Archives: June 2002

Actually Jimbob and Goanna, sorry for the confusion when I said I've never heard "Weather With You" on the radio because I do have Crowded House's CD "Woodface" which has "Weather With You" on it! It is still true that I've never heard the song on the radio.

I also have Crowded House's debut CD (actually the cassette and LP) and the CD "Temple Of Low Men" plus Neil Finn's "Try Whistling This" CD and a Finn Brothers CD, too! So, I'm a fan!!! :0)

Jimbob (and Nancy), I think I have the solution. Merely have Dewey go to Gerry's hotel room to pose for a photo! LOL

Hi Goanna, of course you would know Neil Finn and Crowded House, being from Oz! But I feel I must mention your typo, in case any AMERICA fans want a listen: it's SPLIT ENZ, not Slit! Am I right in thinking you are from Melbourne? You probably know Neil lived there for a long time, and you probably got to see them perform. What a great city Melbourne is. Love it. Cheers, Jim. Oh, and the song Nancy speaks of? Fingers of Love. Fantastic! Back to AMERICA.

Me Again!
Hi Jeff~~~I'm sorry to say no I don't have JL's other CD's. I did go and check these clips out from the Complete Work's CD and I agree this song Golden Summers is nice along with the rest of the songs. Neat how he named alot of these songs with such nice Girls names. Well anyway this one will have to go on my Wish List for now, hopefully then it will be available through amazon.com here in the US.
Hey Jim~~Thanks for telling me about Crowded House~~~I too agree with you they have some really great songs. Especially one particular song~~You know which one I am talking about! :) Nice!
Now you guys~~~I cannot believe I hear you saying you want to see a pic of inside Gerry's Hotel room~~~this is asking a bit too much don't you think~~~but I have to admit it would be nice!
Bye for now~~~~Nancy :) Hi DanC how is everything going?~~I was able to find the song My Man~~~of course I like it alot! :)

Johnny,,,,

As Jimbob will agree, "Crowded House" formally known as the NZ group "Slit Enz" had huge success across in NZealand and especially OZ in the 80's, Taking out major music industry awards... (you may already know this).... anyway can I recommend one of their last albums "Reocurring Dreams", a compilation of some of their best.
Also, Tim & Neil Finn have had some outstanding solo projects.

Johnny, it sure would be cool to see Gerry's hotel room, with maybe an acoustic guitar lying around. But what Ive thought would be really cool is to have Dewey in a few of the shots! Regarding "Weather With You", it's good you got to hear it. It's always a huge crowd pleaser whenever the Finn's do it in concert; everybody singing along. If you find one of their CD's I highly recommend you give it a listen. They are great, as holiday will agree. BTW are you still out there holiday?

Nancy, surely you have Jeff's "Watercolor sky" and "Room for Summer" CD's? If not you might consider getting the "Complete works" CD with it's bonus tracks. I have both CD's but will eventually get the "Complete works" for the bonus tracks. There's a song on it titled "Golden Summers" that caught my ear. Anyway, if you don't have them you can go to J.L.'s site and click on Amazon.fr and hear those soundclips.

Carry on...

Nancy and all ~ What I'd like to see at least just once is Gerry's hotel room with his personal items 'all around' but I suppose that would be way too intrusive, huh Ger...darn!

Regarding "Weather With You," I heard it playing on a store radio not too long ago. I listened very closely trying to tell if it was Gerry singing or Neil Finn of "Crowded House". It was difficult to tell at first, but I was able to distinguish that it was "Crowded House". It was the only time I've ever heard that song playing in a store. Have never heard it on the radio, actually!

Hi Everyone,
Yes Johnny I agree Gerry's pics sure do show what you see is what you get, I think thats what so nice about them. They also give you a homey comfortable feeling~~same way I feel about their music! I feel right at home anywhere with my AMERICA music! Nice~~ Thanks for sharing the radio trivia story with us, just goes to show that AMERICA's music is not forgotten, it sticks with you!
I was just listening to the clips of the songs from Jeff Larsons CD and I can hardly wait to hear these in full~~~WOW! some really nice songs~~~Looks like you have a winner here Jeff Larson~~~Lucky you to have the help of Gerry, Dewey, Timothy B Schmitt and others on this CD. I am sure this was a dream come true for you to get to work with them on this! Nice!
Regarding the Cayman Island CD & the Christmas CD~~~I am sooo looking forward to getting the both of these!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone! I am listening to Dewey & Gerry sing Hark the Herald Angels right this very moment! They really sing this nice! Wow! Christmas in July~~~has me smiling for sure! Oh yes one more thing I love how they sing the song Weather With You! I like Crowded Houses version too~~~Things ain't cookin in my kitchen, a strange affliction wash over me, Julius Ceasar and the Roman Empire couldn't conquer the blue skies~~~well there's a small boat made of china it's going nowhere on the mantel piece~~~~Everywhere you go always take the weather with you! Gotta go for now and get my supper started! Nancy :)

Hi David, it's good to hear from you. Are you still in India?

To answer your question about release dates for the 2 new CD's: Nothing official has been announced but it's my understanding that the Cayman Live CD will be available late summer or early fall. The Christmas CD should be available for the Christmas season which typically begins in November.

I just received my copy from 7 mile. Great cd by the way. Was charged $20 to send it to Canada while the postage on the package was for only $0.80 Ouch.
j

Does anybody know whether you can buy GUITAR MAN outside the US. I've just visited the 7 mile site and they are charging £19.95 for shipping to the UK which is a tad over the top.

On e-bay recently there have been some new America compilation CDs from Europe: A HORSE WITH NO NAME, which has some Greatest Hits material, with a few other songs thrown in; LIVE AT SANTA BARBARA, JUNE 1ST, 1985, which is just the 1985 AMERICA IN CONCERT album, but with the songs arranged in a different order; THE LAST UNICORN 2CD set, which is NOT the soundtrack, but a collection of songs not usually put on America Best of CDs, like Who Loves You, Hangover, Hideaway Part One, etc. Unfortunately, I do not have a scanner, so I can't send pictures of them. On another note, any idea when the 2 new America CDs will be released?

I was listening to a late night radio talk show out of Dallas a couple of weeks ago...the Texas State Network. It was trivia night. The questions may be about anything. One was something like, "Name the song with the following lyrics, 'He flys the sky like an eagle in the eye of a hurricane that's abandoned'".

Callers call in without knowing what question they'll receive. So, I was very surprised the guy answered it correctly. Not only that but he told the host that AMERICA is still together...that he had attended a past concert with the Beach Boys on the same bill and that it was a wonderful show. The host replied with additional AMERICA info saying the trio was originally out of Germany. As we all know, that part was wrong but the caller apparently didn't know that or he was just being very nice and didn't want to correct the host.

(Oops, talking about corrections, my previous post should have said, "What you see is what you get." Not vice versa. Oh well, both are true. :0)

What I especially like about Gerry's "View From The Hotel Window" is that he snaps the shot as the view appears whether it's pretty or not. "It is what it is" and "What you get is what you see."

(Gen, I understand about finding that letter. Good enough!)

A very generous offer, Steve. Thank you. Unfortunately I am back at work then. I may try to hit one of the Washington concerts.
j

Johnny,
well, think "dig out" is the correct expression to use in this case as my home office is a sort of Ali Baba's cave, full of treasures hidden behind PILES of books & other stuff...
I remember vividly the content of her letter, though. Not much more in substance than what I mentioned previously. She had also enclosed an itinary of concert dates . Now I have to look for that gray enveloppe... must be SOME place anyway.

Off topic : listening to MUSE's song 'Unintended'. WOW !!! That's a song to go ahhhh for sure! Their whole debut album (Showbiz) is absolutely OUTSDANDING!!! Excuse me for promoting them here but after all this folder is devoted to excellence in music, isn't it? Gen.

Hi Everyone~~
Nice Picture Gerry! The sky in this picture kinda looks like the sky on the Human Nature front cover~~Neat fits right in with the posts on the chat folder! Hi Robyn~~~thats something how this pic reminds you of a line from a James Taylor song. When I look at this pic Gerry's song Sheltering Sky comes to mind~~~~~If we wake from an endless dream will our walls come tumbling around us ~~ I can hear a silent scream crying in the night~~~Am I fading in your eyes is my memory clear as the day we met, but for now we must both remain under the sheltering sky. WOW!
Hey Johnny~~~Lucky you getting ahold of Hourglass so quickly, it took me way too long to find it for sure!
Hi Jeff~~When I ordered my Jeff Larson CD on Amazon, it said that it would be available July 2nd and that it would be shipped within 5 to 7 days from this date, so hopefully the Mailman will deliver it to me by the 9th of July. At least I am doing better getting this CD than I did at finding Hourglass!
I did recieve some good email news~~~My America in Concert DVD that I have been patiently waiting to recieve is on its way here~~~YES! Hopefully this one will work! :) This will Make me Smile for sure!
Have a great weekend everyone! Nancy :)

Thanks Jimbob, Tim, and Brad for the info each of you provided regarding the release date of "Hourglass". Thanks, too, Jimnak for expressing what you know about the release.

Wow, I was half-a-year late in getting "Hourglass" compared to its release date, but I think it could have been worse. I could have been like Ing and not have known about it until years later! I was "only" around 4,400 turns-of-the-hourglass late! LOL

John, I haven't heard anything about the August 17 concert being canceled (but it is possible). I checked out the RootFest web page and it doesn't say anything about America so maybe you're right. I'll try to see what I can find out from Morey Management. If you want to come to Utah a week later and see them in Sandy, I have a spare room that you can stay in.

$50 you say? Throw in an America belt buckle and I'll start to consider the offer... (LOL)

remember since HOURGLASS was released by American Gramafone & they sold their own CD's, it was initially available direct from them in their catalog. I thought it took a bit of time b/4 it was available in the retail shoppes, maybe because their distribution mechanics weren't so quick, not really sure why. HOURGLASS is outstanding !
It will stand tall for many years to come. AMERICA's music is for the long run.

Hi, Johnny and everyone else. What was the release date for Hourglass? I am your answerman. Being the pack rat that I am, I looked back at my datebook from that year. As I wrote before, I was aware of its pending release. The CD was issued on May 17, 1994, and I found it and bought the CD and cassette the next day. I remember well hearing the opening of Young Moon for the first time! Glad I could help provide the information. Take care, Brad

An on line site selling most of America's CD's lists the release date of Hourglass as 5/17/1994.

Tim

Ok. Today was the last of school. Should have been a day of celebration but ending up being one of my worst. (you don't need to know the gory details). Then I come home, check this web site and a few others and see that America is no longer on the schedule for the RootFest outside of Victoria BC, their only Canadian west coast concert so far. Steve, any word as to what had happened? I was so pumped to go.
j

Hi ya Johnny; looking at the cover of Human Nature, I think you are right when you say its a drawing. I also agree(being Sat. morning, I'm feeling most agreeable!)that it is a representation of G&D, but as there's no faces visible, I wonder how they worked out who was who? lol! Regarding Hourglass, I don't know its release date, but I can tell you I bought it in Sydney around June 20th 1994.

Speaking of "Hourglass," does anyone know what the exact release date was? I'm just curious how long the CD was available before I discovered it at the music store. I found the receipt that I had tucked away in the "Hourglass" cassette cover/liner notes. I bought it on November 26, 1994.

I don't know the exact release date, but I heard Young Moon played on the radio to promote America's upcoming concert. I bought the CD and was probably the only one who knew the new songs by heart for that concert on July 9, 1994.
The Hourglass songs played: Mirror To Mirror, Young Moon, Hope and Call of the Wild.

Tim

$50.00...

$40 you say, Jeff???? Hmmm, that is tempting (LOL). I'm afraid it's too good to part with at any price. I'd be surprised if it really took until the 17th to be delivered to you. According to Jeff Larson, Amazon's shipment of CD's has already been sent to them so they should be able to fulfill their orders starting on July 2nd.

That photo reminds me of a line from a James Taylor song "Classic shot of the parking lot, off ramp of Route 72"

Thanks again for taking us along with you, Gerry!

...orderd "Fragile Sunrise" from amazon.com today. They said it would be the 17th of July before it gets sent out...now that's a BUMMER... I'll give you $40.00 for your CD Steve. Just kidding...sort of.

Carry on

Genevieve, you said, "BTW, I accidently discovered the CD ["Hourglass"] when it was released...and came across it on a Minitel list. I received a nice reply from Anna Antognetti."

Genevieve, you should dig out that reply and post it here if you still have it. I know I'd like to read what Anna said.

I also see that Anna Antognetti's name, along with Hank Linderman's, is at the very top of the "special thanks" notes for "Hourglass"...ahead of even the band and the crew! I wonder if that's Anna's photo inside the "Hourglass" leaflet (top right hand corner)? She, no doubt, was associated with America's management group. I wrote myself a note and slipped it into the LP sleeve of one of America's albums. I wrote that I had spoken to someone named Anna on 7/14/86 with Gallin-Morey-Addis. I remember I was hoping to find out if the guys had plans of touring close by. I remember Anna was very nice, and she had an accent. I jotted down that she pronounced her name as "On-a". I remember I wanted to pronounce her name correctly if I needed to call back in the future.

Speaking of "Hourglass," does anyone know what the exact release date was? I'm just curious how long the CD was available before I discovered it at the music store. I found the receipt that I had tucked away in the "Hourglass" cassette cover/liner notes. I bought it on November 26, 1994. <---- A very happy day!!! :0)

please play "Wind Wave" tonight. thanks.

Jimbob ~ I don't think the figures on the cover are actually D&G especially since the figures look like a drawing, but I do think the figures are suppose to be representative of them. That's Gerry on the left and Dewey on the right (based strictly on how they autograph that particular CD cover).

I walked to the corner, watch the world go by
Hands in my pockets and my head in the sky

(Lyrics from "Hell's On Fire")

Gerry is in Tinley Park, IL today. Click here to see the view from his hotel window.

Hi Everyone~~~ It's Friday already~~where did this week go to?
Hi Jim, so good to see you posting again! I agree with you about the Human Nature cover, this doesn't look at all like Gerry & Dewey standing there with their heads in the clouds....Is there anyone who knows if this is them?
Hi Pat B~~I just have to say I too would love to one day get to hear Whispering done Live~~Just the thought of hearing this song done live gives me the goosebumps! WOW!
Hey Brad~~Be sure to let us know what your Nephew thinks of these great songs!
Hi Johnny~~ Thank you for your wealth of knowlege about so many of the AMERICA collectables. So neat that you recieved a promotional copy of your very own in the mail!
Have a great day all! Bye for now, Nancy :)

You can see the "From A Moving Train" CD promotional cover by going to the photos page for Human Nature and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

Thanks, Pat, Vic and Nancy for your opinions (so far). Glad to know most of my picks are favored.
Can't agree more, Pat, about WHISPERING! Although I love the other 4 Human Nature songs I picked as well, Whispering is actually my favorite song on the album. It is just a haunting song that stays with me. Wednesday Morning is a very close second.
For those curious, some songs that barely missed the cut on the 2 CDs (due to lack of space) were Rainy Day, Cornwall Blank (Vic's choice), Submarine Ladies (including it would have put ALL of Hat Trick's Side A on the discs!), Hollywood, California Dreamin', The Last Unicorn and (probably the toughest cut) Baby It's Up to You. Keep those opinions coming, guys! Brad

Brad~ You're nephew's quite a lucky guy to have an uncle like you!

Your selection of what you consider to be THE essential songs to introduce to your nephew of this most extreemly talented musical group known as AMERICA is quite thorough.

You get extra bonus points (from me anyway) for including WHISPERING.
I think that WHISPERING is a fantastic song. I also think that it would make an excellent addition to America's live set. However, in regards to this song; most of the opinions that I have read here give it low marks. ~Pat

Johnny, thanks so much for the detailed singles info. Those pictures are very cool. And on the current subject, from the first time I heard
"Tonight Is For Dreamers", I was hooked. What a great song! I am getting extremely excited because we (you know who you are!) are going to see the guys only THREE WEEKS from tomorrow in New Jersey! AND it's supposed to be the long set! YES!!!

Speech,,,

especially 1, 9, & 10..... what happened? absolutely agree with you
and I reckon I could list another 20 or so....

Hi Everyone!
Wow so much to post on! So here goes first of all here is my Shoulda been singles:
1~ Three Roses Definitely a great song
2~Saturn Nights ~ This song just kinda complete's Homecoming!
3~ Rainbow Song ~~ Windwave ~~ Submarine Ladies~ all good ones!
4~ Baby Its Up to You ~~ Old Man Took ~~ Hollywood ~~ all good ones!
5~ Midnight ~~ Company
6~ Letter ~~ Who Loves You
7~ These Brown Eyes ~~ Sergeant Darkness~~ Are You There~
8~ Right Back to Me ~~Catch that Train ~~Might be Your Love
9~ You Girl ~~ Sometimes Lovers
10~ Tonight is for Dreamers ~~Don't Let me Be Lonely
11~ Can't Fall Asleep to a Lullaby ~~ Special Girl~~5th ave. & Stereo~~~Can't help it I think these are great songs!
12~ Nothing so faraway as Yesterday
13~ Garden of Peace~~WOW! Close to the Wind & Whole Wide World soooo goood
14~ Moment to Moment ~~Pages ~~ Wednesday Morning ~~~ all good ones!

Hi Brad~~ Good choices~~ I find that I would only want to add Saturn Nights & Submarine Ladies to your first one, and to the second one same thing add more ~~ Tall Treasures and Garden of Peace. I know one thing is for sure, I bet once he takes a listen to these 2 cds, he will be calling you and asking for more~~Nice!
Hi SteveL~~~I ordered my Jeff Larson CD ~~Like I said before in one of my posts I love all of the clips and how could i not love them with Gerry, Dewey, Timothy & Jeff F singing on these with Jeff how can they not be good~~~~ What a Unique outcome! Can't wait to get it now~~~Hey Mr. Postman hurry and bring these My Mail to me! :)
Hi Jason~~~Yes I have enjoyed checking out all of the Singles covers from all over the country that Steve has posted here, Thank you for adding yours to these for us to see.
I was just remembering where I heard From a Moving Train for the first time, I was grocery shopping and it came on in the store, and I listened for them to say the name of the song after it was done playing but it was on one of those supermarket stations that don't give the names of the songs. I will say one thing this kept me coming back to the store just to see if I would hear it again! :) Okay I am done now, and the song You Girl is playing in my headphones ~~~Wow what lyrics here~~~You are my love today, my life tomorrow~~ ohh my very soul~~ and I've searched over the mountains, all through the shadows, under the water tooo, all to find, just to find everything i'd ever want, everything I'd ever need is in you girl, now the answer is clear I need you here! WOW! Nancy :)

I never thought it was Dewey and Gerry on the cover of HUMAN NATURE with their heads in the clouds.What do you think?

Bruce ~ You can find a photo of the front cover for several singles you asked about. All but "From A Moving Train" are CD singles from Germany though...the ones I refer to below, anyway. I believe they're the ones I forwarded to Steve at least 2 years ago.

If you go to the home page and click on "Albums", it will take you to the next page. From there, click on "Misc. Albums" at the bottom of the page. It will bring you to a listing of the singles. You can then click on the singles you're interested in to view the CD covers.

I don't think I was the one who forwarded "Young Moon"/"Call Of The Wild" to Steve, but I believe I did for "Hope"/"Whole Wide World" and "You Can Do Magic"/"Everyone I Meet Is From California".

Interestingly, the one with "Hope" and "Whole Wide World" actually has both a "Radio Edition" and an "Album Version" cut for "Hope". The former is 3 minutes and 59 seconds in duration while the latter is 5 minutes and 21 seconds. The CD is a promo copy that has "Promotional Copy Not For Sale" printed on it. It came in a slim case. The back cover photo is the same photo that's opposite of the lyrics to "Call Of The Wild" in the full CD leaflet.

The CD single for "You Can Do Magic"/"Everyone I Meet Is From California" is also a promo copy from Germany that was not for sale. The back cover of the CD holder (cardboard cover) has the following printed on it: "Design By Ariola - Art Direction: Thomas Sassenbach @ 1995 BMG Ariola Munchen GMBH. Distributed by BMG. A Bertelsmann Music Group Company".

Regarding the "From A Moving Train" single, I'm not sure where Steve has a scan of the CD's front cover. Unlike the "Human Nature" CD cover, the "FAMT" single came in a jewel case and was made in Canada. It too is a promo copy that has printed on it, "Not for sale". I received mine from Karen D. formerly with Oxygen. I believe Steve did too. There's a "Radio version" and an "Album version" on this CD. The "Radio version" is 3 minutes and 20 seconds in duration. Interestingly, the "Album version" is 3 minutes and 43 seconds which is a second less that what is printed on the "Human Nature" CD. I think that's a bit unusual. Why the difference of one second???

THANKS, of course, goes to Steve for logging all of these AMERICA items for all of us to see!

Thanks Steve for the info.

I received a review copy of Jeff Larson's Fragile Sunrise CD today and I'm currently on my second listen. There's not a bad song on it and there are a lot of great ones! I'm sure my favorites will change as I listen to it a few more times but right now the top three are "Halfmoon Bay", "Heavy Rain", and "Fields Of May". Those three are all very acoustic with great harmonies. I've listened to Gerry's "Norman" several times and the more I listen to it the more I like it. Gerry's hand in producing the song is very obvious (that's a good thing!). By the way, Jeff's web site says that the CD will be released July 9th but it will actually be available a week earlier on July 2nd. In fact, a load of CD's has already been shipped to Amazon.com.

Jeff's Fragile Sunrise was recorded between March 2001 and May 2002 in Los Angeles, CA. It was the intention of this project to show a broader pallet of sounds, imagery, and subject matter through the music. Larson's lead vocal and harmonies in the opening verses of "Place Where I Belong" provides the connection from past releases, but the goal was to go farther... 10 new Larson penned tracks from pop/rock to more "classic" singer/songwriter leanings. The album also features "Norman" a Gerry Beckley penned track about the late architect and designer Norman bel Geddes. Many friends (including Dewey Bunnell) dropped by and helped to make Fragile Sunrise a labor of love.

Jeff signed a deal with JVC Corporation in Japan for a release of Fragile Sunrise. The Japan release is slated for August 21, 2002 with 2 bonus tracks. In September 2002, Magic (France) / Universal Music will release it for the European market. Both releases will be re-packaged with additional art and notes.

Mark, regarding your message #22571 and the singles you listed:
Young Moon / Call of the Wild-
Hope / Whole Wide World-
From a Moving Train-
I have never actually seen these singles. If anyone has copies, can you please scan them and e-mail them to me, or better still, to Steve Lowry so we all can see them! I'm particularly intrigued by the "From A Moving Train" reference. When Human Nature came out, I searched constantly for that one here in New York City but never found a copy!

Brad,

The only change I would have made, on the first CD, is that I would have included, "Cornwall Blank", and excluded, "Muskrat Love". From the second CD, I would not have included, "Woman Tonight", or "You Can Do Magic", however, I do understand why you have included, "You Can Do Magic". I definitely agree with your five picks from "Human Nature". My nephew was just in town. He too, was totaly unfamiliar with the music of AMERICA. Not any more. His wife was captivated by, as she called it,'The Desert Song'. I'm sure your nephew will soon be one of us.

Looks like our view from the window in Puerto Vallarta a few years ago - stunning - as long as you don't look down!!! Much as I like to "be there" through your eyes, Gerry - who books these places???? Maybe its about $$$ (kinda figured you guys would be past $$$ dilemma by now, if that's what it is) or maybe you need a travel agent with a little time on her hands to check these things out?!?!?!?! Hey - I need a part-time job. . .

Chris - Cleveland

Amen. Can't believe "The Quiet One" is gone.

Hello, everyone. I recently burned 2 80 minute CDs of America songs, in chronological order, for my music-loving nephew. He is in his early 20s and is totally unfamiliar with America's music. Let the initiation begin!!!
I knew that 1 CD would not do at all and thought that 3 or more would be more songs than he would initially want to take in. Below are the track listings for the 2 CDs:

				AMERICA
				1972 - 2001

				   DISC 1

	 1. RIVERSIDE			12. WIND WAVE
	 2. A HORSE WITH NO NAME	13. SHE’S GONNA LET
	 3. I NEED YOU			     YOU DOWN	
	 4. THREE ROSES			14. RAINBOW SONG
	 5. SANDMAN			15. IT’S LIFE
	 6. EVERYONE I MEET IS 		16. HAT TRICK
	     FROM CALIFORNIA		17. GREEN MONKEY
	 7. VENTURA HIGHWAY		18. TIN MAN
	 8. TO EACH HIS OWN		19. ANOTHER TRY
	 9. DON’T CROSS THE RIVER	20. LONELY PEOPLE
         10. ONLY IN YOUR HEART		21. OLD MAN TOOK
         11. MUSKRAT LOVE  
				
				AMERICA
				1972-2001

				  DISC 2 

	1. SISTER GOLDEN HAIR		12. CAN’T FALL ASLEEP 
	2. DAISY JANE			       TO A LULLABY
	3. WOMAN TONIGHT		13. NOTHING’S SO FAR
	4. COMPANY			       AWAY (AS YESTERDAY)	
	5. TODAY’S THE DAY		14. YOUNG MOON
	6. SERGEANT DARKNESS		15. HOPE
	7. ALL MY LIFE			16. SLEEPER TRAIN
	8. SURVIVAL			17. FROM A MOVING TRAIN
	9. YOU CAN DO MAGIC		18. WEDNESDAY MORNING
        10. NEVER BE LONELY		19. WHEELS ARE TURNING
        11. THE BORDER			20. PAGES
					21. WHISPERING

John Entwistle, one of the GREATEST Bass players in the world....

Hope you all enjoy the picture singles I've been sending to Steve over the last 6 months. I'm continually amazed by the differing sleeves available all over the world. What's most surprising is that there's hardly any US picture sleeves which seems mighty unfair.

I'd love to hear from other collectors.

Also I'd be interested to hear if anyone has any sleeves so far not posted (maybe you haven't got a scanner).

My choice would be (in no particular order):

1, THREE ROSES (still one of my favourites of all time)
2, EVEYONE I MEET IS FROM CALIFORNIA (original B-side version)
3, NEVER BE LONELY
4, SLEEPER TRAIN
5, LETTER
6, JET BOY BLUE
7, WHEELS ARE TURNING
8, ANOTHER TRY
9, CATCH THAT TRAIN

What we need is some advertising executive to use one of these more obscure numbers for a TV commerical and send it in to the charts. This has just happened in the UK with a rare Elvis b-side which is now No 1 in the charts. Steve Miller's THE JOKER also topped the UK charts a few years back just because it was featured on a jeans commercial.

If the kids can only get the chance to hear these classics in a new fashionable context they lap em up.

I basically loathed the production values at work on the "Perspective" LP. I found the whole thing really chilly and sterile-sounding ... the aural equivalent of nickel-plated fixtures, institutional-white walls and fluorescent lighting. That said, I found "Special Girl" compelling, its human heartbeat audible through the din of synths and other machinery.

I thought Special Girl was released as a single. I remember hearing on the radio. Same with "Nothing's So Far Away As Yesterday" from Encore. At the time I was writing ads for a country record label and I'd get the Gavin Report. I found out America had a new CD out when I read that "Nothing" was being added on some playlists. Not enough, though, as it turns out.

Rich, drum machines may have been cool for 20 minutes in the 80s, but so were parachute pants and Miami Vice. Fortunately most of us have been able to get past those things.

KevinS.

Love 'em or loathe 'em, here's a list of my ideas for songs that could have been A-side single launches. As far as I know, none of these were actually issued.

1. Three Roses

2. Til the Sun Comes Up Again

3. Wind Wave

4. Baby It's Up to You (but beefed up a bit)

5. Half A Man

6. Letter

7. She's Gone

8. Love on the Vine

9. Catch That Train

10. Special Girl

Here's some information I have been able to collect concerning how some of America's albums and songs did internationally. Obviously it is pretty sparse so corrections or additions would be welcome.

Songs
A Horse With No Name - 3 (UK), 2 (Australia)
Ventura Highway - 43 (UK)
Survival - 1 (Italy)
You Can Do Magic - 59 (UK)
From A Moving Train - 1 (Spain)

Albums
America - 14 (UK)
Homecoming - 21 (UK)
Hat Trick - 43 (UK)
History - 60 (UK)
The Definitive America - 1 (NZ)

It was only from VFTG on that I was able to get an AMERICA album the day it was released.YCDM was getting quite a bit of airplay down here in NZ, and whilst that song has never been a favourite of mine, it was still great to have something new by the guys. I went to the record store everyday waiting for the album(I'm wondering why the shop owner didn't give me a release date, if in fact I even asked for one) and still remember the thrill of seeing that terrific front cover of the guys sitting in the field. I rarely play that album now, apart from when I need to hear some gorgeous Dewey vocals, in which case I give YOU GIRL a blast! YOUR MOVE, similarly, had THE BORDER getting good radio play(and rightly so) and when the album came out I played it non stop, cos once again it was so good to have new stuff. Nowadays, though, I dont listen to it. The cover wasn't that inspiring either. PERSPECTIVE, whilst also not listened to anymore, was dear to me as it came out only a few days after I had met G&D seen them in concert for the first time. Like some of you here, I was a few albums in, before I got the real good stuff; AMERICA, HOMECOMING, HAT TRICK, HOLIDAY. Reason being, they were just not available anymore, and it was on discovering second hand record shops that enabled me to get these. I probably bought those albums all within the space of a few days. All this music absolutely consumed me. Thanks to the first albums notes, I knew who did every little lead break but had a number of albums and I only knew Dan. And that was only because he wasnt on the live album. For a while I thought Dewey was Gerry and vice versa, and nowhere could I find any photos naming them. And now, I can't even recall how I did work out who was who. I posted this a while back, but it was while holidaying in Sydney in '94 that I found HOURGLASS in a great little shop( Red Eye records) and was so excited I bought a coffee next door to the shop so I could sit down and pore over every little thing in the CD's notes.My two faves, though, would ha ve to be HAT TRICK and the first one, with the latter being my desert island disc. Oh, and thanks for all the reviews on Dan's GUITAR MAN. Great reading, for sure, and I will be ordering mine soon. Has your copy shown up yet Nancy? So good to read your bio. Got your mail, thanks Genevieve. Hi to you.

Here's a list of at least some of America's international singles that differ from their US releases (many singles were the same internationally). You will note that often they combined the first two US singles into one single in other countries (like Today's The Day and Amber Cascades). I guess they were trying to kill two birds with one stone. Much of this info has been compiled by Steve's excellent collection of single sleeves on his web page. Corrections and additions are welcome, also any chart info on how America's songs did in other countries would be welcome.

A Horse With No Name / Everyone I Meet Is From California (UK)
A Horse With No Name / Everyone I Meet Is From California / Sandman (France)
Don’t Cross The River / Till The Sun Comes Up Again (UK)
Green Monkey / Rainbow Song (UK)
Rainbow Song / Muskrat Love (Europe)
Mad Dog / Tin Man (Europe)
Woman Tonight / Daisy Jane (Europe)
Simple Life / A Horse With No Name (Japan)
Con Tu Pelo Tan Dorado (Sister Golden Hair) / ?? (Spanish Single)
Today’s The Day / Amber Cascades (UK)
Jet Boy Blue / Watership Down (Japan)
Survival / Only Game In Town (Italy)
Right Back To Me / ?? (Mexico)
You Can Do Magic / Right Before Your Eyes (Italy)
The Last Unicorn / ?? (Germany)
Man's Road / In The Sea (Germany)
Your Move / Love's Worn Out Again (Europe)
We've Got All Night / Special Girl (Europe)
Last Two To Dance / Last Two To Dance (instrumental) (Italy)
You Can Do Magic / Everyone I Meet Is From California (from Hourglass - Germany)
Wednesday Morning (Spain)
Moment To Moment (Europe)

We have had the "shudda been singles" discussion several times in the past, but it has been a few years so it might be good to start it all over again. Here's some thoughts album by album.

America - Three Roses (this is my favorite song on the album and I think it would have been a top 40 hit had it been the third single)
Homecoming - I think there are two strong choices either To Each His Own or California Revisted.
Hat Trick - Windwave or She's Gonna Let You Down
Holiday - Baby It's Up To You and Another Try (both songs received significant airplay despite not being released. WB blew a golden opportunity here by not releasing a third single.)
Hearts - I have never been too fond of Daisy Jane or Woman Tonight. I though Old Virginia and Bell Tree were superior single material.
Hideaway - I really liked Jet Boy Blue and Lovely Night.
Harbor - Hurricane (though I thought Martin's use of horns really hurt this song) or These Brown Eyes (a nice little pop song that had radio potential).
Live! - Another Try (For some reason WB didn't release a single from this, which probably contributed to its poor performance. They blew a chance to make up for their mistake on Holiday)
Silent Letter - And Forever or Foolin'
Alibi - I Do Believe In You and Valentine (I think this song is America's best rocker I wish they would add it to their play list)
View From The Ground - Inspector Mills
Your Move - Tonight Is For Dreamers (if this had been released I think it would have been a big AC hit)
Perspective - 5th Avenue (I must admit that this is probably America's weakest batch of songs to pick from)
In Concert - Survival (Capitol repeated WB's mistake by not releasing a single from there live album, which again probably contributed to its weak commercial performance. This would have been a good opportunity to introduce the American public to a song that was a big hit in Europe)
Encore - Nothing's So Far Away As Yesterday
Hourglass - Whole Wide World and Call Of The Wild
Human Nature - Wednesday Morning and Wheels Are Turning

Here's a list of America songs that were released as singles in the US. Other songs were released in other countries such as Mad Dog, Simple Life, Survival, Last Two To Dance, and Wednesday Morning. But here's a list of US singles based on what I have been able to glean from the various "discography" books in publication (Steve has these listed on his web page too):

A Horse With No Name / Sandman (Everyone I Meet Is From California was the flip side of the European single)
I Need You / Riverside
Ventura Highway / Saturn Nights
Don’t Cross The River / To Each His Own
Only In Your Heart / Moon Song
Muskrat Love / Cornwall Blank
Rainbow Song / Willow Tree Lullaby
Green Monkey / She’s Gonna Let You Down
Tin Man / In The Country
Lonely People / Mad Dog
Sister Golden Hair / Midnight
Daisy Jane / Tomorrow
Woman Tonight / Bell Tree
Today’s The Day / Hideaway Part 2
Amber Cascades / Who Loves You
She’s A Liar / She’s Beside You
God Of The Sun / Down To The Water
Don’t You Cry / Monster
Slowdown / Sara
California Dreamin’ / [See It My Way by FDR]
Only Game In Town / High In The City
All My Life / One Morning
All Around / 1960
You Could’ve Been The One / Catch That Train
One In A Million / Hangover
You Can Do Magic / Even The Score
Right Before Your Eyes / Inspector Mills
Jody / Inspector Mills
The Border / Sometimes Lovers
Cast The Spirit / My Dear
Special Girl / Unconditional Love
I Can’t Fall Asleep To A Lullaby / Fallin’ Off The World
Young Moon / Call of the Wild
Hope / Whole Wide World
From a Moving Train

Johnny

I agree. EVERYONE I MEET IS FROM CALIFORNIA should never have been put out as a B-side. Had I of been Dan i'd of been saying: "Oh, come on guys...!"

A sure fire missed opportunity as a hit single. Maybe that's why they did another version on HOURGLASS. A sort of late payback as Dan would have received a cut of the royalities as he wrote it.

What about other songs that should have been singles?

I don't recall that particular interview that Ladd mentioned. I do think, however, that the music world really missed out on having "Everyone I Meet Is From California" as a hit song because it's one mighty kick-ass acoustic jam whose electric version is just as good. Personally, I think Dan got ripped when both songs were bypassed. Well, the acoustic version as the A side, anyway, since it was the B side to "Horse" initially.

