Original released on LP Warner Bros BS 2576
(US 1971, December 29)
America's debut album is a folk-pop classic, a stellar collection of memorable songs that would prove influential on such acts as the Eagles and Dan Fogelberg. Crosby, Stills & Nash are the group's obvious stylistic touchstone here, especially in the vocal harmonies used (compare the thick chordal singing of "Sandman" and "Children" to CS&N's "You Don't Have to Cry" and "Guinevere") and the prominent use of active strummed acoustic guitar arrangements (contrast "Riverside" to CS&N's "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes"). America's intricate interplay of acoustic guitar textures is more ambitious than that of their influences, however. Performance quality is usually good, though on occasion sloppily executed or out of tune (especially on the openings to "Donkey Jaw" and "I Never Found the Time"). Lengthy instrumental introductions ("Donkey Jaw"), middle improvisatory interludes ("Here"), and closings ("Clarice") are frequently encountered. Most of these selections boast highly unusual and inventive chord progressions that work well without drawing undue attention to themselves. Lyrics are sometimes trite ("I need you/Like the flower needs the rain") or obscure ("He flies the sky/Like an eagle in the eye/Of a hurricane that's abandoned"), but the music more than makes up for any verse problems; only the odd "Pigeon Song" seems an unsalvageable misstep. Sound quality here has a covered, intimate feel that lends a ghostly aura to this release. Chart hits from this album include the spectrally loping "A Horse with No Name," the squarishly tuneful "I Need You," and the nervously dour "Sandman." Other highlights include the buoyantly charming "Three Roses," the yearningly lovely "Rainy Day," and the quietly ringing "Clarice." In spite of its flaws, this platter is very highly recommended. (David Cleary in AllMusic)
DISCOGRAPHY
Formed
1968, Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Gerry Beckley (born 1952): guitar, bass, piano, vocals
Dewey Bunnell (born 1951): guitar, vocals
Dan Peek (born 1950 > died 2011): guitar, bass,
piano, vocals (1968-1977)
1971-12-29 LP AMERICA
(US Warner Bros BS 2576): A1. Riverside; A2. Sandman; A3. Three Roses;
A4. Children; A5. A Horse With No Name; A6. Here; B1. I Need You; B2. Rainy
Day; B3. Never Found the Time; B4. Clarice; B5. Donkey Jaw; B6. Pigeon Song
1972-01-12 Sg (US Warner Bros WB
7555): A. A Horse With No Name; B. Everyone I Meet Is From California
1972-09-19 Sg (US Warner Bros WB
7641): A. Ventura Highway; B. Saturn Nights
1972-12 LP HOMECOMING (US Warner Bros BS 2675: A1. Ventura Highway; A2.
To Each His Own; A3. Don’t Cross the River; A4. Moon Song; A5. Only in Your
Heart; B1. Till the Sun Comes Up Again; B2. Cornwall Blank; B3. Head and Heart;
B4. California Revisited; B5. Saturn Nights
1973-06-28 Sg (US Warner Bros WB
7725): A. Muskrat Love; B. Cornwall Blank
1973-11 LP HAT TRICK (US Warner Bros BS 2778): A1. Muskrat Love; A2. Wind Wave; A3.
She’s Gonna Let You Down; A4. Rainbow Song; A5. Submarine Ladies; A6. It’s
Life; B1. Hat Trick; B2. Molten Love; B3. Green Monkey; B4. Willow Tree
Lullaby; B5. Goodbye
1974-06 LP HOLIDAY
(UK Warner Bros K 56045): A1. Miniature; A2. Tin Man; A3. Another Try;
A4. Lonely People; A5. Glad to See You; A6. Mad Dog; B1. Hollywood; B2. Baby
It’s Up to You; B3. You; B4. Old Man Took; B5. What Does It Matter; B6. In the
Country
1975-04 LP HEARTS
(US Warner Bros BS 2852): A1. Daisy Jane; A2. Half a Man; A3. Midnight;
A4. Bell Tree; A5. Old Virginia; A6. People in the Valley; B1. Company; B2.
Woman Tonight; B3. The Story of a Teenager; B4. Sister Golden Hair; B5.
Tomorrow; B6. Seasons
1976-04 LP HIDEAWAY
(UK Warner Bros K 56236): A1. Lovely Night; A2. Amber Cascades; A3.
Don’t Let It Get You Down; A4. Can’t You See; A5. Watership Down; A6. She’s
Beside You; A7. Hideaway, Part I; B1. She’s a Liar; B2. Letter; B3. Today’s the
Day; B4. Jet Boy Blue; B5. Who Loves You; B6. Hideaway, Part II
1977-03 LP HARBOR
(UK Warner Bros K 56351): A1. God of the Sun; A2. Slow Down; A3. Don’t
Cry Baby; A4. Now She’s Gone; A5. Political Poachers; A6. Sarah; B1. Sergeant
Darkness; B2. Are You There; B3. These Brown Eyes; B4. Monster; B5. Hurricane;
B6. Down to the Water
1977-07-24 LP LIVE
(UK Warner Bros WB 56.434): A1. Tin Man; A2. Muskrat Love; A3. I Need
You; A4. Old Man Took; A5. Daisy Jane; A6. Company: A7. Hollywood; B1. Sergeant
Darkness; B2. Amber Cascades; B3. To Each His Own; B4. Another Try; B5. Ventura
Highway; B6. Sister Golden Hair; B7. Horse With No Name
1979-07 LP SILENT LETTER (UK Capitol E-ST 11950): A1. Only Game in Town;
A2. All Around; A3. Tall Treasures; A4. 1960; A5. And Forever; B1. Foolin’; B2.
