A practical, no-frills clamshell box set celebrating the soft
rock/folk-pop hitmakers' '70s heyday, the Warner Bros. Years 1971-1977
rounds up seven complete studio albums and one live LP. Comprised of
America (1971), Homecoming (1972), Hat Trick (1973), Holiday (1974),
Hearts (1975), Hideaway (1976), Harbor (1977), and America Live (1977),
all of which were remastered in 2014, the collection is aimed squarely
at completists. Like their closest sonic contemporaries Seals &
Crofts, the trio of Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek was an
unstoppable FM/AM radio force for the era, securing future classic soft
rock staples like "Horse with No Name," "Ventura Highway,' "Muskrat
Love," "Tin Man," "Lonely People," and "Sister Golden Hair," many of
which were impeccably produced by George Martin. Really the only thing
missing here is the group's 1982 comeback hit "You Can Do Magic," which
would make Rhino's excellent 2000 Highway: 30 Years of America the
better choice for casual fans, but longtime America devotees will
appreciate having the new studio masters all in one place, as well as
the neatly arranged original album art and inserts.
