Here is the press release from Marshall:
America
"Homecoming"
Hybrid 5.1 Multichannel SACD
AFZ5 204 - SRP $29.99
"A classic treasure...One of the best albums from the early 70s!"
America's 1972 "Homecoming" album includes one of their best known hits, "Ventura Highway" with it's creative acoustic guitar lines, smart vocal harmonies and spaced-out lyrics. It's a fan favorite and one of their best songs.
"Homecoming" was the band's second album and the trio were determined to avoid the "sophomore jinx" so when work began on the new album America pulled out all the stops to reach their goal. Their production maintains the acoustic guitar underpinning heard on the successful debut recording but builds on the sound of that first record by featuring more electric guitar and keyboards.
"Homecoming" is a melodic album full of catchy folk ballads and great harmonies and also features several hits, such as "Don't Cross the River" and "Only in Your Heart." Several other songs received heavy FM radio airplay. The album is a collection of thoughtful, well-written, and skillfully sung songs...It's one of America's better albums, possibly their best.
"Homecoming" helped continue the band's popularity and reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart and was certified platinum by the RIAA.
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Earth, Wind & Fire
"Open Our Eyes"
Hybrid Quad 4.0 Multichannel SACD
AFZ5 202 - SRP $29.99
"simply superb...a tour de force."
Earth, Wind & Fire had been delivering great albums since 1971, but it wasn't until 1974 that the public proved genuinely receptive to Maurice White's mystical and unorthodox take on soul and funk. No longer would EWF enjoy only a small cult following. Thanks to the chart-topping "Kalimba Song," the gritty funk smoker "Mighty Mighty" and the unforgettable "Devotion" Open Our Eyes, EWF's fifth studio album, went to #1 on the R&B Charts and #15 on the Pop Charts on its way to being certified platinum.
Funk came in different shades and EWF became the finest practitioners of that silky smooth style - a hybrid of funk that managed to keep much of the edge and energy of the original format, but proved to be a mainstream commercial crossover success.
The album drew an overwhelming response from both critics and music fans. Open Our Eyes showcased the slick funk, infectious rhythms built on chunky guitar lines, Sly-like horn refrains and the edgy multiple vocal harmonies that became their trademark.
Enjoy the Music!!!
Marshall Blonstein
https://audiofidelity.net/