Customer Reviews

Perspective

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

 

 

I think this is America's worst album of all time. They abandon their traditional sound for an 80's synth-pop sound and it just doesn't work. There are a few good songs on it, like Cinderella and Stereo, but overall this is not a good album. Only for the hardcore America fan who must own all their material (like me).

America derserves enormous credit for trying to make a record that is in vogue for the time in which it was done. The album is like many that came during that name...perhaps "overproduced". The songs are good, however I prefer Gerry and Dewey writing their own material..as they are both excellent songwriters..It's a good album it's just not one of their best..Keep in mind that sometimes the record company dictates direction...not neccesarirly the band....Highlights include "Can't Fall Asleep To A Lullabye" and "We've Got It All Night"... This album is solid proof that Ameirca is a group with staying power that can adapt to the times... even the times aren't neccesarily worth adapting too as in the case with the 80's.

America first became famous in the early 1970s as a young trio of musicians creating acoustic masterpieces such as "A Horse With No Name," "I Need You" and "Ventura Highway." Their sound matured by the middle of the decade under the tutelage of famed Beatles producer George Martin with pop classics like "Tin Man," "Lonely People" and "Sister Golden Hair." After Dan Peek left in 1977, America hit a dry spell before regaining their commercial footing with their 1982 smash hit "You Can Do Magic" from the View From The Ground album.

America was able to ride the crest of its resurgent popularity for a short while, charting with the hits "Right Before Your Eyes (Rudolph Valentino)" and "The Border" in 1983, the latter from the Your Move album. By 1984, however, band members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell decided to experiment with the heavily synthesized pop sound then in vogue. From this came Perspective, released on Capitol Records in September 1984.

Perspective was, if nothing else, an ambitious effort. Beckley and Bunnell, as "executive producers," utilized three different producers (Richard James Burgess, Richie Zito, and Matthew McCauley) and a long list of prominent studio musicians to create a sound completely different than anything America had ever tried. Longtime fans were alienated, and the critics, who never took kindly to America to begin with, shunned the album altogether. The album died quietly at number 185 on the Billboard album charts in November 1984, spending a mere three weeks on the chart. This poor performance effectively put an end to America's recording career for the time being. America released one more live album on Capitol in 1985 to close out their contract, and then disappeared from the pop scene. They didn't release any new material until they included four new tracks on Rhino's Encore: More Greatest Hits release in 1991, and did not put out a new studio album until Hourglass, released on American Gramaphone Records in 1994. Not until Here & Now was released on Sony's Burgundy Records label in 2007 did America put out another major-label release.

In hindsight, however, Perspective was not a total failure. It did produce two minor adult contemporary hits. One was "Special Girl," a somewhat brooding pop confection which was later covered by Meatloaf. The other, "Can't Fall Asleep To A Lullaby," was penned by Bunnell along with Journey frontman Steve Perry and Bill Mumy (of "Lost In Space" fame) and Robert Haimer. This wonderfully atmospheric ballad was noteworthy for Perry's backing vocals and a sparkling sax solo by Phil Kenzie, and stands as one of America's finest songs during its Capitol tenure.

The album is full of interesting tracks unlike anything on any other America album. "See How The Love Goes" sounds like a cross between the Pointer Sisters and Flashdance (perhaps that's because the Pointer Sisters had recorded the track in 1982). "5th Avenue" is surprisingly effective with layers of moody synthesizers. "We Got All Night" is perhaps the most straight-out bouncy pop track on the album. "Cinderella" features Eagle Timothy B. Schmit on backing vocals. "Lady With A Bluebird" is an intriguing stab at a reggae sound (America had tried this once before on Hideaway's "Lovely Night"). "Stereo" was co-written between Beckley and famed songwriter/composer Jimmy Webb.

Perhaps because we now know that America would ultimately return to a more organic, acoustic sound, Perspective stands out like an unusual pop experiment of its age. Yet it remains an enjoyable listen on its own merits. Even in reviews that predictably tend to pan the album, like Stephen Thomas Erlewine's review on AllMusic.com, the album is described as "endearing." This album is well worth giving a second listen - it's actually pretty good.

Overall I would have to say this was probably America's weakest studio album. They abandon their trademark accoustic sound in favor of an 80's techno-pop sound. Gerry Beckley's songs are good, but it doesn't work with Dewey Bunnell's style. The album produced two minor hits in 1984: Special Girl and Can't Fall Asleep To A Lullabye. Best tracks are Stereo, Cinderella, and 5th Avenue. Only recommended for serious America fans.

Released in 1984, this would be America's last studio album for a decade. America uses a hodge-podge of producers and abandons their trademark acoustic-based pop/rock. While it works on some of the songs, I think there are more misses than hits on this album. It produced two minor hits, Special Girl and Can't Fall Asleep To A Lullaby. Best songs are Stereo, We Got All Night, and Cinderella. This is probably America's weakest effort.

