Customer Reviews

Homecoming

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

for someone who loves the velvet underground, the clash, husker du, etc..., it does not really feel cool to admit that you like america. but i do. and i admit it (though you may have noticed that i am writing this under an alias name). this is a fine album. how could you honestly not like it? good songs, fine harmonies, gentle acoustic guitars carrying it all along. c'mon all you snobs out there, give it a chance. this is not bad. it really isn't. a very enjoyable early 70's release of well done folk/rock. and i recommend it. yes, i do.

A great album! It was a big hit in 1972 and went Platinum in the US. Contains the classic Ventura Highway and the hits Don't Cross the River and Only In Your Heart. Nearly every song on the album received airplay in 1972/1973. Plus it has one of my favorite album covers of all time! Very cool!

America's second album, Homecoming (1973), builds on the sound and success of their first album, but it also takes a step towards the commercial soft rock sound that would eventually lead to their demise. Fortunately, it stays within the bounds of down-to-earth hippie relevancy and doesn't alienate the fans of their debut album.

The opener, Ventura Highway, with it's creative acoustic guitar lines, smart vocal harmonies, and spacey California lyrics is a step up, and was a hit single. Of course, it's also a fan favorite and one of their best songs. To Each His Own features piano and thoughtful lyrics, and Don't Cross The River is a classic that includes a subtle banjo and great harmonies. Moon Song is an acoustic guitar song with images of an outside summer party, "Amidst the dancing paradise, a case of beer, a smile, a motorcycle child". Head And Heart and Only In Your Heart are both very good piano ballads. Cornwall Blank is a great song, one of America's best, and their most intense. It's a minor key acoustic/electric guitar lament of lost innocence.

I cannot learn much more life, I cannot see much more,
Somebody should stop the new sight, somebody should close the door.

The song is a hidden gem. California Revisited is an acoustic/electric, retitled update of their b-side single, Everyone I Meet Is From California, and along with Saturn Nights, closes the album perfectly.

Homecoming is an acoustic assortment of thoughtful, well-written, and professionally performed songs, embellished in the golden California sunset. It's one of America's better albums, possibly their best, and along with their self-titled debut, America, is essential for the America fan.

Wow! This gem of an album sat in my collection after "History" came out, but I just got the cd and can't believe how hauntingly beautiful this music is. "Ventura Highway" and "Don't Cross the River" are well-known hits, but songs like "Saturn Nights" "Til the Sun Comes Up Again" and "Moon Song" are just as good and this album plays just like their debut "America". If I could choose 10 cd's to take on Survivor with me, this would definitely be one. Not a weak cut in the bunch.

Dewey, Gerry and Dan put together another melodic album full of catchy folk ballads and great harmonies. They each have three song writing credits and each sing a bit on the strong cover 'head and heart'.
Gerry was always excellent at writing beautiful ballads and he provides three on this album. 'To each his own' has a melodic piano and a gorgeous melody. 'Till the sun comes up again' is another acoustic ballad with more beautiful harmonies. 'Only in your heart' follows a theme of Gerr's of often having the names of people in his songs. 'Daisy' crops up in a couple of songs. 'Clarice' and now 'Mary'. For further evidence of this, listen to 'goodbye'. Gerry rarely seems to write in an abstract way. This song is a piano and acoustic guitar lead ballad, which develops into a slightly progressive and amazing instrumental section, awash with backward electric guitars.
Dewey is also in fine form. Probably the best song on the album is 'Cornwall blank'. An almost psychedelic melody, which remains in the key of Bmin for much of it, it has amazing double tracked electric guitars, that pan through the spectrum, throughout the latter part of the song. This also has many texture changes, from a small acoustic guitar passage to the multi tracked electric guitars, towards the end. Incredible song.
Dewey also provides 'ventura highway', probably the best known on here, and indicative of America's indicative folky style. 'Moon song' is also a good indicator of Dewey's writing style. Really like the melody of this one, particularly on the descending 'and you..' line.
The reason for only giving this four stars, is that I think Dan's tracks are a bit below par. Never especially liked 'don't cross the river', it sounds a bit tuneless to me, and I don't like the banjo playing. Not abad song though, by any means. 'Saturn nights' is the strongest effort, but not up to Dewey or Gerry's efforts. I think the weakest song though is the fast folky rocker 'california revisited'. Correct me if i'm wrong, but I'm sure that this was a b-side, and has received a slightly reworked version here. It, to me, is largely tuneless and has no direction.
Still, a mior gripe for yet another excellent album by the three talented people.

My favorite songs on this album are DAN PEEK'S DON'T CROSS THE RIVER (I love to play this song on my 12-string acoustic guitar) with his singing, harmony vocals, the acoustic guitars and banjo, his piano ballad SATURN NIGHTS with excellent harmony vocals, 12 string guitar, and moog synthesizer, the group's arrangement of HEAD AND HEART with the FENDER RHODES piano, acoustic guitar, and all three singers in a solo spot, and GERRY BECKLEY'S piano ballad TO EACH HIS OWN with the moog synthesizer, harmony vocals, acoustic and electric guitars. DEWEY BURNELL'S acoustic ballads CORNWELL BLANK that features excellent lead guitar riffs by DAN and GERRY and MOON SONG with the harmony vocals, acoustic and leslie guitars are excellent. GERRY'S piano ballads TILL THE SUN COMES UP AGAIN with the harmony vocals, acoustic guitar and the radio classic ONLY IN YOUR HEART with the harmony vocals, the moog synthesizer, the acoustic and electric guitars, and the DA, DA, DA, DA, or whatever they are saying throughout the main chorus of the song, seems to give it a signature sound. Plus, the arrangement of CALIFORNIA REVISITED written and sung by DAN with an excellent acoustic guitar intro and lead guitar riffs by DAN and GERRY is definitely better than the original single version that appears on the ENCORE cd. Plus, I also like the harmony acoustic lead guitar by DAN and GERRY on the radio classic VENTURA HIGHWAY that was written and sung by DEWEY. Therefore, this is an outstanding sequel to their debut album.

"Chewin' on a piece of grass walkin' down the road" Who could ever forget that timeless classic "Ventura Highway" It will always rank up there as one of my all time favorite songs. I would strongly recommend to anyone young or old to buy this CD. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

While winning the grammy award for best Artist of 1972 after their debut release album titled "America", "Homecoming' was released with the same initial musical style while their sounds were much more polished and mature, reaching the Top Ten hits in the US and peaking to # 21 in The UK. The band was never able to reach this level afterward, although their third album "Hat Trick" is an absolute Jewel.
America released many good albums through out their musical career; however, their first 3 album releases were surely their best.
This is a definite "Must Own" album to all the fans or any person wanting to be introduced to this great band. Homecoming is a sure Soft Rock Classic.

What can I say...I like this group and it all started with an awesome album. If you like acoustic driven rock and never heard of this group this is the place to start..you will not be disappointed!!! I bought this cd to replace my old record of it. Well worth every penny!

This is in my opinion America's best album. Every song on the CD is very good. Great melodies, instrumentation and harmonies. If you like America's first CD (self-titled), be sure to pick this one up.