Customer Reviews

Here & Now

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I gave this 5 stars because there is not one song on here that I don't like--a really rare occurrence with any album. In my opinion, this is America's best LP so far in their long musical career. The songs have great melodies to them and are performed perfectly within the classic America style with magnificent harmony vocals. And they throw in a cover version of "Indian Summer" by Maplewood(one of my current favorite bands)which has the author of the song joining in on guitar. All I can say is that Gerry Beckley & Dewey Bunnell must be extremely satisfied and content to know that 35 years after that first album they are still writing and performing music on a level above and beyond what has come before. That being said, I can't wait for the next one.

This is America's best album since their heyday in the the mid-70s! This album was a modest hit on the Billboard album charts hitting 52 on the Billboard 200 and 11 on the Top Internet Albums charts; their best chart showing since 1982's View From the Ground. Working with younger performers like Adam Schlesinger, James Iha, and Ryan Adams seems to have renewed their creative spirit and energized them! Their performance of songs like "Indian Summer", "One Chance", "Ride On", "Look At Me Now", and "Work To Do" are all outstanding, making it difficult to pick a favorite. All of those songs deserve air-play!

The bonus CD is a live recording of all the songs from their multi-platinum "History: America's Greatest Hits" album. While in a few places Gerry Beckley's voice is starting to show some strain from four decades of performing, Dewey Bunnell's voice seems as strong as ever. The performances are very good and include several songs not available on any of their other live albums. The new intro to "Sandman" is exceptional. Solid performances all the way around!

All-in-all this is an OUTSTANDING set and I highly recommend it!

I know it's wrong, but I found it almost impossible to approach this disk without a few preconceptions. To me, America represented the most commercial branch of folk-rock, deeply ensconced in the California tradition. By definition, that meant rich harmonies conveying vapid lyrics, all wrapped in catchy riffs that made their hit songs the aural equivalent of a Lays potato chip; you couldn't listen just once. Over the decades, their style of music has fallen out of favor, and hard as I tried, I could not erase my preconceived notions of these guys as passed-over pop stars, thirty years removed from their prime. I am the first to admit that I can be both thickheaded and stubborn, so I can't help but be impressed that "Here and Now" managed to overcome my negative preconceptions - most of them, anyway.
The record title can be taken as a statement of purpose. America is once again reaching for contemporary relevance, and the material provided herein makes a valid case. The song styles haven't changed too much since 1977, but it doesn't matter, because they seem to work quite nicely `here and now'. Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell still perform songs that stick to your brain like caramel on an apple (third member Dan Peek left the duo back in 1977 for a career in contemporary Christian music). As I listened, I wondered how they could manage such a feat, but the answer revealed itself as the songs unfolded. The first clue came with their cover of a great Nada Surf tune called "Always Love." If nothing else, this displays a contemporary edge and exceptionally good taste, two traits that I hadn't expected. It doesn't hurt that their version remains true to the lively beauty of Nada Surf's original version, either. Later in the disk, I found myself thinking that this newly energized version of America resembles an ironic-free version of the Fountains of Wayne, only to check the credits and discover that a) one track was written by FOW's Adam Schlesinger, and b) the same Mr. Schlesinger actually produced the record, working with James Iha (ex-Smashing Pumpkins). Aha! No wonder the album sounds contemporary! Now that I was paying attention, I soon recognized "Golden" as a clever adaptation of a song by My Morning Jacket. It still sounds like the America I knew as a kid, but this time around, they are bringing a little something extra to the table.
The real beauty of "Here and Now" lies in its ability to sound like classic America without resorting to formula. Even more impressive is the way that Schlesinger and Iha stay out of the way, allowing Bunnell and Beckley the opportunity to prove contemporary relevance on their own terms. Virtually any of these songs could be extracted for release as a single, so it is rather ironic that contemporary radio might find the band too difficult to pigeonhole properly. If nothing else, this album proves just how backward radio has `progressed' in the past three decades. For reference (and some guilty fun), "Here and Now" also includes a second disk containing well-performed live versions of their biggest hits, such as "Ventura Highway," "Tin Man" and "A Horse with No Name." I admit that I have a soft spot for these tunes, but I think it's the new material that I'll find myself playing most often. B+ Tom Ryan

This is America's best album since their heyday in the the mid-70s! This album was a modest hit on the Billboard album charts hitting 52 on the Billboard 200 and 11 on the Top Internet Albums charts; their best chart showing since 1982's View From the Ground. Working with younger performers like Adam Schlesinger, James Iha, and Ryan Adams seems to have renewed their creative spirit and energized them! Their performance of songs like "Indian Summer", "One Chance", "Ride On", "Look At Me Now", and "Work To Do" are all outstanding, making it difficult to pick a favorite. All of those songs deserve air-play! This collection includes the excellent bonus song "Glass King".

The second CD is a live recording of all the songs from their multi-platinum "History: America's Greatest Hits" album. While in a few places Gerry Beckley's voice is starting to show some strain from four decades of performing, Dewey Bunnell's voice seems as strong as ever. The performances are very good and include several songs not available on any of their other live albums. The new intro to "Sandman" is exceptional. Solid performances all the way around!

