^ Weiner, Matthew. "The Association Collector's Choice CD reissues review". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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