America - Silent Letter

Title: Silent Letter Artist: America Release Date: 1979 Re-Released On: 12/15/2007 Label: Toshiba EMI, One Way, Magic Album Type(s): lyrics/libretto UPCs: 4988006848580, 724352011629, 724381935828, 766487186223, 3700139300220, 498800684858 Genre: Rock Styles: Adult Contemporary, Soft Rock, Contemporary Pop/Rock Moods: Melancholy, Reflective, Romantic, Searching, Sentimental, Smooth, Soothing, Summery, Warm, Wistful, Autumnal, Gentle, Intimate, Pastoral, Poignant, Earnest, Laid-Back/Mellow, Relaxed, Soft, Sweet, Amiable/Good-Natured, Calm/Peaceful, Springlike, Organic Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 2 Number of Discs/SwapaCD Credits: 1

1. Only Game in Town
2. All Around
3. Tall Treasures
4. 1960
5. And Forever
6. Foolin'
7. All Night
8. No Fortune
9. All My Life
10. One Morning
11. High in the City

Year Type Label Catalog # 2007 CD Toshiba EMI 53883 2006 CD Magic 3930023 1998 CD One Way 19358 1998 CD One Way 19358

No other editions were found for this album.

In a way, Silent Letter was a new beginning for America. Although they were still produced and arranged by George Martin, they had signed with a new label, Capitol Records, and had decided to delve deeply into lush adult contemporary, which was a different beast than the folky Californian soft rock that made their reputation. The change in sound didn't result in new hits (ironically, the same year they released Silent Letter they scraped the charts with a cover of "California Dreamin'" that was not included on the record), but it did revitalize them, ever so slightly. There is a fair amount of filler scattered throughout Silent Letter, along with a couple of interestingly awkward and ambitious songs like the segmented closer "High in the City," but there are also several very fine soft rock numbers. As a matter of fact, the opening one-two punch of "Only Game in Town" and "All Around" (which has a killer chorus) makes the record sound like it will be excellent. It begins to drift a little bit after that, but it never strays too far; every time that the album seems to lose momentum, it regains it. The end result may be flawed, but in an enjoyable way. And compared to the records that preceded it and some of albums that followed it, Silent Letter certainly seems like a latter-day highlight for America. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits David Dickey Bass Dewey Bunnell Guitar, Vocals, Drums Emilio Castillo Horn, ? Gary Heery Cover Photo Geoff Emerick Engineer George Martin Arranger, Producer Gerry Beckley Guitar, Vocals, Piano Greg Adams Horn Henry Diltz Photography James Calire Keyboards, Saxophone Lenny Pickett ?, Horn Mic Gillette Horn, ? Mike Woods Guitar Nigel Walker Engineer Phil Hartman Cover Design Russ Bracher Engineer Stephen "Doc" Kupka Horn, ? Tom Walsh Percussion Willie Leacox Drums