All-in-all this is an OUTSTANDING set and I highly recommend it!

America, Formed in 1967, is back today with a great album. "Here and Now" is the new release for this great band; specially for all its fans which I am one.

America's Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley and a group of new musicians, releasing 12 brand new songs on the first CD, and a live session of their most previous successful recordings on the second CD.
Catching its old and new audience; A very good formula as the new fans can hear some of the most amazing releases of the band from the 70's while the old fan can enjoy new releases + a live recording; as a formula, not bad at all.
The new releases are very fresh and they give the same musical feelings, the band had some 35 years ago; the live session is not as good as the original studio recorded songs year back, however It is a plus for this new release; America.
Highly recommended.

America's "Here and Now" has to be the biggest musical shocker "comeback" effort in recent memory. Virtually unheard of since the early 80s when they briefly resurfaced after their early/mid 70s string of successes and hit the charts with "You Can Do Magic", and "The Border", for most of us it's been over 20 years since we even thought about America.

For me, it was some great exposure to their "History" Greatest Hits album during college that led to my appreciation of their varied and always melodic style. I never did dig too deeply into their catalog at the time, but certainly considered them worth a very enjoyable listen.

However, after the early 80s, I'd imagine that for most people except die-hard fans, America was viewed as a relic of the past more than a part of a vibrant present. Yes, now and again we'd hear one of their early hits on some "classic rock" station, but for most people they probably fell into the same distant memory bin with artists like Seals & Crofts, Bread, and Cat Stevens.

That long absence is part of the reason why this album absolutely floored me. But more importantly, this is an exceptional album on any level, irrespective of who the artist(s) is or what their previous history entailed.

From a production standpoint, you won't hear a better "sounding" album anywhere. The songs are all strong, varied, and strike both familiar chords as well as embrace newly creative modern visions.

Like most of America's songs, the song topics deal mostly with the trials, tribulations, joys, and sorrows of love, but this album shows an America that is world wizened, and with a very human perspective based on probably hard-earned experience in life's realities.

Dewey Bunnell's songs mostly still show an optimism in love, although at times with a knowingly ironic misplacement (i.e. "This Time"), while Gerry Beckley's soaring efforts exhibit the confusion and self-doubt that all of us feel, even when trying to convince ourselves otherwise (i.e. "Look at Me Now").

There isn't a clunker in the bunch and the album lifts the spirit, elevates the senses, and leaves the listener feeling simpatico with the sentiments expressed in satisfying, and sometimes even humorous ways.

The only sad part is knowing that with today's genre-oriented, tight-playlisted radio channels, this album will almost assuredly never get the airplay it so grandly deserves.

Shockingly good, and HIGHLY recommended!

Listening to this CD is a breath of fresh air. The songs brought back all those great memories of times past. However, the feel has been updated to reflect the qualities of a band that still grows and shows new flair. What I enjoy the absolute most though is that a day after buying the CD I was performing 4 songs in a coffeehouse on my guitar and everyone wanted to know what those songs were. When I said it was from America's New CD Here and Now people actually walked next store to Circuit City and bought it.

One Chance and Always Love are catchy tunes that will take some time to get out of your mind. Ride on brings a bit of stronger rock that is part of the freshness of the overall work. I also was taken by Chasing The Rainbow and Walk In The Woods because of their simplicity and that they put you in another easy going zone that just takes all the stress away. I know I am shortchanging the CD because the other tunes are great as well. This is a can't miss CD.

I wasn't expecting too much from America's most recent recording, but I think these guys, along with colloborative efforts from members of My morning Jacket, Nada Surf, Fountains of Wayne, and Ryan Adams.. really nailed it. Not a rock and roll jamfest, but America never sounded better, with tight harmonies and exellent musicianship. Not a bad song on the entire cd and the live concert of their greatest hits sounds terrific. Favorites include "Always Love" where Beckley shows incredible range (never heard it quite like that in the 70's!), "Chasing the Rainbow", and "Walk in the Woods"...So far one of my favorite releases for 2007....

If you are an America fan, this CD is a must to have. Excellent! Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell have been together for over 35 years and this is the best album I feel they have done yet. Lovely melodies, tight harmonies...there is not one song on the 1st CD that I don't like. THe 2nd CD is a live performance recorded in October of 2005 at the XM studio in Washington, DC of their History LP and it is awesome. America is timeless and great!

America has always produced great music although never heavy or full of messages. Critics began by ripping them apart as being a C S & N rip-off as you can see in early Rolling Stone magazine web site reviews from 1972. But America has always been one of my favorite bands. Here & Now is probably on par with their best 70's work although we all wish that Dan Peek could be involved again (maybe one day). I was impressed and happy for the guys that this CD debuted at #52 on Billboard, their best showing since 1982. I can already tell that this is going to be a great summer CD to listen to. Songs like Chasing the Rainbow, Indian Summer and Ride On have become new favorites. I have always loved Dewey's vocals, very honest and warm. I thought that the 2nd disc of the entire HISTORY album was going to be a throw away but it is great, and I never have cared for live stuff by anyone. All in all, this is a great addition to the America catalog, God Bless America!