America: Holiday Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

America: Holiday Blu-ray Movie Review

There have been some truly curious "reassessments" of various legendary figures in the annals of the recording industry. Noted lyricist and journalist Gene Lees went after Les Baxter of all people many years ago and claimed that Baxter didn't write his own charts, which led to a series of competing accusations and almost Rashomon levels of wildly differing accounts of who was doing what during Baxter's tenure at Capitol. More recently there has been at least some chatter about another iconic name associated with that label, claiming that George Martin really wasn't all that responsible for the Beatles' success, and perhaps he as well didn't write some of the charts with which he's been credited. You have to take these reports with a grain (pillar?) of salt, of course, but in terms of Martin, there's no doubt that he was an undisputed legend in the producer's chair when he perhaps unexpectedly turned up in that position to usher America through their fourth studio album (a collaboration that would continue for their next several albums, also perhaps unexpectedly). I doubt there are few fans of America (and I count myself among that group) who would deign to place them generally in the same echelon as the Beatles, and there's also really no arguing that Martin didn't provide the group with some of the flashier arrangements that graced some of the Beatles' most memorable material (even if their is a "Bach trumpet" on hand here), but this is a generally genial album that may not have some of the immediate appeal of either America's eponymous first album or Homecoming, but which has some appealing layered harmonies and good, if never overwhelmingly innovative, tunes.

1. Miniature
2. Tin Man
3. Another Try
4. Lonely People
5. Glad to See You
6. Mad Dog
7. Hollywood
8. Baby It's Up to You
9. You
10. Old Man Took
11. What Does It Matter?
12. In the Country

America: Holiday Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

While there is video content here, like most hi-res audio Blu-rays, it's simply a menu, and because this release allows you to use the color buttons on your remote to choose which audio codec (red for DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0, yellow for DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0), you really don't even have to have your display on to enjoy this release. I've heard from several regular readers of my long running hi-res audio Blu-ray reviews that they'd actually prefer (repeated) screenshots of the menu rather than photos of the band, etc., on reviews, so you get seven screenshots of the menu here.

America: Holiday Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

America: Holiday offers DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options, and I'm assuming anyone interested in this release is going to want to listen to the quadrophonic version, so the bulk of my comments will focus on that. The stereo option is perfectly fine, and decently widely imaged, but just toggling over the quadrophonic version will instantly reveal as with several other of Rhino/Warners' Quadio releases a much more vibrant high end, to the point that the stereo version can almost sound somewhat "muffled" in the higher frequencies by comparison. There is some verbiage in the insert booklet that mimics similar information in other 4.0 audio Blu-rays about how to utilize bass management, but I'd say whatever choice your particular system offers, don't expect a surplus of low end emanating from the subwoofer (per design), which is not to suggest that there's any real lack in either the lower midrange or actual lowest frequencies. Much like the album's musical content itself, the quadrophonic imaging is competent but rarely really "showy" in any meaningful way. A lot of the tunes feature lead vocals anchored solidly in the front channels, with the CS&N-ish backups wafting in from the rear, but there are some clear moments of immersion, as in the party sounds dotting the end of "Hollywood". Fidelity is top notch throughout.

America: Holiday Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No on disc supplements are offered, and in fact not even any of the bonus tracks on the 2005 CD reissue are offered here, much like the older Universal Music Group hi-res audio offerings would omit any alternate tracks. An insert booklet is included.

America: Holiday Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As the son of a military guy myself, and with family that was stationed in Germany much like the guys' dads were back in the day, I always felt a weird kind of connection to America, even if I recognized that a lot of their material could sound derivative. This album doesn't reinvent the wheel, or even good old fashioned pop and/or rock 'n' roll, but it's amiable and beautifully produced. Fans of the band should certainly enjoy the quadrophonic version, even if it, too, is not especially mind (or ear) blowing.