Hat Trick

• Artist: America
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1973
• Total Time: 41:39
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rock

Review

America's Hat Trick has the distinction of being the album that contained the first song that the band sang that wasn't theirs. Written by Willis Ramsey, the syrupy "Muskrat Love" only went as high as number 67 on the singles chart for America, but the Captain & Tennille managed to take it all the way to number four only three years later. The rest of Hat Trick failed to garner any hits and is a slight disappointment after the success of their self-titled debut in 1972, which harbored the band's first number one hit in "A Horse With No Name," and after Homecoming, their satisfying follow-up. Hat Trick peaked at number 28 on the album charts, faltering mainly because the songs lacked the cordial folk-rock melodies and mindful songwriting that prevailed on the earlier releases. "She's Gonna Let You Down" and "Rainbow Song" are the album's best cuts, but banal offerings such as "Green Monkey," "Willow Tree Lullaby," and "Molten Love" have Bunnell and Peek straying off course, sounding stale and musically feeble. The unsuccessful repercussions that evolved from Hat Trick both commercially and otherwise were not overlooked by the band, and they rebounded with 1974's Holiday, an album which yielded hits in "Tin Man" and "Lonely People," which both made Billboard's Top Five. ~ Mike DeGagne, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Muskrat Love	Willis Alan Ramsey	America	(3:06)
Wind Wave (Lyrics)	Dewey Bunnell	America	(2:55)
She's Gonna Let You Down (Lyrics)	Gerry Beckley	America	(3:41)
Rainbow Song (Lyrics)	Dewey Bunnell	America	(3:53)
Submarine Ladies (Lyrics)	Gerry Beckley	America	(3:13)
It's Life (Lyrics)	Dan Peek	America	(4:00)
Hat Trick (Lyrics)	Dan Peek, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell	America	(8:29)
Molten Love (Lyrics)	Dewey Bunnell	America	(3:10)
Green Monkey	Dewey Bunnell	America	(3:38)
Willow Tree Lullaby	Dan Peek	America	(2:34)
Goodbye	Gerry Beckley	America	(3:10)

Credits

Rovert Margoliffe (Synthesizer), Dewey Bunnell (Producer), Dan Peek (Guitar), Gerry Beckley (Vocals), Gerry Beckley (Guitar), Tom Scott (Saxophone), Lee Kiefer (Harmonica), Jim Ed Norman (Piano), Dewey Bunnell (Vocals), Gary Burden (Art Direction), Dewey Bunnell (Drums), Dewey Bunnell (Guitar), Carl Wilson (Vocals (Background)), Lorene Yarnell (Taps), Chester McCrackin (Conga), Billy Hinsche (Vocals (Background)), Joe Walsh (Guitar), Michael Stone (Engineer), Bruce Johnston (Vocals (Background)), Gary Burden (Design), Chet McCracken (Conga), Gerry Beckley (Producer), Mike "Clay" Stone (Engineer), Henry Diltz (Banjo), Lee Kiefer (Assistant Engineer), Henry Diltz (Photography), Hal Blaine (Percussion), Dan Peek (Producer), Dan Peek (Vocals), Pete Reuther (Inspiration), Hal Blaine (Drums), David Dickey (Bass), Jim Ed Norman (Arranger)

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)