From the Vault...

12/27/2015
#1496

info
America
"Hourglass"


© American Gramaphone Records

Year of Release: 1994
Rating:

track listing
  • Young Moon
  • Hope
  • Sleeper Train
  • Mirror To Mirror
  • Garden Of Peace
  • Call Of The Wild
  • Whole Wide World
  • Close To The Wind
  • Greenhouse
  • Everyone I Meet Is
    From California
  • You Can Do Magic

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    America Website
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    America
    "Hourglass"



    America returns this week, with a much later album release, from 1994 - Hourglass. The hit song from this album was "You Can Do Magic." By 1994, America had become a duo, consisting of Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell. Lite Rock/Soft Rock best describes America's music, even for their popular songs from the 1970s. "Ventura Highway," "A Horse With No Name," "Tin Man" to name a few.


    By the end of the 1980s and early 1990s, Soft/Lite music took a mix with Pop (as it always did), and America did the same, by incorporating their "Love Songs" style, and gave it an updated sound. Quite honestly, Hourglass is a fantastic album in these styles of Soft/Lite and Love Song genres. It's an album that is quite soothing, and a great album to work with, having it play in the background.


    No doubt, the Soft Rock style is definitely heard on such songs as "Young Moon," "Hope," "Grace Of Peace." Then there's the standard Pop style, on "Sleeper Train," "Mirror To Mirror," and "Whole Wide World." "Call Of The Wild" continues the Pop style, yet it also has a Christian feel in sound. "Close To The Wind" is another good track, having the later years of Brian Wilson's solo works, or even an updated sound for the group that made him famous, The Beach Boys. (Also to mention, Carl Wilson [Brian's brother], helped out on this album, on background vocals. Surprisingly, "Call Of The Wild" is one the tracks that Carl did not participate on.)


    "Greenhouse" gets a more upbeat Rock feel, likewise Rock on "Everyone I Meet Is From California." The tropical sound gets "Ports-Of-Call," another well-done tune. The album closes with the most popular hit, "You Can Do Magic."


    Hourglass does extremely well for America. Best known for their hit songs from the 1970s, they continued on with an album that is impressive. America had recorded albums thoughout their peak decade, the 1970s. After the '70s, their hits were few, although they recorded four albums in the '80s. In the 1990s was Hourglass, plus another album released afterwards in 1998. Later in the 2000 decade, another new album was released in 2007. Two more albums surfaced, one in 2011, and another in 2015. (This is not counting "greatest hits"/"best of" compilations, live albums, holiday albums and bootlegs releases.)


    Most music fans remembered the Pop hit "You Can Do Magic," and America proved that although their best hits were behind them, they could emerge again in the later decades with another hit that received heavy airplay. "You Can Do Magic" was another Top 10 hit.


    Magic reappeared once again for America in 1994, as Hourglass is just that -- a magical album with great soft/lite rock songs for those to enjoy.


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    Previous Review: #1495
    Doobie Brothers--The Captain And Me
    Next Review: #1497
    Utopia--Adventures In Utopia/Deface The Music/Swing To The Right