Homecoming (America album)

Homecoming is the second studio album by America, released on November 15, 1972 through Warner Bros. Records. Acoustic guitar-based, with a more pronounced electric guitar and keyboard section than their first album, their second effort helped continue the band's success, and includes one of their best known hits, "Ventura Highway."

Homecoming
Studio album by
America
ReleasedNovember 15, 1972
Recorded1972
StudioThe Record Plant, Los Angeles[1]
GenreFolk rock, progressive rock
Length33:06
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerAmerica
America chronology
America
(1971)		 Homecoming
(1972)		 Hat Trick
(1973)
Singles from Homecoming
  1. "Ventura Highway"/"Saturn Nights"
    Released: September 19, 1972
  2. "Don't Cross the River"/"To Each His Own"
    Released: January 3, 1973
  3. "Only in Your Heart"/"Moon Song"
    Released: April 14, 1973

Homecoming peaked at number 9 on Billboard's Pop Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the RIAA. It produced three hit singles: "Ventura Highway", which peaked at number 8 on the Billboard singles chart and number 3 on the adult contemporary chart; "Don't Cross the River", which hit number 35 on Billboard and 23 on the AC chart; and "Only in Your Heart" peaked at number 62 on Billboard's Pop singles chart. Several other songs received radio airplay on FM stations playing album tracks, including "To Each His Own", "California Revisited", and "Cornwall Blank".

For this album and the next six throughout the next five years, the group traditionally chose titles beginning with the letter "H" (the self-titled debut album became unofficially included in this distinction when fans started referring to it as the "Horse with No Name" album when that track was added to later pressings).

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[3]

In his AllMusic review music critic David Cleary called Homecoming "America's finest album" and despite citing sometimes banal lyrics, wrote that "each song here has something to recommend it. This top-flight album is a very rewarding listen."[2]

Record World said of "Don't Cross the River" that it was a "more countrified cut [than 'Ventura Highway'] complete with banjos and all."[4]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ventura Highway"Dewey Bunnell3:32
2."To Each His Own"Gerry Beckley3:13
3."Don't Cross the River"Dan Peek2:30
4."Moon Song"Bunnell3:41
5."Only in Your Heart"Beckley3:16
6."Till the Sun Comes Up Again"Beckley2:12
7."Cornwall Blank"Bunnell4:19
8."Head and Heart"John Martyn3:49
9."California Revisited"Peek3:03
10."Saturn Nights"Peek3:31

Personnel
America
  • Dan Peek – guitar, keyboards, vocals
  • Gerry Beckley – guitar, keyboards, vocals, bass guitar on "Till the Sun Comes Up Again" and "Head and Heart"
  • Dewey Bunnell – guitar, vocals, percussion on "Head & Heart"

with:

Technical

Charts
Chart (1972-1973) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[5] 17
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[6] 6
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[7] 42
Spain (AFYVE)[8] 17
UK Albums (OCC)[9] 21
US Billboard 200[10] 3

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[11] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[12] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[13] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "Album Information - Highway: 30 Years of America".
  2. Cleary, David. Homecoming > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  3. Cross, Charles R. (2004). "America". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 16. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  4. "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. 20 January 1973. p. 16. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4277". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  7. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  8. Salaverri, Fernando (2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  9. "America | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  10. "America Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  11. "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2001 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 4 August 2008.
  12. "Canadian album certifications – America – Homecoming". Music Canada.
  13. "American album certifications – America – Homecoming". Recording Industry Association of America.
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