Yes, Nancy, I did catch the very emotional tribute for Darryl Kile. Very touching indeed. The events of the last two weeks with my beloved Cardinals have put me in quite a funk. By the way, I, also have not recieved Guitar Man yet but have patience, the Postman always delivers. Nice bio and picture but I can't tell; do you REALLY love America? LOL. Hey, I was one of those guys who eagerly awaited those Beatle albums starting from Beatles 65 thru Let It Be. Then I started getting into the acid rock trip and finally coming down and getting into America with the Hearts album which will always be my favorite for sentimental reasons. Johnny, I will post my thoughts on the Dan Peek CD as soon as it arrives and I have time to hear it 8 or 9 times. You guys are really perking my interest up on this. I'm really into the song Moment To Moment right now. How classic and very true are those lyrics huh? Thanks for the cool song guys.DanC

Hello, everyone. I have been away from the Fans' Page in recent weeks and have been playing catch up on all the posts! Many nice discussions on the new Peek CD, Holiday, etc.
I only have a few of Dan's early solo albums, but I may pick up the new CD. Getting an autographed copy makes it very intriguing. I have both Gerry and Dewey's autographs several times, but no Peek signatures.
Ladd, I enjoyed your post on Holiday. I like it more than you do. I have always ranked the first 5 albums as my 5 favorites of theirs, in this order: Hat Trick, America, Holiday, Homecoming and Hearts. Hat Trick truly is a classic and perfect! It may not have sold as much, but it is telling that more tracks from it appear on "Highway" than any other album.
Great news about the Cayman and Holiday CDs! I can't wait.
Lastly, I became a huge fan of America in the early 90s while in college. I DID know when "Hourglass" (and "Encore" before it) were released and rushed out on those dates to get my copies. I think I may have read about their releases in "Goldmine", a music collectors' magazine. That same level of anticipation will be building twice later this year. Take care, Brad

I've been absent for a few days so I am randomly responding to several posts in no particular order...I think the orchestrations on Hat Trick are perfect -- they sound more "natural" than on Holiday which sometimes sounds forced. I think Hearts is a way better album than Holiday. Hideaway took their musical progression to the next logical step, but their songwriting suffered. In terms of arrangements, etc. Homecoming is my favorite -- I just can't see how they could have done better.

I was intrigued by the discussion of which albums people bought first.
I became a fan around 1980 or so in Junior high. My first albums were History, America and Harbor. Than VFTG. I played that one to death. I liked Your Move (sort of) when it first came out, but pretty much hate that album now, except for three or so songs. I've always been partial to Perspective. (At one point I specifically remember thinking "drum machines...they're cool.. America should use more of them." It was the 80's, I was young and impressionable..what can I say?) When I began to collect America's earlier albums, I realized that Your Move and Perspective suffer in comparison. I purchased Silent Letter and Hearts while I was in college and managed to convert some fellow students with those records.

Concert Report: I saw the 8:00 show last Saturday at the Alameda County Fair. Not a whole lot to report. They played the standard "short list," which, although expected was a bit dissapointing. As usual, they signed plenty of autographs and looked like they were having fun. It is amazing how they can still have fun, especially when they played two shows that night. They were well received and I saw lots of people singing along.

Rich

Hi DanC~~
I just wanted to say I caught alittle of the Memorial service that was held today at the St. Louis ball park stadium and it was very emotional indeed. What a sad loss this was~~he was much too young for sure. It is nice to see that in a time like this that so many people can come together to show their loyal support for the Family and the Team. I don't know if you were able to see any of this coverage on ESPN, but they also announced that they will be accepting FANS thoughts and stories to be all put into a book that will be presented to his Family. I am sure that You being the Loyal Cardinal Fan you are, that you will have no trouble adding your comments of story to this book. Bye for now, Nancy :)

Hi Everyone!
Thanks Gerry for the neat picture~~this must be in a newly settled area it is kinda like the desert and the city mixed together~~I love the way the sky looks~~wall to wall blue eyed with swrirly clouds!!sooo nice! :) SteveL~~~Nice that you will get to see them in Aug.!
Hi Genevieve & Johnny~~~Thanks for your kind words about my post~~~I too have enjoyed reading all of your Bios, like I said it is so nice to have this site as a place where I can feel so comfortable about expressing myself about this love I have for this great group we know as AMERICA! I just want to say~~~Half of my family is missing from the pic, there is my Husband Larry, and son's Jeff & Adam, with Jeff in college & hardly ever home it is kinda hard getting us all together for a family pic. Thanks again Steve for all that you do with the site to make it a special one!
Ladd~~~I am also one of those that were so fortunate to grow with their music and purchase each one as it was released, at first My Mom would say why do you have to buy every one of these records, later on you will never listen to them~~~Sorry Mom! but you know now how wrong about this you were, I have listened to them over and over, and I also thought that if I had the complete set of their albums that I would be able to make some money, selling them one day~~~Ooooh NO! Never ever would I part with these, no matter how much money offered to me for these! They are worth so much more to me! Homecoming has been one of my most favorites of theirs, I can truly say though that my love for their music just kept on growing with each new album. The album Hearts was released the year I graduated and a whole new world was out there waiting for me, so this album too has been a favorite~~~~well I love all of these albums! I have to say one thing about Your Move & Perspective~~~I really like both of these alot, now I know there are so many of you that feel these both were just made to accomodate the 80's sound~~But let us remember one thing here, it is still Gerry & Dewey singing these songs (sure they have the 80's music, but such good lyrics and yes even some cute ones too) and I find this as just another Avenue of their talent that is along the Highway of their Journey! Regarding Hourglass, I carried a little piece of paper in my wallet with this written on, I wrote it down when they were on Regis & Kathy Lee, and I looked and looked for it all around my area in the malls and music stores, I never did find it here and I didn't have the internet until 2 years ago. I found Hourglass through finding a special friend from Germany here on the net. I am so glad to have found both Hourglass & Human Nature~~I love them both so much for sure! :)
One more thing~~~I too couldn't figure out which one was Gerry and which one was Dewey or which one was Dan in the beginning~~~To think about this now has me just smiling~~it seems like I have known them through their music my whole lifelong! Nice!
Mr. Postman I am still here waiting patiently for you to deliver my Dan Peek CD to me! What's taking you so long to show up with this?
Bye for now! Nancy :)

<< Oh well, they'll be in Sandy, UT in August so I'll get to see them then>>

YES STEVE, so have a thought for those who WON'T because they CAN'T !!! lol
Thanks anyway for posting the view, and again thanks very much Gerry for letting your fans see the world thru your eyes now & then ...

Speech - happy you found the review interesting, but I don't totally agree with your view on Hope. I do like the song, first because it is good musically to me, and the 'introspection' aspect in the lyrics makes it all the more moving - there's a strong identification potential in the "story" of this song. Not sure I can make myself understood cos it all seems a bit confused, but it sounds like the guys had a personal message to pass on with this song. Moreover, and maybe because I'm a non-American America listener (??? - just supposing!) my ears won't get hurt when / if my fave group starts making music using electronic devices/ intruments. I don't know how to say it exactly but it's the combination of all these elements that make the song real catchy to me. All I know is that it won't change your opinion, but I felt i had to say it.
BTW, I accidentally discovered the CD when it was released because I was already used to mail-ordering my cds & books & came across it on a Minitel list. I decided to write to Gallin/Morey Associates at the time to tell them how difficult it was to support the band with so "reticent" a promotion! I received a very nice reply from Anna Antognetti, who thanked me for my continued support & informed me about the release of the laserdisc & other available imports... Same story as many of you which makes me realise once more how easier things have become with this internet expansion!!! Geneviève.

You're very welcome, Nancy. And BTW, Johnny's right : Great bio i enjoyed reading & great family photo, too!!! And sorry, I forgot to post the promised translation from my computer at work before coming back home, so you'll get it tomorrow (early) morning ...
Geneviève.

<<I think what happened was they probably clashed way too much in producing Hat Trick. You figure you have three egos, three points of view, three young guys who thought they were bullet-proof creatively. I've been in plenty of situations like that. It can get tense and take its toll on friendships and relationships. I suspect they would have killed each other if they had continued self-producing their own stuff, even though they would have gone out in a blaze of glory.>>

Interesting. Kevin, was it you or speechwriter who was talking about that interview with Gerry when he said that songwriting and production were both becoming somewhat of a burden by the time HAT TRICK was recorded? It does seem a shame, given how great a job they did with their own stuff, but, with the burdens of fame (and all that comes with it), maybe they did need a FIGURE there to just handle stuff in the studio so they could handle the rest. And, in 1974, working with George Martin was THE S***. So, while it might not have worked out perfectly, it seems that it was inevitable.

Actually, I was listening to HOMECOMING today, and realized that--to my ears--this is really the best-produced, PURE America sound of all time. A really clean but big sound--the guitars, pianos, and vocals are JUST RIGHT. HAT TRICK, however, really was ambitious and did the whole orchestral bit to perfection. Two different sounds--and both were done their best on these two respective discs in my mind.

By the way, Steve posted a radio interview from not too long ago that was really eye-opening in terms of the band dynamic. I believe it was from right after the release of HOLIDAY. And all 3 guys are being interviewed at once and it's kind of chaotic, they're all jumping in, telling stories, etc. And at some point Dan is talking and then Dewey jumps in with a comment and Dan--very curtly and very dickish, actually--is like--I swear--"Excuse me, I was talking" and Dewey in the background, quite maturely, says "sorry" and hushes up.

It says a lot about Dan. I believe he had a pretty huge insecurity complex going, probably because the guys on the first 3 albums were doing much more of the songwriting and singing than he was. Maybe he felt like--I'm the third leg elsewhere, I'm not going to be a damn third leg in an interview. I also sensed this guy was real hard to deal with, probably had a hard time dealing with his anger and emotions. I have a friend so much like this who is also a genius musically.

<<Hat Trick is a classic. One of the best records of all time from anyone. It soars even with Muskrat Love as creative ballast.>>

Y'all are too hard on this song! It's got great vocals, a great sound, it relaxes the listener. And they didn't write it! So lay off! Go back to slamming "Mad Dog" or something...

-Ladd

I encountered "Hourglass" in a Tower Record store a few weeks after its release. I had no idea they even had a new CD out. It was a real rush. Then when it turned out to be as good as it was, I played it to death at home and in the car. I can still recall listening to "Young Moon" while driving along Ocean Drive near the beach with the sunroof open. The guys have surely provided some fantastic times and enduring memories.

HOOBOY, and they NEVER let you live that down, do they ( I used to work for PIC, myself!)

Gerry is in Cedar City, UT today. Click here to see the view from his hotel window. What?!? Cedar City, UTAH!! This must have been one of those private concerts. If I would have known that they were going to be in Utah, I would have driven down to see if I could catch the concert. Cedar City is only 3 1/2 hours away. Oh well, they'll be in Sandy, UT in August so I'll get to see them then.

It's worse than that. I work for a law enforcement agency (though I'm not a cop).

yeah, i found HOURGLASS covered with dust on the record store shelf in '96 or '97. i bought it with very low expectations. i thought that it would be more or less like all the other cow manure they recorded during the 80's. thankfully i was wrong.

johnny~ i agree, the "less-is-more" WHO LOVES YOU found on HIGHWAY is more enjoyable than it's version on HIDEAWAY. i wish the whole HIDEAWAY album was remixed like that. if it was, i would buy it in a second.

I wonder how many of us here found "Hourglass" back in '94 on the shelf without knowing about its release.

I know that's the way it happened for me. Finding it without knowing about its release was like coming home with a new AMERICA Lp back in the 70s (and 80s for me). I didn't have a CD player back in '94 so I bought the cassette while visiting with family out-of-town and had to use a crummy cassette player of my niece's, but I was still blown-away with the incredible sounds of "Hourglass" even on her cheap player!

Got caught in the "Click it or Ticket" sting? DOn't watch MTV, huh ;)

I, too, enjoyed the stripped down version of "Who Loves You" on the Highway set. I think I'd have liked it just fine on the original Hideaway LP, too. From this Perspective, the old adage about "less is more" holds true for much of America's work. One of my favorite tracks, for example, is "Monster," which, as we all know, features Gerry (granted, it sounds like he's double-tracked himself) on acoustic guitar.

As for Dan's new CD, I'm in sort of a fiscal crunch right now, so I have to wait to pick up the new issue. Right about now, that ticket I chuckled about over Memorial Day weekend (for not wearing a seatbelt ... $42 fine) is starting to tick me off.

ladd~ being a teenager during the 70's i had the pleasure of experiencing each record in order of it's release. although i heard HOMECOMING before i heard the 1st album. i was one of those teenagers who use to run to the record store searching for america's newest record album. the first 5 albums will always be my favorite.

jason~ i would imagine that if YOUR MOVE was your 1st america purchase, it would have been your last, and that you would'nt be on this website.

johnny~ just like you, i too was unable to figure out exactly who was who at first.

I sure do like the "stripped-down" version of "Who Loves You" as found on the "Highway" release. However, I probably wouldn't have liked it as well if the "fuller" version wasn't available to listen to on "Hideaway".

Besides SteveL, Kevin, SteveO, Pat, and myself, isn't there anyone else here who bought Dan's new CD? I know Nancy said her copy is on order. I would like to hear from others who have it and what they think. "Makin' Tracks" is INCREDIBLE! I really want to compliment Dan for that one. It's a very spooky song with beautiful instrumentation! Worth the price of the CD just itself, I think.

re: "I see it as a natural progression in the band's development"

... which, arguably, became too much of a good thing on Hideaway.

Interesting, Ladd that you are going thru their albums one by one in order, the way those of us lucky enough to have grown up or have been musically aware during that period would have done. I can't wait to see your reaction to the stuff they did in the 80's, which are not my personal favorites. Say what you will about it, the musical growth of the band during the George Martin era was immense. Not having to bear the burden of producing the album alone, I believe gave them greater freedom to stretch their wings, and I think Kevin is right,that bringing in a fourth person gave them more stability. Personally, I like Holiday and see it as a natural progression in the band's development.

It's great to hear that others hold the same viewpoint with regard to the Hat Trick LP.
Lots of folks forget -- and it's irrelevant now anyway -- that Hat Trick did not hit radio and the stores with anywhere near the same impact that the America and Homecoming LPs did when they first came out.

I vividly recall my high school classmates not even discussing the Hat Trick LP, which was odd only in that it had been eagerly anticipated because of the first two records.

I, however, always loved Hat Trick and lamented that, for many years, it was kind of the "lost" America LP.

I don't think the guys ever -- not before or after -- achieved the seamlessness of Hat Trick, in terms of the ambience, the pacing, the production, the continuity and quality of songs, etc.

Sure, there were glimmers of it, half-a-loafs and even LPs where they nearly nailed it altogether, but Hat Trick, for me, remains my desert island America record.

By the way, Ladd, I was one of the people who literally ran (and walked, several miles) to a Korvettes department store to buy every new America LP as it was released.

I recall taking that walk on a steamy summer afternoon, as a soon-to-be h.s. senior, to buy Holiday and being really turned on by the album.

Yes, it was a jolting transition from Hat Trick, but the artistic progression and the Beatle-esque flourishes were elements that I really came to enjoy.

In the context of each new America record, it was not unlike what my older brother experienced with each new Beatles LP, from Beatles 65 to Rubber Soul to Revolver to Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band to Magical Mystery Tour, etc.

As radically different as Hat Trick and Holiday are (and I tend to prefer Hat Trick because I lean more toward the rusticated aspect of America's body of work), it's hard to fairly compare them.

They are like two siblings, born of the same parents and similar on some bedrock level, but at the same time distinctly different and posessed of their own singular charms (and flaws, for that matter).

Incidentally, I'll be interested to see what you think of the Hearts LP. I thought it landed squarely between the two poles of Hat Trick and Holiday in terms of its musical and production values.

It happened to come along during America's real 74-75 moment, though, and was just primed for smash-dom.

I can recall that Hearts was in many 8-track collections that I observed, that "Sister Golden Hair" and "Daisy Jane" could be heard blasting from beach radios up and down the Jersey Coast that summer, and that fashionably scruffy high school seniors and college students hung out on porches and balconies strumming tunes from the "Hearts" songbook.

For sure it was very cool to have been an AMERICA fan in the 70s when the guys released a new LP every year! Oh, those good ol' days!

I bought the 1st album and "Homecoming" at the same time and that was after both had already been released for awhile but before "Hat Trick" came out. I remember not knowing for sure which guy was Gerry and which was Dan since the first two album covers didn't make it too clear. I also had a hard time distinguishing Dewey's voice from Dan's at times. Not until "Hat Trick" came out did I have it all figured out. I do remember discussing the first LP cover with my older sister and her comment that she thought Dewey "looks cute". I also remember thinking I don't care to know it. :0)

What was even more cool back then was to have seen the trio in concert! It was only once for me but I still hold that memory as one of the BEST things of my youth!!!

(Nancy, I enjoyed reading your bio story and seeing the photo of you and your son and daughter. I'm glad you sent it to Steve. It was a very nice bio and a very nice photo!!!)

Its been interesting to read the comments on the guys and their recorded works. Whereas some don't care for the George Martin era,I wholeheartedly embraced it! I won't get into any discertations about each LP,as I liked em all. But...and maybe its due to being a former Military brat myself...I'm partial to "Hearts" and "Holiday". Those were two huge LP's for me as a teenager living in Germany at the time. Maybe I relate those good times and those LP's to that era.
Pretty much from Start to finish I find myself constantly drawn to these 2 disks. Doesn't hurt that my all time favorite song by the guys comes off of "Holiday"--"Tin Man". But getting back to reading these message board comments...Just goes to show you that everybody has different musical tastes,and its fun to read why some of the LP's impact some of us more than others do.

Hat Trick is everything you say it is, Ladd. What's even more remarkable is the fact that these three guys, barely into their 20s, had the wherewithall to produce their own stuff. And these three guys, barely into their 20s, were as accomplished at producing as anyone else at that time. You're right. In retrospect, they themselves were better at producing their music than George Martin was. But you have to give them credit for having the cojones at that young age to dial up the biggest-named producer ever and expect he'd agree to produce their stuff. That took guts.

I think what happened was they probably clashed way too much in producing Hat Trick. You figure you have three egos, three points of view, three young guys who thought they were bullet-proof creatively. I've been in plenty of situations like that. It can get tense and take its toll on friendships and relationships. I suspect they would have killed each other if they had continued self-producing their own stuff, even though they would have gone out in a blaze of glory.

Hat Trick is a classic. One of the best records of all time from anyone. It soars even with Muskrat Love as creative ballast.

KevinS.

Ladd

Interesting that you're buying and listening to the AMERICA albums in chronological order. Like you I wasn't of an age to appreciate AMERICA in their hayday from the early 70s.

My first encounter was following my impromptu purchase of HISTORY as I'd heard they were similar to the EAGLES. I sort of recognised A HORSE WITH NO NAME but all the other tracks were new to me.

I then went on the search for anything else. This was in the mid 80s when I was a teenager and subsequently found HOMECOMING, HAT TRICK, HIDEAWAY and HEARTS on second hand vinyl, all of which I loved. I still love the triple fold out cover of HOMECOMING.

My interest was re-ignited upon the release of HOURGLASS which I think is fantastic, and then went out of my way to buy the remaining albums.

Strangely, I only purchased AMERICA 3-4 years ago on CD as I could never find it in the UK on vinyl. So my encounter is sort of back to front.

God, what would have happened had I picked up YOUR MOVE first! Would I have ventured further? It's not worth contemplating.

As you say, it would have been great to have been around from the start, hearing each new single upon release, anticipating their next progression.

That thought is especially annoying for me seeing that they all lived in the village of my birth and probably drank in my local pub. Hey, Dewey, it's me... in the pram!!!

I was 2 at the time.

missed opportunities...

Jas

...but I'm listening to HAT TRICK right now, and although I have yet to listen to each Dan Peek-era album yet (I'm getting them one by one and am up to HOLIDAY), I get the feeling this one is going to be their peak, their crowning achievement.

Many have already noted that America had already begun to experiment with orchestration on HAT TRICK before George Martin arrived. What is shocking is that they did it better!

The mix of acoustic and symphonic on HAT TRICK is PERFECT, whereas on HOLIDAY it feels suffocating and way too...BIG.

Of course, the songwriting on the first 3 albums was far better than HOLIDAY, too.

Here's hoping that HEARTS will see a return to form.

BTW, I truly envy those of you who grew up as teens or kids during the 70s and were able to run to record stores to buy new America albums. In a way, what I'm doing now imitates that (buying them one by one in order), but it's just not the same.

-LE

Hi Everyone,
Thanks so much Genevieve & Lisa Rose for getting these lyrics for me. I really like the music to this song and now I can relate to the lyrics both in English and French. WOW! :) Hey Genevieve I did learn something from this so all in all you were really searching for these lyrics for educational purposes! :)
I also checked out the Hourglass review. Thanks Genevieve!
Have a great day! Nancy :)

Interesting review. Close to my personal opinion as well. As I have posted here previously, I never saw the point of the "You Can Do Magic" remake. The other remake on the CD, Dewey singing Dan's old tune from Homecoming, was a relatively faithful cover, but it somehow sounded fresh (probably because of Dewey singing the song). "You Can Do Magic" offered no such, well, magic. I can think of any number of other old tunes the guys could have recut if the idea was to find "gold" in mining their old catalogue of songs. One example of a tune they could have covered and, perhaps, found new life in is "Baby It's Up to You." The only critique I might have added, aside from the one about YCDM, would be one that suggests the slick, lite funk shuffle of "Hope" does not really become a couple of guys who cut their teeth and nurtured their chops in a place called Dirt Pit Manor.

For those of you who live in the Mentor, Ohio area, I just learned that a concert has been scheduled there for April 10, 2003 and tickets are already on sale. Here's a link to a page with all of the information: www.mentorconcertseries.com/america.htm.

Thanks to Steve Gross for making me aware of the concert. If anyone else is aware of upcoming concerts that aren't on the concert list, please let me know so I can add them.

Hi Ladies!

Thanks Lisa for finding & posting the song's lyric so fast. I took the time at work this morning to search our teachers' song/music data bank ( for education purpose only - of course!) & found out that Nino Ferrer ( not to be confused with Léo Ferré, Nancy) had recorded his own English version of the song. It's a bit different from the French version , but not much (only the beginning is not exactly the same), so you can understand what the song is really about anyway. I'm now posting this particular version but I'll post a translation of the former French version to you directly tonight. BFN - Geneviève.

Nino Ferrer - South


Between the big trees
The flowers and the green grass
The house is there
It's white and brown
And covered
With green vine
Which looks like hair.
We call it the south
Cause time is so long there
That life sure will take us
More than a million years.
And we like to stay there.
So many children are playing in the garden
So many dogs
There is a cat and a turtle and an old well
But not a frog.
We call it the south
Cause time is so long there
That life sure will take us
More than a million years.
And we like to stay there.
I know one day I'll have to leave the sweet life
Back to the dark
Don't really care but they won't ask my opinion
As a matter of fact.
I hope it's the south
Cause time is so long there
That life sure will take us
More than a million years.
And we like to stay there.


(Réservé à un usage éducatif.)

Le Sud Lyric
Lyric: Paroles et musique : Nino Ferrer
© 1975 by Éditions Paul Beuscher
1
C'est un endroit qui ressemble à la Louisiane,
À l'Italie
Il y a du linge étendu sur la terrasse
Et c'est joli
R
On dirait le Sud, le temps dure longtemps
Et la vie sûrement plus d'u
n million d'années,
Et toujours en été
2
Y'a plein d'enfants qui se roulent sur la pelouse
Y'a plein de chiens,
Y'a même un chat, une tortue, des poissons rouges,
Il ne manque rien
3
Un jour ou l'autre, il faudra qu'il y ait la guerre
On le sait bie
n,
On n'aime pas ça, mais on ne sait pas quoi faire,
On dit c'est le destin
R
Tant pis pour le Sud, c'était pourtant bien,
On aurait pu vivre, plus d'un million d'années,
Et toujours en été

Nancy,
I do know the song but don't have the record/cd. I can try to translate it if I can find the lyrics. I'll try to anyway for you. BFN Geneviève.

Hi Steve,
Thanks for explaining the live chat! I do recall seeing that you can have one anytime you want, but never noticed it happening.
I have an off topic question~~
Genevieve or one anyone else that may know the answer to this~~ Do you happen to know of a song called~~~Le Sud~~by Leo Ferrer~~~Could you please translate the words of this song for me, it is such a nice song, only thing is I have no idea what the words mean.
Hi Kem~~~Nice bio, I liked the words you used to describe the effect of AMERICA's music~~nice to know that so many people appreciate this great music! Bye again, Nancy :)

Nancy, to answer your question about the Live Chats in 2000: I used to hold the Live Chat on Thursday night because that was the only night I was available. But a majority of the other fans were available on Wednesday so Robyn starting hosting them then. I eventually switched the "official" chat night to Wednesday when I was no longer available on Thursdays. Of course, you can have a Live Chat anytime you'd like by simply posting a note here and letting others know when you'll be there. The Live Chat software works 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

After all the posts about Hourglass & the song Hope, I found the album review at www.epinions.com very interesting and really close to my personal opinion. The page says : <<This 1994 release by the duo of Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Buckley may sound at first like a "why bother?" but surprisingly, HOURGLASS is not only not embarrassing, it's actually quite good. On their '70s hits, Bunnell sounded uncannily like a sweeter-voiced Neil Young; the decreased vocal resemblance here probably has more to do with the ravages of Young's own vocal cords, but it gives the harmonies much more of their own character.
The glistening folk-rock of hits like "A Horse With No Name" and "Ventura Highway" is all over this disc, with Bunnell and Beckley both contributing several surprisingly full-bodied pop songs. The inclusion of a nothing-special remake of their old hit "You Can Do Magic" at the end is an ill-considered exercise in nostalgia, a trap the rest of HOURGLASS admirably avoids. >>
Here's the link to the web page :
http://www.epinions.com/musc_mu-162519

There was another 3 CD "box set" being sold in Australia. It was actually the first three albums packaged together into a "box set".

I don't know if that is what Heritage is or not.

Oops guys,
Sorry I had forgotten about the other half of the "Unscramble The Ramble" . I had fun looking for the solution though. Just my bad memory again !!! LOL

Hi Kem! Already told YOU but want to do it "officially ": pretty neat you finally joined the Wonderful Fans List ( Nice bio & great photo!) . BFN - Geneviève.

Hi Everyone,
So many subjects on the posts, and I just am catching up reading them. First of all Hi Jason~~nice to hear from you, hope you have some luck finding out about Dirt Pit Manor!
Hi Genevieve~~~So neat that you and your friends included your AMERICA songs in your night of music and fun. I'm sure there are some new AMERICA fans in France as a result of this.
Hi Johnny~~~You had said 1 Group~~1 Induction~~~well time for a change and who better to make it for then Gerry & Dewey! Thanks for posting the other half of the unscrambled tunes, WoW~~ it has been almost 2 weeks since you put the game on, time is just flying by way too fast. It is so hot & humid here in Pa. so we have been heading to the pool for some fun in the sun! Finally getting some sun, I think I was looking like an Eskimo~~as white as I was LOL! :)
Thanks Steve for posting the Disneyland music events~~Boy I sure would love to head out to Calif. In my Dreams I guess! I did go back to the posts that you sited in your email, and I am so disappointed I missed out on having my name on Nina's Quilt~~wow that would have been neat! From going over these posts alot of you have been here for awhile~~I guess I am the New Kid on the Block~~ LOL! Hmmm just wondering did you have the live chat more than one night a week back then, couldn't help but notice DanC's post saying that he couldn't make it to wed. chat, but maybe he would be there on thurs.
I am still waiting for the Postman to bring my Dan Peek CD~~why oh why isn't it here yet?????? Soon Mr. Postman~~Soon! :)
Hi Jim~~~Are you playing some nice songs on your guitar! Can't wait to hear some of them! :)
Have a good day all! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Spurs

Thanks for the info re the Hertiage box set from Australia. I don't suppose you have a track listing just in case it differs from HIGHWAY.

Jas

Sire Drive~~~Riverside
Mow or Rot~~~Tomorrow
Red Yam~~~My Dear
I Lug Roy~~~You Girl
There's No Eve C.~~~Even The Score
I'm Ann T.~~~Tin Man
Or Sets Here~~~Three Roses
Are U In, Tim?~~~Miniature
Set With Cool End~~~Close To The Wind
E.G. Sap~~~Pages
Build Away Birth Led~~~Lady With A Bluebird
Big Mother Tack~~~Right Back To Me
Thick Tar~~~Hat Trick
Crabby Tony D.~~~Don't Cry Baby
Wooly V-House~~~Who Loves You
Eat Which Soon?~~~To Each His Own
Lies Fit~~~It's Life
A Nerdhead Hat~~~Head And Heart
Go-In-Now Bars~~~Rainbow Song
In All, I'm One Ion~~~One In A Million
Eve D, Afro RN~~~And Forever
Aay! Hi Dew!~~~Hideaway
No "if" is my LOVE for AMERICA, ETERN., i.e.~~~Everyone I Meet Is From California

Thanks for the info Steve! We are planning on being there at LEAST for the shows on the 18th! Anyone else????

Spurs,
I'm really happy you enjoyed being here so much. I love it too! LOL but travelling is what I like best... and by the way, I'm planning to visit those 'down under' places very soon! I'm sure this will be an amazingly pleasant 'confrontation' :-D - See ya- Geneviève.

Jim, did you get my last E-mail (sent it yesterday 06/25)? Had a notification message but when I opened it, it was empty. Let me know - Cheers. Gen.

The following information was received from Stewart Kingsley, the Disneyland Resort Guest Communications Director:

For 42 days straight beginning Saturday, July 13, Disney's California Adventure park will be rockin' and rollin' with a stellar lineup of 16 famed recording groups as part of its new "Disney's Rockin' the Bay" summer music series. Each group will perform twice each afternoon along the seaside-themed Paradise Bay. The shows will be daily entertainment features through Friday, August 23, and are included with park admission. Following is the lineup for the "Disney's Rockin' the Bay" music series:

July 13-14 The Beach Boys
July 15-17 The Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards
July 18-19 David Clayton Thomas with Blood, Sweat & Tears
July 20 The Commodores
July 21-22 Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone
July 23-25 Starship featuring Mickey Thomas
July 26-28 The 5th Dimension
July 29-31 Paul Revere And The Raiders
August 1-3 (to be announced)
August 4-6 The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie
August 7-8 The Buckinghams
August 9-11 (to be announced)
August 12-14 (to be announced)
August 15-17 The Four Tops
August 18-20 America
August 21-23 The Monkees starring Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz

For a complete list of Park hours, entertainment schedules and location closures please visit our website at www.disneyland.com and click on General Information, then the Hours & Schedules link in the blue section on the left and enter your visit dates. Please note that all information is subject to change without notice. We suggest that you contact us just prior to your visit by checking the schedule on the website or calling (714) 781-7290 for the most updated information.

Spurs (or anyone else from down under), if you can scan in the "Heritage" cover and send it to me I'll add it to the "Highway" photos. I didn't realize that it was called "Heritage" in Australia.

Hello everyone,the "Heritage box set" is the same as "Highway" for some reason it has a different name in Oz.Hi Genevieve spent much of my time all over France easily one of the most civilized countries on the planet,dancing in the streets and the love of fine wine and food,great stuff.I'm wondering how long before "America" can get a release sorted for their Cayman Island gig ?

I thought here on the folder someone from Australia also said one of America's CDs was titled "Heritage". Is it all my imagination? Anyone else remember such a thing?

"Voices" <---- Oops! Merely a Russ Ballard song with that title.

Steve

I heard about "Heritage" via the many internet second hand record dealers sites I frequent. I have just looked at a site called www.gemm.com which has 3 different dealers offering "Heritage America 3 CD box set" for sale, all of which are Australian. It might be nothing to do with our AMERICA but I don't think so. Unfortunately there's no picture to confirm the fact.

There might be an Australian site for AMAZON though which might feature it.

I'll do some more digging.

Thanks for the info re the Alibi cover, by the way.

Jas

Kevin, I just like you, have played "Guitar Man" a lot this past weekend.

My comments regarding Dan's vocal quality is that he sounds great on some songs (the majority) but not too much so on a few of the others. In my opinion, that can be heard on "Jessica" and "Nashville Cats". It's just that we all know that Dan can sing beautifully so why the lack of consistency when he's so capable as made evident by the other songs on "Guitar Man"? By the way, I really like "Jessica" especially the screaming guitar!

I, too, like "Into The Night". It's very cool! "Dead Men", however, isn't a song I personally like. For one thing, I can't understand the words. Is Dan singing "Thin Man" or "Tin Man"? I assume it's the former. Pat B called it "a dead song". I said it's "stiff". Not everyone is going to like the same songs, of course.

"Still Luv You" and "Nashville Cats" both belong on a Hank Williams Jr 45 record. One on the 'A' side and the other on the flip-side, in my opinion. They're both hick-sounding songs that I have a difficult time hearing Dan sing. The music is very nice, but it's the Texas-like countrified (sp?) sound (or Nashville sound in this case) that I don't care to hear on a Dan Peek CD. I have nothing against a Texas drawl ya'll because I speak with one myself. It's just that I don't care to hear it coming from a Dan Peek CD.

Regarding "Borrowed Time" sounding like Mark Knopfler, that's an excellent point! It doesn't require much 'ear-squinting' at all to hear it either.

My favs from "Guitar Man" are the title track and "Makin' Tracks". I'm glad Dan released this CD. With a few exceptions, I really like it!!!

"Voices" <----- a Russ Ballard LP title

P.S. Jason, if you read through the April 2000 and May 2000 Chat Folder archives you'll find that the title that was first published for the Box Set was called "Heritage" (much to Tery Holly's delight) but it was soon corrected to be "Highway". If there really is an Australian "Heritage" box set, perhaps it kept the original name that was chosen. I've still never heard of such a box set and would be interested to know where you heard or read about it.

Jason, where did you hear or read about an Australian box set called "Heritage"? I've never heard of it before so I can't tell you how it's different from "Highway". If there is such a thing, I'd be interested to know about it.

Regarding the cover to "Alibi", it was chosen by Gerry and Dewey. They were looking through some photos by Henry Diltz and came across that one and thought it would be cool as an album cover.

The last three songs on "Guitar Man" are among the coolest stuff Dan Peek has ever done. Heck, even my 16-year old daughter thinks Into The Night sounds cool. This is one song I really wish were an America song. It's one of those songs that could become a standard if it got airplay.

"Dead Man" just flat out rocks, reminding me of the stuff on Matthew Sweet's Blue Sky On Mars CD. Electric guitar gone crazy. Organized chaos. Also reminds me of the Eagles "Out Of Control." Don't know why, but it does. I swear I will blow a set of speakers on that song.

Squint your ears a litle and you'd swear that's Mark Knopfler singing on "Borrowed Time." It could be a Dire Straits song. Those three songs alone give me reason to think that there's still hope left for rock. I can't stop playing them over and over and over again. (It sure sounds like Dan's playing real drums on these songs. If not, then he needs to call Gerry Beckley right away--collect if he has to--and teach him how to make drum machines sound like drums and not the musical equivalent of an aluminum bat.)

In thinking about this CD more this past weekend, it occured to me that these songs remind me of the unearthed gems that we might have heard on the box set if they went to the vault and found some long lost Dan Peek written America songs. Like the joy I got when I heard the bonus track, "Simple Life."