SOME PROBLEM ? THE DATE OF DELIVERYIS DAY 20/04. I AM I WAIT IN IT.

If you only bought this cd for the song "Stereo" (a joint writing effort between America and the legendary Jimmy Webb) it would be money well spent, but, as it is, the balance of the record is quite enjoyable also.

as i'm saying in the title this is a complete different kind of style by a legendary group!more atmospheric,more electronic than the standard sound of the band.as a many years fan of their music,i could probably rate it with 5 stars.....

WHEN THIS MUSICAL OFFERING BY AMERICA CAME OUT IN THE MID-1980'S, I ORIGINALLY UNDERESTIMATED IT. AND THAT'S BECAUSE PERSPECTIVE WAS A COLLECTION OF SONGS THAT WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT DEWEY AND GERRY HAD PRODUCED BEFORE IN PRIOR YEARS. AMERICA HONED A DISTINCTIVE MUSICAL STYLE IN THE 1970'S AND EARLY '80'S THAT BECAME VERY FAMILAR TO ME.

I SORT OF KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT, AT LEAST IN STYLE. BUT PERSPECTIVE WAS VERY DIFFERENT. DEWEY AND GERRY AND COMPANY USED ALOT OF SYNTHESIZERS AND ON SOME SONGS THE DRUMS OR PERCUSSION SEEMED TO BE RECORDED FROM ONE OF THOSE COMPUTER PROGRAMMABLE DEVICES, ALTHOUGH I IMAGINE THERE HAD TO HAVE BEEN A LIVE DRUMMER FOR THE MOST PART.

WHEN I LISTEN TO SOME OF THE SONGS, I ALMOST GET A FEELING THAT GERRY AND DEWEY WERE TRYING TO REACH OUT TO A MORE SOPHISTICATED AUDIENCE THAN THEY HAD IN PREVIOUS YEARS BUT AGAIN, THAT'S JUST MY TAKE ON IT. MAYBE THE COVER ART OF THE CD ALLUDES TO THAT NOTION AS WELL.

HEY, THERE ARE SOME REALLY NICE SONGS ON THIS CD AND THEY ARE:
1) 'SPECIAL GIRL': GERRY'S VOCALS ARE GREAT HERE, NICE TEMPO, GREAT MUSIC AND BEAUTIFUL LYRICS.
2) 'LADY WITH A BLUEBIRD': A VERY NICE SONG, SUNG WELL BY DEWEY. REALLY NICE FUNKY RHYTHM AND BEAT, CO-WRITTEN BY LOST IN SPACE'S BILL (WILL ROBINSON) MUMY, WHO HAS COLLABORATED ON OTHER AMERICA SONGS THROUGH THE YEARS.
3) 'WE GOT ALL NIGHT' IS A LIVELY, HIP TUNE, SUNG BY GERRY. CATCHY LYRICS, VERY MELODIC.
4)'SEE HOW THE LOVE GOES' IS A COOL TUNE.
5) 'NEVER LEFT AT ALL' IS ANOTHER NICE SONG.
6) 'FIFTH AVENUE' IS A CLASSY PIECE OF MUSIC, SUNG BY GERRY.
THE CD ALSO INCLUDES OTHER GOOD SONGS LIKE 'STEREO', 'CAN'T FALL ASLEEP TO A LULLABYE', 'CINDERELLA', 'UNCONDITIONAL LOVE' AND 'FALLIN' OFF THE WORLD', ANOTHER SONG BILL MUMY WROTE WITH DEWEY.

BUY PERSPECTIVE AND LISTEN TO IT. IT WILL GROW ON YOU. YOU'LL PLAY IT FOR FRIENDS. ALL IN ALL, AN UPBEAT CD. SOMETHING YOU'D WANT TO LISTEN TO IF YOU WANT TO GET IN A GOOD MOOD. THANK GOD WE STILL HAVE THESE GUYS AROUND. PERSPECTIVE WAS FIRST RELEASED IN THE MID-'80'S AND SINCE THEN, MORE THAN 22 YEARS LATER, AMERICA CONTINUES TO CREATE REALLY NICE MUSIC. IT SEEMS THEY'VE BEEN AROUND FOREVER BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THEY FIRST HIT IT BIG AT A YOUNG AGE, RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL. TIME AFTER TIME, THEY HAVE PROVEN THEIR PLACE IN ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY.

I do not understand the criticism of this album. Perspective may be a more sophisticated sound for the guys, but its still America. The CD has several excellent songs and the rest are either good or at least fair. With the exception of Alibi, it is their best Album of the 80s. If you like America, you will probably like this one.