America the band - C/D

(second-best is also Newman's: he characterized Kenny Loggins as "a seal" for his nonstop onstage handclapping)

I've always thought it was funny how "Horse With No Name" gets knocked as a Neil Young rip off, considering the album it's from knocked Neil Young's only number one album out of the top spot. Obviously people preferred it to the real thing.

He was a hero when I was small. A youthful mistake.

"Well I had me a pigeon

By the name of Fred

But I done shot him

In the head

Had me a dog

He was my best friend

But to him

I done put an end

Had me a farm

Sittin' free on the hill

But if you look

You'll see it ain't there still

I don't know why I done it

Honest it ain't like me

I'm not sad now I done it

'Cause a baby boy has got to be free"

uhh... what?

"Donkey Jaw" is a great America song. Jammin on the acoustic guit's. If the only America songs you know are from their greatest hits, do yourself a favor and buy their first record. It's the non- hits that live longest.

Artists like Janet Jackson and Vanilla Ice recycle music written by others. They do this because they CAN. Most of their audience is ignorant of the original art. I have much less respect for sampling.

Still I'm glad those old hippies got PAID. They get royalties anytime Janet's derivative ditty gets played. WTG America!

But "Tin Man," yikes, what is that shit? "Sister Golden Hair" ditto. The worst sort of '70s crap.

whoooooops, i guess you aren't on anything but I AM.

The personnel involved in the recording and production of Here & Now departs sharply from previous projects and represents an effort to reconnect with fresh, young talent. The album is co-produced by James Iha (formerly of Smashing Pumpkins) and Adam Schlesinger (of Fountains Of Wayne and Ivy). Guest artists include Ryan Adams, Ben Kweller, Jim James and Patrick Hallahan of My Morning Jacket, Matthew Caws and Ira Elliot of Nada Surf, Mark Rozzo of Maplewood, and longtime collaborator and friend Stephen Bishop. Cover songs include "Indian Summer" (Morningwood), "Golden" (My Morning Jacket), and "Always Love" (Nada Surf).

They just played on Letterman tonight with Adams & Kweller.

funny how the zeitgeist works sometimes, innit?!?

haha semi-burn

already sampled by Busta Rhymes. Summer Breeze is fantastic. also Soft Rock Hits of the 70s - search

No worse than almost any Barney Sumner lyric. Seals and Crofts are better than America. Summer Breeze is an awesome summer pop single. Yacht rock at its finest.

yeah, that was their big comeback hit from 1982. one member left, they had shrunken down to a duo and hadnt had a hit single in a while when they reappeared with this tune. and unlike all the other yacht-rockers who were still hanging on by then, they didnt try to update their sound with mild "80s rock" touches (linda ronstadt's "get closer" comes to mind) - this basically coulda been one of their long string of seventies hits.

I dunno, seen the video lately?

This sentence should really never appear in a professional music review.

"I dunno, seen the video lately?"

I was talkin' about their SOUND, not their LOOK! :-)

(although to be truthful, all the two front guys did by then was cut their hair, so they didnt change much!)

Love "Sister Golden Hair" and "Ventura Highway" .. and lately I've really been enjoying "You Can Do Magic" .. and I have guilty pleasure love for a few of their sappier songs ("I Need You," "Lonely People"..)

For these few moments of brilliance, I say they're classic.

songwriter Dan Peek of America died.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I0d29s6GCc

Is the drummer on Ventura Highway Hal Blaine or David Atwood? Amazing drum part.