America hopes to please older and newer fans with double disc release

America are hoping that their upcoming double album Here & Now pleases both new and old fans alike. The group, which features co-founders Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, have recorded one disc of all new material, and are including a second disc which features a 2005 live performance of their 1975 multi-platinum album History: America's Greatest Hits in its entirety.

We asked the band's Gerry Beckley, whether he thinks America's healthy ticket sales will translate into a new hit album for them: "We would like to think so. I mean, we have the most loyal fans. I think you'll find that we have people come 20, 30 times a year (to our shows). There isn't millions of them, but there's enough to fill 100 shows a year. We go all over the planet. They seem very, very open to this material -- we've now been playing this material (live). They're going to the websites, they're listening to soundbites, I mean, if that's any indication, I would say the answer is 'yes.'"

For the new studio album, America has enlisted the help of younger rockers, including former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha and Fountains Of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger, to produce and perform on the new material.

The live CD features such '70s America classics as "Sister Golden Hair," "A Horse With No Name," "Ventura Highway," "Muskrat Love," and more.

Here & Now will be released on January 9th, 2007. It's their first all new studio set since 1998's Human Nature. Earlier this year, the band released a concert DVD, America -- Live At The Sydney Opera House.

America will next perform on December 9th in Coquitlam, British Columbia at the Red Robinson Theatre.
Submit the above story to:

Del.icio.us   Digg   reddit   StumbleUpon   Facebook