America: Your Move (japanese SHM CD)

Yes, I know, this is supposed to be one of the worst America albums but I liked it when it was new and I was in the mood to hear it again so I bought the new japanese SHM-CD.
The album was produced by Russ Ballard who also wrote or co-wrote most of the songs. I've always liked Ballard so maybe that's why I have a soft spot for this America album.
I haven't listened to the album for almost 30 years and back then I heard it on a low-fi system so I have no reference regarding the sound. However since this album is pretty obscure I thought I post my thoughts about this new CD anyway, maybe there is somebody who is seeking information about this release.

To my ears the sound of this SHM-CD is pleasing although it is clearly somewhat compressed (but not brickwalled). I was especially surprised that the mastering engineer didn't jack up the treble to the max like they did on the Rhino Complete Greatest Hits compilation.

So I would recommend the CD to anybody who is interested in the deeper parts of the America catalog and to Russ Ballard fans. The sound is decent and it doesn't make your ears bleed.
Audiophiles expecting sonic marvels and DR values of 13 and higher should give this CD a pass.

 

Well, for my tastes Perspective is below Your Move and i don't think it was so far from Wiev from the Groud. I have the OneWay release from the 90s and soundwise is a good transfer.

 

I saw a link somewhere recently to a Gerry Beckley interview from the time of this album. He commented that they had one more album to do for Capitol, then he and Bunnell were going to assess the future of the band...interesting.

 

I've always enjoyed this album. If I recall correctly I picked it up on cassette when it first came out and then later on on CD. Sure, it's not their finest work but I honestly don't care. Not trying to impress anybody with my listening tastes.

 

"The Border" is their best song.

 

What would be your tracklist for a Capitol-only timeframe CD collection? Mine will be kinda biased since Alibi had been a huge hit here and the entire album aws in medium to heavy rotation, will like to know from a USA... perspective.

 

All of America's Capitol albums were released as 2-for-1 CDs by BGO. They sound OK to me.

 

If someone want to do a peak compare to see mastering similarities or differences... here's the complete 5 studio album on OneWay/Capitol + InConcert Capitol first release:

Silent Letter
Track Peak [ CRC32 ] [W/O NULL]
-- 99,1 [EB1DF6E6] [844B0189]
01 95,5 [1DD37305] [4EA915DE]
02 90,2 [E3E8D001] [8165AF6A]
03 85,4 [1CB4BD30] [1B3AA07D]
04 81,5 [362D9B8B] [FE181FB4]
05 92,5 [98A68975] [BBB4B00F]
06 93,5 [3C8E29D9] [5C907581]
07 98,6 [D71D44DB] [4195FCD9]
08 90,9 [557603C1] [927F1DFC]
09 99,1 [03A24DE2] [9FD198B7]
10 89,5 [06478E86] [3F9A5EDC]
11 89,0 [982B83D7] [101EF454]

Alibi
Track Peak [ CRC32 ] [W/O NULL]
-- 95,5 [77F9BAE2] [4D2F9DF3]
01 94,1 [DB9BFAB5] [8B713635]
02 95,5 [16D68057] [CAA4A5BD]
03 90,9 [86ED52D4] [972D0815]
04 93,1 [A46E4EC1] [7099F128]
05 87,1 [C911F805] [ECE04BE2]
06 87,2 [8CE87EC1] [D1742FED]
07 88,2 [7B1A9227] [9F912C97]
08 90,7 [290AA552] [43C5C8B9]
09 88,8 [6FE5941C] [960A865C]
10 94,0 [8DD33AF4] [993D20EF]
11 78,0 [D2431C2C] [5C5F3280]

View from the ground
Track Peak [ CRC32 ] [W/O NULL]
-- 88,8 [A2A75CA9] [C7A715CB]
01 85,7 [34E54B38] [55D417C9]
02 86,9 [B693EC8B] [6C284A79]
03 84,8 [70A13A6D] [4B658858]
04 88,8 [44DD67AD] [FCDE2FC9]
05 86,7 [4105232B] [DDCE0713]
06 87,5 [EDA7552D] [6D6F3A5E]
07 75,5 [154FEE4B] [ECB56EB7]
08 77,2 [F956FAF3] [42A099BC]
09 88,5 [731DFC39] [E40B040A]
10 85,3 [AC7E96BB] [6F2E2642]