And whoever said Dan's voice sounds bad is missing the point. Dan's voice in all three songs is perfect for each song. Reminds me of how perfect Neil Young's voice fits on his songs, or Tom Petty's voice is the ideal instrument for his songs, or Elvis Costello. You want pretty singing? Try Mariah Carey or those young N Sync lads. They have beautiful voices. Bob Dylan wasn't a singer. John Hyatt will never be in the glee club. Willie Nelson either. They may not be able to carry any tune, but their voices have carried their careers to places few people have been.

KevinS.

Just a quick hello to you all. Sorry for my absence of late but I've had major house refurbs going on which have meant at different stages: no heating, no hot water, no shower or bath!!! I'm glad to say things are back to normal now (to a fashion).

I've just been reading the last few weeks entrys and you guys have discussed some interesting stuff.

Re Ladd's comment on HOLIDAY. I tend to agree that George Martin's influence is big on this LP. I for one do prefer the early 3 Albums as they have a far looser sound. However, there are some great tracks on HOLIDAY and in a way is was nice to see AMERICA take a new direction at this time. What would be great to see is whether there are any out-takes from this era without the added production. I think is high time that AMERICA were given the opportunity to release remastered CDs of their early catalogue to include alternative mixes and outtakes similar to what they have done with the BYRDS back catalogue over recent years.

The box set is fantastic but I'm yearning for more which must be out there.

Here's a few questions I'd love answering:

Does anyone know why the Australian Box set is called HERITAGE and not HIGHWAY? Does it differ in any other way?

Also, and this question must have been asked before but it bugs me. Does anyone know who choose the front cover to Alibi and why? I personally love it, but it's so bizarre and the only time the band members never featured on a album cover (i'm assuming Human Nature is the boys with their heads in the clouds).

And finally, is there any special meaning to Dewey holding IF YOU COULD SEE ME KNOW by Peter Straub on the front cover of VIEW FROM THE GROUND? It's a great but weird book. Straub is essentially a Horror writer but the term horror doesn't do him justice as he is quite literary.

Bye for now.

Jas

PS: I'm still searching for Dirt Pit Manor. I have a feeling it's been knocked down (boo, hoo). I've been down the road enough times now. Of course the picture from HISTORY could be only a basic interruptation and Dirt Pit may be off the road in a farmers field. So I haven't given up hope.

Hi everyone,
See 'some people' over there, had the privilege to attend a great show in the last few days. How amazing to read the guys are still at their best after so many gigs this year!

Nancy, thanks for your kind interest. Had a wonderful Friday night ... a lot of good & different music & a VERY FRIENDLY atmosphere here in the South ( a lot of foreign tourists already as well ! ). My friends & I ended up singing & playing the piano / guitar ... there were some America songs too( I first had to impose them but after a while someone asked for my "Complete" song book - hey what d'you think of that?), so you can imagine HOW HAPPY I was. But before that we had spent part of the evening & night listening to a group of young boys who obviously are as fond as I am of the music of Muse. By the way, any America fan out there that would also be a huge Muse fan? Those guys are incredible. Some real good stuff lyrically AND musically speaking. OK, BFN. Geneviève.

Ps: Red Oak if all we are is dust in the wind, the best thing to do is to seize the day before it's too late... Just what your quote suggests me.

VERY interesting question, Red! I think (guessing actually) that it would go like this: It's the Hall of Fame that does the inviting and induction. So I would think they'd invite Dan also. It would be up to Dewey and Gerry whether they wish to invite Dan on stage to perform with them since they're legally and officially AMERICA still.

I think it would be like that because of the case with CCR. If I recall correctly when they were inducted, Fogerty performed but not with his former bandmates who were also present. Fogerty asked Springsteen and another famous performer to join him onstage. They performed some of CCR's hits. One of CCR's former band members got up and walked out during the performance. Fogerty said he didn't care to perform with his former mates because he felt that they had "stabbed him in the back" in the past.

Another question or two is: Would Dan wish to attend and would he care to perform onstage with D&G? I think the answer would be "yes" to both but, of course, only he could say.

Nancy, one band, one induction.

Interesting question. I'd certainly hope that, for one evening, the guys could come together and perform. Of course, we know from the history of the Hall of Fame that some wounds just don't heal. The bitterness involved with Creedence's break-up, for example, had to be bottomless for John Fogerty to have refused to perform with Doug Clifford and Stu Cook. Of course, this is all quite fanciful thinking. We can't even get a VH-1 Behind the Music episode done on America. Are we going to see them in the Hall of Fame?
Then there is the other question that looms for some: is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with its self-congratulatory ambience, conspicious clothes horses and its often pretentious speeches (or, worse, speeches that struggle mightily to avoid pretense in favor of faux r&r grittiness, something worth even in aspiring to?
I mean, rock-and-roll was born as a rejection of the established order, and you can't get more "established order" than a Hall of Fame, with its musty implications of "history" and tradition.
I'm not sure how I feel about all of this these days.
One way or another, though, I think a more honest name for the institution we're talking about would be the "Music Entertainment Industry Hall of Fame."

Hi Everyone,
Red~~~What a good food for thought question~~~I would hope that it would include Dan and that they would perform together for We the Fans for this Grand Occasion. I for one think that AMERICA deserves to be inducted into the Rock'n Roll Hall & Fame 2 times, because they have had 2 seperate successes to account for~~One with Dan and One without him! So Hey why not 2 inductions~~~Anyone here agree with me on this? Have a great day all! Bye for now, Nancy :)~~~~~~I am thinking about the days we lead ourselves astray in more than many ways~~~~Here within the time we spent wondering what we meant by living all those years~~~Hereeeeee~~~By living all those years~~~~We are here with nothing to do its something we cannot explain, and tomorrow where will we be tomorrow~~What will we see today!

While listening to America over the weekend & how beautifully there voices meshed during the Dan days, made me wonder if & when they are inducted into the Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame, will Dan be invited? Also, if Dan is invited will he participate in the performance by America that happens for most acts that can still sing and breathe. Then if that happens what are the chances of a reuniting for the fan's sake, which, is who they should do it for in the first place. Just a little food for mthought for a monday.


All we are is dust in the wind.............

Sounded like an amazing show Bones--am so....jealous!!! Damn, my student graduation!!! Oh well have to makeit up next month!!

Hi Dan,
So sorry to hear your sad news, I am sure with such loyal fans like yourself that there will be Brighter days ahead! ~~~Thank the Morning for bringing You, hope you never turn your head and run, Thank the Sun for Shining to, Hope the Darkness Never Comes Again, what it does to Me isn't good to see!~~~~~~Smile Dan~~~Okay! Nancy :)

Dan,

A dark day for Cardinal fans, and all Baseball fans. I'm a Diamondbacks fan, and was shocked, and deeply sorrowed, when I heard the news of Daryl Kile's death. I'm sure all Baseball fans mourn his passing.

Oops, I mean "Might Be Your Love"! Yes, Bonz and Nancy, I too would love to hear "Might Be Your Love" live!

"Nashville Cats" by Dan may 'stink' (like kitty litter) but the title track in my opinion is VERY COOL! i REALLY like it. Great song, Dan P!!!

Dan C, so sorry to hear about the loss.

I really get a laugh when I read some of the posts. I really enjoyed the remark about America's record label not having two nickels to rub together. Perhaps Dan could sign America to his 7-Mile label. Wouldn't that be nice?! (weird)

As for the person responsible for making America "work," most of the songs many music fans remember, outside of the hard-core America fans, from the guys are the ones written and sang by Dewey. If you mention America, most music fans say "Don't they sing HWNN or VH or TM. On occasion they will mention either LP from Dan or SGH from Gerry. No Dewey, No America. Don't get me wrong I love America for their obscure work as well as the hits, and America is not America without Dan's and Gerry's contributions. Watch the musikladen video. It says a lot.

How much more can we Cardinal fans endure? First Jack and now Daryl Kile...Dark day indeed. Sorry for the off topic post but I had to exprees my grief to my other "family".DanC.

Hi Bones~~
Wow! I guess the word is getting around that AMERICA is coming to town! Nice sized crowd~~~I'm sure they all left there Pleased!
I too would love to hear them sing Might be Your Love and so many more of their newer songs~~~ Please Gerry & Dewey consider this for the future shows~~Okay? Nancy :)

Glad you had a great time Nancy. Was happy they played The Border and Baby its up to you, (now if they would only play "Might be your love" off of the Alibi album).
There was an article in the newspaper the next day on the show. They said that "it was the largest crowd ever in 7 years since they started doing the shows on Thursday evenings. Maybe they can come back next year, Hoping anyways.

Hi Everyone,
Thanks Bones for sharing your thoughts, that is interesting about Riverside and Gerry changing guitars~~~Hmmmm wonder if there is something to it? Wow! You got to hear Baby It's Up to You & Tbe Border~~~~soooo neat! I'll bet you left there wanting more, hearing them sing all of their great songs just goes by toooo fast for sure!
Hi Genevieve!~~~ Hope you had fun at your Music Festival to celebrate the arrival of Summer there is France, sounds like so much fun, wish I could have taken this in. Summer has arrived here to in Pa.~~Hot and Humid here now~~~Headed to the Pool yesterday with the Kids~~~Nice!~~~~ Yes I agree with you in regards to the Posts here on the chat folder~~~WOW~~~alot to take in for sure!
Speech & Others~~~~I get the message about HIDDEN TALENT~~~Oh well I like the song!~~~About Honey at least you are admitting it is Sincere so we are at a truce on this one~! I will agree with you about Bobby G's song Honey the words were kinda far fetched, look at it this way if it did make you get out the crying towels then it had some character to it, it got the emotions stirred up!
Shayne~~~~Good question for KevinS~~!
In regards to the Holiday album, this was really interesting to read all of these posts on this. I too thought the first time I heard it in complete that it was sounding like a Beatles album, it is different than the rest for sure, I too like Baby it's up to You! and always wondered about the 40's~~ish intro to What does it Matter! I will agree Dewey had some good songs on here, ones that really caught my attention. It isn't my most favorite album of theirs, but I still like it.
Hey Johnny~~~~In regards to your question about what does the title HEARTS means~~~~Coould it be that they felt they all came together on this one, and the outcome was like a full Deck of Cards! That they were back on track and heading the direction they wanted to go with their music again! Just my thoughts!
Hey RichM~~~Have a great time seeing Gerry & Dewey & Band at the Fair tonight. Let us know about it Okay? Wouldn't that be neat if Gerry sang HOPE! :)
One last thing~~~I am still waiting for my Guitar Man CD~~~I was so disappointed when I opened up the mail box yesterday and it wasn't among my mail. Hey Mr. Postman don't you have a Package for me?
Have a great weekend all! Bye for now! Nancy :)

Hey!

I'm going to the show at the Alameda County Fair tomorrow night. Its always fun to meet fellow America fans, so if anyone else out there is going and wants to meet up just send me an email.

Rich

Kim, and his brother Rollin'! :0)

Johnny,

I bet you're a HUGE Oliver Stone fan!!! ROFL!!!

I received my Guitar Man cd Wednesday and have only had a chance to listen to it here at work. Which means I can't really crank it up. From what I've heard so far though, I like it and pretty much agree with the opinions expressed here. Mine was autographed "Play it!!! Dan Peek".

Ya'll have a great weekend!

Kim

I just wanna say HI! to everyone on the chat folder .
A special (quick ) hi to you, Nancy. Miss you too, believe me`... Wish I had the time to add my comments on some of the recent topics I've read here tonight (it's ten thirty pm in my part of the world already!).
Anyway, took me AGES to read (almost ) all the posts I hadn't had the time to check out during the last few days. Seems the folder is very busy too these days!!! Steve must be a happy Webmaster.

France is celebrating summertime tonight with the traditional "Fête de la Musique". People are dancing in the streets & going from one act to the other - the whole city is full of different bands
so that you can choose to go & listen to whatever type of music you like... I'm leaving home right away to enjoy as much of the fiesta I'll be able to ... that should last all night until 4 to 6 in the morning!!! My well-deserved BREAK from work.
Maybe I'll see you tomorrow after the morning 'croissant ' & try to say a word about Gerry's pix and those coming CDs whose coming release is making me real excited. BTW, I LOVE HOLYDAY, the album. Sorry!!! - Geneviève.

Thanks Pat for your analysis. You and I are very, very close in our opinion, I see. That makes me feel good about all that I said.

One thing about the title track. The opening drum and guitar playing reminds me very much of Madonna's song "Dress You Up". That's not a bad thing as far as I'm concerned because I like that opening sound on both songs.

Regarding "Still Luv You" and "Nashville Cats," Dan's CD would have been better off without both songs. Just my opinion.

Johnny~ Your song-by-song analysis of Dan's Guitar Man is pretty much right on target. You asked me for mine, so here goes...

Guitar Man~ Good Tune. Because of it's "live audience" and "let's party" intro, I think the CD would have been better served if Dan had made this the LAST song on the CD. The intro gives the listener the false impression that this might be a "live" and/or a "let's party" type of record, and it's not. This song would have been SO MUCH better with a real drummer.

Carry On~ Great song. Very America-like. My favorite track.

The Hill~ Very Good Tune.

Jessica~ Average. Definately not great, but it doesn't suck either. It's a keeper.

Sharkey's Song~ Excellent. I love the piano. "Already Gone" is the real name of this song. Who's Sharkey anyway?

Still Luv You~ I'll pass on this one. The lyrics: "Love, Love, Love, is what I'm thinking of, Love, Love, Love, I can't get enough" are very old, very tired, and very boring. The harmonica part is cool though.

Makin Tracks~ Very Cool, Very Interesting. Although the lyrics: "I need you like...." have been done before by "you-know-who", Dan takes those lyrics into brand new interesting territory.

Nashville Cats~ Makes My Ears Bleed. Dan should have chosen to sing this song in a key that suits his vocal range. By far the WORST song on the CD.

Into The Night~ Is An OK Song. But Dan should be slapped on the hand for "borrowing" the guitar chords from The Doobie Brother's song "China Grove".

Dead Men~ Dead Song.

Borrowed Time~ Reject. I can't believe that this song is written by the same guy who wrote "Don't Cross The River".

~Pat

All I know about "Holiday" (as far as I'm concerned) is that it's a wonderful-sounding album with some great hits. Too bad "Baby It's Up To You" wasn't released as a single because I think it would have been the "hat trick" for "Holiday". By "hat trick" I mean, of course, the 3rd hit song and for the 3rd member of the trio. I can only assume it wasn't released because time ran out, and it was time to move on to "Hearts".

Regarding "Old Man Took," I still to this day find the following lyrics quite intriguing, "Please make sure to say a word at night/For your brothers feeling blue". Isn't "feeling blue" a slang term for someone who has passed away? I know...Johnny and his "wild ideas" about slang terms in America's lyrics! LOL! That's right...by hookah or crookah.

Hmmm, "Hearts," now that's a very interesting LP title. I wonder what that means???? :0)

In the interview to which I referred, Gerry said that the story about them selling their electric gear for money is "partially true." However, he said the guys were keenly aware of the trend in the U.S. toward "the acoustic harmonies" of James Taylor and Crosby, Stills and Nash, and were influenced by many of the pastoral or rusticated sounding acts coming out of the States, particularly those from the Columbia artists stable. They wanted to get behind "the sound of the moment," Gerry said, and it made much more sense to pursue the acoustic path than "trying to become another Led Zeppelin." Since that was the genesis, it makes more sense that they would seek another path as they grew artistically. It's not like they all popped from the womb strumming acoustic guitars. It appears, if Gerry was being truthful (and I'm sure he was), that pragmatism was involved as well as artistic commitment.

I think "Baby It's Up to You," in particular, would have benefited from a little stretching out, and they might have featured a bit of extended playing at the end of "Hollywood," too, instead of fading it out. Tough to argue, though, with the guy who produced what many view as some of the greatest popular music records ever issued (Beatles LPs "Rubber Soul" through "Abbey Road".)

At the time I had a hard time accepting the changes on Holiday. Now, I just take it for what it is. I've always thought that America went from being magical to just plain great. But I've often wondered if maybe the guys, and Gerry Beckley in particular, didn't really like the sound of their first three albums. I wonder, if they really did want to be the next Beatles or Beach Boys, whether they felt trapped artistically down an acoustic path. I wonder if the sound that made them successful wasn't the sound they wanted to be known for. I wonder if that's why we've never really heard that sound again from them. Very good post, Ladd. Great subject for debate.

KevinS.

Quick question, Kevin...

What's your opinion of HIDDEN TALENT?

Shayne
"I'm a mad dog in times like these, watch my temperature rise..."

One last thing I should have noted about HOLIDAY--it is distressing and sad how little guitar playing there is on this album. Has anyone ever noticed how few guitar leads there are on this album? And then, when there is one, it's over in like 10 seconds. It comes in, quick, and then Martin takes it right back to the verse or chorus. This fits hand in glove with the length of the songs--I believe the majority are UNDER 3 minutes! There is not one song longer than 4 minutes, I don't think. HOLIDAY killed all those wonderful jams from the boys we love so much. And not being able to hear America express themselves on guitar and piano in instrumental passages (in which they take their damn time) is simply crippling.

Martin was not good. I hate to say this, but I'm saying it. I'm learning...

-LE

Just a few comments on last nights show. Any one who has ever attended an America show knows the high energy these guys bring bring with them on stage. Last night was no exception. All 5 sounded excellent. I really thought that Willie kicked ass on the drums. The play set was pretty much the same. We were able to hear the long set which is always enjoyable. Hearing "Baby it's up to you" and "The Border" live for the first time was awesome. Windwave sounded better than ever. When they opened the show with "Riverside", Gerry had some type of problem with his guitar, he then switched to his 12 string and continued to finish the song. The little solo he does at the end of "Riverside" sounded really great. I'm wondering if that ever happened before? Anyways, thanks for a great show last night guys and thanks for playing "Baby it's up to you" and "The Border".
Nice seeing you Andy and catch you at the Mohegan Sun.

I listened to the interview live (I still have it on tape. I could even send a copy to you one of these days if you want it.) From the interview, it's clear that what Gerry is saying is that he was carrying an inordinate share of the songwriting responsibility for the band, not that he was blocked.
In the discussion, he was explaining why he welcomed the idea of George Martin coming into the mix ... because not only had he been taking a large hand in self-producing the band's first three LPs, but also shouldering the brunt of the responsibility for writing new songs.
These comments didn't strike me as too surprising when I first heard it. When bands get mega-successful, as we all recognize, the money rolls in and the perks and distractions begin to pile up. Some artists are more inclined at that point to indulge themselves and take a break from slaving away at their art, while others may feel compelled to keep chugging at their usual pace. That dynamic of spilling one's best songs from a well built-up catalogue, then scraping to write good material for later LPs has dogged a number of popular performers over time.

<<I always found it curious that Gerry talked in that Philly radio interview about carrying the heaviest burden around this time with regard to songwriting, because Dewey's contributions to Holiday, in my mind, were indeed the strongest.>>

I don't think that Gerry meant that the other guys' stuff was either not coming in in enough quantity or quality (and he was having to write most of the songs). When I read that line from him, I took it to mean that he was having some kind of writer's block, that he was personally having problems writing songs and perhaps not carrying his own weight, so it makes perfect sense with what we hear on HOLIDAY from him--cute, but fairly uninspired and forgettable songs. Very unlike Gerry up until that point...

First off, I would state that HOLIDAY was clearly America's worst album up to that point. That's not really saying much--their first three albums were fabulous. But HOLIDAY just doesn't measure up--it has quite a few songs that never really hit the mark. They're cute, but don't have that precious melodic magic that made almost every America song before this album so incredible.

George Martin--Martin's influence is all over this disc. You know he produced it, but do you also know that he ARRANGED it? It shows how much respect the boys in the band had for him that they let him do this. At times, HOLIDAY sounds like Martin is trying to make it the next great Beatles record. The band had started experimenting with orchestration on HAT TRICK, using more strings, more woodwinds, etc. But on HOLIDAY, it is FAR more prominent, from the opening cut "Miniature," to the rather odd orchestral break in "Glad to See You" and elsewhere. Is this SGT. PEPPER'S or America? Sadly, I don't think America needed George Martin. You would have thought that three amazing musicians scoring one of the greatest producers of all time would have resulted in even more power and wonder. But Martin moved America away from the acoustic guitar sound that they employed so successfully on their first three albums. Now, instead of the guys trading solos on acoustic guitars, we get bombastic symphony pieces. It's grand, but it doesn't touch the earth like previous America. Something was lost.

Dan Peek--Dan really broke loose on this album in terms of writing responsibility. He has 4 songs on this one, noticeably more than his standard 2 (or 2 1/2 or 3) on previous albums. His stuff is hit or miss, however, whereas I think he had "hit" on every one of his limited number of songs before this album. "Lonely People" is wonderful, far overplayed on radio, but still a beautiful and heartfelt ballad. "Glad to Know You" is a nice tune, with trademark Dan sentimentality and his soft, sweet voice. "You" sounds suspiciously like "This Life" from HAT TRICK when it starts and has some terrible synth arrangements. It does have a wonderful, brief orchestrated hook, though. Pretty good. "In the Country" misses the mark. More exerimentation with production by Martin--ugghh. He obvisouly wanted to try different things. The song isn't Dan's greatest either and it ends the album on a forgettable note.

Gerry--Easily Gerry's weakest album up to this point. 4 songs, all of which are cute, but only "Baby, it's Up to You" has that emotional poignancy that made previous Gerry songs like "Clarice" and "Til the Sun Comes Up Again" so touching. "Mad Dog" is boring. "Another Try" is serviceable. "What Does It Matter" has that weird intro (60s) and is bland. "Baby it's Up to You" is slick and sweet, the lone winner.

Dewey--His bandmates seemed to be stagnating as songwriters on HOLIDAY, but Dewey Bunnell was blossoming. This album belongs to him like no other previous America album belonged to any one member of the group. "Tin Man" is a beautiful song that is unforgettable like the band's other great classics. "Hollywood" is both sexy and creepy, much like its namesake. Probably the most underrated America song I can think of--when you're hearing HOLIDAY for the first time and it comes on, you're immediately like, "Aaaaahhhh, HERE we go..." It has that magical quality of Dewey's best works. And that's not it. Dewey perhaps saves his best for last with "Old Man Took." What a great song this is. I'll get to the lyrics in a bit, but the music is absolutely compelling--earnest, close to his heart. And that gorgeous ending with his vocals leading you out as the message of the song sinks in. Dewey has only 3 songs on this album. They are the 3 best songs on this album.

Lyrics--Whatever qualms I have musically with this album, lyrically the band as a whole was really growing. All the songs tell compelling stories. "Tin Man" remains a bit of a mystery. Dewey seems to mix imagery from private and personal memories with broader messages about life. What "bait" is he referring to when people, after a joint or two late at night, get down to some honest discussion? Something we're searching for (perhaps deeper self-meaning through expression) that was there in our hearts all along. Is "Please believe in me" the key line of the song? "Another Try" is a nice tale of family and forgiveness. "Glad to See You" has a wonderful sarcastic twist--love's addiction, with a harsh caveat--"I wouldn't give much to be you, but I want you know I feel this way." Great. "Hollywood" captures the mood of that town in a way only Dewey can--its hollow dreams, substance-laden delusions, skin-deep attachments. Again, he uses imagery--colors, words, snippets that give his words color. "Baby it's Up to You" is another earnest love song from poor Gerry, who never seems to get what he wants from the objects of his affection (a two-way street, he admits). "You" is another wonderful, sarcastic, sharp piece from Dan, who has an angry edge that his bandmates never shared. "Old Man Took" are the best lyrics I've ever seen Dewey write. The old man's words are haunting and beautiful. Why does the blue jay taunt Dewey? Because with age comes the loss of innocence and the burdens of the world (his brothers) are now upon him. This stint as a "playing child, running wild" is likely his last. Stunning... "What Does it Matter" has that subtle, heartfelt quality that makes Gerry great. I love the last verse--"In the parking lot at night..." He gives us enough detail about what went on with this woman to really give us a sense of the loss in what NEVER occurred between them. Again, the theme is a lack of connection--two people never really coming together because of their own baggage, dysfunction. "Lone ly People" and "In the Country" lyrically are great anthems to those seeking love and those seeking meaning through nature. Dan needs a "push" to leave the city, but still understands all it has to offer (much like Dewey in "Wind Wave")--something many can relate to...

-Ladd

In an on-air interview in the 80s with Philly FM radio personality Ed Sciakey (pronounced Shock-ee), Gerry Beckley talked about the genesis of "Holiday" and the band's connection with George Martin.
Gerry said that, as we all know by now, the band had been experimenting with orchestration, etc. on Hat Trick and felt that "rather than our own, infantile approach," it was felt that having a professional handle that end of things would be useful.
Gerry claimed that they "naively" reached out to George Martin, not realizing that it was tantamount "to phoning up George Harrison and asking him if he wanted to do a guitar overdub" and realzing later on that most folks in the biz realized "you just don't do that."
He said that "luckily, George liked the tapes we had sent him," agreed to produce their next LP and that, subsequently, "we became intent on, literally, just pleasing the man, so we rehearsed like crazy" and later cut the record in fewer than three weeks once they got to England.
This all seems to point to support for your basic premise that Martin took a heavy hand with the band in the recording of "Holiday," and that Gerry, Dewey and Dan would not have been inclined to resist or reject too many of his ideas.
However, Gerry also said in the interview that another reason he liked the idea of George Martin coming into the mix was because writing songs had "become more of a burden on me in particular" around this time, and he looked forward to getting help from Martin on the production end. He also said that, "George took us in a direction we had been wanting to go in."
I've never really been able to figure out why Gerry, Dewey and Dan wanted to go in a direction that, essentially, aped Penny-Lane-era Beatles (although Gerry acknowledges that the Beatles and Beach Boys were his top influences).
But it seems clear to me that America was really primed to follow George Martin down that path.
Had they felt the Holiday LP was a mistake, I'm sure we wouldn't have gotten the increasingly more arranged LPs that followed, such as "Hearts" and "Hideaway."
I, for one, don't agree, though, that Holiday was an artistic mistake or their "worst" LP to that point.
I think Holiday is so different from the first three albums that comparisons are neither fair nor relevant.
And, so far as artistic growth goes, I think Holiday struck a better balance between the acoustic sparseness and magical simplicity of the early stuff and the lush, ornate records that came later. Same for Hearts, for that matter.
Where the wheels really came off for me, personally, was Hideaway and Harbor. There are a few middling songs on both LPs, and the great ones are larded with strings, horns and dispensable "ooooh-weeee" harmonies that wouldn't be out of place on a Carpenters LP.
Given that Holiday and Hearts (and, subsequently, History) were mega-sellers, I suppose we can't fault the boys' judgment in deciding to join forces with Martin.
However, Hideaway and Harbor are evidence that even the legendary George Martin's production flourishes were not going to salvage uninspired songs.

For the Warner era, I though Holiday and Hearts were both very strong, mature (albeit slick) folk-pop albums and, as you said, the lyric writing was really growing.

I always found it curious that Gerry talked in that Philly radio interview about carrying the heaviest burden around this time with regard to songwriting, because Dewey's contributions to Holiday, in my mind, were indeed the strongest.

Pat: Yeah, I would have had someone else do the intro to "Guitar Man," but what the heck. It's a solo album. Maybe it was late at night and everyone else was asleep. I love the song, though. An autobiographical look into what being a performer meant to Dan. Maybe this will remind him how much fun it was and inspire him to hit the road again.

Speech: No, there's no cover of Bread's "Guitar Man." I assumed Dan named the CD Guitar Man because he is one. And maybe he found that funny little metallic piece of art and that made it even more appropriate.

As far as my least favorite America songs. You gave your 13. Here ar my 13:

1. Hidden Talent.
2. Muskrat Love.
3. Hidden Talent.
4. We Got All Night.
5. Hidden Talent.
6. See How The Love Goes.
7. Hidden Talent.
8. Special Girl.
9. Hidden Talent.
10. Cinderella.
11. Hidden Talent.
12. Town & Country
13. Hidden Talent.

KevinS.

"I don't want you, but here you come again."

Hey, that could apply to my posts.

I tend to agree with what you say about Martin's influence on the band. I have always felt that Dewey, Gerry, and Dan were the best producers of their material. You listen to their progression on their first three albums and they were growing with each album into a strong, acoustic-based, classic rock band. Once Martin took they reigns, they seemed to shift directions from a "classic rock" band into a more commercial, pop-rock band. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying their Martin produced stuff was bad, it was excellent and Martin is one of the best producers to have ever lived. But I think America was the BEST at producing their own material. I think the differences can best be summed up by listening to two different versions of Tin Man, the hit version which was from Holiday and the "live" version found on the Musikladen Horse With No Name CD (or the DVD/VHS release) which was recorded in 1975. Both are great, but I like the latter version best. I suspect that it would have been closer to how the guys would have recorded it on their own, without Martin. Probably would not have been as big a hit, but I still like it better.

BTW, I really liked In The Country, but thought that Old Man Took was Dewey's weakest song on the album.

Actually the manuscript evidence (both external and internal) strongly support them being writen soon after Jesus' life by the eye-witnesses.

First off, I would state that HOLIDAY was clearly America's worst album up to that point. That's not really saying much--their first three albums were fabulous. But HOLIDAY just doesn't measure up--it has quite a few songs that never really hit the mark. They're cute, but don't have that precious melodic magic that made almost every America song before this album so incredible.

George Martin--Martin's influence is all over this disc. You know he produced it, but do you also know that he ARRANGED it? It shows how much respect the boys in the band had for him that they let him do this. At times, HOLIDAY sounds like Martin is trying to make it the next great Beatles record. The band had started experimenting with orchestration on HAT TRICK, using more strings, more woodwinds, etc. But on HOLIDAY, it is FAR more prominent, from the opening cut "Miniature," to the rather odd orchestral break in "Glad to See You" and elsewhere. Is this SGT. PEPPER'S or America? Sadly, I don't think America needed George Martin. You would have thought that three amazing musicians scoring one of the greatest producers of all time would have resulted in even more power and wonder. But Martin moved America away from the acoustic guitar sound that they employed so successfully on their first three albums. Now, instead of the guys trading solos on acoustic guitars, we get bombastic symphony pieces. It's grand, but it doesn't touch the earth like previous America. Something was lost.

Dan Peek--Dan really broke loose on this album in terms of writing responsibility. He has 4 songs on this one, noticeably more than his standard 2 (or 2 1/2 or 3) on previous albums. His stuff is hit or miss, however, whereas I think he had "hit" on every one of his limited number of songs before this album. "Lonely People" is wonderful, far overplayed on radio, but still a beautiful and heartfelt ballad. "Glad to Know You" is a nice tune, with trademark Dan sentimentality and his soft, sweet voice. "You" sounds suspiciously like "This Life" from HAT TRICK when it starts and has some terrible synth arrangements. It does have a wonderful, brief orchestrated hook, though. Pretty good. "In the Country" misses the mark. More exerimentation with production by Martin--ugghh. He obvisouly wanted to try different things. The song isn't Dan's greatest either and it ends the album on a forgettable note.

Gerry--Easily Gerry's weakest album up to this point. 4 songs, all of which are cute, but only "Baby, it's Up to You" has that emotional poignancy that made previous Gerry songs like "Clarice" and "Til the Sun Comes Up Again" so touching. "Mad Dog" is boring. "Another Try" is serviceable. "What Does It Matter" has that weird intro (60s) and is bland. "Baby it's Up to You" is slick and sweet, the lone winner.

Dewey--His bandmates seemed to be stagnating as songwriters on HOLIDAY, but Dewey Bunnell was blossoming. This album belongs to him like no other previous America album belonged to any one member of the group. "Tin Man" is a beautiful song that is unforgettable like the band's other great classics. "Hollywood" is both sexy and creepy, much like its namesake. Probably the most underrated America song I can think of--when you're hearing HOLIDAY for the first time and it comes on, you're immediately like, "Aaaaahhhh, HERE we go..." It has that magical quality of Dewey's best works. And that's not it. Dewey perhaps saves his best for last with "Old Man Took." What a great song this is. I'll get to the lyrics in a bit, but the music is absolutely compelling--earnest, close to his heart. And that gorgeous ending with his vocals leading you out as the message of the song sinks in. Dewey has only 3 songs on this album. They are the 3 best songs on this album.

Lyrics--Whatever qualms I have musically with this album, lyrically the band as a whole was really growing. All the songs tell compelling stories. "Tin Man" remains a bit of a mystery. Dewey seems to mix imagery from private and personal memories with broader messages about life. What "bait" is he referring to when people, after a joint or two late at night, get down to some honest discussion? Something we're searching for (perhaps deeper self-meaning through expression) that was there in our hearts all along. Is "Please believe in me" the key line of the song? "Another Try" is a nice tale of family and forgiveness. "Glad to See You" has a wonderful sarcastic twist--love's addiction, with a harsh caveat--"I wouldn't give much to be you, but I want you know I feel this way." Great. "Hollywood" captures the mood of that town in a way only Dewey can--its hollow dreams, substance-laden delusions, skin-deep attachments. Again, he uses imagery--colors, words, snippets that give his words color. "Baby it's Up to You" is another earnest love song from poor Gerry, who never seems to get what he wants from the objects of his affection (a two-way street, he admits). "You" is another wonderful, sarcastic, sharp piece from Dan, who has an angry edge that his bandmates never shared. "Old Man Took" are the best lyrics I've ever seen Dewey write. The old man's words are haunting and beautiful. Why does the blue jay taunt Dewey? Because with age comes the loss of innocence and the burdens of the world (his brothers) are now upon him. This stint as a "playing child, running wild" is likely his last. Stunning... "What Does it Matter" has that subtle, heartfelt quality that makes Gerry great. I love the last verse--"In the parking lot at night..." He gives us enough detail about what went on with this woman to really give us a sense of the loss in what NEVER occurred between them. Again, the theme is a lack of connection--two people never really coming together because of their own baggage, dysfunction. "Lone ly People" and "In the Country" lyrically are great anthems to those seeking love and those seeking meaning through nature. Dan needs a "push" to leave the city, but still understands all it has to offer (much like Dewey in "Wind Wave")--something many can relate to...

-Ladd

The description on ebay says 1979.

Kim

If you really believe Stalin was a Marxist, you really have to do some reading. He was a party thug that had absolutely no appetite for ideology or the party's intellectuals who he despised and later eliminated entirely.

You are right that we have many third-hand accounts of the teachings of Jesus. But in terms of his own writings or writings of people who knew who intimately, there is precious little archaeological or anthropological evidence.

-LE

Ladd, it was in 1979'.

If you really believe Stalin was a Marxist, you really have to do some reading. He was a party thug that had absolutely no appetite for ideology or the party's intellectuals who he despised and later eliminated entirely.

You are right that we have many third-hand accounts of the teachings of Jesus. But in terms of his own writings or writings of people who knew who intimately, there is precious little archaeological or anthropological evidence.

-LE

Thanks Kim....
appreciate it, I've played the one we "had" about a million times, so I guess it would have only been a matter of time until the tape stretched and was eaten my the monster machine!

Mmmm, what do I think of the "Live In Cental Park" vid... well, I'd have to say that it rates right up there with the best of them. Considering when it was made too, 1978-79'. The mass music video market had just started to take off in a big way and the ability to manipulate production wasn't as prolific as it is now.
So for me it's kinda hardcore & raw. A gutsy classic live rock show that you'd expect for the time. If you compare that show with the one the guys did in 1999' that's been released on DVD etc, then you have to say that they are a different kettle of fish. If you compare the 2 performances their sound hasn't changed dramatically, but their maturity of performance and presentation has, either way, I don't mind them both. I thought it was good however in the Central Park video to have guys like Jim Calire (Synth & Keyboards)& Tom Walsh (Percussion) playing in the group... Michael Woods performance on stage was outstanding, what that guy can't do with a guitar isn't worth knowing... but probably the highlight is Dewey's performance of "Sandman". The best I've heard on any recording.
well worth getting the video if you can. Hope that helps.

