View from the Ground

View from the Ground is the tenth studio album by British-American folk rock duo America, released by Capitol Records in July 1982.

View from the Ground
Studio album by
America
ReleasedJuly 15, 1982
Recorded1981–82
StudioAmigo Studios and Capitol Studios (Hollywood, California); Criteria Studios (Miami, Florida); Abbey Road Studios (London, England).
GenreSoft rock
Length39:44
LabelCapitol
ProducerGerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, Russ Ballard, Bobby Colomby
America chronology
Alibi
(1980)		 View from the Ground
(1982)		 The Last Unicorn
(1982)

This album marked a comeback for a group that had been generally written off since Dan Peek's departure five years before. It was a modest hit in the US, reaching number 41 on the Billboard album chart, and produced two hit singles: "You Can Do Magic" reached number eight on the Billboard singles chart and number five on the adult contemporary chart, and "Right Before Your Eyes" (also popularly known as "Rudolph Valentino") peaked at 45 on the Billboard singles chart and 16 on the adult contemporary chart. "You Can Do Magic" spent more time on the charts, 20 weeks, than any other America single.

The song "Inspector Mills" was a hit in the Philippines in the '80s and remains to be one of the known America songs in this country to date.

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide[2]

AllMusic gave high praise to the hit songs "You Can Do Magic" and "Right Before Your Eyes", but deemed View from the Ground "an exceptionally slick-sounding yet pedestrian album overall". They recommended that listeners instead seek out the two hits, especially "You Can Do Magic", on greatest hits compilations.[1]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You Can Do Magic"Russ Ballard3:48
2."Never Be Lonely"Gerry Beckley, Bill Mumy3:45
3."You Girl"Dewey Bunnell, Mumy, Robert Haimer3:32
4."Inspector Mills"Beckley5:10
5."Love on the Vine"Bunnell, Mumy, Haimer3:02
6."Desperate Love"Lenny LeBlanc, Ava Aldridge, Cindy Richardson3:51
7."Right Before Your Eyes"Ian Thomas3:47
8."Jody"Ballard3:49
9."Sometimes Lovers"Beckley4:37
10."Even the Score"Bunnell3:36

Personnel

America

with:

  • Russ Ballard – all instruments on "You Can Do Magic" and "Jody", backing vocals (1, 8)
  • Chris Coté – keyboards (6, 7), backing vocals
  • Jai Winding – keyboards (6, 7)
  • Mark Isham – synthesizers (6, 7)
  • Hadley Hockensmith – guitars (2–5, 9, 10)
  • Steve Lukather – guitars (2–5, 9, 10)
  • Bill Mumy – guitars (2–5, 9, 10)
  • Dean Parks – guitars (2–5, 9, 10)
  • Michael Woods – guitars (2–5, 9, 10)
  • Mike Mirage – guitars (6, 7), backing vocals
  • Rick Neigher – guitars (6, 7), backing vocals
  • Brad Palmer – bass (2–5, 9, 10)
  • Mike Porcaro – bass (6, 7)
  • Jeff Porcaro – drums (6, 7)
  • Willie Leacox – drums (1–5, 8-10)
  • Alvin Taylor – drums (6, 7)
  • Matthew McCauley – string arrangements and conductor
  • Christopher Cross – backing vocals
  • Michael McDonald – backing vocals
  • Tom Kelly – backing vocals
  • Chuck Kirkpatrick – backing vocals
  • Timothy B. Schmit – backing vocals
  • Sara Taylor – backing vocals
  • Carl Wilson – backing vocals

Production
  • Russ Ballard – producer (1, 8)
  • America – producers (2–5, 9, 10)
  • Bobby Colomby – producer (6, 7)
  • Chuck Kirkpatrick – engineer (1, 8)
  • Mark Linett – recording (2–5, 9, 10), mixing (2–5, 9, 10)
  • David Cole – engineer (6, 7)
  • Jeremy Smith – engineer (6, 7)
  • Michael Verdick – mixing (6, 7)
  • Wally Traugott – mastering
  • Andrea Farber – production coordinator
  • Susan Gilman – production coordinator
  • Phyllis Chotin – art direction
  • Michele Hart – art direction
  • Bob Carroll – graphics
  • Guy Webster – photography
  • Katz-Gallin-Morey – management
  • Mixed at Location Recording Service (Burbank, California) and Amigo Studios.
  • Mastered at Capitol Mastering (Hollywood, California).

Charts
Chart (1982) Peak
position
US 41[3]
AUS 55
NOR 49

References
  1. View from the Ground at AllMusic
  2. 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.
  3. America – America > Charts & Awards > Billboard Album at AllMusic. Retrieved April 3, 2008.


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