Drawing upon the softer side of the hippie folk scene with a more refined sound, America garnered a string of hits for themselves in the 1970s. With a rich, acoustic base and lush, high tenor harmonies, songs like "Sandman" were instantly successful. The band's breakthrough single was the slightly country-tinged "Horse with No Name", that owed a debt to the craftsmanship of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. America displayed the band's sensitivities with "Clarice" and "I Need You". While the band made a name for itself on the strength of "Horse" alone, the rest of the record deserves attention, too. While "Riverside" and "Children Here" never reached the status of later hits like "Sister Goldenhair" or "Lonely People", they still command respect. –Steve Gdula

Pianist Oscar Peterson joins up with his old friends, vibraphonist Milt Jackson and bassist Ray Brown, in addition to his drummer of the period, Louis Hayes, for a particularly enjoyable outing. After a throwaway version of the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," the all-star quartet performs Jackson's title cut, Benny Carter's ballad "Dream of You," and four standards. Although not up to the excitement of Peterson's best Pablo recordings of the 1970s, this is an enjoyable album.
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