What year was this concert from?

oops ... make that "Rick" Roberts, not "Rock." Although somebody in the business, somewhere, probably calls themselves that.

Incidentally, I assume that the new Dan Peek CD, which I have not yet obtained, does not carry a title track that is a cover of the 1973 Bread tune of the same name.

Incidentally, I'm among the folks who are just glad to have Dan still recording and issuing new music. The fact that it's in large measure great stuff is a bonus. I am curious, though, as to why he chose to cop a CD title that has already been used and is fairly well-known (again, the Bread LP from 1973).

Nancy: I know the words to "Hidden Talent," and I still don't like it.
As for "Honey," I didn't mean to come off MEAN. The song just comes across (to my ears) as sappy and cloying.
Sincerity is a good thing, but it doesn't always translate into compelling art.
Besides, I can think of a clutch of "sincere" ballads that Gerry has written that ARE compelling, but still manage to pass the "sap" test.

"Another Try," "Daisy Jane," "Who Loves You"(the boxed-set version, minus gloppy orchestration) and even "All My Life" muster sincerity in buckets, but manage to stop just short of being syrupy.
But, hey, if "Honey" is a song that makes one person feel good, that's what matters.
I continue to find it's title self-descriptive.
However, it IS better than the Bobby Goldsboro song of the same name. Remember? OK, crying towels at the ready now?

" ... And see the tree how big it's grown, but friend it hasn't been too long .... "

Now that is sappy ... literally.

I take it you liked the Fogelberg show, Dan. I, too, really enjoyed the Fogelberg-Andes vocal trade-off on "Strange Way," and the jam at the end of it. (Almost) made me forget that Rock Roberts sang the original. When I saw him, Dan F. also did a nice version of "To the Morning," along with "Changing Horses" and "Morning Sky," all of them less-well-known favorites of mine within Dan's body of work.

I really like Guitar Man. I think it may be Dan's best solo effort of all time (my previous favorite was Electro Voice). Like others have said, it has a harder edge to it than either Bodden Town or Driftin. It is more like Dan's work on the second Peace CD, which I really liked. I'm still having a hard time picking out my favorite song, but right now it is probably the title track, but I think every song on the CD is good or better. A very strong effort by Dan and a departure from his last two releases. I highly recommend it!

Actually we have a very good idea of what Jesus did and taught, at least during the last three years of His time here on earth. There is more ancient manuscript support for the Bible than any other ancient writing. I could go on about archeological finds confirming the Bible and even the ancient writings of those opposed to the Christianity confirming it, but you have already made up your mind so it would be pointless to continue this debate.

Stalin wasn't a Marxist? Oh now that's a laugh.

Goanna,

There is one for sale on e-bay right now (auction #887367003). I think the starting price is $19.99. This item has appeared for sale from the same individual several times over the last few months. I haven't bought one for myself yet but it is on my list of things to eventually get. I'm not sure of the quality of the tape, but if you do go ahead and get it I'd love to know what you think of it.

Kim

Jerey, I placed my order on the 9th, but the CD wasn't ready until the 15th as you may know. I received it on the 19th so it was basically around 4 days.

Here's another note regarding "Guitar Man," you all. I think the most solid song on the entire CD (vocal quality-wise, emotion, instrumention, for example) is "Makin' Tracks". It isn't my favorite song, but I think it's the most solid in all regards. For me the opposite is true with "Still Luv One". Personally, I don't understand why Dan and Tom selected that song as one of the two to provide a soundclip of.

For those that have the CD, I wonder what one song you think is the most solid all-the-way-around and which is the opposite.

Hey Johnny~~~
So sorry! I wasn't here most of the day & I read over the posts tooo fast, Yes you did say just kiddin! I also just caught my other blooper~~Speech I put down Sister Golden Hair and you had You Can do Magic listed~~~~ooooops sorry, but my post about SGH holds true for YCDM also. By the way I was just jokin around~~~I know we can't all like the same songs! My not so favorites of theirs~~~Greenhouse, Hurricane, Valentine, Slow Down, not too many~~~More ones I like then don't for sure!
Johnny~~~Thanks for the song by song review, looks like I won't be disappointed when I recieve mine. I ordered it last weekend so I hope to recieve it soon.
Steve O~~~good to see your review on Dan's CD too! I checked out the billboard listings and that is pretty neat how Hearts was up there! Some other pretty big names there that they were above~~~WoW! Hearts definitely is a good album!
Oooooh Dan!~~~~Finally your review on the concert, sounds like a good one for sure you Lucky Guy you! Thanks so much! So nice to hear he sang Run for the Roses, soo I take it he didn't sing Lonely in Love~~~did he? Sooo sad what a good song! Wow! This would have been something to see he and Mark Andes perform Strange Way~~~what a song as a matter of fact I am listening to it right now~~I sure do love the music to this song and how it builds throughout the song, now you will have me singing it also, this song as always been one of my fave's :) for sure! Regarding your clunkers~~~Just wait a minute~~~Tonight is for Dreamers~~~Come on now Dan this is a GOOD song~~~You are stepping on my toes~~~OUCH! I do agree with You on saying that it is a good time for AMERICA fans, and yes that sure would be neat if a new CD was in the makings with Dan as a guest Guitar Man~~~ Sounds Good! Take care my busy friend, hope to talk some soon! :)
Have a great day all! Bye for now! Nancy :)

Hey Johnny~~~
So sorry! I wasn't here most of the day & I read over the posts tooo fast, Yes you did say just kiddin! I also just caught my other blooper~~Speech I put down Sister Golden Hair and you had You Can do Magic listed~~~~ooooops sorry, but my post about SGH holds true for YCDM also. By the way I was just jokin around~~~I know we can't all like the same songs! My not so favorites of theirs~~~Greenhouse, Hurricane, Valentine, Slow Down, not too many~~~More ones I like then don't for sure!
Johnny~~~Thanks for the song by song review, looks like I won't be disappointed when I recieve mine. I ordered it last weekend so I hope to recieve it soon.
Steve O~~~good to see your review on Dan's CD too! I checked out the billboard listings and that is pretty neat how Hearts was up there! Some other pretty big names there that they were above~~~WoW! Hearts definitely is a good album!
Oooooh Dan!~~~~Finally your review on the concert, sounds like a good one for sure you Lucky Guy you! Thanks so much! So nice to hear he sang Run for the Roses, soo I take it he didn't sing Lonely in Love~~~did he? Sooo sad what a good song! Wow! This would have been something to see he and Mark Andes perform Strange Way~~~what a song as a matter of fact I am listening to it right now~~I sure do love the music to this song and how it builds throughout the song, now you will have me singing it also, this song as always been one of my fave's :) for sure! Regarding your clunkers~~~Just wait a minute~~~Tonight is for Dreamers~~~Come on now Dan this is a GOOD song~~~You are stepping on my toes~~~OUCH! I do agree with You on saying that it is a good time for AMERICA fans, and yes that sure would be neat if a new CD was in the makings with Dan as a guest Guitar Man~~~ Sounds Good! Take care my busy friend, hope to talk some soon! :)
Have a great day all! Bye for now! Nancy :)

These Dan postings are sonething else. What is the turn-around time on the orders. Ordered mine on the eighteenth. I get a rush from hearing about new music. When can we expect another new album from Gerry and Dewey?

Oh I almost forgot another highlight of the Fogelberg show was when Dan and Mark Andes (former member of Spirit and Firefall) traded lead vocals on the classic Firefall tune, Strange Way. Sang that song to myself most of the next day at work. And I also think it's a great time to be an America fan with Dan's new music coming at us as well as the Caymen Live disc and upcoming Christmas CD. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict a new CD next year also, with Dan as guest Guitar Man. The time is right guys!DanC.

Guitar Man...I like this rocker a lot even though it's Dan who introduces himself to the audience. Maybe it's Tom Peek doing the intro. It makes ME feel like I'm there in the audience, anyway.

Carry On (Only Love Can Save You)...an incredible acoustic song that could have easily fit on America's debut LP.

The Hill...another good song except that I really don't care much for the "Climb up the hill/Fall down the hill..." in the beginning. After that, the song is very good. It strongly reminds me of a song of Dewey's from the trio days. I'm not sure which one but probably from "Hideaway" or "Harbor".

Jessica...an excellent song! Dan's vocals sound stressed on this song though. Otherwise, I really like this song with the electric guitar.

Sharkey's Song...a VERY lovely ballad!!!

Still Luv You...belongs on a Hank Williams Jr. CD. I could definitely do without this one...easily.

Makin' Tracks...a very, very cool song! Love the moodiness. "Eerie" is the exact and correct word as Tom described on Dan's website. The piano work is very nice. I REALLY like the rainfall-like sound and image it creates (in my ears anyway).

Nashville Cats...well, I'm a dog lover.

Into The Night...Very jazzy and definitely Carlos Santana-like. A very good song, I like it.

Dead Men...Stiff

Borrowed Time...It's an okay song. Not a fave.

I said earlier that Dan's vocal quality on this CD isn't as rich as during his America days and perhaps even during his gospel music career. This is only true, in my opinion, on SOME of his songs from this CD. To me, it's mainly on the songs that I don't care too much for. Otherwise, it's a very enjoyable CD!

Fantastic show from Dan the other night. I was most impressed with the tight backing band he obviously hand picked. Joe Vitales' drumming just kicked ass. What a drummer! (hint hint) My highlights of the show were the songs Forefathers, Run For The Roses, an acoustic Leader Of The Band and Same Old Lang Syne, and a very spirited rendition of There's a Place in the World For a Gambler. My fave for the night however was the song To a Morning, which he did an awesome job on. His mother was in attendance also and the fact he grew up here and went to school here probably added to the excellent vibe of the evening. Talking about America clunkers I have to add my list: Mad Dog, Hidden Talent, Muscrat Love, Tonight is for Dreamers, Your Move, and everything on Perspective except Fallin' Off the World, 5th Avenue, Uncondtional Love, Cinderella, and Stereo! Regarding Dan's new album which I haven't received yet: You started making me nervous Pat B. but good ol' Kevin S reassured me that it will be worth the wait. Hey Nancy, if you liked King of Hollywood try a couple of my other faves from my favorite Eagle album, My Man and Ol' 55. Two cool songs to my ears. Oh, the album was On The Border.DanC.

Just some additional thoughts on some of the posts I've been reading,and my 2 cents. You can take it or leave it...First off,"packaging" is overrated. How many fancy CD and LP covers have you seen that made the "sale" for you before you even heard the disk?
Its whats INSIDE that counts. Take it from a guy who deals with Bootlegs all the time and you'll realize that most people could care less what the cover looks like,they want the music inside. As for sound quality,yeah it would be great to have a Top notch producer work his magic and make great sounding recordings for all the guys.
I for one,am grateful to get any new material from the guys. And no,I'm not one of those guys who thinks everything that is released is "GREAT"! No,I need to be critical too. That wouldn't be fair. I have stated that "Driftin" was not a favorite of mine. "Bodden Town" was better,but even that wasn't up to par with his first 2 releases,in my opinion("All things are possible" and "Doer of the word"). While I'm reading differing opinions on his new LP,I do still feel its most closest to anything Dan would have done had he not gone in the Christian direction;by that I mean maybe its his most "America-ish" effort to date. But thats what I feel. Think about it like this:
Lets concentrate on what we Fans HAVE--not on what we DON'T have. Dan could easily have bagged ANY recording,and we would all be wondering what he could have done through the years. If there are people who are unhappy with the production and sound,just remember that people the world over seek out bootleg recordings of their favorite artists,with quality that is often times "fair" at best. Try & listen to the new Paul McCartney concert boots and you'll see what I mean.
Hey,this is a good time to be an America/Dan Peek fan! We've got a new disk from Dan,and 2 upcoming disks from Gerry & Dewey on the way!
Enjoy!!!

Just some additional thoughts on some of the posts I've been reading,and my 2 cents. You can take it or leave it...First off,"packaging" is overrated. How many fancy CD and LP covers have you seen that made the "sale" for you before you even heard the disk?
Its whats INSIDE that counts. Take it from a guy who deals with Bootlegs all the time and you'll realize that most people could care less what the cover looks like,they want the music inside. As for sound quality,yeah it would be great to have a Top notch producer work his magic and make great sounding recordings for all the guys.
I for one,am grateful to get any new material from the guys. And no,I'm not one of those guys who thinks everything that is released is "GREAT"! No,I need to be critical too. That wouldn't be fair. I have stated that "Driftin" was not a favorite of mine. "Bodden Town" was better,but even that wasn't up to par with his first 2 releases,in my opinion("All things are possible" and "Doer of the word"). While I'm reading differing opinions on his new LP,I do still feel its most closest to anything Dan would have done had he not gone in the Christian direction;by that I mean maybe its his most "America-ish" effort to date. But thats what I feel. Think about it like this:
Lets concentrate on what we Fans HAVE--not on what we DON'T have. Dan could easily have bagged ANY recording,and we would all be wondering what he could have done through the years. If there are people who are unhappy with the production and sound,just remember that people the world over seek out bootleg recordings of their favorite artists,with quality that is often times "fair" at best. Try & listen to the new Paul McCartney concert boots and you'll see what I mean.
Hey,this is a good time to be an America/Dan Peek fan! We've got a new disk from Dan,and 2 upcoming disks from Gerry & Dewey on the way!
Enjoy!!!

Pat, would you mind telling us which of Dan's "Guitar Man" songs you like and which you don't? I'm just curious to know as someone who has the CD as well (as you know).

Kevin~ I basicly agree with your post. Considering Dan's budget, I too can forgive the quality of the recording. You also make a resonable argument regarding the use of the pre-recorded live audience too. But what do you think of the "Ladies and Gentelmen, please welcome Dan Peek" part spoken by Dan himself? Or when Dan yells: "Let's Party!". What's sad is the fact that at one time Dan actually use to play to large audiences. I have always felt that "live" is where it's at. It's where the music lives and breathes.
That's why I have so much respect for Dewey and Gerry because they take the music on the road in front of REAL audiences, playing 150 gigs a year, year after year. I really do dig Dan's guitar playing on the CD. I would like to see Dan put a strong band together and open-up for America! He would have a built-in crowd. And it would be up to him and his band to win the audience. I imagine that he still dreams of playing in front of a large audience based upon the intro to the song: "Guitar Man". ~Pat

Steve Orchard was digging through his archives and found something worth noting from the June 7, 1975 issue of Billboard magazine. It was the first time that an LP EVER debuted in the #1 position, and Elton John would do it twice that year! But, if you look closer, you'll see that our guys had the #5 LP for the week with "Hearts". The ad was too big to get everything included, but it certainly gives you an idea of what was on the charts at the same time as America.

Click here to see the billboard chart.

Thanks SteveO for sharing this with us.

I have a list as well:

The bottom 10 (if you will)...

10. See How The Love Goes
9. Valentine
8. The Farm
7. Stereo
6. Slow Down
5. Lady With A Bluebird
4. Hidden Talent
3. Greenhouse
2. Fallin' Off The World
1. Jet Boy Blue

Shayne

Just another quick one...

Does anyone out there know where I can get another VHS video of "Live In Central Park"??? our video player chewed our copy the other day...

thank you

You know.... at the end of the day, who cares....
so long as the guys are happy doing what theyr'e doing
& if they both don't have 2 pennys to rub together then that's fine too.
I'm just wrapped that all of them are still out there and kickin butt
at sold out's!!!

Hi Nancy ~ Please see post #22442 where I said I was just kiddin' calling "Hope" hopeless and lame. It's FAR from it. It didn't receive a Grammy Award nomination for nothing after all (even though it may have been in association with the Martell Foundation and the Country/Western performers...don't know for sure).

Nancy, I too like "Honey" and sorry Kevin..."Hidden Talent".

I'm currently listening to "Guitar Man". No doubt, like Kevin said, Dan is still a VERY talented songwriter. Many of these songs would have fit well on a number of different America trio LPs.

Hi Everyone,
I am amazed at the difference in opinions about the song Hope. Especially you Johnny~~Calling this song Hopeless & LAME~~~~mmmmmmm you are stepping on my toes~ This song is so nice and it really was kinda an eye opener for me at the time I first heard it, I listened to it over and over again until I memorized the words.
Speech~~~~You are stepping on my toes too. How dare you call the song HONEY~~LAME you are MEAN! This song is so CUTE and so SINCERE! I really like it alot. I even emailed the venturahwy webmaster one time and requested them to play this for a special friend of mine at a concert last summer. These songs I like from your list also~~~Hidden Talent~~~Listen to the words~~Okay?. Sister Golden Hair~~~Wow this goes along with so many of my memories after Graduation, and it is one of those songs that you can hum or sing or just think of and others hear you and the next thing you know they are singing it or humming it or saying I remember when!!!!!!
Hi SteveL~~~ Thanks for posting Gerry's pic from Conn. Getting closer to Pa~~~Gerry & Dewey! Boy the road construction that is taking place sure runs a neat & tidy worksite, you can hardly tell what they are fixing. Hey Bones let us know about the show okay?
Hi DanC~~~~~~stilllllll here waiting to hear about your concert the other night! Sooon Please sooooon! :)
Thanks~~~RichM~~~~~ Nice to know that this song was there for other people too. Bye for now, Nancy :)

How did I forget to comment on the title track? I really like it! It's a kickin' rocker with a funky twist. It's similar to what I like on Dan's America songs like "It's Life" and (sorry Speech) "In The Country". Dan's vocal quality on this song is just a good as on any of his America songs. Unlike Pat though, I like the "live" intro to this song.

More comments on some of Dan's other songs from "Guitar Man," but later, I hope.

Kevin wondered why Dan recorded "Nashville Cats". I've already mentioned that it's my least favorite song on the CD and when I sent a message to Tom Peek saying that, he replied with the following: "As for Nashville Cats... in a way it's one of my favourites, mainly for the fantastic instrumental work. But, it is an 'over the top' version, and I can understand why it might not grab everyone. That song was an icon for Dan in the old days."

FYI - I'm one of those who really likes "Hope" and "Muskrat Love". It was the "Young Moon" and "Hope" combination at a 1994 concert that got me back on track with our favorite band and let me know that they had come out with a new CD (Hourglass).

... Not bucking to get run out of town here, because America's music has been a soundtrack to my life for three decades, and I've spent a lot of energy prosletyzing to my fellow music lovers and collectors (some of whom are skeptical) about what a great, overlooked band they have always been.
That said, there are songs that Gerry, Dewey and Dan have committed to vinyl (or metal) that I would gladly load into a space capsule and shoot into orbit for one reason or another.
And, although there are folks on this board who I suspect would find a way to "dig it" even if the guys recorded the Yellow Pages on steel drum and kazoo, I gotta believe there are others, like myself, who have a mental list of America tunes they dislike or, at the least, are sometimes lukewarm to.

Here's my list of 13, in no particular order, for no particular reason:

In the Country (Tuneless and strident)
Woman Tonight (I once heard this described as reggae. Really??)
Hideaway Parts 1 & 2 (At best, pretentious. At worst, filler).
She's Beside You (Lyrics no doubt dashed off on a cocktail napkin).
Sarah (1st verse is potent ... "Caroline No" revisited. Then ...)
Down to the Water (Was Dewey watching Elvis' movie "Clam Bake"??)
Muskrat Love (Cuteness doesn't become them ... if ironic, I missed it)
You Can Do Magic (Rote and by numbers, so, of course, it HIT BIG)
Honey (Lame)
Your Move (Follow the bouncing ball)
Slow Down (Pass that Velveeta leisure suit)
Hidden Talent (Others here have eloquently addressed this ditty)
Hope (See previous posts)

I suspect all of these uninspired (to my ears) songs only annoy me because I love and admire the rest of their work so much.

Pat and all, I too received my copy of "Guitar Man" yesterday. Mine was autographed "Play it [a star symbol drawn] Johnny Yee" and signed "Dan Peek". It was all done with black ink, and it's all written by Dan in my opinon. I have several other items with his autograph on them so I'm able to recognize his handwriting, I believe. I agree about the slim jewel case not being desirable. I, too, replaced it with the standard type case.

There are some very good songs on this CD. The music is great, but quite honestly, Dan's singing voice on a majority of the songs doesn't have quite the same quality that he had when he was an member of America or even on some of his solo Christian work...the ones I have that is. I certainly don't mean to hurt Dan's feelings but that's my opinion. I never have felt that Dan's vocal quality is/was his strongest asset. It's his guitar-playing ability and songwriting, in my opinion. Likewise, I like Gerry's music better when he's with Dewey. Don't get me wrong. I think "Van Go Gan" is wonderful. It's just that I like the D&G combo better.

I would probably like Dewey better with Gerry if Dewey had a solo CD...it's just speculation of course. I just think D&G have a wonder sound together.

Oh, I forgot to mention...I really like "Makin' Tracks" and "Sharkey's Song" from Dan's new CD.

I can't believe people don't like this song!!!! To each his own I guess.

I do agree with some of the comments about the overall arrangement of "Hope." It doesn't fit the traditional America mold and this particular style of Gerry's (Mirror to Mirror, World of Light seem similar) is generally not my favorite. I tend to think that Hope would benefit from a more straight forward acoustic arrangement. That being said,I love the lyrics to Hope and the its the lyrics and message that I like so much. Prior to this, I thought the song was universally liked by America fans. Obviously not, though. Wow.

My guess is that the same people who don't like Hope are the same ones that like Muskrat Love. (Just Kidding. Muskrat Love kind of has the opposite effect on me. Love the arrangement, melody and harmonies, but think the lyrics are a bit trite.)

Back to work.


Rich

>I wasn't referring to America discs, but other things I own.

I know that...I don't think anyone on this list would. Heck, that's why we're here!

Yeah, the CD case is lame. And the CD sleeve looks like it was printed off a printer at home (my copy was autographed "Let's Play" but not personalized, so I didn't get two different handwritings and inks). But, you know what? I forgive that because it's obvious this is a handmade effort.

Hey, the CD case for America's Human Nature is some crappy flimsy paper. I too discarded that and put it into a real case. And I didn't buy the record company's comment at the time that it was done for environmental reasons. It was done for the same reason as Dan's. To save a buck. Both projects were done on the fly. And you know what? I don't care. I just want the music.

The only song on that CD that isn't awesome is Nashville Cats. Why would Dan have recorded it? I don't know. The best I can figure is that it's a quintessential song about guitar players. So it seemed to fit.

The drums on those songs don't sound fake to me. But if they are, shame on him. You cannot rock with fake drums. Want proof: Whatever happened to REM?

Your last comment is exactly what I have said about America's recent efforts, too. I agree. Get out of the ouse, get the band together, get a producer and do it right.

But who's going to pay for that?

Dan's his own record label. And America's tiny little Record Label That Thought It Could doesn't have two nickles to rub together.

Both America and Dan Peek are operating on shoe string budgets. Too bad, but they can't afford those things. (I only hope that's why they resort to crappy drum machines, and not because they think it sound better.)

I said that the production on Dan's CD is rawer. It's obvious Gerry has a better studio. But if you're forgiving of that, it's a very good CD.

As far as why the song "Guitar Man" has crowd noise behind it? For the same reason there's a crowd noise behind Elton John's "Benny and the Jets." Both are songs about playing in front of audiences. You didn't think America was actually underwater to get those bubble sounds on Submarine Ladies, did you? Or were actually sitting down on the beach during the taping of on Down to the Water? And you didn't think they were really tuning in a radio at the beginning of Barstow?

It's sound design. It's a judgement call on whether it's overproduced or not.

I think it's time we all came to grips with the fact that our heros don't sell like they used to. So they don't get the production money they used to.

I'm just happy to hear the music.

I disagree there's anything aweful on this CD. But that's just my opinion.

KevinS.

I wasn't referring to America discs, but other things I own.

That's one of the really great things about Dan Peek-era America. As far as I can tell (as of yet), they did not produce a single bad song on any album during this time period. I have yet to ever hit skip on an America disc in my life--in fact, the very idea seems strange to me.

The only other band I know of that is this good--song for song without a single exception during their heyday--is Steely Dan.

<<There are a lot of songs that I will break land speed records trying to hit the skip button that other people really love. If everyone liked the same things what a beige world it would be.>>

LOL! Just kiddin'! Did I get some folks hot-under-the-collar? I love "Hope"! What an incredible song it is.

I noticed Gerry sang a lyric a bit different than what's printed in the CD leaflet. Instead of "When the night's turning the deepest shade of black," it's sung (I think), "When the night turns to a deeper shade of black".

I wonder about this to: Is Gerry singing, "...everyone of us who's lost more than faith..." or "...everyone of us who's lost." "More than faith..."? In other words, is it one whole thought or two separate thoughts? Is "who's" meant to as "who has lost more than faith" or "who is lost/More than faith"? Does my question make any sense?

Andy, I spoke to the women who's running the event and she said that America should start playing around 6:30. There is two other bands playing before them. I though she said the other two bands were Jethro Tull and YES. Just kidding. Have a safe trip in.

"Hope" better titled as "Hopeless". Talk about lame!

also remember HOPE was picked up by the country music folks for one of their benefits & re-released w/an all-star cast of country singers.
GERRY at work, head down plunking keys on his black baby grand.

There are a lot of songs that I will break land speed records trying to hit the skip button that other people really love. If everyone liked the same things what a beige world it would be.

Works for me ... that's the great thing about music, particularly the music of America. There's so much of it out there to choose from, and I can always root around and find a song or an LP that gives me what I need. I hope you don't think I was in any way trying to make light. I just felt compelled to share my view because, believe it or not, "Hope" has always been not just a song that doesn't move me, but kind of an irritant. I always felt it was Gerry pandering to radio ... writing a pop song calculated to be slotted into certain playlists. Although I am still likely to not program "Hope" when I play the CD, I have a new respect for the song, knowing for certain that it has had a meaningful impact on somebody's real life.

I'd like to eventually hear the real story behind this. Obviously, whatever the group's intention, it took some effort to accomplish. I always suspect we fans engage in way too much navel gazing when it comes to this kind of "cryptic" stuff. This was the early 70s, when a value had been placed (thanks in large measure to the mischievous Beatles) not only on entertaining the record-listening audience, but also on intriguing and confounding it. Three young, creative, successful-from-the-get-go (and, likely, full of their youthful selves) singer-songwriters took the trouble to lay down (or have aid down for them) that oddball background vocal track. My guess is it was either meant to be ironic (as in anti-war), or a nudge-wink kind of gag. Perhaps the influence of exotic substances was in there someplace, too. At this point, who really cares? But it would be fun to know.

sorry speech, I hope the services were nice ;) It's currently getting me thru the dark and I guess I am projecting!

Gulp ... I guess this longtime America lover is dead. The song to which you're referring has never really moved me much (except to hit the fast forward button). I suppose it's because I can't get past the overall presentation, which to me is musically cliched. Gerry's continued interest in writing late-period-Bozz-Scaggs-meets-Hall-and-Oates lite funk shuffles is the one aspect of his art that I can't really get behind. It always makes my ears glaze over, mostly because of its hackneyed (at this stage in pop music) approach. Besides, it's a style that, for me, never really suited America that well in the first place.
I am much more readily moved by other Gerry tunes, for example "Moment to Moment" from the Human Nature CD, and the first coupla sections of the "Overwhelming World Suite" from that same disc, as well as the tune "Kiss of Life" from the solo CD.
And in case it seems I can only be moved by big ballad musical backing, Gerry's "Goodbye Highway" always gets me, as does "Only a Kid at Heart."
While we're on the subject of songs that move us, some of the most moving pop songs I've heard in recent years are on the Don Henley solo CD "Inside Job."
Henley's "My Thanksgiving" does for me what I imagine Gerry's "Hope" does for those who love it.
In the end, though, I suppose it all has to do with what circumstance we are in when the music pierces us.
If the song "Hope" gets somebody through a dark moment, it's a magical song, no matter how unfunky it sounds to me.

I got my copy yesterday. I like how Dan uses the small-case letters "d" and "p" to make the "guitar man" on the front cover. But what's up with the paper-thin CD case? I know that they had to be less expensive for Dan to buy than the standard CD jewel cases. I threw mine away and replaced it with a normal sized jewel case. Also, I'm very disapointed in Dan's autograph. It reads: "Play it Pat, Dan Peek". The "Play it" and "Dan Peek" parts are written with a different handwriting and a different pen. So it appears as if someone else had personalized it. Very, very Lame. Musically, this CD is exactly what I had expected it to be. There are a handful of songs that are really good and worth listening to, but the rest are just plain awful. I can not understand what Dan hears in Nashville Cats. I also find it totally ridiculous that a CD like this opens up with a pre-recorded-live-audience. This CD is anything BUT live. There is no band. There is no audience. The entire CD sounds like it was recorded in Dan's home studio. Dan plays virtually every "instrument" on every song. That's if you consider a drum machine to be a musical instrument, which I don't. The last two songs I would categorize as very Hard Rock. I LOVE Hard Rock music. I own every Hard Rock record from Led Zepplin to Kiss to AC/DC, and when it comes to playing Hard Rock music, only a live (and that means "human") drummer will do. Ask ANY die-hard Hard Rock fan or musician and they will tell you the same.

Dan Peek will forever be one of my musical heros, but I believe that this CD would have been so much better if Dan had used a full band, a recording engineer, a producer, and a high quality recording studio. ~Pat

"Millions of people alone in the dark, awaiting a moment of Hope."

If that song fails to move you, check your pulse, you're dead!

Gerry is in Stamford, CT today. Click here to see the view from his hotel window.

Regarding Nancy's comment on "Hope."

"Millions of people alone in the dark, awaiting a moment of Hope."

I love that line, and, although I probably shouldn't admit this publicly, I have also cried while listening to that song. It had a VERY personal meaning for me at the time.

I've seen it played once or twice in concert and loved it. I think that this is absolutely one of the best songs Gerry has ever written (even better than SGH) and would love to see it added to the playlist.

ANDY: The name of the Jars of Clay CD that Flood is on escapes me, but it is very solid. A lot of interesting arrangements and, for the most part, very thoughtful lyrics. I saw they had a relatively new CD out, but I'm waiting till I can buy it at a lower price.

Rich

<<Where if you had made such a board statement regarding any racial group or even gays no doubt the wrath of almost everyone on this board would have come down on you. Kind of reminds me of Karl Marx's broad, negative anti-religious doctrine, which inspired Stalin and Mao to brutally repress religion and commit genocide against people of "organized" faith.>>

If you think Stalin needed inspiration to eliminate Trotsky and take complete control of that country through terror and repression then it is you, my friend, who needs to read a book or two--in this case, some history. Stalin believed in NOTHING--certainly not Marx. He was totally unconcerned with ideology and wholly concerned with power. Mao might have been more of a student of the doctrine, but perverted it as much as Stalin in order to take control of his own country and eliminate all opposition. Religion was seen as a threat as much as an other social, communal practice that could introduce new ideas, thoughts, behavorial patterns. Like art or anything else...

<<Or Hitler's broad, negative anti-Semitic doctrine, blaming Jews for every bad thing that happened in Germany and Europe during and after World War I.>>

Hitler? Hitler was a demented sociopath who hated people based on their birthright. I'm not against a person in the world for the skin color or name they come into this world with. I'm deeply against the principle, however, of one man (or woman) telling another what to believe about God/creation/the whole shebang. And religion is one of the most divisive forces in history, down to the present day--creating untold death when we already have plenty of other reasons to kill each other (though no good ones).

<<As for your statement that "By all accounts, he (Jesus) was an incredible guy. I would have liked to have hung with him back in the day, would've been a good one, no doubt. " I doubt that you would have really wanted to have hung with Him. Since He claimed to be THE way to God and "organized" a group of followers to take His message to the world.>>

Actually, you have absolutely no specific idea what he was really trying to do--outside of a book some other guys wrote telling you what they believed about him. From what I understand, however, we do know for sure he was a carpenter who grew up in arid lands in the Middle East. So maybe I would have brought some mead over his place on a given day and built a deck for his place. We could've worked 'til the sun went down and then I would've busted out said acoustic and jammed a spell. A day with Jesus. Sweet. And I wouldn't even have been charged for it, 'cause the church wasn't around back then...

-LE

Bones and Andy,

Wish I can join you but it's Graduation Day. Have a great time and we expect a full report no by midnight tonight!!!

Thanks, Bones.

I'm going to drive up from the Kennedy Airport area. I hope that the traffic isn't too ugly.

Concerning the "Moon Song" clip, I thought that it was a cleverly encrypted message, quite appropiately coming from a young band named AMERICA, directed at their growing fan base in America. As most know, the "Homecoming" album marked AMERICA'S move from England as their base, to America. This was a critical time in their short existence. "All good men come to the aid of their country", "All good men/fans come to the aid of their country/America/AMERICA" I think they were just hoping for their fans continued support, and this was a way of expressing that hope, at the same time knowing that few would actually "get" the message at that time. I'm glad the message is there, and 30 years later, continue to support the greatest band of all time, AMERICA, as I know most of you do. Just my opinion.

Hi Everyone~~
By the time I signed into the Chat Room you were all gone! Oh well with summer here and being outside after supper and then getting the kids to bed later, I guess it won't be any easier making it to the chat room than during the school year.
Hi Jerey~~~I just have to say I really enjoy Steven Curtis Chapman's songs~~especially Love and Learn what a beautiful song, I also like Fingerprints of God, Precious Promise, Parents Prayer, Great Expectations, and I really like the song by Steven & Geoff Moore called Listen to Our Hearts~~~Wow! What powerful words in this song for sure.~~~~~~ If words could fall like rain from these lips of mine, and if I had a thousand years I would still run out of time, so if you listen to my heart, every beat will say thank you for the life thank you for the truth, thank you for the way! So listen our hearts and hear our spirit sing! A simple song of praise and glory!
In our hearts this is where all of our faith lies! No one has the right to judge anyone for the way anyone believes this is each persons individual choice. Amy Grant's Breathe of Heaven is a beautiful song also! I do not mean to offend anyone by this, I feel it is each of our choices to believe the way we want to!
I just love the song Hope~~~some pretty powerful lyrics here also~~~There's a light shining beyond the Southern Cross burning bright for everyone of us who's lost, more than faith, more than a reason to go on, rise on up knowing your gonna win the fight, it's gonna turn out fine. You gotta hope it will be alright, Come on hope it will turn out fine!~~~~~~Lift your heart knowing it's gonna be alright , it's gonna turn out fine,~~ You gotta hope! ~~~ Yeah Hope! ~~~I cried the first time I heard this song~~Thanks so much Gerry & Dewey for this inspiring song! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Thanks to all who joined me this evening, including a surprise appearance by the webmaster himself, Steve Lowry. Always nice to talk live with you Steve! Hope to see everyone next week. If you haven't ventured a live chat please join us. It is a lot of fun.

Andy, the newspaper says the show starts at 5:00 PM. It also says that there is going to be another band also playing. Whether that is true or not, I really don't know. I'm going to call tomorrow to find out what time America is playing. I'll post the time around 3:00. Hope it helps

Rich,

The only song by Jars of Clay that I know of is FLOOD, which received much video play and radio coverage in the mid 90s. I think that it's an amazing song with an interesting alternate tuning for the guitar freaks among us.

Joan Osborne an another one of my favourites. Unlike Jars of Clay, she is not an overtly Christian artist. She simply makes a few references to God or some sort of Saint (as in the first track on Relish called "St. Theresa".) That by itself doesn't make an artist a "Christian" artist.

I'm going in, anyone care to join me?

Hi all! I was just wondering if anone is going to the Stamford, Connecticut show tomorrow. If so, what time does it start?

THANKS STEVE AND ERIN! I will be there!

KevinS pointed out an error in my "Makin' Tracks" lyrics. Rather than "I need you like a body needs a bruise" it should say "I need you like a bottle needs a boozer." That makes the rhyme with "loser" and "user" stronger. It also fits the rest of the lyrics better. Thanks Kevin for pointing that out.

