Comments for America, Hearts

More great material, similar to the sound of Holiday. "Sister Golden Hair" is my favorite pop single of all time. The ultimate crank-it-up-and-smile song! The songwriting and musicianship of the band are still peaking here. Examples are the highly original & beautifully orchestrated "Seasons" and the great lyrics on "Daisy Jane."

Beckley's excellent Sister Golden Hair and Daisy Jane. Also an exceptional Peek/Beckley tune, The Story of a Teenager. This is perhaps America's most underrated song.

"Hearts" took a less eclectic style than "Holiday" and focused more on the strength of Gerry Beckleys' voice. The voices seem softer and the melodies more flowing. The second half of the CD is superior to the first with the remarkable "Seasons", "Story of a Teenager" (which was Beckley and Peeks' finest collaboration) and "Tomorrow". However, the first side has it's merit. "Daisy Jane" is perhaps Beckley's most beautiful ballad and "Midnight" is Bunnell at his best. To this day, I feel "Sister Golden Hair" is the best single the band ever recorded. It's too bad Gerry can't seem to give it justice live (it's the only song he can't).

I forgot to add that if you have the CD, there is an additional track. It's a Dan Peek tune called "Simple Life". When I first heard it in the summer of '96, it was like hearing them back in 1975 with a new track (which I guess it is).

It's extremely rare that you buy an album where every track is great. This is one album that you can listen to from beginning to end and enjoy every minute. It is one of the three best albums I've ever purchased. In the words of a famous New York radio host, "it just doesn't get any better than this!!!"

A hodge-podge album, but a nice hodge-podge. I don't understand why "Woman Tonight" was released as the third single instead of "Old Virginia" or "Bell Tree." Both of those songs were far better.

As difficult as it is to pick one America album & call it your favorite I would have to say if I was forced to pick one "Hearts" would be it. I love "The Story of a Teenager" which was actually done for a movie of the same name. "Half a man" is a great Dan Peek cut. I also love "Midnight", the singles are as strong as any released on any of their albums. This one is a true classic. I never get tired of listening to it.

what can you say about an l.p. that clearly shows just how terrific this band is!!! Following the masterpice of "Holiday" didn't seem like such a chore for this band that the crirics couldn't tolerate!i feel it also shows just how wonderful it was to have George Martin there to give America the class they truly deserved.The viola part in "Daisy Jane" still gets me every time. Side two flows along with brilliance. I love it!!!!

It''s difficult to be objective about this one because it was, along with Dan Fogelberg''s "Souveneirs" and the Eagles'' "One of These Nights," the soundtrack to my summer of ''75. Just outta high school, in love (and lust)for the first time, drinking beer on the balcony of an overcrowded apartment in Ocean City, N.J., myself and my earth-shoed, shaggy-haired mid-70s buddies listened(and played bad acoustic guitar) to this record constantly. Funny thing is, all these years later it really stands up for me. "Woman Tonight," in my view, was an utterly dispensable song. Otherwise, however, the writing and performing would never again be so consistently strong. I particularly find that "Bell Tree," "Old Virginia," "Half A Man," "Daisey Jane," "Midnight" and "Story of a Teen-Ager" retain the power to move me, as well as the Dan Peek composition that fades out with the chorus "When will it ever be, Oh Lord just you and me, when will I ever be free?" (I''m too lazy to get up and flip the LP jacket over and I forget the song title) "Sister Golden Hair" is an undeniably great song, but it''s a bit shopworn to my ears by now. (Anyone hear echoes of that same solo electric guitar hook in "Goodbye Highway" from Gerry''s recent solo LP "Van Go Gan?") In the right mood, however, I can still get into "Sister Golden Hair" and almost feel the sun and sea breeze on my face as I rode across the bridge that links the mainland to Ocean City in my friend''s ''65 Chevy convertible. Today, that friend lives in Texas and we never speak. The "Hearts" LP, however, is always there to listen and remember to. Looking back, it''s easy to hear in this record a continuing of Dan Peek''s exploration of his weariness with touring and being a star, as well as his gathering faith. "I''m only half a man, when I''m not by your side" from "Half a Man" could well have been about Jesus, say, and the line in "Old Virginia" where he sings, "Reach out Old Virginia won''t you rock him close to you, the poor boy''s had a hotel so long he don''t know what to do" sounds pretty self-explanatory. I think that''s what I loved about this record. Virtually all of the songs exuded warmth and wit, sincerity and common experience. "Hearts" had that certain, intangible something that all truly memorable pop records have, capturing a moment or era in time. It''s ridiculous, in light of America works of this undeniable charm, that critics continued to slag these guys as lame neo-folkies and CS&N rip-offs. I happen to respect CS&N and have most of their records. But they never gave the pretensions a rest and, to my ears, a lot of their records sound impossibly dated today. I feel that, while America ultimately lost its aim and tried to substitute with glossy production before storming back in the mid-to-late 80s and now the 90s, "Hearts" strikes a perfect balance and belongs in a time capsule from the 70s.

One of their best-George Martin produced.

Just curious, seeing as George Martin produced the America album Heart, is George Harrison playing slide guitar on Sister Golden Hair or is that a common misconception? I heard this song on the radio this morning and noticed...

These songs are a bit precious, many of them,but this is by far my favorite America album, because I like every song on some level. "Woman Tonight" may be the funkiest song this group ever did, veering from its usual straight-ahead soft-rock bits. Great stuff! And prosucer Geiorge Martin's stamp was ll over this album, in a good way, with orchestration ("Seasons"), pennywhistles ("Old Virginia") and good, clean rock ("Sister Golden Hair," "Company.") The weak link here, in my estimation, is the Peek/Beckley joint movie soundtracxk, and even that is fairly listenable. A great American pop/rock record.

These songs are a bit precious, many of them,but this is by far my favorite America album, because I like every song on some level. "Woman Tonight" may be the funkiest song this group ever did, veering from its usual straight-ahead soft-rock rhythms. Great stuff! And producer George Martin's stamp was all over this album, in a good way, with orchestration ("Seasons"), pennywhistles ("Old Virginia") and good, clean rock ("Sister Golden Hair," "Company.") The weak link here, in my estimation, is the Peek/Beckley joint movie soundtrack, and even that is fairly listenable. A great American pop/rock record.

This is America's happiest and sunniest album - guaranteed to lift you up - youthful,carefree summer days - and also one of their best!