Customer Reviews

Hideaway

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I really liked this album when it was released in 1976 and still do. It was a hit in the US peaking at 11 on the album chart and being certified GOLD by the RIAA. It includes the top 25 hit Today's The Day (which went all the way to number 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart) and the minor hit Amber Cascades. Other songs received some airplay like Jet Boy Blue (this song should have been released as a single), Letter, and Watership Down. George Martin must have had a ball producing this album as he makes heavy use of strings and horns, but it is done very well. A very good album.

Martin really put a lot of production effort into this one. He makes a lot of use of strings and horns. It works nicely.

Produced by George Martin and went "Gold" in 1976. Features their last top 40 hit of the 70s, Today's The Day. Other good songs are Jet Boy Blue, Watership Down, The Letter, and She's A Liar.

This is classic America. Especially, in a time of Disco\Dance music was dominating. My favorites are Dan Peek's contibution's, especially "Can't You See". One of my All-Time Favorites on my guitar.

This album reminisces 60's pop quite a bit (remember the brass driven rockers?). It's a really good album. It's a very diverse album and some of the tracks try to rock out very much, like 'Don't let it get you down'. 'She's a liar' is a light hearted piece of 70's catchy pop. One of the Dan Peek songs is a throwback to early-60's teen idol. His Jet Boy Blue is a brilliant 60's-ish rocker with their beautiful vocal harmonies. Watership Down is a big-ballad with a prog-ish edge, and 'Who loves you' is a very big ballad. George Martin's arrangements really started to shine here.

For those who think of America as purveyors of airily pleasant, driving-with-the-windows down folk-rock songs, this one may be a jolt. On the wintry Hideaway from 1976, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek continue to grow away from the relative acoustic simplicity of their earlier LPs in favor of a more lush and ornate pop sound. But unlike 1974's Holiday LP, which was an earlier foray into Beatle-esque, Magical-Mystery-Tour-era ornamentation, the stepped up production flourishes here don't always work to advantage. Virtually all of the songs are loaded -- overloaded? -- with vocal harmonies, horns and strings. That's not to say Hideaway is lacking in good songs. "Letter," "Amber Cascades," "Jet Boy Blue" and "Lovely Night," for example, are pop tunes whose hooks eventually sink in. Likewise, the ballads "Can't You See" and "Who Loves You" have their charm after a while. But casual listeners should beware: the gauzy vocal arrangements can sometimes obtrude, as can the abundant horns and strings. Also, there are two -- count em,two -- orchestral instrumentals credited to producer George Martin. Finally, there is something between the lines here that feels different -- a kind of lyrical solemnity that is new, at least in such quantity. For pure America fans, of course, Hideaway is a must have. But those who may have missed America the first time around and are starting, only now, to put their toes in the water might want to taste an earlier album first. For the record, there was one more LP after this before the original lineup splintered.

i have the vinyl version of "Hideaway" i got in Manila during the late 70s. when music CD format was introduced, this was one of my AMERICA collection music albums that i dearly wished be re-introduced in CD form. i searched for more than 10 years for this item. Finally, i got one copy from amazon last year. i now have almost all their (AMERICA) albums in CD form. Kudos Amazon for making this and many more "must have" music cds available to "Vietnam era" babies like me... hehehe

Fer Macarayo, Angeles City, Philippines

America was one of my favorite groups during their heyday in the 70's. To me that heyday lasted through their sixth album, "Greatest Hits" and started slipping on this album. Perhaps their desire to expand their sound was greater than their ability to do so. The hit "Today's the Day" and "Watership Down", a sound track for an animated film I never saw, were up to the quality of their previous albums, but from there the quality slips a bit. "Amber Cascades" was the second single, and is not a bad song in the "Tin Man"/"Ventura Highway" vein, "Lovely Night" offers a touch of reggae, and "She's a Liar","Don't Let it Bring You Down" and "Jet Boy Blue" rock harder than most previous America tunes, with "Jet Boy Blue" being the best of those 3. From there the tunes become pretty forgettable.

Somehow I think America lost focus of their real strengths on this album. Those strengths are harmonies that were unsurpassed in the 70's, and the best sounding mix of acoustic guitars around. I bought this on cd recently for mostly nostalgic purposes, but until "Hourglass" many years later, I think America's classic album days began some dry years with the release of "Hideaway". By the way, George Martin did produce this release and he is quite heavy handed here, but the tunes just weren't very worthy of his involvement.

I HAD THIS ALBUM ON VINYL & 8-TRACK YEARS AGO. I HAVEN'T HEARD
MOST OF THESE SONGS IN YEARS. IF YOU ENJOY AMERICA, THIS IS A
GOOD PURCHASE FOR YOU.