Kevin and I agree that it's a great, dark song!

Here's what I learned from Erin Edwards at Morey Management about the Disney shows: "Those shows will be at 3:00pm and 7:00pm on August 18, 19 & 20. It is the Golden State Park Stage in Disney's California Adventure Park in Anaheim. My understanding is that the concert will be available to guests in the park but that should be confirmed by a call to the park."

Hope to see you all in the chat this evening after 7 pm!

On contemporary musicians, I must respond. Steven Curtis Chapman is excellent and his message is true to what he says he believes. With religious ideologies aside, he is really a great musician. Saw him June 14 in Tennessee. Super show.

Sorry Kevin, it's from the second year (April 5, 2002).

I hope it's from the first year, because I was there and then I can hear myself screaming like a school girl.

KevinS.

Just to set the record straight I never said Creed was a "Christian Band", all I said was that they would take issue your generalization that "that Jesus makes music absolute rubbish" since many of their songs reference Jesus or His teachings. But now you appear to be discrediting Creed's music too so I'll just let that one go.

You certainly have a right to your opinion regarding Christianity and religion in general. And you can choose to remain entirely ignorant of the Bible if you wish, though I would advise against it. My main point of contention with you isn't your beliefs but your broad, negative categorization first against Christian music and latter against any organized religion. Stereotyping if you will, but it appears that negative stereotypes of religious people is still socially acceptable. Where if you had made such a board statement regarding any racial group or even gays no doubt the wrath of almost everyone on this board would have come down on you. Kind of reminds me of Karl Marx's broad, negative anti-religious doctrine, which inspired Stalin and Mao to brutally repress religion and commit genocide against people of "organized" faith. Or Hitler's broad, negative anti-Semitic doctrine, blaming Jews for every bad thing that happened in Germany and Europe during and after World War I. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT saying that you are another Stalin or Hitler or that you would kill people. But people should be treated as individuals. There are good and bad in almost every group of people, organized or not. When you start lumping people into faceless groups and start blaming them for the evils of the world you have started marching down the road to prejudice and hate. The same road that Stalin, Mao, Hitler, and many others tread.

As for your statement that "By all accounts, he (Jesus) was an incredible guy. I would have liked to have hung with him back in the day, would've been a good one, no doubt. " I doubt that you would have really wanted to have hung with Him. Since He claimed to be THE way to God and "organized" a group of followers to take His message to the world. But if you would bother to read the Bible before you start criticizing it you would already know that.

Peace and God Bless!

>My Own Prison by Creed

Sorry, I am unable to feel a sense of "heaviness" in anything written by Creed. As a fan of actual 90s/21st century metal (not watered down pop-grunge sang by the next Eddie Vedder), I view this stuff as repugnant musically. As I understand it, the singer is a rich Catholic school boy gone rebellious--ooh, how novel!

>If you were a little more knowledgeable about the Bible you would >find numerous more Biblical references in their songs. It's just >that they are not as overt in there songs as other artists in an >effort to appeal to close minded, anti-religious people like Ladd.

I don't care to know about the Bible, friend, or any other book written by another man to tell this man (me) how to feel about God--or whatever, if any, higher power there is lurking out there. Certainly not for faith--I get all the faith I need in the people around me in this world. Not just loved ones, but also individuals like Dan, Gerry, and Dewey--who create art that touches my soul and affirms my absolute belief in humanity.

And I would contest that America's music is religious, overtly or otherwise. It is, however, deeply SPIRITUAL, a distinction you need to learn. One can be incredibly spiritual (this type of faith needs no evidence of a god per se, because it affirms that "god" is within all of us) and completely reject organized religion, which I do.

So get my record straight when you attack me. Try something heavier (lyrically and musically) than Creed. And accept that Jesus can make for some embarassing music. It certainly wasn't the man himself's fault. By all accounts, he was an incredible guy. I would have liked to have hung with him back in the day, would've been a good one, no doubt. Would've definitely brought my acoustic...

-LE

It can be difficult to talk about religion in any aspect, particularly on a chat board where words are often misunderstood, but as an example of a band that makes good "religious music" I would cite Jars of Clay. They have recorded some very solid CDs. I would also cite Joan Osborne - "One of us" (did I get that title right?). "Hope" by our own Gerry Beckley has a very religous tone, if not an overtly Christian one. Good artists can transmit ideas on a variety of topics -religion, love, whatever. I think some Christian/religious music is open to the criticism that it is judged by some listeners less for its musical content and more for its message. People who believe the message like the music; people who don't believe tend to not appreciate the music as much. To the extent the message is trite/parochial/cliched, the music will suffer, but believers support the music becuase it supports their religiuos values. However, there many bands that successfully mix quality music with religious thought (whether or not we all agree with the thought conveyed is an entirely different issue)and many traditionally non-religious bands (such as America) whose work occassionally suggests religious influences.

Just thought I'd add my two cents....now back to our regular programming.

Rich

Thanks Steve~~
For the great review of Dan's new CD, sounds good, I can hardly wait to hear mine. I am anxious to hear the song The Hill~~being that These Brown Eyes of Mine has always been my favorite of Dan's with AMERICA!
Hi Johnny, Robyn~~~You guys are good remembering typing class in school, this line is alittle familiar to me, but what sticks in my mind from typing class is how my teacher for this class would give us our typing assignments and then she would stand in the corner and drink down 3 big glasses of water, while she was timing us, it was so crazy this was every typing class that she did this! LOL I love to type, who would figure that is what I walked away with learning from typing class. Oh well it takes all kinds to make the world go around!
Hey Genevieve , Hey Jimbob , miss you guys!
Hi DanC~~~I am looking forward to your post on the Dan F show last night~~~Soon okay! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Same thing in my high school typing class regarding "All good men...."

I like the second mention better this way: "The quick brown fox jumped over two lazy dogs sittin' watchin' your man." :0)

(Now that's the Badd boy attitude I remember!)

You will find quite a few biblical references in America lyrics as well ( "WE call to the man who walks on the water") Not entirely crazy about "Christian ROck" I do enjoy some of the acts, PODand Switchfoot come to mind. To Each his own.

I also have heard the line, "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country". However it originated, whether from Patrick Henry or David Allan Coe, the sentence has been used for generations as a generic something to write when trying out a typewriter or similar word processing instrument. It has also been/is used to demonstrate fonts.

Pangrams are sentences which contain all the letters of the English language and the best one known that has the least repetition of letters is, "The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog".

No, the A, G, C, A, and C aren't exactly the chords used in Moon Song but there are lots of Am (erica) and Gm (good men) chords. It's definitely written in the key of D, though.

Regarding the "religion-leads-to-rubbish" comment, I think I'd put it this way -- zealous belief or intense focus in any one area, be it spiritual, political or otherwise, has shown over time to be an artistic cul de sac. To my ears, George Harrison's work became less interesting as he became more overt in his prosletyzing for eastern spirituality. Jackson Brown's records became less interesting to me after he began repeatedly writing about global politics and the dynamics at work in Central America.
Dan Peek's LP, "All Things Are Possible," had its moments. But to my ears, it could have stood a few more tunes on the (conceptual) order of "Home Town" and fewer of the "Forgive You, Forgive Me" stripe.
I'm not sure why, but it just seems like the energization that typically accompanies intense commitment to an idea, or movement, or religion, does not translate into consistently engaging art.

Regarding the backwards message at the end of "Moon Song," the trio sang that part (rather sang it to sound like that) back during the trio's live performances in '75.

Let's admit it, shall we? We've all wondered from time-to-time what America would have been like if it were Dan and Dewey instead of Gerry and Dewey. I know I have. I think it's "human nature" to think about it. I think their music would have had a harder edge with less of a pop sound especially since Dewey is also a "guitar man". Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I'd prefer one duo combo over the other. I'm just wondering what if. What I haven't wondered for whatever reason is what if it were Dan and Gerry. Anyone else care/dare to speculate?

Some of my favorite music is by the Christian group, David and The Giants (David Huff and the Huff brothers). Is anyone here familiar with their music?

We used that line in typing class, along with "the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog."

And you are right kim, as children of servicemen, they probably would have had different view of patriotism (IMHO--I am the child of VERY patriotic parents) I have also heard it as, "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their PARTY".

I hear a thunder in the distance
See a vision of a cross
I feel the pain that was given
On that sad day of loss
A lion roars in the darkness
Only he holds the key
A light to free me from my burden
And grant me life eternally

My Own Prison by Creed

If you were a little more knowledgeable about the Bible you would find numerous more Biblical references in their songs. It's just that they are not as overt in there songs as other artists in an effort to appeal to close minded, anti-religious people like Ladd.

thanks for the guitar and amp information, Pat. it's all been very helpful. and if the birthday boy's interest wanes somewhere down the road, I will surely take your advice!

I have heard the line "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country" since I was a little girl in the 60's. I don't think the guys were the original authors of this line and I don't think this is a pro-Viet Nam war line either. It may have originated as a commercial for recruiting on the AAFES military network and maybe even here in the states. (But I don't know this as a fact) I am an army brat who lived overseas quite a bit and we had one military TV station and the only "commercials" we received were for the military or public service announcements. It seems from some of the posts that some people had never heard this line before so maybe us former military brats were exposed to this as kids.
Kim

speech~ i guess i did not realize that this is going to be a birthday present. in which case, you have no choice other than getting the birthday boy what he wants, which is an electric. you also may want to consider spending a few more bucks since this is indeed, a birthday present. don't forget to buy a couple of extra sets of strings, picks, a guitar strap, a guitar cord, and maybe even some guitar polish too.

as far as amplifiers goes, FENDER amps are the BEST. that's it. no other. even If gerry beckley uses a roland jazz chorus (or at least i think he does), in my humble opinion, it's fender, fender, fender. they look like what an amp is suppose to look like and more importantly they have THE best sound, period. no debate.

old amps can be lemons, so watch out. if you don't like the hassle of dealing with the amplifier repair man, you may really want to consider buying something new. i'm sorry to say. but there is NOTHING worse than thinking that you got a good deal on a used amp only to find out a couple of months later, that the amp's blown.

in regards to you possibly inheriting the guitar and amp, i only have three words to say:

ROCK ON DUDE!!

Real like Britney's, huh Kevin? Real big hits, huh? Cool!

Thanks SteveO for your review of "Guitar Man"! Maybe today I'll receive my copy in the mail. Here's to hoping.

(Alright Nina, welcome back 'home'!)

"The Hill" also reminds me of "And Forever." It's an awesome song.

KevinS.

Just recieved my copy of "Guitar Man" a few days ago,and wanted to share my thoughts on this release. While Dan has done a number of "solo" LP's over the years,I think this is the first time he's done an album that truly harkens back to the 'America' sound.
I wasn't crazy about "Driftin",his previous effort. "Bodden town" had some good moments,but from Start to finish,this is about as cohesive a disk as you will find. "Guitar Man" starts the disk off on a Rockish note,bringing to mind some of the early Uptempo America tunes.
"Carry on,only love can save you" drops in tempo,but is very melodic.
"The Hill" reminded me initially of "These Brown eyes"(From "Harbor"),
and is a very pleasant song. "Jessica" is the 4th song,and the tempo picks up again,rolling and rollicking along. One of my favorites is track #5,"Sharkey's song",definatly reminiscent of songs from the first 2 America LP's. Nice vocals,nice backing harmonies,good instrumentation. "Still Luv you" picks the pace up again on track 6,and Dan is in fine vocal form here. "Makin' Tracks" with its constant "I need you" refrain is an ominous sounding,yet serious tune. This has been growing on me! "Nashville Cats" is track 8,but perhaps the only song on the disk I'm not fond of. Then again,I never cared for the Lovin' spoonfuls version either. I think track 9,"Into the Night" is very catchy,and stands out to me as one of the better tracks. "Dead men" and "borrowed time" rock out the CD as tracks 10 & 11. I'm no big time Record reviewer,but I know what I like. And while I'll always remain partial to his first 2 solo releases("All things are possible" and "Doer of the word")those were Christian themed LP's. Sure,they had the "America" sound,but "Guitar Man" sounds like the solo LP Dan could have cut at anytime following his departure from the group. Take some time and Indulge yourself in the best LP Dan has done in quite some time!

You consider Creed a Christian band? God, is that sad (no pun intended). And I hold to my point that Jesus makes music absolute rubbish. Call me a bigot if you want--I probably should have said "organized religion makes music absolute rubbish." But it's glaringly true.

Hi Everyone,
Yes Johnny that wouldn't be much fun just having to choose one of these to get. I did do some extra work this month just to have the money to pay for these CD's.
Hi Nina~~Nice to see your post~~~Yes that would be a very Inviting cover for the Christmas CD and yes the Fan Quilts would definitely add a Homey finishing touch for sure! I hope your friend gets your home computer up and running for you! Take Care! :)
Regarding the Moon Song message, I too thought they were just harmonizing some of the songs lyrics jumbled up, this is pretty neat how they say"all good men come to the aid of their country" I feel it was just there way of honoring our great country and the love that the people who live here have for it and the fact that there are those that are willing to give up their lives for this freedom! Nice! I have always likes this song there is something quite mesmorizing about it. It definitely has our AMERICA's own uniqness to it.
Hi Mark~~~ I like Creed's, Jars of Clay and some of POD's music! Some really good songs!
Regarding Dan's Christian songs, I liked them they were different than AMERICA's songs but I guess I have always liked Dan's added touch to AMERICA's songs. I guess the split between Dan & Gerry & Dewey had to happen for a reason! How I look at it they each have their own musical gifts that I so much appreciate! Yes Gerry & Dewey have a special magic together performing that is alive and going, I hope it never stops. I too wish Dan well in all of his endeavors too!
Have a great day all! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Homecoming was recorded in 1972, so the "backward" lyrics were penned in 1972 or earlier. Of course the lyrics are not necessarily "pro-war" but simply patriotic and could have a variety of meanings or motivations. It may have been simply in reaction to some of the satanic backward lyrics that could be found on songs like Stairway to Heaven. Though I wouldn't assume that everybody in the country shared the recording industry's anti-war rhetoric. Many felt that the Vietnam War was a just cause; it was just the way the war was carried out that caused it to become a lost cause.

Regarding your bigoted, anti-Christian statement about how Jesus turns music into rubbish I must disagree. I liked Dan's solo albums and his songs did quite well on the CCM charts. I think groups today like POD, Jars of Clay, and Creed would also take issue with your generalization.

Johnny: They're real. Just like Britney's.

Ladd: Don't get me wrong. I think Dewey and Gerry hung the moon. If I'm critical of them at times it's because I hold them to a higher standard than mere mortals. That might not be fair, but I'm a fan.

As far as Dan's new CD goes, I was just really excited when I heard it. I figured everyone else on this chat folder, as America fans, would want to know that that great America sound is alive and well in him as well.

I'm with you on most Christian music. I bought Dan's "All Things Are Possible" because he was Dan. But I'm not a very religious person. I grew up Catholic. Enough said.

KevinS.

The thing I find interesting about that backwards message is that I never knew it was a backwards message before someone said so on this board! I just thought they were singing some really f***ed up harmony there--which isn't unlike America. And remember, on the Musikladen video, they do sing this part in 3-part harmony. Well, you can't sing backwards live, so what were they singing there? I need to listen to my tape at some point and find out.

And what does this message mean anyway? All good men come to the aid of their country. They wrote this during what year, was it 1970 when that album was written (or was it 1969?). It sounds like a PRO-WAR message! Is that possible?

Let's get to the bottom of all this.

Kevin, I totally agree with you that Dan Peek was an incredible musician (keys, guitars, vocals) during America's heyday pre-1978. But time does have a rude effect on our greatest wizards (would Lennon have avoided this curse? Nah, probably not even him), and that Jesus stuff also has a way of turning music into absolute rubbish. When I heard about those new lines in "Lonely People" I heard a cow moan in the distance. Again, I think Gerry and Dewey still have much more magic than Dan. But I understand good America fans wanting to hang on to every last drop they can get before our idols retire forever...

-LE

Can't you just see the cover of the CD now? Gerry and Dewey sitting on a couch, both with guitars...a festive fire crackling in a stone fireplace...a sparkling tree rising behind them....candles burning near-by...AND our lovely America fan quilts flung over the back of the sofa?!?! What do you think? A great idea?

(P.S. Taking a computer course this week , so have access to the web for a short time more. Help is on the way though, as a friend is trying desperately to update my ancient home computer.)

Thank you for the information. ...appreciate the hard work.

Nancy, wouldn't it be terrible if we had to select only ONE of the following CDs: Holiday Harmony, Guitar Man, or the Cayman Gig?

(See ya in the AM!)

Thanks SteveL for the great news regarding the Christmas album and the Cayman CD, I can hardly wait for them to come out, I definitely will own both of them. I too Appreciate all that Gerry & Dewey are doing on both of these CD's, along with their busy show schedule. Also with the Jeff Larson CD, I have to order this too! Take care the both of you we want you to be around for a long long time. You guys are the BEST! Thanks so Much~~Nancy :)

Hi Everyone!
Thanks alot Shayne & Johnny~~This is interesting, I see what you mean Shayne I can hear Henley's voice especially when he says "He's just another power junkie, just another silk scarf monkey! You'd know it if you saw his stuff the man just isn't big enough! and it is deeper than in his other songs. Yes the more I listen to this I think you are right Shayne this is Henley singing this! There just is something about the line Come sit down beside me Honey,that sounds like Frye~~~Oh well anyway it has been awhile since I have heard this song, I have the Long Run on 8 track along with Hotel Calif., I want my husband to get speakers and get my 8 track player hooked up so I can see if these still play at all. I do like the music to this song, definitely that Classic Eagles sound for sure.
Hey DanC~~I hope you enjoyed the Dan Fogelberg concert this evening, let us know how it was Okay?
I am listening to Old Man by Neil Young here now on my winamp playlist of songs, I too have his After the Gold Rush & Harvest on 8 tracks, along with my Dan F's. and of course AMERICA's~~AMERICA, Hideaway, Harbor & Hearts too. All this great music, but one thing is for sure AMERICA is my first choice of all! FOR SURE! Nancy :)

Kevin and Steve, any favorites from "GM" yet?

Anyone else here have their copy and care to give us an opinion of the new CD?

(Shayne, you sure could be right. I'm still not positive really either way.)

Cool!

Regarding the "Happening Live At The Caymans" (made the title up myself with the "H" titles in mind...hehe!), there's been some discussion whether it will be the first or the second appearance. The discussion was during the Live Chat a couple of weeks ago (my final visit there). One of the live chatters was very sure it would be the first appearance. Anyone know for sure?

Actually, I hear Henley's deep voice more prominently. But that's just me. I did have a chance to see them live during the Long Run tour in '79 or '80. They performed the song, but I don't recall who sang lead.

Shayne
"Are you willing to sacrifice? And are you willing to be real nice? All your talent and my good taste, I'd hate to see it go to waste."

I received some messages today from Dewey and Gerry about their forthcoming CD's. They said that the Christmas album will definitely be ready for Christmas 2002 and is going to be titled Holiday Harmony. There are some interesting arrangements of traditional songs as well as three original songs. The package design and mixes are progressing at this time.

They also said that the Cayman Live album is moving along and will be released prior to Holiday Harmony. It's obvious that they have been working very hard on these albums during those brief stints where they aren't on the road and I for one, really appreciate it. Way to go Gerry and Dewey!

Nancy, I pulled out that LP of the Eagles and the album sleeve states that lead vocals is shared by Henley and Frey, but listening to the song, it sounds like Frey's voice is stronger than Henley's on this particular song. Henley sounds more like a background vocalist. That's the way I hear it, anyway.

Still no arrival of the "Guitar Man" CD.

(Hello Bruno!)

Ah, yes, Squeeze. Thanks Johnny. If I am not mistaken, they had some marginal hits and several albums.Their biggest hit was the one I mentioned "Tempted", the only album that Carrack was with them for.
I remember seeing Mike And the Mechanics in concert at Vancouver's Expo 86. Great concert. They had a band open for them called 'Keep It Dark" who just kicked but I never heard of them again.
j

Thanks for the thoughtful reply, Pat. I recognize the wisdom in what you're saying. I myself am a complete novice. I just kind of fool around with my Ibanez acoustic (steel string), strumming chords and trying to learn single-string melodies, but purely for fun and relaxation.
regarding my son, I don't know if the "rental idea" will fly or not, but it certainly is an excellent one.
My problem here is that we're talking about the birthday dream of a 12-year-old, which may be impenetrable to things like logic and reason.
But, if I end up staying with the "buy electric" game plan, I will heed your advice. I will keep the cost to within the $200 range, and I will emphasize to him the importance of learning the right way.
I should tell you that, in a worst case scenario, he abandons the thing a few months from now, giving his 44-year-old dad an excuse to plug in. Thanks again for the help.

Hi Ciao from Italy
For elections to administer my little city, Agropoli (20.000 residents), I suggest (as candidate Mayor) a cultural event: to allocate money to invite America for concert. this is a point of my programme as candidate Mayor. A newspaper dedicated article about this point.
I send this article to my American friends. (Ingrid do you translated in English the article?)
Ciao Steve, Johnny, Ingrid, Genevieve Ciao all
bruno

Hi Johnny~~
I just wanted to tell everyone that you had the answers to me lickity split right after I posted the trivia question. You are so good at this trivia stuff for sure. Thanks! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Oh wow!
First no response to my trivia question and now this. Neat Thanks all who guessed at it. Yes it is Paul Carrack( the spelling is good enough for me~~I tried to find the spelling of it before I posted my question, but couldn't find it) I heard this bit of trivia on the lunch time show I listen to on my favorite radio station, and I thought it was pretty neat. Yes John Paul did sing lead in another group, I had posted the name of this group in my post with my trivia question, the name of the group was The SWEEDS! He has such a neat voice, I like it.
Oh I have a question which one of the Eagles is the lead singer on the song KING OF HOLLYWOOD? Could this be Mr Glenn Frye by chance? ~~~ He's callin callin callin! so neat how he says~~Come sit down here beside me honey let's have a little heart to heart, now look at me and tell me darlin how badly do you want this part, are you willin to sacrifice! are you willin to be real nice! This music is so catchy to this song! Nice :) Bye for now, Nancy :)

Regarding the British band, maybe we can "squeeze" the "carrack" answer out of you.

Hi Me again!
Sorry for the double posts it took me so long to complete the post with getting this for my son and that for my husband that my computer kinda hesitated so I hit reset.
All this talk about Dan's Guitar Man CD has me anxiously awaiting the arrival of my autographed CD. I did listen to the clips and I see what you mean Ladd but I was going on Dan's other songs that I have heard and I like them alot. In regards to this Kevin sorry about your computer freezing up when you were posting this review, I can relate with you there, on Sunday when I typed up my post about the trivia and my trivia question, I attempted this 3 times, everytime I was done with it and clicked on Post your message I lost it to cyperspace, so then I split it into 2 posts and tried to cut back on them, I had the same feeling as you like shut up Nancy you are getting too carried away again and going on and on.
Hi Janice! Don't think you know me, but I wish you all the best!
Thanks Vic for sending me the clip of the MOON SONG cryptic message, wow that is neat what they said on the end of this song.
Hey Speech~~My trivia song kinda gives a message pertaining to a son and his Father~~~Just like you relating to your son's birth till now that he is 12 years old, my oldest son is 21 and then I have a son that is 16 and a daughter that is almost 10 and my youngest son is 6 and let me tell you there is never a dull moment here. I think my youngest son will always be his age plus 15 years. He sure can amaze us with the things he comes up with at times. Enjoy these times with your son the time will pass by quickly for sure!
Okay gotta go for now, take care all, Nancy :)

50/50 chance regarding "Guitar Man" and the drums. It's not unlike flipping a coin, I suppose. Drumheads we win, programmed drum machine tales, we lose. Do we have a winner?

Paul Carrack ( I think that is the spelling) The other lead singer for M& T M as mentioned was Paul Young ( not the same Paul Young who does all those covers of others). He was lead singer for Sad Cafe before Mechanics. He died just last year I think. Paul Carrick was also the lead singer for a very short time of another British group, but their name escapes me. Had the hit "Tempted".
j

Vic sent me an MP3 version of "Moon Song" being played backwards. For those of you (like me) who haven't heard it before, you can click on the following link to download and/or listen to it. Thanks Vic!

Moon Song Played Backwards

Could the answer have something to do with "racking up your car"? You'll never squeeze the answer out of me...heehee!

Hi Everyone!
Vic~~You got the song right, and yes the Group Mike and the Mecanics did sing this, but I also want to know who the lead singer is on this song The Living Years, he has a unique voice that people recognize but what is his name? He was the lead singer for the 70's group ACE and their famous song was How Long Has This Been Going On, and as I mentioned there is another 70's singer that sang lead with him too, on the song The Living Years! and his name is Paul Young, they share the same first name. So does this give anyone an idea who I mean. Thanks for answering Vic. The Living Years is such a beautiful song!~~~My favorite lyrics from it are ~~~I wasn't there that morning when my Father passed away, and I didn't get to tell him all the things I had to say, I think i called his spirit that same Year, I'm sure i heard his echo in my baby's newborn tears,I Just wish that I could have told him in the living years. so Say it loud say it clear, you can listen as well has you hear! It's too late when we die to admit that we don't see eye to eye!
Bye for now, Nancy :)

Hi Everyone!
Vic~~You got the song right, and yes the Group Mike and the Mecanics did sing this, but I also want to know who the lead singer is on this song The Living Years, he has a unique voice that people recognize but what is his name? He was the lead singer for the 70's group ACE and their famous song was How Long Has This Been Going On, and as I mentioned there is another 70's singer that sang lead with him too, on the song The Living Years! and his name is Paul Young, they share the same first name. So does this give anyone an idea who I mean. Thanks for answering Vic. The Living Years is such a beautiful song!~~~My favorite lyrics from it are ~~~I wasn't there that morning when my Father passed away, and I didn't get to tell him all the things I had to say, I think i called his spirit that same Year, I'm sure i heard his echo in my baby's newborn tears,I Just wish that I could have told him in the living years. so Say it loud say it clear, you can listen as well has you hear! It's too late when we die to admit that we don't see eye to eye!
Bye for now, Nancy :)

speech~ i've been playing for 27 years, so i would like to think that i can help you.
the market is flooded with inexpensive guitars. if i were you, i wouldn't spend anymore than $200 on a used beginner's electric guitar. if it were my son (or daughter), i would have them start off on an acoustic guitar (i started on an acoustic). you can get a reasonable used acoustic in the $75 to $100 range. the notes from an acoustic guitar are sweeter than an electric because the electronics subvert the natural harmonics of the instrument. acoustic guitars are a little bit more difficult to play since the strings are usually a thicker grade and the "action" is a litter higher. the "action" is the distance found between the string and the fret board. it's more important that the beginner spends their time learning how to play music than spending their practist time playing with the many different control knobs on the electric guitar and amp. although i have to admit that playing with the varitey of knobs are a lot of fun, especially when the beginner doesn't know the difference between a G major chord and a C minor chord. yes, having a desirable sound is important, but i would rather learn what a I-IV-V is first. have you considered RENTING? this way, after 3 months time, if he loses interest, you can just return the rental with no hassle. otherwise, you will be stuck with an unwanted instrument that you will have to find a new home for. for a beginner, i wouldn't put too much emphasis on which "brand" to buy. but you can't go wrong with a fender or a gibson. there are alot of japanese companys that make good stuff too.
i would recommend that you spend more time finding a good music teacher than shopping for an istrument. the right teacher can inspire their student. you really don't want a bad teacher. music is like learning a new language. it's really important to learn the proper use of nouns and adjectives and capitol letters, etc. ~Pat

Sorry, I misunderstood your post.

KevinS.

The sound clips sound like shit. The CD doesn't. I suspect that's one reason why artists and record companies don't release songs over the internet. Again, when I said it sounds like America, I didn't mean the America that America itself has abandoned from the first album. I said it sounded to me like what America would sound if they were all together. What Dan's songs might sound like. Things like three-part harmonies, great guitar riffs, catchy hooks, the infectious energy and guitar oriented rock. If you skew more toward the America rockers, or uptempo stuff, then you should like this. One word of caution: It's a little rawer productionwise than anything America does. Without the benefit of George Martin's deft touch, world class studios and the pampering of a record company, of course it's going to be rawer than America's earlier stuff. By the same token, it's more real than some of America's later stuff. Artistry doesn't lose out to trickery.

Hey, there's a good chance your opinion may vary. This is, after all, a subjective thing. I'm just excited to have anything new by anybody from America, past or present. It confirms their genius. Even more, it confirms my genius in being driven to them in the first place. If you liked the pre-1978 America, you'd have to appreciate the talents of all three guys. This is one of those guys.

Kevin.

<<...Johnny, I don't think "Makin' Trax" is in any way a slam, dig or response to Gerry's "I Need You".>>

Too bad about the freezing-up of your computer, Kevin. Yes, I suppose the review isn't meant to be...for now, anyway. I do appreciate what you were able to post for us, though!

Regarding your comment above concerning me, I assume you thought I believed "Makin' Trax" might be a slam or response to "I Need You". If so, you can go back to re-read my two posts from June 10th; I don't believe I ever said anything like that. I was merely wondering if the "need" song Dan was referring to on his website was Gerry's "I Need You". As we now know, it is.

I did and still do, however, wonder if Gerry's words from "To Each His Own" (specifically "they just got caught with writing on their sleeve/I think I'll leave") is in reference to "makin' trax" on one's arm...a slang term for that, perhaps. If you couple this with all that Dan said in one of his bio episodes (#31 "Head And Heart Games") perhaps the lyrics pertain to a hidden meaning. Dan wrote, "Head games were played out in our songs, hidden messages passed. Nobody would say it aloud, but the three of us were each rich fodder for writing inspiration to the others. In any event translating these hidden cues was mystifying and intriguing at times and the stream of consciousness style of writing that allowed one so much leeway with meanings kept everyone, the public included, ignorant of the true meaning of a lyric."

Dan goes on to say, "'To Each His Own', is a wistful reflection on the separate paths that beckoned to each of us. Gerry had laid the threat of leaving the band on Dewey and me...."

If "writing on their sleeve" is as I contend it may be, "To Each His Own" has a whole new meaning to me. I see it as a song that Gerry wrote maybe because he didn't want to be a part of something or someone who had a particular lifestyle that he didn't approve of and whatever other issues there may have been between Gerry and Dan.

If anyone still thinks "writing on their sleeve" is merely about test answers written on a person's arm or sleeve, I personally think that's extremely naive. Why would that cause someone to have the desire to leave? There's a stronger meaning in my opinion, but maybe that's just me. I certainly don't mean to offend anyone here, particularly Dan and Gerry (my musical heroes), but these are just my personal thoughts. Since Dan was the first to mention what he believes the meaning of "To Each His Own" is about, I think it opened the door for any of us to say what we think it's about.

I hope to receive my copy of "Guitar Man" soon since I place my order about a week ago. That is if I don't have my order rejected for stating all that I have here.

Nancy,

Think you were looking for MIKE AND THE MECHANICS and the song was, "In the Living Years".

Guys, hate to sound a dissenting note, but I listened to the two sounds clips from this album and they sounded terrible. I know that's not enough to judge an album from, but it didn't sound anything like classic America to me at all. It sounds like bad bar rock to me or something along those lines.

I then listened to clips from ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE, and THAT did sound more like old America to me (granted, it was from 1978). Certainly much more so than what I heard off GUITAR MAN.

I think Dewey and Gerry still have much more of the magic left than Dan does.

-LE

I know, now you're thinking "she's back and we won't get rid of her"..lol..I always enjoy offering a personal anecdote or 2 (or 3)

Anyway, for those of you still reading, AJ (now 17) started playing guitar about 4 years back with a "beginner/beginner" guitar & amp. When it was time to upgrade I checked with Matt Beckley, who offered some excellent advice. I ended up getting him a Fender strat, double humbucker (?) a decent sized amp and personalized picks which he thought was really cool. He's on his own for future upgrades!

2nd time in a week I have heard the name Ben Folds..AJ just went to see him in concert Saturday night at the Roxy in Atlanta. Said he was quite good and now has his promo picture as my screen saver..(rather HAD, sorry Ben.) I like the ones Beechlady designs.

Although the little welp referred to me as an "anachronism" recently after I beat him at a video game, I still wish to make my soon-to-be-12-year-old son happy for his July birthday. He wants an electric guitar. He's a pure beginner, and he's a kid who might be interested in something else six months from now. But I remember, too, how much I wanted my first (in my case acoustic) guitar. I don't have a small fortune to spend on this. What can I reasonably expect to pay for a quality used, electric guitar and beginner amp? Also, what are the important things to look for? Any help that anyone can be would be most appreciated.

Incidentally, this whole thing reminds me of a lyric from Ben Folds' recent "Rockin the Suburb" release.

"Good morning son, in 20 years, maybe we'll both sit down and have a few beers ... and I can tell you 'bout today ... and how I picked you up and everything changed"

I still remember that feeling in July of 1990 ... can't believe it's already 2002 and I'm now shopping for guitars.

ARE YOU SURE????????? TWO OF MY VERY FAVORITE THINGS!!!!!!! AMERICA AND DISNEYLAND!!!!!! I WILL BE THERE!!!!!!!!!!

also according to the local papers in Orange County, it looks like AMERICA has added 2 shows/afternoon for August 18-20th at DisneyLand Adventure in Anaheim California. They have added live music to their menu. I am sure Steve will get the details soon.

Twice I had a long e-mail with my review on the individual songs from Dan Peek's new album. And twice my computer froze. (I don't have a third attempt in me.)

Which is probably the computer god's way of saying, "shut the hell up."

So I'll just add to what I wrote yesterday with this:

We America fans are lucky. In between the too rare recordings of new America material, we still get treated to the genius we fell in love with. A few years ago we got Gerry Beckley's stunning solo album Van Go Gan. We got Dan Peek's work in Peace and his subsequent reimergence as a solo act. Now we get Dan's guitar epic.

"Guitar Man" is awesome. Imagine if the three guys got back together and Dewey and Gerry said, "hey, Dan, you've been gone a long time, let's make up for lost time by doing a whole album of your songs." This would be that album.

And while we can foolishly hope some day America will put its pissing war aside and realize how special they were as a trio, until that day we can only get slices of the pie.

And, Johnny, I don't think "Makin' Trax" is in any way a slam, dig or response to Gerry Beckley's, "I Need You."

While lyrically the two songs have the same starting point, this is a totally different thing. I don't know the darkness from which that song crawled out, and hopefully I never will, but to me the song is about fighting demons, the constant battles of temptation, a man desperately crying out for the inner demons to go away. In the end, he's strong enough to overcome them. But he knows they'll be back.

I think if anything, Dan was playing off Beckley's song, not to rip it or rip it off, but to show there's a whole other side to needing things. While the sun shines on one side of the world, it's pitch black on the other side.

Ironically, this is the one song that I can't seem to shake as I walk around. The chorus of "I don't want you, but here you come again" follows me around. Not that I don't want it to, but there it is again.

KevinS.

I just received word from Morey Management that the July 12 show in Burlington, VT has been canceled. I'll update the concert schedule tonight but I wanted to let those who might be affected know as soon as possible.

Janice, it's good to hear from you - especially since you have such positive news to share. Keep the faith!

Janice, it's great to hear from you.
I'm happy for you that things are starting to look up.
Keep up the positive attitude and spirits flowing.
Please check in more often. :0)
-Howie-

Go Janice ! May the force be with you. Hang in there.

