Ball (Iron Butterfly album)

Ball is the third studio album by the rock band Iron Butterfly, released in February 1969. After the enormous success of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", Iron Butterfly modified its acid-rock sound somewhat and experimented with more melodic compositions. The band's trademark heavy guitars, however, are still evident on such tracks as "In the Time of Our Lives" and "It Must Be Love". The album reached #3 in the charts, making Ball more immediately successful than In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Ball was certified Gold in March 1969. It also spawned two minor hit singles: "Soul Experience", an uncharacteristically uplifting song for the group, went to #75 on the Billboard charts, and despite its nightmarish musical tones and morbid lyrics, "In the Time of Our Lives" managed to reach #96.^[1] In 1999, Collector's Choice Music released Ball with two bonus tracks, "I Can't Help But Deceive You Little Girl" and "To Be Alone", which previously were available only on a 7" single.

Reception

Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine rated Ball three out of five stars. He explained that the quality "is wildly inconsistent", but that it "was a more ambitious album" than In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. He concluded by calling it "a more consistent album than their two previous records".^[2]

Track listing

Side one

1. "In the Time of Our Lives" (Doug Ingle, Ron Bushy) – 4:46
2. "Soul Experience" (Ingle, Bushy, Erik Brann, Lee Dorman) – 2:50
3. "Lonely Boy" (Ingle) – 5:05
4. "Real Fright" (Ingle, Bushy, Brann) – 2:40
5. "In the Crowds" (Ingle, Dorman) – 2:12

Side two

1. "It Must Be Love" (Ingle) – 4:23
2. "Her Favorite Style" (Ingle) – 3:11
3. "Filled With Fear" (Ingle) – 3:23
4. "Belda-Beast" (Brann) – 5:46

1999 CD reissue bonus tracks

10. "I Can't Help But Deceive You Little Girl" (Ingle) – 3:34
11. "To Be Alone" (Ingle, Robert Woods Edmondson) – 3:05

Singles

US and overseas singles

• "In the Time of Our Lives" b/w "It Must Be Love" (#96 on the Billboard Hot 100)
• "Soul Experience" b/w "In the Crowds" (#75 on the Billboard Hot 100)

UK-only singles

• "Belda-Beast" (4:59 edit) b/w "Lonely Boy"

Post-album singles

• "I Can't Help But Deceive You Little Girl" b/w "To Be Alone"

Personnel

• Doug Ingle – organs/lead vocals (except on "Belda-Beast")
• Erik Brann – guitars/backing vocals/lead vocal on "Belda-Beast"
• Lee Dorman – bass/backing vocals
• Ron Bushy – drums/miscellaneous percussion

References