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| Silent Letter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 15, 1979 | |||
| Recorded | March–April 1979 | |||
| Studio | AIR, Montserrat | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 34:50 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer | George Martin | |||
| America chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Silent Letters | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [2] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
Silent Letter is the eighth studio album by American folk rock duo America, released by Capitol Records in June 1979.
It was the first America studio album following the departure of Dan Peek.[4] It was also the first America release on Capitol Records and the last album—and last of seven consecutive—which longtime Beatles producer George Martin produced with America.
It was also their first studio album since their debut to have a title beginning with a letter other than "H". The title itself acknowledges the missing "H" by its wry reference to silent letters in the English language.
The album contains fast-paced disco songs, piano-based power ballads (often sung by Gerry Beckley) and mid-tempo pop rock songs.
Reception
In his AllMusic retrospective review, music critic Steven Thomas Erlewine noted the band's transition from "folky California soft rock" to adult contemporary. He wrote of the album: "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."[1]
The album was not a commercial success, reaching only number 110 on the Billboard album chart. However, it did produce three minor hit singles. "Only Game in Town" bubbled under the Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 107. "All My Life" and "All Around" narrowly missed the Top 40 on the Adult Contemporary chart, peaking at number 48 and 45 respectively. The former was a big hit in Asia.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Only Game in Town" | Lewis Anderson, Julie Didier, Casey Kelly | 4:12 |
| 2. | "All Around" | Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell | 3:21 |
| 3. | "Tall Treasures" | Beckley, Bunnell | 3:15 |
| 4. | "1960" | Beckley | 3:10 |
| 5. | "And Forever" | Bunnell | 3:11 |
| 6. | "Foolin'" | Beckley, Ricky Fataar | 2:53 |
| 7. | "All Night" | Bunnell | 3:19 |
| 8. | "No Fortune" | Beckley | 3:18 |
| 9. | "All My Life" | Beckley | 3:02 |
| 10. | "One Morning" | Bunnell | 2:12 |
| 11. | "High in the City" | Beckley, Bunnell | 3:02 |
Personnel
- America
- Gerry Beckley – vocals, guitars, keyboards
- Dewey Bunnell – vocals, guitars
with:
- Mike Woods – lead guitar
- David Dickey – bass
- Willie Leacox – drums
- Jim Calire – keyboards, saxophone solo
- Tom Walsh – percussion
Charts
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[5] | 51 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[6] | 80 |
| US Billboard 200[7] | 110 |
References
- ^ a b Erlewine, Steven Thomas. "Silent Letter > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 15.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Priddy, Tom (17 June 1979). "Pop/Rock". The Greenville News. p. 24E.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4536b". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "America Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