I agree that "Silent Letter" contains some of America's best work as a duo, and has been shamefully underrated.
However, I also recall being vaguely disappointed at the time it came out because it seemed an exceedingly "produced" record, and I had been hoping for a return to the beautiful simplicity of their early recordings after the slickness (to my ears) of "Hideaway" and "Harbor."
With the passage of time, "Silent Letter" doesn't seem as glossy and overproduced now as it did then, although the songs "All My Life" and "Tall Treasures," in particular, are still pretty ornate. One other thought. Although no song in particular is a real downer, there is a certain melancholy, autumnal vibe to "Silent Letter" that I've always picked up on. I wonder if that didn't have something to do with its middling performance on the charts. Lots of folks who might have been inclined to buy the debut LP, say, or "Holiday" and "Hearts," might not have found the effervescence they sought from America on "Silent Letter."

Hi everyone! It will take days (weeks, months) to catch up on all I've missed. I wanted to say hello and thank so many of you for your kind words and emails (that I have yet to respond to and I apologize.)
I'm exhausted from constant trips to Houston, but the latest tests revealed wonderful news of some regression, and I may be able to undergo surgery by October. Fingers crossed and a big hug to everyone for their continued support. Life is good. :-)

Janice

Silent Letter is probably my favorite album of theirs as a duo. (nice sentence, huh) Some great, very underrated tracks. One Morning, ah, I'd love to hear Dewey do that live.
j

Thanks Steve!

Wow, very interesting lyrics to say the least. Check out my speculation about the song in my two June 10th posts, #22243 and #22244.

The following lyrics to Gerry's "To Each His Own" has me wondering all the more exactly what Gerry was referring to regarding "writing on their sleeve" and their possible "makin'tracks" connection:

Familiar faces that I've seen
Turnin' red and turnin' green
They just got caught with writing on their sleeve
I guess I'll leave

On Dan's web site he says that "Makin' Tracks" is a trip to the dark side on this eerie black parody of the "need" song.

First of all, let me say that I really like the song. But I didn't listen to the words closely until Johnny asked for my thoughts. Here are the lyrics as best I can decipher them. I think they will speak for themselves about what Dan meant.

I need you like the track needs the train.
I need you like the umbrella needs the rain.
I need you like the heroin needs the pain.
I don't want you but here you come again.
I don't want you but here you come again.

I need you like the body needs a bruise.
I need you like the winner needs a loser.
I need you like the cocaine needs a user.
I don't want you but here you come again.
I don't want you but here you come again.

I need you like the victim needs the crime.
I need you like the prisoner needs the time.
I need you like the madness needs your mind.
I don't want you but here you come again.
I don't want you but here you come again.

I saw them get booed off the stage in Omaha, Nebraska in the 60's while touring the US in Dick Clark's Cavalcade of Stars.

Johnny, if it was me, I don't remember. So it probably wasn't me. But then again, I forget a lot in my advancing years. Now, what was I talking about?

Shayne
"A drunken dreamer's plan to stay just as I am - Amidst the dancing paradise"

The Rolling Stones are on tour in the States and they will be performing here in Harford Connecticut on October 5th. I just bought tickets on line from their website. The tickets were very expensive. This will be my first Rolling Stones concert, and at these prices, I imagine that this will be my last one as well. Has anyone here seen the Stones live, and how good were they? ~Pat

Steve, regarding Dan's song "Makin' Trax" and with Dan's comments in mind from his website, can you please give us your thoughts about what "Makin' Trax" is about?

Kevin~ Thanks for the review. I'm still waiting for my copy. Hopefully it will arrive soon. I'm very anxious to hear "Dan's most America-like solo album so far...". Sounds like this is THE Dan Peek solo album I've been waiting for, for past 20 years! ~Pat

Listened to it saturday night thoroughally and found that there was real good music like one morning, 1960, and forever, tall treasures.
I was shocked that the album ranked so low in 1979.

I got my copy of Guitar Man today and I've been listening to it this afternoon at work. I'm on my second listen and I'm still trying to figure out which songs I like the best. I definitely agree with Kevin that Dan shows his guitar ability on this album. There are some great rockers that are a lot of fun to listen to. "Nashville Cats" is probably my least favorite song although I'm listening to it as I type this message and I like it more the second time than I did the first time.

Johnny, regarding your question about Dan's autograph: Mine was autographed inside. The front cover says "Dan Peek" at the top and "Guitar Man" at the bottom and has a guitar man figurine in the middle. The inside cover has a picture of a long-haired, bearded Dan wearing a white leather coat and holding a Chet Atkins guitar. The autograph says "Lets Play! Dan Peek". The cover opens to list the 11 tracks which were all written by Dan except for "Nashville Cats" which was written by John Sebastian during his Lovin' Spoonful days. A couple of the songs were co-written by Blazy and one other song was co-written by Peace member Ken Marvin. Now I'm listening to "Into The Night" and the guitar work reminds me of The Isley Brothers with their version of "That Lady".

I look forward to reading Kevin's review of the songs.

Alright Kevin! I, for one, eagerly await your song-by-song review! Was the front cover autographed?

My copy should be arriving soon. I love Dewey's "Green Monkey" and Dan's "In The Country" so I'm really looking forward to hearing Dan's new CD. Dan's "It's Life," "California Revisited," and "In The Country" are among my all-time favorite America songs!

Right Vic! This was discussed a year or two ago before your joining on. All those years, many of us never knew what the ending of "Moon Song" was about. It was very nice discovering that it contained a hidden message. Was it Shayne who initially unraveled the mystery?

(Welcome Thalia!)

Nice job, Nancy!

Regarding Nancy's trivia question, the band in question had a video to a hit song that featured a gambling scene from China Town and featured actor Richard Belzer (I think that's his name). Also, one of the lead singers had a hit song as a solo artist that also had a cool video. It featured a very attractive lady driving a red 70's Pontiac Catalina or Bonneville.

I've spent the last two days listening to "Guitar Man," Dan Peek's new CD. I got it on Saturday. By Sunday it was already a classic on my personal playlist.

If anybody ever wondered what America would sound like if Dan Peek were still in the group, this might be as close as we'll ever get. Which is a shame (and the subject of a whole other rant).

This is his most America-like solo album so far. With America-like riffs, America-like harmonizing (I swear I hear Gerry Beckley back there) and America-like electric guitar playing. America-like, but not stuck in the past. Updated.

If you like the America rockers, (not just Dan's but all of them like Green Monkey, In The Country, etc.), you'll like this. Sure there are some acoustic driven songs, but the bulk of them are electric guitar driven.

It couldn't be more aptly titled. It's a tour de force of Dan's guitar playing. From straight-edge, burn the house down electric guitar jamming, to airy jazzy riffs, to the classic America acoustic guitar sound. There's even some solo acoustic picking like the boys used to do more frequently.

It's as if Dan's saying, "hey, world, don't forget I was no slouch in my day." It's too bad for guys like Dan and Gerry and Dewey, that the record industry thinks their day has passed.

It just seems like Dan's having so much fun airing it out.

Songwriting wise, Dan still has it. I think he's turned it up a notch lately. When the songs are running through my mind even though the CD isn't playing, that's a sure sign of a great album.

Even though Dan is no longer in America, it's clear America is still in Dan.

God, the sounds that would come out if it if the three of them could get together again.

KevinS.

I'll give you a song-by-song review when I get back from a client meeting.

Some may be interested in checking this out. On the "Homecoming" album, the fourth track is "Moon Song". If you listen closely, to the last 30 to 35 seconds of "Moon Song", you can hear voices, in the background, saying something. A few weeks ago, I listened with headphones, trying to pick up what was being said. What I was able to determine, was that there is a track that has been layed down in reverse. My nephew comes to visit last week, and I bring this song to his attention. He agrees that there is a "backmasked" track near the end of the song. He downloads a program, records the last part of the song, plays it in reverse, mystery solved. We are able to hear clearly what the voices are saying. It is nothing profound, but is quite appropriate coming from our favorite group, AMERICA. I won't tell what we heard, at this time, in case there is anyone who would like to find out for themself. You can download the program at (www.threechords.com/hammerhead/cool_edit_96.shtml)If you don't have the time, or the know how, to do this on your own, as I would not have, I can e-mail you an attachment that contains the sound byte. Anyone who gets it on their own, or wants the sound byte, please let me know. I'll post the answer sometime Wednesday evening, that should give anyone who is interested in finding on their own, time to do so.

Hi,
just wanna say we got thesame taste when it comes to music.
Yeah!!! AMERICA is simply the best!!!!!!!!

Holiday label could change, but possibly Rhino. Lots of good stuff on the horizon for AMERICA, in between see them live !!! AMERICA better than ever !

Great reviews and news,who or what is America's label?

Hi Me Again,
I just wanted to say I will leave my trivia question go for awhile before I post the answer, I realize this was a very busy weekend for everyone.
My EAGLES~~~Hell Freezes Over VHS Tape is Playing here, I would much rather be watching my AMERICA IN CONCERT DVD but I still haven't recieved it back yet~~~Bummer! For Now the Eagles will have to do, Timothy is sounding great as usual, I just love how he sings I can't tell you why, and Love will keep us alive~~~Wooo! So Nice for sure!
I wished the song King of Hollywood would have been on here, it would be nice to hear them perform this live, I just recently got to hear it and it definitely has the Classic Eagles sound for sure~~ I Like it alot :)
Johnny~~~Here is my answers for your Unscramble the Ramble game, I will post the first half and let the second half for Genevieve to post.
Nog Trivia From Man ~~~~ From a Moving Train
Hair Sales ~~~ She's a Liar
Use Bar Maid Lines ~~~Submarine Ladies
Cleared Nil~~~Cinderella
I Start The Pics~~~ Cast the Spirit
Runt of One ~~~One Fortune
Eat Which Soon ~~~To Each His Own
Pet Rear Lines ~~~Sleepertrain
FM Heart~~~The Farm
Go Neon Pigs~~~Pigeon Song
Hal Dented Tin~~~Hidden Talent
Tan Signs Hurt~~~ Saturn Nights
Bret L. Lee~~~ Bell Tree
A Jadey Sin~~~~Daisy Jane
The Red Rob~~~~The Border
Nudes of Goth~~~God of the Sun
I, Ray, Andy~~~Rainy Day
Low Crank'n Ball~~~~Cornwall Blank
No Terms~~~~Monster
Crabby Tony D.~~~Don't Cry Baby
Lowly Hood~~~Hollywood
An Evil Net~~~Valentine
Needy I.O.U.~~~I Need You
Bee's Maraca CDs~~~Amber Cascades
That Rich Tan Cat~~~~Catch That Train
Thanks alot Johnny it was fun! I hope everyone had a good day! Back to the work week now! Bye for now Nancy :)

Hi Everyone!
Thanks ShariL & Jimnak for the enthusiastic reviews on Friday nights show. Sounds like another memorable evening for sure! Nice :)
My friend Mary was at the show last night at the Grove and she said that it was GREAT! They played the Short Playlist of Songs. The Jenerators also opened this night and played some good songs. Mary has seen them 4 times now, She and her sister always take Roses and Stuffed Unicorns for Dewey & Gerry and place them on the stage. She said that they acknowledged these and said thanks for them, had her smiling for sure. All in all the evening was a fantastic one but was over way too fast leaving you wanting more as usual.... Thanks Gerry & Dewey for all of the great music! I sure hope to get the chance to see them again soon, I can never get enough! Nancy :)

hi. yes shari it was me but i didn't bring any roses this time. humphrey's was great and the grove last nite was exciting also. sure wish they were in S. CA more this year. wish i had seen you shari but i did see a few people that i hadn't seen in a few years. take care all...........nanse

Christmas Cd...YEP! Caymans CD...YEP!

Jeff Larsons thrown some "odds and ends" in over on his site. Try listening to his song "If wishes were horses". It's off his CD "Redheads and Woodpeckers".

Thanks Sharon, here's some more:

AMERICA did it again ! 2 back-to-back sold out shows in Southern California; Friday at Humphrey's in San Diego & Saturday at the Grove in Anaheim California. Both shows added their extended seating to accommodate the overflowing, bubbling w/AMERICA excitement crowds.

Both shows were opened by the Jenerators. A band that included occasional song collaborator & dear friend Bill Mumy (Lost in Space fame) & David Jolliffe (room 222 fame). Also Miguel Ferrer was the drummer/percussionist. In other words a group of actors who enjoy playing music. There are lots of great stories about these guys & AMERICA. To summarize: When AMERICA burst upon the music scene & launched the monumental hot song HORSE WITH NO NAME, they had been in England. Once HORSE WITH NO NAME skyrocketed to the nations consciousness, AMERICA was booked for 4 straight nites at the famous Whiskey a go-go, sort of their Homecoming. The crowds lined up around the block & getting a seat was tough. Who showed up all 4 nites ? Bill Mumy & David Jolliffe (while playing Bernie in room 222) - they have been friends ever since. And it was David Jolliffe who tipped to Willie Leacox (AMERICA's drummer for some 30 years) about the audition AMERICA was doing for a drummer back in 1974ish - the rest as they say is History or shall say More Greatest Hits. By the way, the Jenerators treated the crowd to GREENHOUSE & debated playing HELL'S ON FIRE but decided to stick to GREENHOUSE. A great warm-up for AMERICA !!!

AMERICA was on fire for both of these shows. By nite's end the crowds were on their feet for the HORSE WITH NO NAME finale. And by the way there is some great news about their Holiday song CD release. They have been working very hard to complete all tracks & deliver the finished songs to their label for release this year. The great news is that they are on track & things are looking very good for a release this year, look for some really neat, newly written songs, I think probably 3ish. Also if all works out & the mixing & engineering process is completed, they may be releasing a live CD from their Cayman show. Yes that show included ALL MY LIFE, WIND WAVE, TO EACH HIS OWN, LAST UNICORN, PIGEON SONG just to name a few. See AMERICA live in 2002 !!!

Thanks, Johnny. Now that I read your "puzzle" answer they all seem so obvious.
j

Hi, everybody!
It was a bit of a cool night for San Diego in June. Usually at Humphrey's it's pretty sheltered from the breeze, but we didn't experience that til late in the show last night.
The Jenerators (Bill Mumy's band) opened and played for about 45 minutes. Bill and three other guys traded off singing lead. I enjoyed all the songs, and it was refreshing to hear people sing and be able to understand all the lyrics without them getting lost in the screaming guitars! They were well received by the audience, and I think a lot of them didn't realize who Bill was. (In case anyone here hasn't made the connection, he was Will Robinson on "Lost In Space".)
I talked with JimNak before the show and he said they were opening for America tonight in Anaheim as well. (Great to see you again, Jim. Thanks again for the picks and the set list. I know the other guy you gave the set list to - they're friends from church!)
It pays to know someone working the stage - a number of people were begging Jim for the set lists but I'd asked him before the show and he saved it for me til I could get back up to the front.
Dewey looked better than I've seen him look in a long time. Being a newlywed is obviously agreeing with him. He mentioned that and dedicated "California Dreamin'" to Penny.
Brad was sporting a new bass guitar - it was red, yellow, and green like a flag and his guitar strap was yellow with "Police Line - Do Not Cross" printed on it.
Willie has shaved his mustache. That took a little getting used to!
"Don't Cross The River" has always been one that I wouldn't mind seeing dropped from the set list, but last night it really rocked.
Dewey as chatting at one point about Bill Mumy and how long they've been friends and worked together (and another guy in the band too, but I didn't write down his name - Jim, do you know it?) and that Bill has probably written more songs with them than anyone else. Somewhere in this, he mentioned their previous partner, Dan. My husband and I don't ever remember either of them mentioning Dan before.
Overall a great show. My daughers enjoyed finally seeing them live, but were a little surprised at how rowdy the inebriated "older" folks got. (The first 7 rows at Humphrey's are reserved for their dinner package - so most of those folks have some or a lot of refreshments with their wonderful dinners.)
I thought I saw Nanse from Temecula, but she didn't go up for "Three Roses" like she has in the past so maybe it wasn't her!
Since I enjoy the concerts too much to keep track of the set list, I'm very thankful Jim can supply it for me!
Riverside
Ventura Highway
You Can Do Magic
Don't Cross The River
Daisy Jane
Windwave (was crossed out, but they played it. Dewey commented after the song that they were going to drop it from the set, but considering the great reaction they got it was good they left it in.)
Another Try (also crossed out, but was played)
Three Roses
I Need You
(After they played this, Gerry told the story others have related here about how he told George Harrison he had also written a song called "I Need You" and then he does an impression of George saying "that's all right, I borrowed if from someone else too" or something like that. Then they went on to play George's "I Need You" insted of playing "Things We Said Today" that they've ben playing before.
Baby It's Up to You
Wheels
Tin Man
The Border
Woman Tonight
Only In Your Heart
California Dreamin'
Lonely People
Hangover
Survival (also crossed out, but played)
Never Be Lonely
Sandman
Sister Golden Hair
encore, of course was
Horse With No Name

If I think of anything else, I'll post it later.
Thanks, guys, for another wonderful evening!
ShariL <><

John, to answer your question, here is what I thought were the correct answers to Red Oak's triv question from the other day. As I mentioned before, I don't know what the heck type of list I was actually looking at. Maybe it was a list for a particular year and not for "all time":

RUSH
Moving Pictures
Permanent Wave

LED ZEPPELIN
Zoso (I think it is)
House Of Holy

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
Under The Table & Dreaming
Crash

The amazing thing about EMPTY CAGES (the song quoted) is that the music fits the lyrics so incredibly well. That's what makes Dan Fogelberg so much more than just a poet. Very appropos for today, Ladd.

Shayne
Fury rages through your restless days, Shades of time that's gone before. Empty cages where the prisoner plays, 'Til the door swings closed behind forevermore.

Nancy ~ Maybe you can post half of the answers and Genevieve can post the other if she cares to. I'll leave it up to the both of you to decide. I'd hate to deprive either of you the opportunity since the both of you have worked so hard on it! If both of you do post the answers here, maybe it would be a good idea to post the scrambled phrase with the actual America song title next to it [if anyone gives a "Dog Dam"]. :0)

Genevieve, yes, "Sire Drive" and "Is Ever Rid" is the same song title. Sorry about that.

John L, put the kindest way possible...sorry but I don't seem to have the time to answer your question. Just kiddin'. Will reply here later today. I initially thought about answering you with a scrambled phrase to "Never Found The Time" but I'm in a RUSH at the moment.

Hi All!
Johnny I am done unscrambling the America song titles~~Thanks that was fun! If you want I will post my answers!
Regarding my trivia question~~~Please tell me the name of the 70's group that the music artist was in and the 80's group's name too.
Okay, Bye again! Nancy :) So much for our nice day here in Pa, it is raining now!

Hi Everyone!
Like you Red I too am looking forward to the reviews from the concert last evening and this evenings.
Johnny~~~This was fun, I just need to figure out 5 more of these and then I am done.
I have a Trivia question that brings a song that I think of that kinda relates to Father's~~~
Who is the lead singer of early 70's group (which has the same name as a card), they had one song that did quite well. He then went on to sing in a group called The Sweeds~~didn't do too well there, then in the middle 80's he joined with another 70's singer (that shares the same first name as him)to sing lead on a group (that was made by one of the singers from the group Genesis)on a song that was quite popular. Give me the name of the music artist and the title of the song that was popular in the middle 80's. I hope this makes sense, I probably made it too easy! Anyway, I really like this song! Again~~~Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there! The weather here in Pa. is beautiful today! Just sent my Husband & Son off to spend Father's Day in Michigan to see the Nascar race~~~so He should have a great Father's Day! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Where are all the reviews from last night in San Diego by those high roller California night owls?

Alas No, I will be unable to go to Anaheim. I wanted to but due to a schuduling conflict I could not swing it.

Get there early to see the jenerators! They are GREAT and a lot of fun to watch. I have had the good fortune too see them in a smaller venue a few times and have really enjoyed them. Bill Mumy is a wonderful musician and the rest of the band is great too. ENJOY THE SHOW!!!!

I hear Matt is working hard on his new project. I personally can't wait to hear what he comes up with!

Congrats to your daughter!

Hi, everybody!
My daughter graduated last night so now I can think about the concert TONIGHT at the fabulous Humphrey's By The Bay in San Diego.
Opening act will be The Jenerators, Bill Mumy's band. That ought to be fun, too! Haven't heard them before.
This time we're taking both daughters and my mom who is here for the graduation. Although inundated with America music their whole lives, the girls haven't ever seen them in concert. Too bad Matt's already in Austrailia as we'll miss seeing him there for the first time in about six years!
Will try to post a review as soon as possible, but we're having an open house for our graduate tomorrow so not sure how quickly I can get back with you.
Robyn - does that mean you're not making it to Anaheim tomorrow night?
3 and a half more hours!
Take care!
ShariL <><

Hi everyone,
Have all a nice & restful week-end, and may all the dads here have a very Happy Father's Day !!!

Johnny,

Interesting trivia indeed but not so easy (can only find 20 titles for the moment!). Got a question for you : i wonder if 'Sire Drive' & 'Is Ever Rid' could be the same song actually? Thanks for letting us know.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. I hope everyone spends some time with their dad this weekend!

To everyone lucky enough to have concert ticket this weekend Enjoy yourselves ( and I am looking forward to reading everyone's reports!)

Hi Everyone!
I just wanted to wish Gerry & Dewey & Band a Happy Father's Day! And to Steve and all the Father's here on the chat folder too~~~Enjoy Your Special Day!
Hi Johnny~~~I have been working on your Unscramble the Ramble Game~~~Wow this is sure interesting! So do I get this right~~one letter from each of these song titles go together in the end to spell out a song title of AMERICA's? This could take awhile to finish this!
I agree Ladd DF sure has some beautiful song lyrics~~they have a way of captivating your soul! So Do alot of Gerry's & Dewey's as I am typing this Garden of Peace is playing~~~~WOW~~~~~A Mirror pond reflects the dawn~~over the banks across the emerald lawn a breeze has come I'm carried along, so follow the path through the knowing trees, and each time you laugh it is love you release, that love will come back in the garden of peace. Same way with Gerry's Kiss of Life~~~WOW~~~~When You love someone its gonna take some time, Come on and saveeee meee, saveee meeee, pull me from deep water, give the Kiss of Life, now is the moment treasured, breathe the kiss of life into the words we speak, intooo the words we speak, come across the meadow like a slow moving train, long determination, over every name, when you love someone its gonna take some time!~~~Give the kiss, give the kisss~~give the kiss of lifee(Saveee me~~~~when you love someone its gonna take some time)Breathe the kiss of life! Absolutely Breathtakingly Beautiful Lyrics! Thank You Gerry & Dewey for so many moving songs! WOW!!!! Bye for now, Nancy :) (smilin for sure!)

Absolutely haunting...what a poet he is...

"Long before we come of age we yearn to leave the garden
And wrestle with a myth the hand of fate has faintly drawn
But somewhere on the way we feel our hearts begin to harden
And see just as we learn to turn around
The garden is gone"

Sydney, British Columbia to be exact. They are on the west coast on my birthday, playing just outside of Victoria at a large festival. One of the radio stations that is sponsoring the event has regular radio spots advertizing it. They seem to mention different acts with each spot...except Amercia is always mentioned. They seem to be the main attraction and have the prime Saturday 8:00 pm spot. Looks like I am going to be able to make it after all. Very pumped. ALthough I will miss my favorite reggae band, Third World, who is playing the Friday night. Oh well. It's been 2 years since I have seen America.
j

Johnny, it's been said many times here. but looking at that list it MUST be said again, (in the most caring way possible, of course). You have way too much time on your hands. However, what were your answers to your cryptic answers to the three top 20? I got the Led Zepplin and "Houses of the Holy" and '4' but the others stumped me.

j

Here's a link to the long set list played at the Seven Springs Mountain Resort on February 7th of this year.

/america/pl020207.htm

I think it's fairly current although the list could have changed. I think that more recent set lists have been given in this Chat Folder so check the archives and see what you can find to determine what's short and what's long.

I don't know if the Denver show will feature the long or short set. However, it's not uncommon for them to have to do the short set when they share the bill with someone like Kansas. FYI - they don't determine how long they play, the venue does and they make the set fit the time alloted.

Here's a game for you all. The letters that compose the following phrases are also the EXACT letters that spell-out an AMERICA song title. How many can you solve? Listed below are the phrases followed by the number of words that are actually in the title to the AMERICA song. One rule is to ignore any punctuation marks. They are there for my spelling proposes only. Good luck!!!

Nog Trivia From Man (4 words)
Hair Sales (3 words)
Use Bar Maid Lines (2 words)
Cleared Nil (1 word)
I Start The Pics (3 words)
Runt of One (2 words)
Eat Which Soon? (4 words)
Pet Rear Lines (2 words)
FM Heart (2 words)
Go Neon Pigs (2 words)
Hal Dented Tin (2 words)
Tan Signs Hurt (2 words)
Bret L. Lee (2 words)
A Jadey Sin (2 words)
The Red Rob (2 words)
Nudes of Goth (4 words)
I, Ray, Andy (2 words)
Low Crank'n Ball (2 words)
No Terms (1 word)
Crabby Tony D. (3 words)
Lowly Hood (1 word)
An Evil Net (1 word)
Needy I.O.U. (3 words)
Bee's Maraca CDs (2 words)
That Rich Tan Cat (3 words)
Eve D, Afro RN (2 words)
There's No Eve C. (3 words)
I Lug Roy (2 words)
Thick Tar (2 words)
Red Yam (2 words)
I'm Ann T. (2 words)
He See No Rug (1 word)
Are U In, Tim? (1 word)
Or Sets Here (2 words)
Sire Drive (1 word)
E.G. Sap (1 word)
No Foil (1 word)
Is Ever Rid (1 word)
Mow Or Rot (1 word)
Near A Tin Show Home (5 words)
In All, I'm One Ion (4 words)
Big Mother Tack (4 words)
Set With Cool End (4 words)
Build Away, Birth Led (4 words)
Wooly V-House (4 words)
A Nerdhead Hat (3 words)
Aay! Hi Dew! (1 word)
Lies Fit (2 words)
Go-In-Now Bars (2 words)
Dog Dam (2 words)
No "if" is my LOVE for AMERICA...ETERN., i.e. (no clue on this one)

Webmaster,
Are there current short & long lists of concerts for America?

Red, no apology was necessary as far as I'm concerned because you didn't say anything incorrect. You merely said "Candle In The Wind" was one of the top 3 but the answer would be revealed later. Thanks for your kind words, nevertheless!

Regarding my cryptic answers yesterday to your "Top 20 Albums" question, I don't know what list I was looking but I can't seem to find it now. Must have been the Top 20 for Siberia! :0)

Webmaster,
Who knew u would be right eventually! Do u have any info on whether America will be doing the short or long show when they share with Kansas here in Denver on September 20? They play in Albuquerque the next day, so I'm concerned that they will do only the short. Tx.

Johnny,
I owe u an apology. U were right on with #1 being Elton John. The list that I noticed was outdated. Sorry.

Bryan Adam's at #10? Who would have guessed? Not me!

Paul Anka's presence (at #8 I think it was) reminds me of something he said on PBS about PMS. He said he has all daughters. I think he said his grandchildren are girls, too. Anyway, he said there's a lot of PMS in his household. PMS meaning "Paul Must Suffer".

I knew that my "White Christmas" guess of last week would be right eventually. Here's a link to a page that shows the top 10 selling singles of all time: www.thisdayinmusic.com/cont/chart_1.html

Ok Red, fair enough. I just wanted to make sure I was on the right track...this time! LOL

1. Sir Elton's "Candle In The Wind"
2. Bing Crosby's "White Christmas"
3. Bill Haley and The Comet's "Rock Around The Clock"

That is one of the 3. Where it places, I'll not tell yet.

Red, is the top one Elton John's "Candle In The Wind" following Princess Di's death?

Name the top 3 single selling songs of all-time & artist.

Johnny, I couldn't decipher ur answer, so don't know if u were correct first. If u were, good going.

sure MISSED, rather

Vic is on a roll!

Wow, I sure missing the correct answer, but Vic's makes perfect (and much better) sense! :0)

You are absolutely correct on this, Vic. I see where this question didn't exactly get much of a response. The top 100 list is actually pretty interesting. Lots of surprises with the various artists and albums.

THE EAGLES: "Their Greatest Hits"
"Hotel California"

THE BEATLES "1967-70"
"White Album"

PINK FLOYD: "The Wall"
"Dark Side Of the Moon"

Thanks for telling me that!!!Oh well it is back to planting my flowers~~~Finally getting this done! See you all later in Live Chat!

during the game, I know but try to be there!

Hi Nancy ~ My coded answers won't make any sense unless you already know the true answers because some of the words I used are synonyms while others are antonyms. So, it's best not to rack your brain over my answers. Just thought I'd say that to spare you any brain cells. :0)

Hi Everyone,
Thanks Ladd for posting about the Dan F. show in Westbury, N.Y. You and Speech have me wanting to see him sooo bad. Next week DanC will get to see him~~~You guys are lucky!Heart Hotels, Make Love Stay and Old Aung Syne, Leader of the band all of my favorites for sure~~Did he by chance sing the songs Lessons Learned, Lonely in Love, Part of the Plan, Run for the Roses, Dancing Shoes, Scarecrows Dream? Wow! I would really love to see him. Hey DanC~~be sure and let us know about his show next week~~Okay? Ladd~~~The Michael McDonald show should be good also~~~ I love his voice!
DanC~~~~I to saw Three Dog Night in concert in 73, I can vaguely remember them singing the song One, and Old Fashioned Love Song~~Neat~~Boy you sure were in a hard rock groove when you listed your songs~~Wow Freebird~~it has been awhile since I have heard that one, I like Stairway to Heaven & Layla the slow one by Eric Clapton is so nice. Neat that you got to see AMERICA perform Old Man Took and Inspector Mills, & Company live~~~WOW! :)
Hi Mary~~~the Moody Blues would be good to see live~~ I saw them on some of the TV talk shows, they still sounded good, good songs too.
Hey Johnny~~~~You are soo good at this trivia stuff! WOW! I keep reading your codes trying to see if I can get these but not to sure, I think I know what one of them is but that is just a guess too.
Red~~~We should list the 10 songs that we would love to see live just to complete that subject! Thanks for the fun!
Hi SteveL~~~Thanks for the info on Jeff Larsons new CD, I plan on getting it, I checked the sound clips on his site out and I like these songs, but then again how can it be bad with Gerry Dewey & Timothy & Jeff Foskett singing on these with him~~~Should go over real well. I am getting Dan Peek's new CD too! Wow only thing left now is Gerry & Dewey's Christmas CD & the Cayman Island Live CD and I will definitely get these. My friend Mary will be seeing Gerry & Dewey this weekend out in Calif.! Have fun Mary! :)
Enjoy the rest of you day all! Nancy :)

Red, not to give the answer away so others can still play, I'd give my answers in code:

QUICKLY
Action Shows
A Type Of Hairdo

TIN BLIMP
Bozo
Home of Saints

BRAVE DULL COLORS
Over The Top & Imagining
Bam!

Make that 3 groups each have 2 each of the top 20 selling albums in history. Name the groups & albums.

2 groups each have 2 albums in the top 20 for all-time sales. Name the groups & albums.

Glad to hear you enjoyed the show. Sounds like Dan did essentially the same lineup of tunes with maybe a twist here or there. I really enjoyed the numbers he did featuring the other musicians, and I think the high point of his own material (among the rockers, anyway) was "Empty Cages." He also did a beautiful rendition of "To the Morning" from his first-ever LP and a delightful version of "Changing Horses," which he described as having been written "way back when I was a baby."
As for his stage persona, I think Dan, like a lot of artists (but evidently not Gerry and Dewey) sometimes finds himself caught between affection for his fans and mild annoyance, particularly with the zealous ones.

And he retains a perverse streak as well.

In Philly, obviously, everybody was up for the show and stoked at the outset (even though his opening tune, "Magic Every Moment," is one of my least favorite Fogelberg compositions), so Dan's first comment to this very stoked audience is, "Here's a little ditty I wrote around the time that my first marriage was disintegrating" and launches into "Hard to Say" (great song, by the way).

I also think it's mildly flippant to keep your enthusiastic, adoring audience waiting hopefully for some encores and then turn up, do a cover of a George-Harrison-penned Beatles tune (granted, it was a nice version) and then say "see ya."

OK. I happen to love the Beatles and respect Dan's eagerness to pay homage. But, clearly, the man knows his audience wants to hear more of Dan's own songs... and he's got an enormous array of choices. (for example "Hearts and Crafts," "Go Down Easy," "Times Like These" and other obscurities, if he's bored playing the familiar ones).

Those quibbles aside, though, the current Fogelberg show is great and I heartily recommend it to anyone.
The man's body of work is classic, he can flat-out play and sing, and his occasionally quirky and/or reticent demeanor is a price I think is worth paying for his art.

Would like to echo Speechwriter's assessment of the Philly show and say that Dan was in fine form at Westbury Music Fair this past Friday night on Long Island! What an awesome show...he's got a great band behind him, but he also sat down and played a few numbers alone on piano and acoustic (everyone else left the stage), including "Leader of the Band," which sounded new and gorgeous, "Same Ol' Aung Syne," which will never lose its power, and "Make Love Stay," which really affected me the most, since I didn't expect him to do it in this fashion. Dan is such a great guitarist, watching him play acoustic makes me yearn to improve on this instrument and be able to express myself like this.

There were some other great hits played. "Hard to Say" kicked ass (it's my girlfriend's favorite Dan song), "Heart Hotels" was a welcome surprise and, as reported, "Empty Cages" blew the doors off the f***in' hall! God, can this guy play! He was just burning it up, ripping through lead after lead.

Anyone else notice that Dan's voice improves as the show goes on? In the beginning, he didn't even sound like himself (who is this guy?), but by the end he had that trademark high, glorious voice cranked up to fever pitch.

Dan also took time to play songs from some of his bandmates' old bands, which took me off guard and was awesome! He also played some blues (old and new), which was fun, and did a tribute to George Harrison to close that was classy.

It does seem that he is a bit of a jerk, though--it pains me to say this. He made a snide remark about the opening band, Paul Brill was the guy's name. Brill was great (check him out, you guys will love his stuff) and had said it was an honor and privilege to open for Dan, and then Dan couldn't even say one good word about the kid. Then Dan got us to do opening foot stomps for "Make Love Stay" ("I've got a good idea..."). So we do it, and then he stops us!! And finally, he stopped the show and made a roadie get him a nail file before "Leader of the Band." God knows how the guy found one, but he did, and then Dan tries it and is like "This thing isn't doing anything." So finally he plays and it sounds great and there's no problem at all. Anyway, he was charming at other times, but he came off as a bit arrogant and cold, and made other weird comments.

There's so much love in the music, though, that you don't care. Somewhere this guy is pure gold--maybe he is still uncomfortable being around people, still feels "different."

Anyone going to be at Michael McDonald/America on July 28 at Westbury Music Fair? I'm geared up and ready to go!

-Ladd

Some of you have been wondering how/where to order Jeff Larson's upcoming CD, Fragile Sunrise. The CD will be available July 9th but can be pre-ordered now at Amazon.com and MelodyBlvd.com. I'm looking forward to hearing Jeff's cover of Gerry's "Norman" along with the rest of the songs on that CD.

I agree with you, Dan. "Say No More" was largely a disappointment, with the harder-edged approach. Oddly, the song "No More" apparently is wildly popular in France. Kathie Molland recently posted on the Badfinger website that "No More" brought in a royalty check from France that was among the leading royalty generators for whatever time period had recently ended. Go figure. Anyway, I always go back and play a couple of the Airwaves tunes, especially "The Dreamer." That coda at the end where Joey sings "If we let it, our love will grow" and then strums a series of stately acoustic chords while the piano plays softly in the background always gets me. To my ears, it's classic Badfinger.