Your move
Track Peak [ CRC32 ] [W/O NULL]
-- 100,0 [12651E5A] [1152AF66]
01 100,0 [191B6BA1] [1C2B513E]
02 100,0 [D84F71F4] [DAD4E49A]
03 95,4 [8F552523] [53B3DF98]
04 75,6 [68AB2E3F] [717CCDF4]
05 98,1 [6E224E26] [F1747438]
06 84,4 [D0A1FB96] [D0480DA3]
07 85,0 [62D770B7] [C8F75E51]
08 89,3 [052E1882] [EE26188A]
09 64,3 [FCD7B7F6] [8DC6C341]
10 73,9 [612DADD1] [C9F9345E]
11 74,0 [074DAACB] [F9530496]

Perspective
Track Peak [ CRC32 ] [W/O NULL]
-- 89,7 [4FB6047E] [42CF54E9]
01 88,8 [B39BEB80] [3317F0C4]
02 86,0 [E04CD896] [D698D49E]
03 87,9 [8419A10E] [3ECC7442]
04 87,4 [267E8B5E] [2AFFD3DA]
05 88,6 [2F2DD365] [CBC2E7F7]
06 89,7 [543ED1A2] [BF428632]
07 86,9 [674CF0E5] [E5152665]
08 85,2 [2BCA40DB] [5CFE1D3B]
09 87,7 [A048B04D] [FC29112A]
10 88,1 [F6382F56] [DC4BDEFF]
11 85,2 [6EADE278] [ADB127FB]

In Concert
Track Peak [ CRC32 ] [W/O NULL]
-- 97,4 [9024FCAB] [F59E989D]
01 89,4 [C09687D6] [B4C3C7FF]
02 91,2 [1F45B276] [EA26C221]
03 93,5 [4E8EC7C8] [C2C35A87]
04 92,7 [C8C0DCDD] [3E4BF39C]
05 72,1 [4DA9E315] [F03A5170]
06 97,4 [36188282] [EC8F511F]
07 92,4 [6A6F7D5E] [6A7E6A22]
08 91,9 [DA5CA5C2] [374F4F4E]
09 86,6 [D0830892] [DD351F07]
10 80,4 [32F6DF0C] [12D2E46C]

 

Here are the Peak levels of the japanese SHM "Your Move":

Track 1
98.4 %

Track 2
98.1 %

Track 3
98.0 %

Track 4
97.0 %

Track 5
98.1 %

Track 6
98.0 %

Track 7
97.6 %

Track 8
98.6 %

Track 9
97.0 %

Track 10
97.3 %

Track 11
98.0 %

 

Looks the japanese YM is kinda compressed: OneWay range from 64,3 to 100, Japan between 97 and 98.4. Different mastering for sure.
Anyone with the BGO release can post EAC peaks? Since BGO is a independent reissue label and not linked with a major, such as OneWay with Capitol USA or Disky with EMI UK, these may be simply a clone of OneWay.

 

I already wrote in my original post that the SHM CD is compressed. But it's not completely squashed, it still sounds pretty good IMO.

 

There is a comp around of this period 'Centenary Collection: Best of America'. Conveniently, there's a jpg of the CD rear insert out there with the track listing.



I like the first five America albums, but they lost me with 'Hideaway' which I thought was just awful, so whether this does actually represent the cream of their output from this period, I couldn't say (I do love 'You Can Do Magic' though; some days I think that might be their best song).

 

I have that compilation. It has maybe 5 good songs, not counting the live tracks. Sound is average. Probably not much compressed but pretty thin and underwhelming overall.
But it's a cheap way to get some Capitol era America songs.

 

Interesting that the comp leaves off "Special Girl" which I remember hearing once or twice on the radio when it came out.

 

I used to think it was a Meat Loaf original.