Back Pages

Back Pages is the 17th studio album by America, released on July 26, 2011 by eOne. The album is the band's first studio album of cover versions of songs by some of their favorite songwriters. The album features guest appearances by Mark Knopfler and Van Dyke Parks.[1]

Back Pages
Studio album by America
Released	July 26, 2011
Recorded	British Grove Studios, London Your Place or Mine, Glendale Tracking Room, Nashville Zoomar South Studios, Nashville
Genre	Soft rock
Length	46:09
Label	eOne
Producer	Fred Mollin
America chronology
Hits: 40th Anniversary Edition (2011) Back Pages (2011) Lost & Found (2015)

Recording

Back Pages was recorded at British Grove Studios in London, Your Place or Mine in Glendale, California, and the Tracking Room and Zoomar South Studios in Nashville.[2]

Release and promotion

Back Pages was released on July 26, 2011 by eOne.[1] The release of Back Pages coincidentally fell two days after the sudden death of co-founding America band member Dan Peek.

Musical style

The musical style of Back Pages consists of the classic America vocal and acoustic guitar sound, backed by top Nashville session players, and enhanced by producer Fred Mollin's inclusion of some period sounds, like the sitar-effected guitar on "Woodstock" and the "heavily overdone guitar effects" on "Time of the Season".[3]

Artwork

The album cover photo was taken by Chad Griffith and shows a brown leather-bound manuscript album containing sheet music, lying on a wooden table. The manuscript album cover contains the title words "Back" and "Pages" separated by the band's stylized logo.

Touring

In 2011, America performed 85 concerts throughout the United States, Canada, Italy, France, Guatemala, Honduras, and Chile.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
American Songwriter	[3]

In his review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album three out of five stars, noting the album's "intimate and friendly" production and the sometimes surprising arrangements, concluding, "It's comfortable and engaging without being complacent; it's a visit with old friends that still can do something unexpected after all these years."[1]

In his review for American Songwriter, Rick Moore gave the album three and a half out of five stars, calling it "a well-done CD for baby boomers and their kids". He praised the song selection for including both older and modern standards, and remarked, "America's voices and ranges don't seem to have changed a bit; if anything, these guys are just getting better, as they sing with the confidence that only age can bring."[3]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"America"	Paul Simon	3:40
2.	"A Road Song"	Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger	3:15
3.	"Woodstock"	Joni Mitchell	3:52
4.	"Caroline, No"	Tony Asher, Brian Wilson	3:22
5.	"Someday We'll Know"	Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, Debra Holland	3:37
6.	"Sailing to Philadelphia" (featuring Mark Knopfler)	Mark Knopfler	4:57
7.	"Crying in My Sleep"	Jimmy Webb	4:41
8.	"Time of the Season"	Rod Argent	3:39
9.	"Something in the Way She Moves"	James Taylor	4:21
10.	"On the Way Home"	Neil Young	2:37
11.	"Til I Hear It from You"	Marshall Crenshaw, Jesse Valenzuela, Robin Wilson	3:45
12.	"My Back Pages"	Bob Dylan	4:23
Total length:			46:09

Personnel

America

• Gerry Beckley – vocals, acoustic guitar
• Dewey Bunnell – vocals, acoustic guitar

with:

• Jaime Babbitt – vocals
• Larry Beaird – banjo, acoustic guitar
• Pat Buchanan – electric guitar
• Mark Knopfler – electric guitar
• Fred Mollin – 12 string acoustic guitar, percussion, synthesizer, background vocals
• John Willis – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• John Jarvis – piano, Wurlitzer
• Tony Harrell – harmonium, organ, piano, synthesizer, Wurlitzer
• Stuart Duncan – fiddle, mandolin
• Mike Johnson – pedal steel guitar
• Van Dyke Parks – accordion
• Larry Paxton – bass
• Greg Morrow – drums, percussion
• Jeffrey Foskett – background vocals
• Russell Terrell – background vocals

Production

• Fred Mollin – producer
• Kyle Lehning – engineer, mixing
• Guy Fletcher – engineer
• Mark Linett – overdub engineer
• "Teenage" Dave Salley – overdub engineer
• Greg Calbi – mastering
• Paul Grosso – creative director
• Andrew Kelley – art direction, design
• Chad Griffith – cover photo
• Henry Diltz – photography
• Dmitri Kasterine – photography

Release history

Year	Label	Format	Catalog
2011	eOne	CD	099923213727

References

1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Back Pages". AllMusic. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
2. Back Pages (Album notes). America. eOne. 2011. 099923213727.CS1 maint: others (link)
3. Moore, Rick (July 26, 2011). "America: Back Pages". American Songwriter. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
4. "Past Shows". Ventura Highway. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2014.