AMERICA
Daisy Jane
Sandman

SPRINGSTEEN
Rosalita
If I Should Fall Behind (with Patty)

CLARENCE CLEMONS
10th Ave. Freeze Out

ELTON JOHN
Your Song

POCO
Rose of Cimmaron

CSN
Wooden Ships
Teach Your Children

MOODY BLUES
Question
I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock & Roll Band)
Your Wildest Dreams

Mary

Thanks for the response on this, Speech. I was interested to hear what you thought of Airwaves. I can't say I've heard any bootlegs of this record. I also thought it was a bit sporadic. I also liked Love Is Gonna Come At Last but my fave on the record was Look Out California. Just rocked me the right way I guess. As far as the album Say No More, I just couldn't get into the harder sound of it. DanC.

1. Sandman, America
2. Old Man Took, America
3. Here, America
4. Inspector Mills, America
5. 157 Riverside Avenue, REO
6. Joy to the World, Three Dog Night (in 1973)
7. We're an American Band, Grand Funk Railroad
8. Rock Candy, Sammy Hagar
9. Company, America
10. Everything Mr. McCartney played in Chicago in April (is that cheating?)DanC.

1. Layla, Eric/Derek & the Dominoes
2. Riders on the Storm, The Doors
3. King of Hollywood, Eagles
4. Freebird, Lynryrd Skynyrd
5. Stairway to Heaven, Led Zepplin
6. Road to Babylon, Manfred Mann's Earth Band
7. A Day in the Life, The Beatles
8. Bridge of Sighs, Robin Trower
9. I Heard it Through the Grapevine, Creedence Clearwater Revival
10.You Drive Me Nervous, Alice Cooper

I was into a heavy rock groove when I took these off the top of my head.DanC.

The guys played at the Gold Strike casino in Robinsonville on May 26th but I don't see any other MS concerts scheduled for the rest of 2002. Keep checking the concert list at gigs02.htm for updates to the concert schedule.

"Second Avenue"...Tim Moore
"Could you lie"...Alison Krauss
"San Francisco"...Scott McKenzie
Theme from "A Summer Place"...various
"All I have"...Beth Nielson Chapman
Theme from "Somewhere in time"...Roger Williams
"The weekend"...Steve Wariner
"Old coyote town"...Don Williams
Theme from "Ice castles"...Marvin Hamlisch (instrumental)
"Little sisters of the grassland"...Seiji ozawa

Carry on

Can anyone tell me when The Group is making concert tours in Louisiana and Mississippi (Preferrably the Miss. Gulf Coast). Thank you

Glad to hear there's someone out there on the same page with regard to this "better then ...." stuff!

Nancy ... with regard to the song "Baby Blue," I always assumed that the choice of the name "Dixie" in the song was a wonderfully odd (for a pop song) and memorable, but probably fictional, nickname for the singer's lost love. Of course, Badfinger nuts like myself now know that there actually was a "Dixie," and that she was/is an American girl whom Badfinger's chief writer/guitarist/vocalist Pete Ham met and, for a time, romanced here and back in England. The romance sundered and Pete Ham died by his own hand in 1975, but we were left, I think, with a really powerful song.

I too hear the bubbles, but there is another sound (almost like a grunt) right at the very beginning.

Kim

Hi Everyone!
Red you have me just in a state of DISBELIEF! Yes we do have alot in common concerning AMERICA & EAGLES songs but I like Speech~~will disagree with your last comment regarding this. Hey~~Look at it this way put either groups songs with the SEX and you sure are in for a good time! OOOOH nnnnnnnnnooooooooooo I am blushing for sure!
Hi Kiri~~~ I just love the song Submarine Ladies, like you Robyn I always thought that it sounded like a submarine under water at the beginning of this song. I will have to take a listen to HWNN to see what you guys mean.
Wow Speech! I have not heard the song BABYBLUE by Badfinger for such a long time..... I love that song!
Bye for now, Nancy :)

Cool question, Red!

TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT
Randy Meisner

WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES
CHINA GROVE
ROCKIN' DOWN THE HIGHWAY
Doobie Brothers

MUSKRAT CANDLELIGHT
Willis Alan Ramsey

EYES OF A NEW YORK WOMAN
BJ Thomas

TRAVELIN' MAN
Rick Nelson

SWEET SOUL MUSIC
Hall & Oates (Hall whipped out a trombone and wailed on it!)

ALL THE BEATLES SONGS by
Beatle Mania...they are incredible! Highly recommend seeing them!!!

TIN MAN (as the opening song)
NEVER BE LONELY
DON'T CROSS THE RIVER
ONLY IN YOUR HEART (in '75 with that mirrored ceiling ball...Wow!!!)
SANDMAN (as an encore)
"Our Guys"...of course!

You mean a "hookah"? Isn't a "hooka" a 'lady' who stands on a street "corna" ?

By the way, I meant "Last Two To Dance" as one of my "Ah" songs and not "Last To Dance".

I was with you on the joys of hearing America and the Eagles perform live until the last line of your posting.
I'm not so sure about that last bit.
I figure that, just like live performance itself, it depends what kind of night you're having.

I always thought the beginning of SL was a bubble machine or something simulating the noise made when a sub submerges. The title is base on the "ladies" who used to be a part of the Submarine ride at Disneyland ( there uses to be real people who whould wave at the passengers as the sub went by)

Of course some people think it's a hooka.....

I have no idea what that noise is, but there is also some kind of sound at the very beginning of Sumarine Ladies that I have also been trying to identify. Anyone out there know?
Kim

what is the brief noise?/word? in HWNN after the last chorus and into the la la's around minute 3:08? it's not on every version, but i hear it on History.

Nancy,

Boy, we have a lot in common on Eagles songs. Take it to the limit is one of my all-time favs, but it was best with Randy Meissner singing. Horse with no name is one of the best songs ever and a joy to the eye when performed in concert. Hearing AMERICA & EAGLES perform is better than SEX!!!!!!!!!

Here are my 10, with a few random thoughts tossed in.

Again, a fun question and a lot of fond memories attached.

I wonder how many folks out there figure there are probably a few unbelievably great performances they witnessed but can't include here because they don't remember them?

Anyway, here's my list:

"Empty Cages" -- Dan Fogelberg. (great, scorching solos by Dan on guitar)

"Leader of the Band" -- Dan Fogelberg (in 1981, before it became a concert cliche, Dan performed this tune at the Spectrum in Philly. What remains etched in my memory is Dan telling the babblers up front that, "I wrote this song for my father ... so I'd appreciate it if you'd quiet down and listen to it.")

"Wasted Time" -- Don Henley at the Tower in Philly, doing the Eagles chestnut and not trashing it (as with Life in the Fast Lane).

"Everything Is Different Now" -- Don Henley (with a full gospel choir)

"Baby Blue" (In April '89 I heard surviving Badfinger members Joey Molland and Mike Gibbins perform this song with a backing band. The lead guitar licks were enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, even if the vocals were not (and could not be) up to the standard of Pete Ham, who originally sang it.

"Sandman" -- America, at the Keswick Theater in Philly.

"Never Be Lonely" -- America (same show)

"Three Roses" -- America (same show, great solo by Gerry)

"Early Bird" -- Eagles (Bernie Leadon on vocals and guitar ... great harmonies, great banjo and slide guitar playing ... so new were these guys at the time that the emcee actually asked Glenn Frey, while introducing them, "You guys are from England, right?")

"School Girl Crush" -- Average White Band (a well kept secret in the scheme of things ... AWB has absolutely brought the house down every time I've seen them live).

Hi Red~~~Nice You sure got this folder going now!
Here is my list of Best Live songs!

God Bless the USA~~~Lee Greenwood
Three Roses~~~AMERICA~~Dewey B
Daisy Jane~~AMERICA~~Gerry B
Tin Man~~~AMERICA~~Dewey
You Can Do Magic~~~AMERICA~~Gerry
Ventura Hwy~~~Dewey
A Horse With No Name~~~AMERICA
Best of My Love & I Can't tell You Why~~~Eagles
Faith Hill & Tim Mc Graw~~~Let's Make Love
Hummingbird & We May Never Pass This Way Again~~~~Seals & Croft
Throwing It All Away~~~Genesis
Trying to Get Over You~~~Vince Gill
Alice Looking through the Looking Glass~~~~Stevie Nicks
Over My Head~~~Fleetwood Mac
Sorry Red I went over 10!!! Nancy :)

Ok, I'm game, off the top of my head, short list:

Riverside– America

Song for Adam- Jackson Browne
Magical. Even in the huge Hollywood Bowl, this intimate sirring song made you feel like you were in a small club.

Separate ways- Journey

Stairway to Heaven– Led Zeplin

Fire and Rain- James Taylor

Desperados under the eaves- Warren Zevon
The story behind the Zevon song is that he was playing outdoors at the Universal Ampitheatre (before they put the top on it). Due to noise ordinances, concerts needed to be over by 10:45. The crowd was still stomping and cheering. Zevon came out and growled "Turn the Houselights off" The lights stayed. He growled again "Turn the @#$%^&* houselights off". Nothing. He stormed over to the piano ( back then people actually traveled with grand pianos) threw himself down on the bench and played the song. Wonderful!

Today, let's go for the 10 best "live"(as opposed to dead) songs performed in concerts that you have attended. Here is mine:

America -
Sandman

Eagles -
Desperado
Take it to the limit
I can't tell you why
Take it easy

Beachboys -
God only knows

REO Speedwagon -
Roll with the changes
Keep on lovin you

Foreigner -
I've been waiting for a girl like you

Little River Band -
Lady

This one should be good for a tear or two.

Hi Everyone~~
Everyone's List is soooo Good! Kimcabrina & Holiday~~~I have been getting all of my favorite songs over the years for the last year now, and it is so nice to hear all of these. You should see my Winamp playlist it goes on forever and ever~~~and I LOVE IT and of course all of my AMERICA songs are there too! Speaking of Looking Glass howabout their song Jimmy Loves MaryAnn :) and Tears for Fear~~I just love their song~~Advice for the Young at Heart!
Hi Terry t~~~~Hmmmm! Interesting you mentioning Mick Jagger singing on this song with Carly, has me thinking and for some reason I am remembering seeing a video of this song and am I remembering right was Mick Jagger in this video I think it was a bar scene~~not to sure about this, just something familiar there. More songs of Carly's that I go AH at~~~The Stuff that Dreams are Made Of & Coming Around Again! Definitely the Bee Gees~~~Fanny Be Tender~~Wish You Were Here & How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. Oooooh NOooo I get too carried away thinking of all the great songs. I could post a BOOK on this subject!
Have a good day all, the music is playing here on and on and on~~~Hey that brings to mind Stephen Bishop's song On and On~~ I like that one too. Hmmm another old one just came to mind~~~Mr. Postman bring me a letter Please!!!! Bye for now~~~~Nancy :)

Great list Chris (and everyone else too)!! - Father & Son by Cat Stevens is one of my all time favs also. After being reminded of all these great songs I'm going to start digging through my cd's to find them again. These lists remind me of those Time-Life 60's and 70's greatest hits infomercials!!

Kim

According to an Indianapolis radio station, the July 4th America concert is going to be held in the parking lot at the Murat. It is a free show, but you have to get a ticket from a local radio station when they show up at certain promotional sites over the next couple of weeks.

Great question Mr. oak, I was just recording some of my favs - liked kimcabrina, Mary and cfhere..... wow; Brandy by Looking Glass - I just found a copy last week after long searching for a copy of this song !!. Here are the songs I put on tape over the weekend:

THE LAST SONG ..EDWARD BEAR
TIME IN A BOTTLE .. JIM CROCE
WITHOUT YOU .. NILSSON
BRANDY .. LOOKING GLASS
KEY LARGO .. BERTIE HIGGINS
DIARY .. BREAD
REMINISCING .. LRB
HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE .. BEE GEES
IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND .. GORDON LIGHTFOOT
DON'T EXPECT FOR ME TO BE YOUR FRIEND .. LOBO
YOUR SONG .. SIR ELTON JOHN
DANIEL .. SIR ELTON JOHN
FATHER AND SON .. CAT STEVENS
IN MY LIFE .. BEATLES
AS LONG AS YOU FOLLOW .. FLEETWOOD MAC
KILLING ME SOFTLY .. ROBERTA FLAK
YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND .. CAROLE KING
COUNTRY ROADS .. JOHN DENVER
DOCTOR MY EYES .. JACKSON BROWNE
OUR HOUSE .. CSN&Y
WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN .. CARPENTERS
LONELY PEOPLE .. DAN PEEK

Chris

Nancy, interesting that you mention Mick Jagger. If you listen closely, you'll hear him singing the chorus with Carly. He never received credits (and didn't ask to) but happened to be present during the recording of You're So Vain. Maybe that's why you 'remember' him!
Johnny, 'son of a gun' can also be heard on the vinyl.
The legend (in my own mind) goes that it was about Warren Beatty. Some even thought it was about James Taylor but James 'joked' in a Creem or Rolling Stone article that he flew to Nova Scotia in a Twin Cessna, not a Lear Jet! That total eclipse was on March 7, 1970, I believe. I went to Perry, FL to catch the totality but it was overcast... clouds weren't just in her coffee. Still awesome how it got so dark, though. Interesting that there was an eclipse of the Sun last night.

Great 'Ah' choices, all! Thanks. Here's my short list, off the top of my head, as they say:

FROM THE BEGINNING - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer

DOCTOR WU - Steely Dan

COUNTRY ROAD - James Taylor

ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER - Jimi Hendrix (his version is my favorite but almost any cover of this great Dylan song will make me go, 'Ah')

EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD - Tears For Fears

BAKER STREET - Gerry Rafferty

GIRL CAN'T HELP IT - Journey

RIVERSIDE - uhhh

DOWN BY THE RIVER - Neil Young (or Buddy Miles' cover)

SHE'S NOT THERE - The Zombies (or Santana)

SO BEGINS THE TASK - Stephen Stills/Manassas

WRAPPED AROUND YOUR FINGER - The Police

my list:
i'll limit america to 3 (one for each guy)
only in your heart
tin man
lonely people

kate bush: man with the child in his eyes
beatles: a day in the life
paul: mull of kintyre
john: imagine
george: crackerbox palace
ringo: photograph
simon & garfunkel: kathy's song
simon: american tune
garfunkel: all i know
carly simon: we're so close
justin hayward: forever autumn
kinks: celluloid heroes
yes: and you and i
poco: keep on tryin'
elvis presley: mystery train

Hi everyone,
Thanks all for your lists....some songs I had forgotten & I'm pleased to remember now!
These days I'd go AH anytime to
- Eels' s Fresh Feeling .... 'craquant' as we French people say!
And
- Radiohead's Nice Dream & Street Spirit (fade Out) despite the underlying pessimism...

But sure many of the songs you mentioned fit my standards too.
BFN - Geneviève.

Johnny,and Nancy,

I had heard that the song was about Kris Kristofferson. I, like you Johnny, went to Carly's home page and found the same thing you did. I think she revealed a little too much. I now think the song is about W. B. The "Web" is an amazing tool.

Wow, it's nearing 1,900 hits for today. Is this a record number? Was it Red Oak's "Ah" song question that sparked so much interest? I'd have to go back and look to see exactly what did it. Maybe a combination of things, huh???

Nancy and all, I just checked Carly Simon's website and it's a mystery exactly who the song is about. It seems she prefers to keep it a secret. However, during a 1983 interview with the Washington Post, she said the following:

WP: Who was "You're So Vain" about? Mick Jagger?

Carly: No

WP: Warren Beatty?

Carly: It certainly sounds like it was about Warren Beatty. He certainly thought it was about him - he called me and said thanks for the song....

Hi Everyone,
Hi Steve~~Thanks this should be neat to check out!
Yes Johnny~~~I have heard the song You're so vain with Carly saying Son of a Gun~~~I always thought the song was about Mick Jagger!!!!
Some more of my AH songs~~~
Over the Rainbow~~~I just love the words to this song for sure, can be sung by anyone!
Slow Dancing Swaying to the Music ~~Johnny Rivers
Lonely in Love~~Dan Fogelberg
Lessons Learned~~~Dan Fogelberg
Sara~~~Starship
Sarah~~~Stevie Nicks
Sheltering Sky~~~Beckley, Lamm Wilson
I Can't tell You Why~~~Eagles
In the Air at Night~~~Phil Collins
Eye in the Sky~~Alan Parsons Project
Fields of Gold~~~Sting
Hold me in your Heart~~Timothy B Schmitt
If You Leave me Now~~~Chicago
Just Remember I Love You~~~Firefall
I Go Crazy~~~Paul Davis
South City Midnight Lady~~~The Doobie Brothers
Cats in the Cradle~~~Harry Chapin
In Your Eyes~~~Peter Gabriel
Head and Heart~~~America
Young Moon~~~America~~Dewey B
Just a Song Before I Go~~~CSNY
Old Man~~~Neil Young
I could put down so many more for sure!
Bye for now, Nancy :)

An anonymous fan sent me a copy of the 1976 Robert W. Morgan Special of the Week show featuring America. It brought back the memories of my high school days in southern California listening to Robert W. Morgan on AM radio 93 KHJ. Someday I'll have to scan in the 93 KHJ music collection vinyl album cover I have with all of the DJ's names on it (including Robert W. Morgan). I have converted the Special of the Week that was sent to me into two MP3 files which you can download for the next couple of weeks. Simply click on the following links:

Segment 1
Segment 2

Note: The files are over 20 megabytes each so it will take a VERY LONG time to download on a slow connection. On a DSL connection it should only take 10 to 15 minutes each.

I love your list!

I see that Mary and Nancy both listed a Carly Simon song...cool! One of the first 8-track tapes that I bought back then (in 1974) other than an America one was Carly Simon's "Hotcakes".

I know "You're So Vain" isn't from that release, but I heard something at the beginning of that song when it was being played on the radio the other day that I had never heard before (since I don't have that album). On the radio I heard Carly Simon say, "Son of a Gun", then the song started. That was a real surprise to me! The song's allegedly about Warren Beaty, correct?

Go all the Way - The Raspberries
Brandy-Looking Glass
Too late to turn back now-Cornelius Bros & Sister Rose
Rikki, don't lose that number-Steely Dan
Dancing in the moonlight-King Harvest
Green Monkey(live)-America
Rock & Roll Heaven-Righteous Bros.
Feeling stronger every day-Chicago
Let's stay together-Al Green
I'd really love to see you tonight-England Dan & John Ford Coley
We may never pass this way again-Seals & Croft
Hello, it's me-Todd Rundgren

That's it for now.

Mark

Just a few off the top of my head:

SPRINGSTEEN
Bobby Jean
Jersey Girl

CLAPTON
Tears in Heaven

CHICAGO
Make me Smile
Colour My World

CARLY SIMON
You're the Love of My Life

J. BUFFETT
Stars Fell on Alabama

JAY AND THE AMERICANS
Cara Mia

GENESIS
There Must Be Some Misunderstanding


DANNY BOY / sung by just about anyone

OLD- Eagles and Poco

and anything AMERICA

Mary

Green Monkey

I wanna hold your hand

String of Pearls

In the Mood

Devil went Down to Georgia

Riverside

Ok - here are a few of mine - I guess I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today! (I did limit my America songs!)
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynard Skynard
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zep
La Bamba - Richie Valens?
Born to be Wild - Steppenwolf
After the Gold Rush - Neil Young
Fire & Rain - James Taylor
Shower the People - JT
Teach Your Children - CSNY
Sister Golden Hair -
Garden of Peace
To Each His Own

Kim

Could the "need" song be about "To Each His Own"? Never mind me; I'm just "trippin'"! :0)

This is regarding Dan's new song "Makin' Trax". His notes on his website says it's a black parody of the "need" song. What song is that, I wonder? "I Need You"? Anyone have any idea? Hmmm! The song title alone is very interesting, I think. I guess some of us will soon find out.

Newroads, you may know this already...Dan's brother Tom said he actually wrote "Tomorrow".

Pre-Orders for Guitar Man Are Now Being Accepted
7-Mile Entertainment is NOW taking orders for Dan's new album!

Dan is extremely enthusiastic about the new album. So much so that he has "camped out" on the production line to ensure that the CD is ready to go by the official release date of June 15, 2002.

By way of a "thank you" to those who order the first run of Guitar Man, Dan is personally autographing each and every CD as it comes off the line.

Dan's new CD is available only from 7-Mile Entertainment at www.7mileentertainment.com/.

I have a granddaughter that is 5 months old and she is a sight to see when she hears the woman tonight song. She laughts, smiles and boogies. Another song on that album I really liked is the Tomorrow song

Very cool question. Not easy to make a short list. And, of course, it's ever-changing.

But here goes a dashed-off, "lucky 13" list of songs, in no particular order, that can spur said reaction:

"Stars" -- Dan Fogelberg
"The Last Nail"--Dan Fogelberg
"My Thanksgiving" -- Don Henley
"Dawn" -- Pete Ham (from the newest archival CD "Golder's Green)
"Kiss of Life"-- Gerry Beckley
"Old Man Took" -- America (Dewey)
"I Breathe" -- Steve Danziger (obscure. The LP was "Sensation Days")
"Baby Blue" -- Badfinger
"I Wish You Well" -- Frankie Beverly & Maze
"You're Still a Young Man" -- Tower of Power
"Sour Suite" -- the Guess Who (From "So Long Bannatyne" LP)
"The Luckiest" -- Ben Folds (from Rockin' the Suburbs)
"Time Won't Pass Me By" -- Hall & Oates

I don't think it was a charity concert. All I know is that it was a private concert that was held somewhere in New York City. I wouldn't have even known that if Gerry hadn't sent us a view from his NYC hotel window.

PENNY LANE
Beatles

A BROKEN WING
Martina McBride

99
PAMELA
Toto

FOOLISH HEART
Steve Perry

DEACON BLUES
Steely Dan

DAY LIKE TODAY
Chris Christian and Gerry

DO YOU WANNA DANCE
The Mamas and The Papas

SOMEONE LIKE YOU
Daryl Hall

NORMAN
Jeff Larson

LAST TO DANCE
Dewey & Gerry

MARY'S PRAYER
Danny Wilson (a Scottish trio)

GO AHEAD AND RAIN
JD Souther

Steve, was the NY concert for charity & was the whole band there and where was it held?

Oh you said 10, 20 or~~~

I've Been Searching So Long
Chicago

Goodbye I love You
Firefall

Shower the People
James Taylor

All I want is You
Carly Simon

Angel By Myside
Sade

Sailing
Christopher Cross

Play Me
Neil Diamond

I'd Really Love to See You Tonight
England Dan & John Ford Coley

I agreee Johnny Hall & Oats really sing You've Lost that Loving feelin sosoooo goood!
I think my list of AH songs could be endless for sure!
Nancy :)

Bye for now Nina~~have a nice summer!
My songs: That make me say "AH"
Garden of Peace I would love to hear this performed LIVE!
AMERICA~~Hourglass

Mercy Mercy Me!
Robert Palmer

This Used to be My Playground
Madonna

Wouldn't it Be Nice
Beach Boys

Kiss of Life (I would love to hear this one Live Too!)
Van Go Gan
Gerry Beckley

Boys of Summer
Don Henley
Boy Red this was tooo hard, I like your songs too especially Lee Ann Womack's ~Hope you Dance
Soooo many good songs! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Being a big AMERICA fan, probably all my picks would be songs by AMERICA, so I will limit AMERICA songs to just 2:

Horse with No Name(AMERICA)
Ventura Highway(AMERICA)
Africa(TOTO)
Daisy Jane(AMERICA)Oops, that's 3.
One of These Nights(EAGLES)
You Are the Woman(FIREFALL)
Take It Easy(EAGLES)
Fire on the Mountain(MARSHAL TUCKER BAND)
Layla(ERIC CLAPTON)
Cowgirl in the Sand(NEIL YOUNG)
Fire and Rain(JAMES TAYLOR)
Good idea Redoak. I'd list more, but got to get to work.

Nina, enjoy the summer! "See You In September"...The Happenings :0)

Hi all, just signing off the school computer until fall. School's out this Friday (early this year!!!) and except for one Graduate course, I'm looking forward to a restful summer! Gerry and Dewey...I'll see you in CT in July...very much looking forward to the show! Alan, I still don't know about that LL Bean show in Maine. "If" I find myself actually going, I'll get in touch with you somehow!

Have a wonderful summer everyone!

Nina

OK, I'll go first:

EAGLES -
Take It To The Limit w/ Randy Meisner
Desperado

Bob Seger -
Like a Rock
Night Moves

America -
Sandman(live)
Horse with No Name

REO Speedwagon -
Keep on Lovin You
Roll with the Changes

LeAnn Womack -
The Dance

Ambrosia -
You're the only Woman
The Biggest part of Me

Foreigner -
I've been waiting for a girl like you

OK, I'll go first:

EAGLES -
Take It To The Limit w/ Randy Meisner
Desperado

Bob Seger -
Like a Rock
Night Moves

America -
Sandman(live)
Horse with No Name

REO Speedwagon -
Keep on Lovin You
Roll with the Changes

LeAnn Womack -
The Dance

Ambrosia -
You're the only Woman
The Biggest part of Me

Foreigner -
I've been waiting for a girl like you

I acquired a WLP copy of Badfinger's "Airwaves" LP, Dan, through an industry friend of mine just before stock copies hit the shelves way back when. So I've lived with the LP for a long time. To this day, I only really warm up to about half of it. I like Joey's "Love Is Gonna Come at Last" a lot (although that weepy lead guitar seemed, by the late 70s, too contrived in recalling George Harrison's work), and I really like "The Dreamer" a lot. The Tommy Evans ballad "Sail Away," is strong, and the that acoustic blues intro, which segues into the LP's lead-off track, isn't bad, either. The rest of "Airwaves," though, doesn't do much for me. I think hooking up with Dave Malloy, a Nashville producer, was a misstep, and I think a lot of the record has a sterile, fussily-clean sound.
As a comeback record, "Airwaves" (as you know) really never got where Joey and Tommy wanted it to take them. It stiffed commercially, despite the buzz created by their Midnight Special performances, and their club shows in LA (and elsewhere).
You probably know the band that cut "Airwaves" imploded and, by the time Joey and Tommy put out "Say No More," they had a new band, a new label and were, when appearing on Mike Douglas, promoting yet another "comeback" LP.
Incidentally, "Say No More" also disappointed me, but for different reasons. I thought it favored too rawboned a rock-and-roll sound, forsaking the tasteful use of acoustic guitar and piano that was such a vital thread in their best Apple (and even Warner Bros.) material.
I understand that, floating around out there somewhere are bootleg recordings of the "Airwaves" demos. I have read that they sound much more soulful, and have more balls, than what turned up on the released LP. Do you have any insight into this, Dan?

Excellent question you asked, Red Oak! The Righteous Brothers account for a lot of the airplay, no doubt, but Hall & Oates' cover of the song account for quite a bit of it, too! It would be interesting to know what the percentage is, but I guess that would be asking too much.

LisaRose, I bought the belt buckle on eBay. The reserve price was around $95-$98...can't remember for sure. I've had it for a couple of years. It's one of two I have. I'm definitely hanging on to the other one, though! I wonder how many were made.

[Welcome Mary and "newroads" (or is it really "knewroads"? Just kiddin'!) Nanse, I know you're not new here to most of us. You've just been lurking, I believe. What regarding AMERICA was on VH-1, I wonder?]

Everybody, list your 10, 15, or 20 songs that make u go "Ah" when u hear them. Can be either songs performed live or on record.

Hi Me again,
Way to go Vic! Okay Red so I wasn't even close, it was just a guess, I had to start somewhere, I had lots of other guesses too. I can see why it was the song You've lost that loving feelin by the Righteous Bros. I can remember the good old days riding back and forth through town, checking out the guys and come to think of it this song was on the radio quite abit....I really like this song you can never grow tired of it...same with Never my Love another favorite for sure... So my first guess with Tin Man wasn't so bad after all!
Thanks Red for the fun! Bye for now, Nancy (still smilin!)

Vic, you are absolutely correcto. The only song currently over 8 million plays. Over 7 million plays - Never My Love(Association), Yesterday(Beatles), and Stand By Me(Ben E King).

"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS ?

Stairway to Heaven

Over 7 million, but not numero uno. Also, not a Beatles song.

"Yesterday"

Not even close!!!!!!

Hi Red Oak~~
I see! Well I guess Bye Bye America Pie by Don McClain!

No, but that one is over the 7 million play plateau, I believe.

www.mattbeckley.com

Yesterday

It's not an AMERICA song. Just a little something to get the brain movin. Think!!!!!!!!!

Hi Everyone,
Well the weekend is done and my Daughter's dance recital went very well, all I can say is there sure is lots of Hidden Talent out there waiting to be found~~~Nice!
Red Oak~~~I have a question is this an AMERICA song or could it be by any artist..... this really isn't clear in your question? If it just pertains to AMERICA's songs I will guess Tin Man!
Hi Nanse~~~Welcome~~~wouldn't you know it the one Saturday in awhile that I wasn't home~~would be the day that AMERICA would be on vh1~~so I didn't get to see this~~Darn It!
Have a good day all! Bye for now! Nancy :)

Hi there jimbob. Thanks for the details on Matt Beckley. Can you let me know his web site address? I'll be in Melbourne in September, so if he's still there, I'd hope to catch him.
Hi Erin, Mary and other JB fans ..... I'm waiting on 'Far Side Of The World' on the other side of this world ... and looking forward to more BUFFoonery ... LOL
Chris

Not White Xmas nor HWNN.

"The ocean is a desert with it's life underground & the perfect disguise above ..." D. BUNNELL

White Christmas?

What is the most played record of all time on AM/FM radio? This record has a count well over 8 million times. Answer later on today if nobody gets it.

Johnny,

What's your reserve price or is that supposed to be private? Also, where and when did you get it? Or is that supposed to be private too?

Lisa

Steve is correct on Willie Leacox. Shenandoah, Iowa famous for the Everley Bros, Earl May & Henry Fields nursery catalogs, & Willie Leacox. And of course, 20 miles from the home town of me, Red Oak.

Welcome, Newroads, to the Chat Folder. We talk about anything and everything. The Chat Folder has been going since May of 1997 and you can go back and read all of the past discussions in the Chat Folder archives. By the way, I think that Willie is from Shenandoah, Iowa.

state or country

To anyone out there I am new at this chat forum. What do you people talk about.

MY GRANDBABY WHO JUST LOVES YOUR SONG WOMAN TONIGHT ON YOUR HEARTS ALBUM. SHE SMILES LAUGHS, SMILES, AND MAKES NOISES WHEN I PLAY THE SONG. GREAT MUSIC ON THOSE CDS. REAL IMPRESSED WITH THE HOURGLASS AND HUMAN NATURE. JOB WELL DONE GERRY AND DEWEY

For anyone who may be interested, I have placed my AMERICA belt buckle for sale on eBay. It's item #882665135.

I just got Jimmy's new album...next time you see him...tell him Erin from Reno LOVES IT!!

Can't wait til September to see AMERICA again!

Erin :o)

Yes, I have seen mB play quite a few times. His iuma site still has some of his stuff on it so check it out. I think you will enjoy his music. I certainly do !

having a lazy sat. and saw classic rock weekend with a lot of groups on musik laden and figured i might see our group and yes, they are on this weekend. enjoy

Oh, and Mary, that was a good story! Welcome, and I hope you are now out of "lurkdom" for a while!
Nancy, yes, I'M enjoying the triathlon. Thankyou.
Hi to you, too, my French friend!

Hi ya holiday; I, too, am looking forward to Dan's new album, GUITAR MAN. As well as being a lovely acoustic guitar player, he sure can rock out; I'M thinking of the scorching lead break in ARE YOU THERE, as a fine example. I'd love some new material from AMERICA too, but what I'm REALLY waiting on is the Cayman Gig recording! Regarding Matt Beckley, I was reading his site yesterday, and he was mid-air on his way to Melbourne. I know there are some on this folder who have seen him play, but I really have no idea what sort of stuff they do. From what I can gather, it seems to be pretty hard-out rock. Robyn, you have seen him a few times?

Thanks for the welcome Nancy, I have been "lurking" for a long time,
enjoying all of the members posts.

Mary

Hey Mary, Dan and Speech. Great story Mary, I have been a JB fan ever since 'Come Monday', and that was quite a few Mondays ago now ... LOL. What I notice about his style, from a ballad like 'Come Monday' through to something like 'Livingston Saturday Night' is that he has always been a curious mix of bayou, boats, beaches and bars - a bit of country and a bit of carribean ( a carribean soul he can barely control and some Texas hidden in his heart), but he also has great humour and great stories as only he can tell.... take a listen to 'The Captain and the Kid' from Havana Daydreaming, as he talks about his grandfather, he can touch the heart with great poignancy as well as the humour in us all. I see him, much like America, as a positive influence in being able to see things differently and to get us to share his thoughts on life. The calypso poet still brings out entertaining new material and I know I'll be buying his 'Far Side of The World' soon.
Re Dan Peek: I relate more to his songs than to G and D's, but I must admit that I have not followed his solo career like I have the America duo. I admire him greatly for turning around his personal demons and we all have a lot to thank for his great Bio and insights into those times with America trio. I hope that his new album brings him more success, but equally, I am looking forward to NEW AMERICA MATERIAL ....... seems to have gone pretty quiet on HORIZONTAL FALL too.
Finally, can anyone tell us about Matt Beckley's planned trip Down Under?
Chris

Hi Mary~~Welcome!
What a neat story to share with us thanks so much. You know that would be a big hit on ebay, but then having this as a memmory is quite valuable in its own right!
Hey Dan~~~I love the mysterious song Whispering~~WOW! :) & Ohloolo leaves you with a feeling of being on a steamy tropical island! I like Jimmy Buffet's Margharettaville song and of course the cheeseburger in paradise! Have a good day, it is off to the dance recital rehearsal..... Fun Fun, I love to watch all of the dances and the music is playing loud all day long..... Nice :)
Hi Vic~~~Sorry but i have no clue how to continue you lyrics!
Have fun Jim watching the triatholon! talk soon!
Genevieve~~~~for sure there is only one Johnny!
Bye for now, Nancy :)

<<Hi Genevieve..."Slow Down">> ...Bob shoo wop... & you'd better keep cool too, Johnny. But can we, hmm?
Hey, what about getting us some more EASY trivia? Don't have enough time for "advanced research" these days. LOL
Take care & don't worry, we all know here there's ONLY ONE Johnny! No one can fool us (YOUR) fans for too long! :-D Geneviève.

(Hi Jim - talk to you very soon!!!)

With the conversation the past few days regarding Mr.Buffett I thought I would share this..... On our local (West Palm Beach,FL) news the other morning they ran a short story of Jimmy landing his plane at the local airport and a gust of wind caught him and ran him off the runway (no injuries or damage). Well, Jimmy has been a customer at my business (yachting supplies) for many years and happened to come in the day the news story ran, so I proceeded to kid him about the incident. I must backup and add that the previous day I fell and broke my wrist. So there I stand, Jimmy grabs a Sharpie marker and writes on my cast "Let's go flying" J Buffett. Now everyone is asking if I will be putting it (the cast) on ebay! LOL
He is one of the nicest, most down to earth people you could ever meet, just a regular guy.

Mary

Hey and don't forget about "God's Own Drunk" and a fearless man, classic stuff from Mr. Buffet. Makes me smile, big time.DanC.

Thanks for the info to Fogelbergs' current show.We will be checking it out on the 18th and it sure sounds like it will be an event. Hey, Speech, did you ever check out that Badfinger album, Airwaves? You never did respond either way and I was curious as to what you thought of it. As far as Dan's last album, Driftin', you were right on the money with your description of waterfront, hammock listening tunes. Thats exactly why I did like it. I'm ready to rock now. Busy weekend for all from the sounds of it. The song Whispering from Human Nature is a very mellow tune and one I'm really into at the moment. And Oloololo...DanC.

