Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
|
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Drawing upon the softer side of the hippie folk scene with a more refined sound, America garnered a string of hits for themselves in the 1970s. With a rich, acoustic base and lush, high tenor harmonies, songs like "Sandman" were instantly successful. The band's breakthrough single was the slightly country-tinged "Horse with No Name", that owed a debt to the craftsmanship of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. America displayed the band's sensitivities with "Clarice" and "I Need You". While the band made a name for itself on the strength of "Horse" alone, the rest of the record deserves attention, too. While "Riverside" and "Children Here" never reached the status of later hits like "Sister Goldenhair" or "Lonely People", they still command respect. --Steve Gdula
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
AMERICA have long been maligned: CROSBY, STILLS & NASH copyists; light-weight EAGLES. Soft Rock meanderers. A Rolling Stone compendium was dismissive enough to give their whole studio album catolgue 1* (excluding their greatest hits), implying that apart from the radio friendly hits they have nothing further to offer. This throwaway review could not be further from the truth.
AMERICA, when they hit the mark, create a back-porch sensibility which is both timeless and refreshing. Probably the best example of this is their debut album AMERICA which doesn't suffer from the sometimes treacley over production of the George Martin produced follow ups.
The original pressing apparently didn't feature the transatlantic hit "A Horse With No Name". It was only following the conclusion of the album that Dewey Bunnell entered the Morgan Studios in London to record this their most famous song, and which was then added to future pressings.
At the time of its release with its three way harmonies, the CS&N comparisons were expected and yet it is only "Children" with its hippie idealism that shares any real comparison. The remainder fit more squarely within the West Coast COUNTRY ROCK mould of JACKSON BROWNE and the EAGLES and yet pre-date both of these artist's debut albums by 1 year. Not bad for a trio of teenagers straight out of college in the UK (Bushey, Watford).
The album features many highlights and includes Gerry Beckley's plaintive piano led ballad "I Need You", Dewey's affecting "Three Roses" with its superb interwined acoustic guitar playing, the ambitious "Sandman", and Dan Peek's emotive "Never Found The Time".
At a time when Country Rock is currently in vogue (Alt. Country/Americana/No Depression - call it what you will) and is receiving critical acclaim from all quarters, it is worth remembering that AMERICA's debut is not too far removed from today's contempories. So dismiss what the critics have to say and buy this forgotten gem.
JS - Kings Langley, UK
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is the first America album I ever heard and it remains my favourite album from America and one of my favourite albums of all time.
There is a rawness in the tracks that has largely dissappeared from later albums and I have often wished they had kept their later production less sugary and more like this, their debut album.
The CD description mentions "Horse with no name", probably their best known song, but it is NOT on this album (nor do I miss it here, though I love the song). America has a very varied mix of music here and my real favourite is "Donkey Jaw", with some superb acoustic guitar, building the song piece by piece. "Pigeon Song", also a favourite - also shows the eclectic mix of songs on the album and I miss that spirit in later offerings.
Give "America" a try. You will be very surprised by the great music on the album and maybe a bit dissappointed, like me, that their later albums never quite surpassed the genius of this one.
There is a rawness in the tracks that has largely dissappeared from later albums and I have often wished they had kept their later production less sugary and more like this, their debut album.
The CD description mentions "Horse with no name", probably their best known song, but it is NOT on this album (nor do I miss it here, though I love the song). America has a very varied mix of music here and my real favourite is "Donkey Jaw", with some superb acoustic guitar, building the song piece by piece. "Pigeon Song", also a favourite - also shows the eclectic mix of songs on the album and I miss that spirit in later offerings.
Give "America" a try. You will be very surprised by the great music on the album and maybe a bit dissappointed, like me, that their later albums never quite surpassed the genius of this one.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
To my mind there are some debut albums which are of the highest standard, for example:
1965 Mr Tambourine Man. The Byrds.
1968 Neil Young. Neil Young.
1969 Chicago Transit Authority. Chicago Transit Authority.
1970 Air Conditioning. Curved Air.
1975 Liberation Suite. Liberation Suite.
1976 Boston. Boston.
1976 Oxygene. Jean Michel Jarre.
1977 Magic Fly. Space.
And 1971 America. America.
(1972 release added the No 1 hit single A Horse With No Name, which is included here).
Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley and Dan Peek were in their late teens/early twenties when they wrote and recorded this album, which also includes the well known songs Sandman and I Need You.
The remainder are all fantastic, even the black humour of Pigeon Song.
It's the outstanding acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies that make this the landmark album which I don't think they would ever better.
The follow up Homecoming is not far behind in quality, especially Ventura Highway.
Having said that be warned thereafter that overproduction blunted the band's distinctive sound and opened the door to some over sentinmental songs.
No risk of that on this bombshell of a recording, recommended for any desert island list!
1965 Mr Tambourine Man. The Byrds.
1968 Neil Young. Neil Young.
1969 Chicago Transit Authority. Chicago Transit Authority.
1970 Air Conditioning. Curved Air.
1975 Liberation Suite. Liberation Suite.
1976 Boston. Boston.
1976 Oxygene. Jean Michel Jarre.
1977 Magic Fly. Space.
And 1971 America. America.
(1972 release added the No 1 hit single A Horse With No Name, which is included here).
Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley and Dan Peek were in their late teens/early twenties when they wrote and recorded this album, which also includes the well known songs Sandman and I Need You.
The remainder are all fantastic, even the black humour of Pigeon Song.
It's the outstanding acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies that make this the landmark album which I don't think they would ever better.
The follow up Homecoming is not far behind in quality, especially Ventura Highway.
Having said that be warned thereafter that overproduction blunted the band's distinctive sound and opened the door to some over sentinmental songs.
No risk of that on this bombshell of a recording, recommended for any desert island list!
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Ah- merica
Classic album from the 70's. this is how acoustic rock should be.just as good as CSN&Y. yet again great service thru Amazon.
Published 8 months ago by warren
America's first album
I bought this album when it was first released on vinyl. It then didn't have the superb, iconic hit single - Horse With No Name - included. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Raimondo
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
|
|
![albums of 1971-1972 [part 3]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61dx2Iu7IoL._AA60_.jpg)
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
