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Posts: 651
Location: Australia | With all the DVD talk at the moment I thought I might mention a DVD I picked up the other day.
It's the band America live in Central Park in 79'.
I have the original VHS of the concert but as a major fan I couldn't resist.
It's great ! Remastered and the quality is far above the video.
Some great turtleback action. Custom Legends, Patriot, GC 12 string etc and they sound good.
Makes me wonder why so many of these guys have abandoned O's ? |
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Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Richardd
Sounds like a great DVD, they were a great band.
I think more Ovations will be seen as they have been producing some great guitars that will attract some good players. |
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Posts: 651
Location: Australia | I think your right Bailey.I really think they've really got their act together.
BTW, I saw America last year and they were very good (Taylors boys these days) but my God they must be sick of playing Horse With No Name by now ! |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Wow!
I was AT that concert!
(think I still have a t-shirt, somewhere . . )
I'll have to LOOK for that one! . . .
thx! |
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December 2001
Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | they always seemed like csn&y lite to me.
all the college chicks loved when we played their tunes in the quad at school. Oh I remember those days sitting on the lawn, cutting classes, playing guitar.....
no wonder I look at my transcript and don't remember taking 2/3rds of the classes |
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November 2002
Posts: 1300
Location: Madison, Wisconsin | I think I was sittin' right next to Al in another state, mentally and physically. I got a degree in Biology with a minor in Botany. What can I say other than I knew how to grow things. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | America was definitely "VelveetaRock" . . .
I just recently finished a CS&N biography, and in it the author describes how a lot of bands like America (and the Eagles) were modelled after the recent success of CS&N. The Eagles kinda took it one step further by hiring CS&N's manager, producer, engineer and photographer (Henry Diltz) to shoot their first album cover (too).
Their (America's) first two or three albums were really good. The subsequent ones got progressively slick/pop-ish, though George Martin DID produce a few really good tracks. . . .
"Muskrat Love" blew . . . . BIG time! . . . . |
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Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | As a Duo they've had some pretty good stuff. I believe their last studio project was called Human Nature and it reminded me more of the old days. Alibi Rocked..adn didn't produce any hit songs, I alwasy enjoyed hearing the variety of sounds Gerry & Dewey put out as a group. |
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Posts: 623
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | The Christmas cd they put out was NOT what I had hoped it potentially would be...
but I love the old stuff.
Johnny |
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March 2005
Posts: 417
Location: Cicero, NY | This might be an unpopular view but I must say that the beauty of their melodies and harmonies were always overshadowed by their lyrics, which I never appreciated. Had a few albums and could play a lot of the material (who couldn't?) but never really fell in love with any of it. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Okay, . . . . bit of trivia:
What was "Sandman" about?? |
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April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | The answer is The Vietnam war. Those fighting in the war were afraid to sleep because they thought they would get killed.
Dewey based the song on actual conversations had with soldiers who fought there. |
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February 2003
Posts: 68
Location: Malden, Massachusetts | Does anyone have the CD by Thorns? Shawn Mullins, Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge. They're right up that "America" alley. There is one cut you would swear IS America, and one that's a real tribute to Seals & Crofts. Does anyone remember being shocked when they found out that "Horse with no name" wasn't the latest Neil Young tune? Even for a minute? |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Yeah, I got the Thorns album when it first came out . . .
Yer right . . they are (or were) to America what Rusted Root is to the Talking Heads . . . or what Blue Merle is to Coldplay . . . or what about a half dozen other bands were a few years ago to Pearl Jam . . . |
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February 2003
Posts: 68
Location: Malden, Massachusetts | I remember my son playing me a new band's tune he thought I'd like. It had a hauntingly familiar sound. When I asked him who it was, he replied "Three Doors Down"
I replied - Yah, Three doors down from Pearl Jam!
Not quite next door, but certainly close enough. |
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July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | YES...I thought "Horse With No Name" was Neil Young, and boy was I surprised when I found out it wasn't.
I saw America in 1978, but I wasn't up on my guitars back then, so I haven't a clue what they played. That was after Dan Peek had left the band, though.
America's first two albums are really good...the first one is probably one of my 10 favorite albums of all time. If you like 12-string guitar, it is a MUST.
Story about "Sandman"...I will always associate the song with an incident from college. I was at a coffeehouse at a youth ministry house on campus at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, IN on a Saturday night in October, 1973.
One of the better guitar players was playing "Sandman", when a man stepped up, pushed him off his stool, kicked it over, and pulled a BIG knife(luckily the guitar player got out of there), and held everyone at bay. Just then the Terre Haute police came in the entrance.....turned out the man was an escapee from the federal prison outside Terre Haute. Thankfully the police eased everyone outside and took him into custody without further incident.
THAT is what "Sandman" will always remind me of....
Roger |
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May 2002
Posts: 651
Location: Australia | Good story OAA.
I agree with the early stuff being the best. Nice earthy tone.They seemed to record acoustic guitars with a very warm, natural tone in the 70's.
I never really liked that 80's "You Can Do Magic" stuff with digital drums and that very processed sound.
When my band's not playing, I still do some acoustic gigs and I happily pull out my stash of America tunes
"Horse With No Name"
"Ventura Hwy"
"I Need You"
"Sister Goldenhair" |
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America DVD
