Track Listing

1. Riverside
2. Sandman
3. Three Roses
4. Children
5. Here
6. I Need You
7. Rainy Day
8. Never Found The Time
9. Clarice
10. Donkey Jaw
11. Pigeon Song

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31673 in Music
• Released on: 1993-01-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

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

CD Description
America's debut album is a classic case of being in the right place at the right time--a world where the noisier soundsof '60s rock had given way to the gentler strains of James Taylor and Crosby, Stills and Nash. America's particular gift was to combine Taylor's singer/songwriter aesthetic with CSN's ripe harmonies, and their own unerring ear for a commercial hook.
Which is why this album's "A Horse with No Name", and to a lesser degree "Sandman", despite a certain lyrical incoherence, were all over the radio in 1972. Though AMERICA's overall air of pastoral hippiedom ensures that it remains very much of its time, it's still well crafted enough to remain a good listen.

Customer Reviews

Back-porch sensibility which is both timeless and refreshing
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

Americas first and best
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.