All Night; B3. No Fortune; B4. All My Life; B5. One Morning; B6. High in the
City
1980-11 LP ALIBI
(US Capitol SOO 12098): A1. Survival; A2. Might Be Your Love; A3. Catch
That Train; A4. You Could’ve Been the One; A5. I Don’t Believe in Miracles; B1.
I Do Believe in You; B2. Hangover; B3. Right Back to Me; B4. Coastline; B5.
Valentine; B6. One in a Million
1982 LP THE LAST UNICORN (OST)
(GER Virgin 295.732): A1. The Last Unicorn; A2. Man’s Road; A3. In the
Sea; A4. Now That I’m a Woman; A5. That’s All I’ve Got to Say; A6. The Last
Unicorn, Part II; B1. Forrest Awakens; B2. Red Soup; B3. Red Bull Attacks; B4.
The Cat; B5. The Tree; B6. Haggard’s Unicorns; B7. Bull-Unicorn-Woman; B8.
Unicorns in the Sea; B9. Unicorn and Lear
1982 LP VIEW FROM THE GROUND
(UK/US Capitol ST 12209): A1. You Can Do Magic; A2. Never Be Lonely; A3.
You Girl; A4. Inspector Mills; A5. Love on the Vine; B1. Desperate Love; B2.
Right Before Your Eyes; B3. Jody; B4. Sometimes Lovers; B5. Even the Score
1983 LP YOUR MOVE (UK/US
Capitol EST 12277): A1. My Kinda Woman; A2. She’s a Runaway; A3. Cast the
Spirit; A4. Love’s Worn Out Again; A5. The Border; B1. Your Move; B2. Honey;
B3. My Dear; B4. Tonight Is For Dreamers; B5. Don’t Let Me Be Lonely; B6.
Someday Woman
1984-11 LP PERSPECTIVE (UK Capitol 240216-1): A1. We Got All Night; A2.
See How the Love Goes; A3. Can’t Fall Asleep to a Lullabye; A4. Special Girl;
A5. 5TH Avenue; B1. (It’s Like You) Never Left at All; B2. Stereo;
B3. Lady With a Bluebird; B4. Cinderella; B5. Unconditional Love; B6. Fallin’
Off the World
1985 LP IN CONCERT (US
EMI ST-12422): A1. Tin Man; A2. I Need You; A3. The Border; A4. Sister Golden
Hair; A5. Company; B1. You Can Do Magic; B2. Ventura Highway; B3. Daisy Jane;
B4. Horse With No Name; B5. Survival
1994-05-17 CD HOURGLASS (UK/US American Gramaphone AGCD 494): 1. Young Moon; 2. Hope;
3. Sleeper Train; 4. Mirror to Mirror; 5. Garden of Peace; 6. Call of the Wild;
7. Whole Wide World; 8. Close to the Wind; 9. Greenhouse; 10. Ports-of-Call;
11. Everyone I Meet Is From California; 12. You Can Do Magic
1995 CD AMERICA IN CONCERT: KING BISCUIT FLOWER HOUR (EU King Biscuit 70710-88001-2): 1. Tin Man; 2.
Old Man Took; 3. Daisy Jane; 4. Love on the Vine; 5. Ventura Highway; 6. I Need
You; 7. Inspector Mills; 8. California Dreamin’; 9. Never Be Lonely; 10. You
Can Do Magic; 11. Sandman; 12. Here; 13. Sister Golden Hair; 14. Horse With No
Name
1998 CD HUMAN NATURE (US
Oxygen 90004-2): 1. From a Moving Train; 2. Wednesday Morning; 3. Town and
Country; 4. Moment to Moment; 5. Hidden Talent; 6. Wheels Are Turning; 7. World
Alone; 8. Overwhelming World Suite; 9. Pages; 10. Hot Town; 11. Whispering; 12.
Oloololo
2002-10 CD HOLIDAY HARMONY (EU Rhino 74498): 1. Winter Wonderland; 2. Let It
Snow; 3. White Christmas; 4. Christmas to Remember; 5. Have Yourself a Merry
Little Christmas; 6. Sleigh Ride; 7. Silver
2007-01-16 CD HERE AND NOW (US Burgundy 88697051712): 1.1. Chasing the
Rainbow; 1.2. Indian Summer; 1.3. One Chance; 1.4. Golden; 1.5. Always Love;
1.6. Ride On; 1.7. Love and Leaving; 1.8. Look at Me Now; 1.9. This Time; 1.10.
Work to Do; 1.11. All I Think About Is You; 1.12. Walk in the Woods; 2.1.
Ventura Highway; 2.2. Don’t Croo the River; 2.3. Daisy Jane; 2.4. I Need You;
2.5. Tin Man; 2.6. Muskrat Love; 2.7. Woman Tonight; 2.8. Only in Your Heart;
2.9. Lonely People; 2.10. Sandman; 2.11. Sister Golden Hair; 2.12. A Horse With
No Name
2011-07-26 CD BACK PAGES (US eOne EOM-CD 2137): 1. America; 2. A Road
Song; 3. Woodstock; 4. Caroline No; 5. Someday We’ll Know; 6. Sailing to
Philadelphia; 7. Crying in My Sleep; 8. Time of the Season; 9. Something in the
Way She Moves; 10. On the Way Home; 11. Till I Hear From You; 12. My Back Pages
