![]() After playing the MTV music festival Gibraltar Calling in the British overseas territory on September 21, the band is off to a series of gigs in the U.S., including Denver (Sep 27), Emporia, KS (Sep 28), Dodge City, KS (Sep 29), San Jose (Oct 4) and San Diego (Oct 5), before going back over the Atlantic to Israel and doing some shows in Europe. The band’s current tour schedule on their website is filled with dates until January 2019. Peek left the band in May 1977, long before his death, after he had renewed his Christian faith. Now in their 48th year, America continue to perform, featuring co-founders Beckley and Bunnell. Since History, America have released 12 additional studio albums, 10 live records and numerous other compilations. In October 1986, the Recording Industry Association of America certified the album 4X Multi-Platinum. The compilation became a huge success in the U.S., giving America a no. Martin also remixed the first seven tracks on History, which he had not produced originally. History was produced by none other than George Martin, who had started working with America on their fourth studio album Holiday. With its two chords and killer harmony vocals, this tune simply gives me goosebumps each time I hear it. I really don’t care whether it sounds like Young, who by the way is one of my favorite artists. Coincidentally, the song knocked Young’s Heart Of Gold off the Billboard Hot 100 top spot. ![]() It also stirred some controversy due to the similarity of Bunnell’s voice to Neil Young, and what some viewed as mediocre lyrics. ![]() Air Force base.Ī Horse With No Name became America’s most successful single topping the Billboard Hot 100. The three had met there in the mid-’60s as high school students whose fathers were stationed on a nearby U.S. History opens with one of my favorite America tunes: A Horse With No Name from their debut album. It was written by Dewey Bunnell, who formed America with Dan Peek and Gerry Beckley in London in 1970. In addition to that album, History includes material from four additional studio records: Homecoming (November 1972), Hat Trick (October 1973), Holiday (June 1974) and Hearts (March 1975). Released in November 1975, History encompasses America’s 11 most successful singles at the time, plus an edited take of Sandman from their December 1971 eponymous debut. America (from left): Gerry Beckley, Dan Peek & Dewey Bunnell Yes, America’s three-part harmony vocals are reminiscent of CSN/ CSNY, but this doesn’t make them a copycat or somehow bad artists! On the contrary, if anything, the vocal similarity to CSN/ CSNY is a huge accomplishment – after all, there aren’t many bands that can harmonize like CSN/ CSNY did! On to History. While I generally don’t think highly of music critics in the first place, I feel this notion is silly. I recall reading somewhere that America were dismissed by some as a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young knock-off. There are probably some others I’m forgetting – in any case, it’s not meant to be a complete list. Others that come to my mind are Neil Young’s Decade, Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), Santana’s Greatest Hits, Steely Dan’s Greatest Hits and the aforementioned Simon & Garfunkel album. Recently, I rediscovered History. To me, it’s one of the best greatest hits compilations I know, which were released in the ’70s. It was one of the vinyl records my older sister had, which among others also included Carole King’s Tapestry Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s Déjà Vu and Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits – all albums I dig to this day. The album grabbed me right from the beginning. I was nine or 10 years old when I listened to History: America’s Greatest Hits for the first time.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |