Genre: rock
Rating: 2 stars **
Title: Bring America Home
Company: Elektra
Catalog: EKS
74095
Year: 1971
Country/State: Los Angeles, California
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: still in shrink; cut lower left corner; includes original poster
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5887
Price: $20.00
Following a personnel change which saw the addition of female vocalist Judy Elliott and a switch to Jac Holzman's Elektra Records, the group returned with 1971's "Bring American Home". Produced by Don Gallucci (of Don and the Good Times fame), the album showcased singers/songwriters Wayne Berry and George Clinton (no, not the Funkadelic/Parliament guy); the two responsible (separately) for penning all ten tracks. To be honest, the first couple of times I played this one it made absolutely no impression on me. In fact after playing it one afternoon I found myself unable to remember a single one of the ten selections. So this one ended up spending a year in my 'check it out later' pile. When I finally got around to giving it another shot it didn't exactly overwhelm me. Nothing particularly bad, though nothing that really jumped out at you. Exemplified by tracks like 'Canada' (which featured a pretty melody and a subtle anti-war lyric), the anti-drug 'Pipe Dream', and 'Don't Underestimate Your Friends' (sporting a Seals and Crofts-vibe), about half the album had a modest country-rock vibe. Elsewhere the title track sounded a little bit like The Mamas and the Papas doing a car commercial. It was an even odder song given the activist lyric. Vocalists Berry, Clinton and Elliott were all competent (Berry was probably the best of the three), though again none were overwhelming. Certainly competent, but not an essential addition to anyone's collection.
Elektra tapped the album for a single in the form of:
- 1971's 'Bring America Home' b/w 'Splinter' (Elektra catalog number EKS 45737)
"Bring
America Home" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Bring America Home (George Clinton) - 3:00
2.) Canada (Wayne Berry) - 2:25
3.) Pipe Dream (Wayne Berry) - 3:30
4.) Remember (George Clinton) - 4:25
5.) Don't Underestimate Your Friends (Wayne Berry) - 3:22
(side
2)
1.) Witch Hunt (Wayne Berry) - 2:27
2.) The Spirit Song (Wayne Berry) - 2:45
3.) Caught In the Middle (Wayne Berry) - 3:50
4.) Same Ole Story (George Clinton) - 3:59
5.) From the Time I Rise (Wayne Berry) - 6:18
Not sure why, but Elektra released a second version of the LP. Same catalog number and same track listing, but a different (and equally bland) cover:
Shortly after the album was released they called it quits. Berry turned his attention to writing and released a country-flavored LP - 1974's "Home At Last" (RCA Victor catalog number CPL1-0603).
Clinton returned to sessions work. Elliott also did sessions work, including a stint supporting the late Hoyt Axton.