A side note concerning Mark's trivia question: The reason, at least in part, why "Horse With No Name", did not spend any longer in the Hot 100, is the fact that it went to number one as quickly as it did. I remember hearing/reading, 30 years ago, that "Horse With No Name" had gone to number one quicker than any other single, to that point in time. I spent the morning, on the web, trying to verify this. I could not, however, I do remember this point. Okay, okay, I am the same guy that had to alter my last trivia question twice, before I got it right. Can anyone help complete this?-- "Occasionally at an advanced hour when matters are not illusory..."

Excellent answers, Johnny. I must confess that I didn't remember the Jim Ed Norman connection.
My original clue of "a musician who figured prominently ... both in recording and touring" was one I chose after deciding that it would be too much of a giveaway to mention that he had actually appeared in the liner photos of some of America's Warner-period LPs.

Anyway, I wonder whatever happened to the members of Blue Steel. Clearly the band's LP didn't take off.

Anyone know the whereabouts of David Dickey, Richard Bowden, Jim Ed Norman, etc., these days?

That is a great triv question, Speech and Mark.

Regarding Speech's, I missed one of the three answers, though. Instead of David Dickey, I thought it was Jim Ed Norman (played on Warner record "Hat Trick") that Speech was referring to since Norman was a member of the band in question. That's why my answer "It's someone whose name is the same as one of the titles to a song Gerry has written."

I did get the band (Blue Steel) correct with my answer of it being "purely a 'BS' band question". And, Richard Bowden with the cryptic answer of "Rich, Bold, and...." Two out of three ain't bad <---- a Meatloaf song?

Mark, I enjoyed your triv question, too. Wow, "You Can Do Magic," huh? What a surprise! Great info...your Hot 100 and CCM!

Kevin, that was funny! Your quote reminds me of a one word song title of Three Dog Night's. :0)

Regarding the new CD as mentioned on Dan's website, I thought at first the new photo was Wolfman Jack, seriously! I'm looking forward to Dan's new CD. I'm glad to hear that it will contain some harder-edge material because I really like "California Revisited," "It's Life," and "In The Country". I need to go to the public library to listen to the sound clips on their computer.

(Hi Genevieve..."Slow Down")

Hi Nancy,
I'm fine - thanks for asking. Just working too much as usual... finishing some important personal work at the moment - due for publication in August, so last revisions/corrections by now... and a lot of stress! But that should help making me a local 'star' at least !!! LOL
I do hope you are doing well too, understanding you're also having a very busy week-end . Sure you'll have a great time attending your daughter's dance recital .

Hi me again,
Yes now I see the part of the question that I quickly glanced over in the first place ~~not the most weeks spent at #1 but the most time spent in the top #100. DAH Nancy! Oh well let's all sing this one then~~~~And then I saw you, I couldn't believe it you took my heart I couldn't retrieve it, said to myself whats its all about, now I know there can be no doubt, YOU can do magic You can have anything that you desire~~~Magic~~~and you know you're the one that can put out the fire.... Wow~~I will be singing this for the rest of the day now!!!! Bye again~~~dododododoodododo Nancy :)
Hi Johnny~~~As far as I'm concerned You are welcome here or in the live chat room anytime! Don't Stay Away!

Hi Everyone~~
Thanks Speech for your post on the show, sounds like it was a great night. Nice to hear that you feel that this was one of his best shows that you have seen, and that he sang his older songs, this would a trip to past pleasures for sure. I hope to see him sometime soon, I would say he comes into 2nd place on my list of favorite music performers. AMERICA is 1st of course! Regarding Dan Peek~~I too like the song Driftin~~it kinda has that "Hankerin" sound~~Nice :).It will be nice to hear something new from him. I am finally getting around to reading his bio and he sure has a way with words, he has an interesting perspective on things. I like how you feel like he is sitting right beside you telling you all of this~~Nice!
Hi Genevieve~~~Nice of you to pop in long enough to catch Gerry's pic. Hope you will have time to post soon, wherever you are hope all is well.
Well the weekend is here, and this is the weekend of my 91/2 year old daughters dance recital, she is in her 4th year of jazz dancing and her class is dancing to N'Sync's Tearin up my Heart~~Yes Mom & Dad will be so proud of our little girl this weekend for sure! I must say I do like N'Sync's music and the Backstreet Boys too ~~it is fun sharing this music with her, after all she listens to my AMERICA music! Have a good weekend all! Bye for now! Nancy :) (Yes I will be smilin this weekend for sure!)

Below is how Dan Peek's songs did on the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) chart. I was surprised that All Thing Are Possible stayed at number 1 for 13 weeks. Of course it was also a crossover hit on the Billboard pop charts (number 78) and was a big hit on the Adult Contemporary chart (number 6). I believe it also received a Grammy nomination. Anyway, for those who may be interested here's how some of Dan's songs did on the CCM charts:

1979-All Things Are Possible 1 (13 weeks)
1980-Divine Lady 25
1984-Doer Of The Word 2
1984-Redeemer 26
1986-Lonely People 2
1986-Electro Voice 7
1987-Crossover 13

Mark (not me but the other Mark) had the correct answer. Even though You Can Do Magic wasn't America's biggest hit, it did spend the most time on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Here's a list of America's marathon hits:

You Can Do Magic - 20 weeks
Tin Man - 18 weeks
Sister Golden Hair - 16 weeks
A Horse With No Name - 14 weeks
Lonely People -14 weeks

I, too, am looking forward to hearing some new material from Dan Peek. I was mildly disappointed in the last effort, which I thought was light and frothy to the point of excess. I'd like to hear Dan rock a bit more, and I hope in the future to hear a bit more "meat" in terms of the writing. On a much smaller scale, it's the same (mostly good-natured) gripe I've had with Jimmy Buffet over time. The man can write something as lovely as "Come Monday," or as profound as "He Went to Paris," but seems hellbent on running his Caribbean beach-slacker schtick into the ground. (Which is not to say I can't appreciate the sentiments in "Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw?")
Anyway, as a sound-track for woozy, waterfront deck parties and sultry afternoons in a hammock, Dan's last CD works fine. In fact, I really enjoyed the tunes "Driftin" and "Coconut Tree," among others. But when I'm looking for a bit of soul food (or brain food), the entire CD doesn't tend to hold up all that well.

And just for the record: I never had sexual relations with that intern.

KevinS.

I don't want to give away too much of the store for anyone who may be thinking about checking it out, but I recommend Dan Fogelberg's current tour "celebrating 30 years of touring and recording."
Although I wish he'd get interested in writing mainstream rock (or whatever you choose to call it) records again, Dan seems to be in a really vital phase right now. He's playing with a band (including Mark Andes from Firefall and veteran drummer Joe Vitale) and the show offers some fun surprises. Best of all (from this viewpoint), Dan is playing some obscurities from the early LPs and also takes a good chunk of the show to flash his lead guitar chops. When I saw him in Philly this past Wednesday night, the opening act was a fine (and very funny) singer-songwriter named Todd Snider, who has recorded for Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville (I think) label.
Not to get too cryptic about it, but Dan's encore choice shows that his perverse streak is alive and well, too. I've seen Dan seven times now, and this was one of the best shows I've seen him do. He looks strong, he's in great voice and his stage persona (an occasional pothole) seems real relaxed and good-natured.

With the site being down for a bit, I didn't know if the answer to my question ever became apparent.
Anyway, America touring and recording bassist David Dickey was the musician and the band was Blue Steel. The co-founder and former Don Henley collaborator in Shiloh was Richard Bowden.

Hi Everyone,

Nice picture Gerry posted. Building opposite the hotel window reminds me of the descriptions of NYC you find in Edith Wharton's novels. So great to find some time to visit the folder & discover some extra shot by Mr Beckley.
Johnny, you're right the perpective is inverted here. As for me, I noticed that capturing the city life can partially distract us from the absence of the sky. ..
See you all very soon- Geneviève.

No, Robyn, I did not come in as "Gary" at ANY point.

I think for everyone's sake, it's best that I don't join in during the live chat, and yes, that is my choice because it will end any confusion about whether I am really present or not. Plus, the whole session will run much smoother for you. Again, have fun and enjoy!

Great picture----I was also in Manhattan today and it was a very overcast day so I am amazed how good that picture is. Also wondering if the window was opened or closed cause most hotels don't have windows that open.

Didn't you come in as "Gary" at one point? It is your choice not to join us.

You Can Do Magic spent the most weeks in the Hot 100. It was on the charts for 20 weeks back in 1982.

Mark

Nice try in attempting to divert the issue. It is not about multiple identities. It's about someone intentionally selecting a nick to inflame another participant and to let others think he is someone he isn't. No one else but one person selected a nick to do just that.

It's funny that you selected the word "hide", Robyn. I don't think it's an issue when someone uses a name on the live chat that isn't their actual name. We all have that option. Sometimes I do use my real name and sometimes I don't. I usually don't because I don't like being harassed by this individual. If he hasn't been on the live chat for consecutive weeks, I revert back to my actual name.

Regarding multiple identities, Robyn, I didn't remain on the chat as two different individuals...not like someone else who was logging-on up to as many as 5 different individuals at one time.

Robyn, you can rest assured that I will not visit the live chat again in the future. If someone does using my identity, it will not be me. Have fun!

To be fair, Johnny, the person you are naming wasn't the ONLY person in the room hiding behind multiple identities, was he?

As I said last evening, the whole thing was tiresome. It detracted from an otherwise pleasant chat.

ok, I'll climb off my soapbox now.

Another cool photo! Definitely NYC with the yellow cabs below. The photo reminds me of the "Perspective" album cover but with the view taken from above. The little man isn't there, but I see a little pigeon on the ledge near the top!

Right Nancy, there was a big group during the Live Chat last night, and indeed, there was some confusion. The confusion was mainly due, unfortunately, to one person who can't seem to stop his deliberate attempt to instigate and agitate.

I don't appreciate a particular participant who intentionally selected a nick VERY similar to my e-mail address in hopes of stirring up trouble with me once again and hoping to fool others. At no time do I recall seeing him tell several other participants that he was not me when he was asked or when someone said to him, "Hi Johnny."

I would appreciate it very much if he would stop using that nick in the future or any nick that would intentionally lead someone to believe he is me especially those who know my e-mail address.

Yes, it would be best that I ignore this person, but when he tells other fellow America fans at different occasions things that are not true regarding me, it's difficult to let it slide.

So please, stop telling people the reason you don't post to the folder anymore is because I have requested that Steve ban you from posting. That is an absolute FALSEHOOD. I have NEVER asked Steve to ban anyone. You are not banned from posting; you have merely selected not to on YOUR OWN. So please do us both a favor and START TELLING THE TRUTH or at least, don't involve me in your falsehood.

Hi Everyone,
Gee Gerry that sure is a long way dowwwwn! I am sure all of those windows could tell stories! Thanks for the pic! Is it raining there, it is in Pa.
Hi Mark~~~nice easy trivia question~~~just my kind for sure~~~Let's all sing it~~~ On the first part of the journey I was looking at all the life, there were plants and birds and rocks and things~~~~~~
Hi Robyn~~~That was so nice to see so many peeple show up for the live chat, can get a little bit confusing though~~~but nice! :)
Enjoy the day everyone, and SMILE! cause there is always someone smiling back at you! Bye for now! Nancy :)

"The ocean is a desert with it's life underground & the perfect disguise above ..." D. BUNNELL

Thought it might be good to welcome the folder back with a trivia question. This one shouldn't be too hard.

What America song spent the most time on the Billboard Hot 100 chart?

Gerry is in New York, NY today. Click here to see the view from his hotel window (it's a hell of a town).

to the big group of people who joined in last evenings chat. It was great to "see" all of you!

Hi Everyone,
Thanks Scott~~Here's hoping things will get settled soon. Thanks so much for having this great Chat Folder on your server.
Hi Dan~~~~I really like the song Driftin too and These brown eyes of mine was always a favorite for sure. I will be checking out his site for the sound clips and news of when this will be released. Nice that You & Your Family will be heading to Fla. for vacation~~~I hope the one man band at the tiki bar will still be doing the AMERICA songs~~~I am sure you will be Smilin :).
Bye for now, Nancy :)

Very good news indeed. I really liked Dan's last record, "Driftin'" but was really hankerin' for some Dan Peek rock out tunes. Looks like that will be coming soon . I'm ready for some new material for sure. Thanks for the info, Steve.DanC.

Tom and Dan Peek have just announced on Dan's website the up-coming release of his new album "Guitar Man".

They will be posting the track list, sound clips, and full details in the days to come. The scheduled release date is June 15, 2002.

Click here to go to Dan's website to read more about it.

Abosolutly! Thanks Scott.

Three cheers for Scott West !

I'm sorry that the chat folder was offline for a day or two. For those of you who didn't read about it on the VenturaHighway.com Message Board, the server was stolen (by someone who impersonated a computer repairman). It didn't take long for the police to find the server and it has been returned and is up and running (as you can tell by the fact that we're posting and reading messages).

I want to take this opportunity to thank Scott West, who owns the server, for his generosity in letting us keep the Chat Folder on it. He has been through a lot the past couple of days trying to track down his missing server. During all of it he was concerned about the America Fans and I not having our Chat Folder. He called or e-mailed me many times the past two days. Thanks Scott!!!

Thanks for the personal invitation, Robyn. I doubt that I'll be able to make it but if I do, it will only be for a few minutes.

Hi Everyone,
Wow! Johnny I really liked your post, so true for sure! I was gone most of the day, so I was so glad to see the chat folder back here again. Okay everyone let's get this folder going again!
Hi Robyn, I hope to get on some tonight for the live chat~~~that is if my Son isn't on the computer playing pool with his friends.
Hmmm the song Company comes to mind now~~~~~~Some can see it's Poetry , Come as you are in your broken car...The Company! Carousel is wishing well~~ As a wonder night that spoke delight to the company~~~~Can you hear the Summer calling you~~~~Can you hear him call you now! Yes I can hear the Summer calling Me! Here~~There~~& Everwhere! Bye for now! Nancy :)

remember to join me this evening ( Yes I know the game is on but I think we can do both) I willbe in the room after 7 pm Pacific ( and I will try to stay later this time Steve!) Hope to see everyone there.

I think Ingrid took it to use as a conversation piece for her house, but then realized it didn't match her decor.............

You (Steve) are the needle on the compass for certain
The missing map (server) has come back to your door

(Thank goodness!!!)

Rich, Bold, and...a great triv question you asked this morning!!!

Vic, I believe I have the answer too! Likewise, I will email it to you, so others can still play.(You worked it out yet Nance?!)

Normally I wouldn't say this, Johnny, but this time I think you're very much "part of the norm". I starting drifting toward the brownes and forgot about the blues (and lately pink) and where they came from. Thanks for the lesson, speech! 8-)

Hi Everyone~~
Well I thought I had an idea about who this band was and the artists when I finally went to bed last night. (Vic~~No need for sorry, I didn't lose any sleep!) I was all anxious to check the chat folder this morning and OOOOH NOOO my server was down and I couldn't get on at all. BUMMER! So I finally was able to get on and WOW! I have too catch up, so many posts here already! So it is back to square one with this trivia question. I must say you guys are so good at this trivia thing, I thought I knew trivia, but I am seeing my idea of trivia is much easier, but this sure is Fun. Fun, Fun!
Speech~~~ I will look forward to hearing about the Dan Fogelberg show from you.... I know that Dan F will be up in New York in a week or two, I would love to see one of his shows.
Hey Jim :)~~~Our guess to this trivia question from last night was really far off base! Oh well, it was fun talking to you. I hope you are playing some nice songs on your guitar :)
Bye for now, Nancy :) P.S. Vic I will email my guess too, although it is just a guess!

As I suspected, you guys are way too good. Geez. Thanks for at least letting the mystery continue to linger a while longer for others. I thought it might stymie you for a coupla of hours, anyway. Incidentally, I have a Rolling Stone Record Guide (blue version) that gives this "BS" band a good plug (3 stars). I have only one of their records. I've not played it for a while, but I recall being underwhelmed. Any thoughts on why this Asylum act (not unlike SHF) lacked the Midas touch? Incidentally, I was looking for the name of the guy in the group who played with Gerry and Dewey (and Dan), as well as the name of the band. An answer that also includes the member who was a co-founder of Shiloh (with Don Henley) will be a bonus.

Tough triv Speech. I'm getting a bit doubtful about my answer now.

Yeah Terry, I'm not sure if I should be feeling cold or blue, still. I'm also not sure if I see the color browne. It all depends on whether I'm feeling like I'm part of the norm. It's all so confusing. LOL

Steelers Wheel or something? Moody Blues? I think things are cold first, before they turn blue. That may be BS if I'm not sure. Bodden Town? Hmm... I may have a letter wrong or reversed in the spelling. Purely R&B, with a definite Jackson Browne connection, too. Baby you're a rich man. I see a Dewey song title, Johnny, but where's the Gerry one (except for the lyrics of 1960, maybe... the line after, "Like a tour at the closing show...")? Very interesting family tree, speech! ...and lots of Texans.

Again, not to give the answer away so others can still play, I believe the musician is someone whose name (part of his name that is) is the same as the title of a song Gerry has written. Regarding your question about the name of the band, Speech, I think it's purely BS.

Speech, your question is very interesting. I'm not positive yet but it sounds like maybe the Texan was born in Linden and was a member of a band whose name is a color and a type of metal....maybe??? Still thinking.

A musician who figured prominently in America's recorded work and on tour (during the Warner period) later joined a band that cut some records for Asylum in the late 70s. This same group also featured a Texan who had been in Don Henley's first professional group, Shiloh. Despite such a pedigree, the records really never went anywhere. (One LP contained a cover of Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman.") Anybody know who the America-related musician is, and what the name of the band was? This may be Trivia 101 for you real America-philes out there, but I never knew it until I picked up one of the mystery band's LPs for $1 in some CD store bargain bin.

Okay Vic, I know the answer now, but not to spoil it for the others, I'll email you the answer. This way, the others can continue playing. Maybe the next person who knows can do the same so the triv game can continue.

Okay, now that I have everyone thoroughly confused... I need to make one more change in my trivia question. It wasn't AMERICA'S first album, it was their THIRD. Obviously, this makes a big difference.

Johnny, Jimbob, and all. My mistake. I was way off! I'll restate the question. I'm looking for two guest artists. One appeared on AMERICA'S first album. The second appeared on their last album of all new material. Both were members of another group, at the same time, but neither were founding members of that group. Who are the two guest artist, and what is the name of the group they were both with? Again, sorry about the misinformation. Sorry if I caused you to lose sleep Nancy. This should help.

I'm going to see Fogelberg (and His Band) at the Keswick Theater in Philly this Wednesday night. Anybody want to offer a preview as to what Dan is doing these days with a band behind him? I've seen him in concert six times now, most recently as a solo acoustic performer at the same venue. Incidentally, the last time I was at the Keswick was last fall, to see Gerry and Dewey, and they put on an incredible show. The very next day was the day of Gerry's kidney stone attack (at least,I think that's what it was), and they had to cancel.

Except for a few shows in January, the 2003 concert list is yet to be determined. I don't know if OZ is on the drawing board or not. Let's hope so!

It is true that, in the literal sense, Badfinger's "Airwaves" LP was their first "comeback" attempt after the group's implosion in 1974-75. However, despite some well-reviewed club dates to promote the "Airwaves" record and an appearance on The Midnight Special concert show, it stiffed commercially and the band once again dropped off the radar screen (no pun intended). Subsequently, the "Airwaves" lineup disbanded and Joey Molland and Tom Evans had to regroup -- with a new cast of characters (including hard rock guitarist Glenn Sherba and Yes's Tony Kaye). They had to cut a new record deal and struggle, once again, to find their way back to the mainstream. As you have pointed out, this took until 1981. So, in the most up-to-the-moment sense, the release of "Say No More" and the band's appearance on a national daytime talk TV show was, by 1981, yet another Badfinger "comeback" bid. Incidentally, and I know Badfinger cultists are divided on this, but I find "Airwaves" to be a very middling record. "The Dreamer" is a great tune, as is "Sail Away" and the opening trio of "Airwaves," "Look Out California" and "Love Is Gonna Come at Last." The pairing of Joey and Tommy with a Nashville country producer was ludicrous, and the results, in my mind, were largely sterile and calculated-sounding. I was also disappointed in "Say No More," which I thought was a misguided bid to go for a rawboned rock-and-roll sound at the expense of their flare for ballads and the tasteful application of acoustic guitar and piano. You might be interested to know, however, that Kathie Molland recently posted a note on the Badfinger web site reporting that the song "No More" from the "Say No More" LP is apparently a very popular song in France, and that it is a productive generator of royalties in that country. Go figure.

Yes, Johnny - TR is touring with H & O, I believe some of the July dates and most of the August dates. It's a kind of reunion thing for them, I suppose. Even more trivia - TR has writing credits on 2 H & O albums - The "now for something completely different" War Babies, 1974 and Along The Red Ledge, 1978. From what I've heard thus far, Todd's a slow starter but I imagine a few rounds with Daryl & John will whip him into shape!! I've never seen Todd but I'll get my fill in August - 5 shows, 7 days - Pittsburgh to Detroit with Cleveland in the middle!!

Love the trivia, Johnny - Mr. Mister was one of my favs in their heyday!!

Chris - Cleveland

Alibi is the best of America (Good old rock songs. Counry-rock Music)
as 'Catch that train' 'Survival' But all songs are very good but this my faforites.

I know it's still way off.....

but, are there any plans on the drawing board for the guys to come to OZ in 2003' ???

Vic, Im a bit stumped, myself. But...Im thinking!!

Me Again!
HI Mel, thanks so much for posting about the concert. Soooo nice of Gerry & Dewey to do this concert for the Childrens Hosp. and I sure do know what you mean by too short and just can't get enough. I could just listen to them forever. So many great years of music and hopefully more to come. Thanks Gerry & Dewey! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Hi Vic~~~
Good Question! Hmmmm I was wondering by chance if one of these guest artists appears on any of the other AMERICA albums by chance? This would help alittle. Thanks, and welcome to the chat folder, I am sure you will find it as comfortable as the venturahwy message board. And Forever is playing in my headphones, I am wide awake and it is 3:15 am here, I just love trivia questions! Okay bye for now, Nancy :)

Vic, excellent question!

By "second to the last album" by America, you mean "Hourglass" and not America strictly as a trio, correct? Just wanna make sure but I think it probably won't really matter to me because I'm presently stumped either way. :0)

"Some are quick to take the bait..." That was quick Johnny. I will try to make up for my computer illiteracy in the future.
Okay Johnny, Jimbob, Nancy, Shayne, and all. Johnny's trivia question spawed this one: I'm looking for two guest artists, one from AMERICA'S first album, one from their second to the last album. Both were members of the same group at the same time, but not founding members. Who are the two guest artists, and what was/is the name of the group?

Today America Played in 100 degree hot sunny weather. But they really put on a great show.They played for a good cause All Childrens Hosp. But as always to short... just can't get enough. Thanks hope you make it back to Florida soon!!!! You Guys only keep getting better and better... Mel :)

Johnny, I haven't heard any specifics on a release date so anything I would say is just speculation. But as long as we're speculating (LOL), I think there's a good chance that it could come out this year. Any official announcement would come from Gerry, Dewey, or Morey Management. If they give any public information to me, I'll certainly pass it along.

Once again, sorry about the duplicate post. Steve, maybe you can help me out. My original post, is always in the message box. How do I get rid of my original post? Vic

Normally this only happens when you post something and then use the BACK button in your browser to go back to the original page where you posted something and then you click the Post Your Message button again. If that's not what you're doing, then it must be your browser that is putting the old text in there (using it's cache or something like that). I've never seen that happen before but I suppose it's possible. You can always click the "Clear The Form" button to remove the text.

Johnny, I thought the same thing.Didn't the article mention a scheduled release this summer? And as it's cold here in NZ, it must be summer there?! The news, though, of this concert being released is fantastic! Bunnell and Beckley, and their acoustics. Man,I don't need anything more!

Hi Everyone!
Steve~~Thanks so much for sharinf this articel and good news with us,WOW! Is this a dream come true or what! Thank You Gerry for listening to us and for making it possible for us to get to hear this event as a live CD. I cannot wait for it to come out, I am really look forward to hearing it. So Neat! I am smiling from ear to ear, this is how happy I am!
Good Night Everyone! Nancy :)

I re-read the article. I was mistaken to say it was Hank's words. I still am wondering about when, though.

(Hi Jimbob!)

(Vic, it happens to the best of us.)

Steve, the article mentions a possible release this summer per Hank's words, right? You said G&D are thinking about sometime in the future. So, it doesn't sound like this summer after all. Would I be assuming correctly?

Once again, sorry about the duplicate post. Steve, maybe you can help me out. My original post, is always in the message box. How do I get rid of my original post? Vic

I LIKE it Johnny!

Okay Vic, are you in some way trying to mention CSN&Y's "Deja Vu"? :0)

Been monitoring for a few weeks. Decided to jump in at this time. Several years ago, probably between 1992 and 1997, was at the movies with my wife. Saw previews of soon to be released movie. One of the clips involved three or four characters, singing the lyrics of, and dancing to, "Horse With No Name". I thought that it might have been "Air America", with Mel Gibson. We never got back to see it on the big screen. Have seen it since, on TV, however, the TV version did not contain the above mentioned clip. I know that sometimes, previews get edited out of final releases. Does anyone remember this seen, and the movie that it was from?

I was doing some web surfing and ran across a story on the PreSonus Audio Electronics web site about America in the Cayman Islands. It mentions the live recording of the concert and talks about some of the equipment used to do the recording. I know that Gerry and Dewey are talking about releasing the Cayman Island concert on CD sometime in the future so I asked Gerry if it was OK if I shared the link that I found with you. He said that he was the one that approved the story and that it was OK to share the link:

Click here to read the article

And I will say it again GO LAKERS! Next stop New Jersey!

Thanks for the picture Gerry, at last Rock Star Living!

as an Angeleno I say GO LAKERS!!!!!

Hey, the Western Championship basketball game is on! I know one America fan from Sacramento who, no doubt, is rooting for the kINGs! :0)

Dan said, "I just wish they could have put the show off till July 13th or so...."

Yeah Dan, if so, I can easily picture you and "wholewiDEWorld"...

Dragonflies dipped on the swimming pool
By July I had to keep my cool

That was a very beautiful picture, Mr. GLB!!!

You got it Mr. Webmaster Mister!

Clue #2: Kiri is the fan with a similar sounding name to Mr. Mister's hit "Kyrie".

Clue #3: Richard Page has the same initials as Robyn P.

Clue #4: Right about the "damaged appendages" being the song "Broken Wings" ---> robin/Robyn

Clue #5: Right again with Mr. Mister <---- Sir Squared (Sir x 2)

Way to go, Steve!!! :0)

Most excellent pictiure from St. Pete. Gets me in the mood big time for sure. I just wish they could have put the show off till July 13th or so when me and the family will be there. Oh well there's always the one man band at the tiki bar who, by the way, played Sister Golden Hair, Tin Man and Horse last year for a small gratuity placed in the jar. Can't hardly wait. Thanks Gerry for the early taste.

Hi all,
Wow, now that the answers are right there in front of me it is so clear to see. I really like the song Broken Wings alot! You are good at this Steve.
Nice VFTHW picture~~~Looks so inviting for sure! I love when all the colors of the rainbow are in the sky and from the looks of this picture the sky must have looked just like that from the distance.
Johnny~~I really like the group Toto too~~~some really good songs! Thanks for the trivia game, it was challenging.
Dan~~thanks your thoughts on the turtles concert. I will be looking forward to reading about the Dan Fogelberg concert for sure, I would love to go an see him.
Bye for now, Nancy :)

P.S. "I Do Believe In You" from the Alibi album was written by Richard Page, John Lang, Steve George, and Jerry Manfredi and was also released on the 1979 Pages album titled Future Street.

The name of the artist is Richard Page and he used to belong to a band called Pages (like Dewey's "Pages"). His more famous band was Mr. Mister and their biggest hit was Kyrie (which is similar to our fellow fan's first name). They also had a hit with Broken Wings (I think that was the broken appendages clue). Anyway, I hope everyone had a nice weekend.

Gerry is in St. Petersburg, FL today. Click here to see the view from his hotel window.

Hi Nancy, yes, the person who posted as "S.Luthaker-Fan" is no doubt a fan of the same Steve Luthaker whose name appears on the back cover of "VFTG". Luthaker, Jeff Porcaro, and Mike Porcaro (the name of both Porcaro brothers is also listed on the back cover of "View") are/were band members of the group, Toto. As you may know, Jeff Porcaro is deceased.

I really like Toto. They've put out some really great music!

Regarding Todd Rundgren, I too really like "Hello, It's Me" and "I Saw The Light". I have only one Rundgren LP, "Faithful". It wasn't what I thought it would be based on one of his songs mentioned above. Maybe it was like judging America by "Perspective" only.

Hi Everyone,
Hey Johnny this trivia question has me stumped for sure. I thought I was on the right track but with your latest clues I am at the beginning again. I did find one intersting name though of a person that just recently posted, the name Steve Lukather appears on the VFTG as a guitar player, could this be the same S.Lukather-Fan that posted about the Alibi album? Hmmmm interesting! I will keep searching to see if I can figure this trivia question out.... Your jokes are just too much Johnny LOL!!!! You sure do amaze me how much behind the scenes stuff of these music groups you know about, neat about the fans names appearing on a poster of Todd Rundgrens~~wonder how I missed that~~~I really like Todd Rundgren's songs Hello It's Me and I saw the Light.
For some reason I cannot get the song Happy Together out of my mind today, I have been singing it most of yesterday and today,last night on Dick Barkley's America's Gold radio show he featured the songs from this time, I even heard Crimson & Clover, haven't heard it for years, funny how these older songs can take you back to the carefree days of your past. Enjoy the rest of the weekend! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Band #2's name really isn't "Sir Squared". "Sir Squared" is merely a hint to what it really is.

I should mention that the artist in question had two bands. The first clue was for his first band and the other clue was for his second band. Most of us here probably have never heard of his first band. The second, I'm quite sure most everyone has heard of them since the band's name was/is quite unique.

Clue #3: The artist in question shares the same initials of his first and last name with a fellow fan here who posts to the folder at least once or two a day but not necessarily during the weekend.

Clue #4: If the fan mentioned in Clue #3 had "damaged appendages", this fan's condition may be described with the title of the other hit song by this artist's second band.

Clue #5: Band #2's name ----> "Sir Squared"

Dan C, were The Turtles just so-so because their music was a little slow? :0)

Dan and CJ, isn't Todd Rundgren touring with H&O this summer? A high school classmate of mine told me recently that years ago Rundgren had something fun to do for his fans. In one of his LPs from the 70s, Rundgren offered his fans the chance to submit their name to his fan club or record company. The first 1,000 fans (or something like that) would have their name mentioned on his next LP's insert. He received so many names (maybe up to 3,000???) that he included all the names on a poster that was enclosed with his next LP. Jim Abbott and Larry Sweet were two classmates of mine who had their names listed. I thought that was pretty cool.

Jeff B, we don't have Bravo here where I live. So, "boo", no Bravo.

CJ, your mention of a the "double bill" last September with America and H&O, reminds me of a joke: A duck walks into a pharmacy and asks the pharmacist if he sells condoms. The pharmacist says yes. The duck replies, "Great, put it on my bill."

Another joke ----> What type of license does a pharmacist have to have? Answer: A license to pill.

(Okay, no more corny jokes, I promise.)

Even more trivia - Kasim played with H & O, too!! Watched Musicians (again) at 1:00a.m. after working for 3 hours on my new home gym. A nice little ending to a very deep evening of nuts, bolts, pulleys, screws. . .and a missing box. . .

Glad to see there's a little "cross" admiration for both America & H & O! I've enjoyed both bands for, can it be, nearly a quarter of a century and more than half my life! Fulfilled that double-bill dream last September and look forward to another - "too much is never enough"!

Chris - Cleveland

Nancy, The turtles were only so so, but Tommy James really rocked out. The show was a little short though. I know it isn't fair but it wasn't McCartney but it was a good time. A side note to the show was when he introduced the band members the bass player was Kasim Sultan who was the bass player with Todd Rundgrens' band Utopia in the 70s. I was probably the only person in the theatre to know this bit of trivia. Next on the concert agenda will be Fogelberg here in a coupleof weeks. This show will have a bit more substance I'm sure. Hey Johnny I laughed out loud at your "I can't buy Alilbi, alibi" statement. You are too much, man. DanC

Can you be the first to tell us the name of the artist whose name appears on one of AMERICA's CD liner notes (AMERICA as a duo) who fits the following two clues:

1) He was once a member of a band that has the same name as the title of one of Dewey's songs. I do believe this band is no longer together but it may still be.

and

2) This artist's band had a fairly big hit with a song whose title sounds the same as one of our fellow fan's first name.

(Welcome aboard, Vic!)

Vic,

I remember the preview as well. It was a lounge act with 3 or 4 asian "lounge lizards" singing it. I thought it was in the movie, but I may have been mistaken.

Shayne
"The heat was hot and the ground was dry But the air was full of sound"

Hi Jeff~~
I would have liked to see this show that you mentioned would be on Bravo~~but I don't have that channel on my sat. pkg. I finally got the song Romeo is Bleeding, and I a listening to it as I type this, I like it~~~~a good song. I really like their new song to, the radio station that I listen to is really into playing their songs lately and I have been hearing it alot.
Did anyone happen to catch the VH1 behind the scenes today~~Lindsey Buckingham was the artist featured, it was rather interesting it seems he has gotten to the place in his life where is finally happy. Maybe there will be some new music from him. I really like Stevie Nicks it was neat to see how they met and how far back they go. I really like Stevie Nicks alot. I also checked out a site called www.launch.com, I think it is a Yahoo site. Anyway I was able to check out America's video of Hope, my media player didn't have such a clear picture though, but I could hear the song good, there are other songs of theirs on this too. Mel who is also a fan of America's told me to check this out, she is at Gerry & Deweys show in Fla. tonight, Orleans was opening for them. I am looking forward to hearing how this was.
Hey Dan C how was the Turtles & Tommy James & the Shondells concert tonight?
Bye for now, Nancy :)

...at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time(20 minutes from now)Hall and Oates are supposed to be on a show called "Musicians" on Bravo.

PS: Otherwise, I can't buy your "I can't buy alibi" alibi. :0)

S.Lukather-fan, why can't you bid on eBay and pay using a money order or cashier's check? "Alibi" is currently available on eBay at a "Buy It Now" price of $11.99, I believe. It's item #878706767. Are you saying that you have to have a credit card in order to register to bid? If not, there you are with an available "Alibi" CD.

I can't buy alibi and i didn't have a creditcard (e-bay.com and amazon.com)

Hi Steve~~~
Sorry, maybe it was something like they got alot of air time on a radio station in Pittsburgh, Pa., I just remember it being mentioned. I really like this song alot too! I also like Special Girl & All my Life both are really nice songs, and Rainbow Song~~it is so hard to believe that this song didn't make the charts it is so nice. Well I guess my partiality is showing again, if I had my way all of their songs would make the charts! Bye for now, Nancy :)

I don't recall saying the song was big in Pennsylvania,but "You could have been the one" certainly was issued on a single,though it never made the "Hot 100" or even the "Bubbling under" charts. I personally think that is the best song from "Alibi". As for other non-charting tunes,"Only game in town" reached #107 in 1979(3weeks on the chart)and then "Special girl" reached #106 in 1984--but was a #15 Adult Contemporary hit. Billboard compiled a "Bubbling under" chart for songs that were up and coming. Some managed to go on and become big hits,others never even made the Hot 100. America did have a number of songs issued as "singles" that never charted like "Rainbow song" and
"All my life"....

[May] [July]
Last Revised: 9 July 2002