Reviews
 What Happened?
The Lone Sharks
Nine Lives
Steve Winwood
Moneyland
Various Artists
I'm Not There (Original Soundtrack)
Various Artists
Home Before Dark
Neil Diamond
Toby Keith's 35 BIGGEST Hits
Toby Keith
It's A Shame About Ray (Collector's Edition)
The Lemonheads
About a Son
Otis Blue (Collector's Edition)
Otis Redding
Loaded
Wood Brothers
|
America
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.
Grade: 
 |
Buy it now! -  |
 
|
More Music Reviews
More Movie Reviews
More Book Reviews
More Concert Reviews
See more hits from the 2000's
Powered by Millennium Communications Inc.