America - The Complete Greatest Hits poll

i was having a discussion with one of my friends about 70s bands. i told him my favorite from that decade is Steely Dan. he was saying America is so much better. i don't know them, so i couldn't put up an argument. so i will throw on this Greatest Hits collection and see what i think.

we only have 1 America thread to around 200 Steely Dan threads. lol

The best America anecdote is from 'Shakey' where Neil's dad calls him to congratulate him on the success of 'Horse with no name'

'Ventura Highway' with 'Sister Golden Hair' and maybe 'Tin Man' just behind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ1GwDkfliI

^^^ Ventura Highway mash-up with Satie Gymnopedies #1 is some savant production.

i guess i do know some of these songs.

My reflex answer is Ventura Highway. Now re-listening... not so sure. Tin Man, Sister Golden Hair, and Everyone I Meet Is From California all have bits and pieces that could float them to the top.

I love America, though not sure I would rate them over Steely Dan (although, America did get George Harrison to play on 'Sister Golden Hair'). I will defend Hat Trick as a high quality slice as any other early 70s roots rock album.

Voted 'Ventura Highway' because I steal from it all the time in my own music. If it weren't for that song, I probably never would have learned how to play an E minor seventh chord.

Nice job by "The People" on "A Horse with No Name" in Six Feet Under.

Sandman for me.

Love that track

would def rather listen to America than Steely Dan

but ILM doesn't seem to care about America at all.

that's not fair, there have been a couple of responses. it was just funny that there was only one thread on this band until now. this is number two.

The best America anecdote is from 'Shakey' where Neil's dad calls him to congratulate him on the success of 'Horse with no name'

― Max-Headroom-drops-a-deuce-while-shredding (Sparkle Motion)

I saw a Neil Young tribute band that performed this song, introduced as if it were by Neil.

Tin Man. These guys sure did have a lot of hits.

'Ventura Highway' with 'Sister Golden Hair' and maybe 'Tin Man' just behind.

was coming to say pretty much this. i don't fuck with too much else.

"You Can Do Magic"

Amazing band. Sing-songy harmonies and sweet riffs. And yet GUITARS!!! Oh those lovely acoustic guitars.

But they were ridiculous CSN ripoffs. They're both pretty much the same band. Which is just fine by me because I likes 'em both! I bet you could do a Spotify playlist of the two and if you were a neophyte you wouldn't know which band was playing.

The few things I've heard that weren't "horse" were godawful, I guess I should see what these guys are all about

"sister golden hair" is one of the all-time great classic rock songs, as poignant as "deacon blues"

i told him my favorite from that decade is Steely Dan. he was saying America is so much better.

I understand how the America-Steely Dan connection started on this thread--two friends casually comparing notes--but otherwise I don't think it could be more arbitrary. Do Steely Dan and America have anything in common besides existing in the same decade? It's like comparing the Velvet Underground to Chad & Jeremy.

I like "A Horse with No Name" and "Sister Golden Hair" fine.

"ventura highway" is all-time in my book also. is it the first occasion "purple rain" is mentioned in pop music?

I agree w/Clemenza that there's really no comparison. Outside of the era of their greatest popularity, perhaps. And while America had a few fine singles (voted Ventura BTW), Steely Dan are a much more interesting musical proposition, on a whole, to my ears anyway.

Do Steely Dan and America have anything in common besides existing in the same decade?

Maybe. "Ventura Highway" with an electric lead guitar instead of an acoustic?

A more amplified "Tin Man?"

I love America, though not sure I would rate them over Steely Dan (although, America did get George Harrison to play on 'Sister Golden Hair').

I don't believe that's Harrison.

Next Alfred Soto blog post - "There Were Plants and Birds and Rocks and Things: The Best of America"

this band is mediocre, there is no way they come close to the brilliance that is Steely Dan. apple to oranges have other have said...

*apple to oranges as others have said...

this comp is actually not on Spotify. :-(

would def rather listen to America than Steely Dan

― billstevejim, Thursday, August 17, 2017 2:38 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^^^

Horse, Ventura, Tin Man, Magic, Daisy Jane are faves. But voted for Sister Golden Hair.

these guys really shot themselves in the foot w/ their band name

voted sister golden hair

TS: Bread vs America
voted 'I Need You'.

"Sister Golden Hair" is a all-time classic. Not in the same league as Steely Dan.

TS: Bread vs America

America all day.

Ridiculous CSN ripoffs yes, but at their best they may have come up with tighter singles. "Ventura Highway" is my pick easy - first rate driving music, easygoing but with some hint of urgency and momentum. At some point when I hadn't heard it four thousand times, I really liked "Horse With No Name." "Tin Man" is decent.

Just listened to "Sandman" for the first time and can't get over the sheer clunkiness of "running from the man that goes by the name of the sandman."

Gotta give credit for the crystalline sound to George Martin, who produced 5 albums from '74 to '79 and remixed all the early singles for their first Greatest Hits in 1975.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History:_America%27s_Greatest_Hits#/media/File:America_(band)_-_History_America%27s_Greatest_Hits.jpg

Cover art by Phil Hartman

https://img.discogs.com/0vLUvH5eAWJdh0KOw5l0laMMZhI=/fit-in/450x450/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-2341489-1362927035-6881.jpeg.jpg

I've always wondered, is it the same Phil Hartman?

He had to have been really young at that point, if so.

Yes, that Phil Hartman (spelled Hartmann at the time). America's manager was his brother John Hartmann. Phil did artwork or art direction for several America's, a bunch of Poco's, and one Firesign Theatre album.

but ILM doesn't seem to care about America at all.

― Bee OK, Thursday, 17 August 2017 23:43 (three days ago) Permalink

...

i think they kind of got a bad rap because the lyrics to "horse with no name" are so terrible at times? but they were kids (late teens / early 20s) when that debut came out and you'd swear they were 30-year old laurel canyon burnouts

i feel like "Horse" is the song many fatigued guitar teachers use to teach their beginning students

that's the subtext of "deacon blues" iirc

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Can't see how "Sister Golden Hair" doesn't win this.

What songs did they rip off from CSN?

I've always heard Neil Young influence for sure. And imo America had a way more solid greatest hits album (comparing History with So Far).

I'm also a fan of this video session thing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg-jf_vZTjQ

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

The fuq

solid results imo

huh always thought the dude in the video singing lead on "I Need You" was the guy who did lead vocals on the bigger songs

would def rather listen to America than Steely Dan

― billstevejim, Thursday, August 17, 2017 2:38 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this sounds like old ilm coming back to judo new ilm

Lol

Anyone watch the whole Musik Laden performance? Pretty consistently great all the way through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg-jf_vZTjQ