@@kellydwightfields2281 Great, I am in Germany, but know, read and so on that the Ventura freeway is all the time a traffic jam more or less, guess especially in LA.
growing up in a black household in the 70's,,,,my mother would have the radio on most mornings when we were getting ready for school,,,,she would have it tuned to a local am station here in charlotte,,,,so we heard music like this all the time,,,,,then maybe later in the day she would tune in to the local r&b stations,,,so we were well rounded when it came to music
I grew up in the 80’s and had a similar experience with my mom and my dad as well. Mom introduced my siblings and I to the likes of Journey, Ambrosia, Kenny Loggins and REO Speedwagon while pops drove us around to tunes by Hiroshima, Jean-Luc Ponty, Pat Metheny and Al Jarreau. When fam and friends were over, it was all about Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, Sade, Maze, Shalamar and Freddie Jackson. I’m grateful to my parents for the well-rounded music education bc it made it easier for me to relate to a multitude of experiences. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be said of my peers in our nabe nor my classmates. They were strictly one-note and spoke negatively whenever I listened to songs that were too “urban” for them eg Zapp, The Gap Band, Mtume, The Time, SOS Band...
@@gabrielmcdonnell8699 funny thing is,,,,there are songs I could"not stand in the 70's and 80's that I like now that i'm older,,,,.like jump from Van Halen,...my brother loved it,,I like it now
@@gsprings43 I sub to several music reaction channels for the nostalgia but I’m in the minority bc I don’t the miss the old sch music nor their eras all that much.; I’m a firm believer in the “you can’t go home again” adage. Watching Angela and the others is a nice diversion but I listen primarily to current music (Bob Moses, Carolina Polachek, Emotional Oranges, Kali Uchis, Majid Jordan, etc). I look for reactions to them often but the majority, like Angela, post videos for 70’s and 80’s songs.
@@gabrielmcdonnell8699 YOUR ARE LUCKY THINK ABOUT WHAT YOUNG KIDS GROW UP WITH AND ONLY/HEAR TODAY, time goes so fast TEN years of music isn't that much and it shapes your pallet
This song always reminds me of going to the beach. My mom had a 73 Camaro and would take us to the beach for the day. This song always reminds me of those summers. Sigh.
Wakanost...how nice. Don't remember my parents ever taking me and my sister to the beach. The only good thing they did was take us to see Karen Carpenter in 73.
I love America too but when my cousins and I were headed to the beach it was Black Sabbath that we had in the the 8 track. That is a memory that i cherish because they died way too young.
A superb representation of just how good music used to be. This is a masterpiece, as with many from America. Today, at least 90% of mainstream music is crap.
This entire album is absolutely MAGICAL. I adore every song, guitar pick and vocal harmony. And the production is flawless. Tough to beat Homecoming as one of the all-time greatest albums.
Haven't heard this in 50 years, i did enjoy America at that time and you nailed the reaction. Having grown up on the pacific coast highway in southern Cal in the early to mid 70's, so many songs were road songs. Thank you Angela for sharing yourself with us. I seldom comment but I do love your channel.
@@gandalf679 AM radio was King in those days because it came standard in cars. I remember that well especially when we got confused hearing two different versions of Make Me Smile. The AM version was slightly shorter than the FM version. AM had a 3 minute time limit. Little did we know both versions were a cut out from a longer song.
Those guitars in the intro have always been the "brand" of America in their songs. His hit "A horse with no name" was his letter of introduction to me. It's a pleasure to listen to one of the best bands of the 70's.
I was in high school when I was listening to these guys on the radio. It was Gordon Lightfoot that inspired me to buy my first 12-string guitar at 16 years old, but it was America records that I played along with. This was just a great song, with Hal Blaine on drums, and Joe Osborn on bass, the "wrecking crew".
When i first heard this song 50 years ago, I thought the were saying "Venture a highway". I have this song in my reminders on vehicles' satellite radio where if the song comes on a different channel a message will pop up and ask if i want to jump to that station.
Venture Highway - One of the most beautiful iconic songs. "Snippets" of it are used a lot. It is one of my favorites by America along with - "Sister Golden Hair".
America were a very good band. I have their greatest hits album which I play occasionally. Tin Man, A Horse With No Name, Sister Golden Hair, You Can Do Magic, The Border.....all classics.
Hearing that song as a 17 year old back in1972 in North London screamed sun drenched California to me, 4 yours later I set off to see Ventura Highway and explore the west coast of your beautiful country, and the song is as fresh today as it was 52 years ago, it’s one of my kids favourites and when we went on a family trip to the US a few years ago we had so head down Ventura!
I was 20, just became a Policeman and got married. Great music back then. Love your vibe. The Vietnam War was in progress and I was in the lottery to go, missed out but mates went. Listening to this brings back memories.
this was the first album i got that was mine and mine alone. not parents or sibling music. i got my new stereo for xmax i think in 1972-3 and i played this over and over. VH is one of my favorite songs of all time. so good and still is today, i hope you enjoy it.
I have always loved America's music. My favorite song of their's is "Lonely People ". The lively piano playing in the middle would I think inspire anyone feeling lonely and somehow left behind.
So happy that your audience is giving you a GREAT song to react too today!! This is one of my all time favorite songs and awesome band as they have at least three more great songs you could react too such as "horse with no name" "tin man" and "sister Golden hair." This song I've read is about when the singer was younger on vacation with his family driving down California highway 1 on the coast and his dad got a flat tire. He and his brother were looking at the clouds(alligator lizards in the air) and view as his dad fixed the flat and they were taking in the while scene of sunshine, coast and ocean. There are multiple 🎸 guitars on most their tracks and I saw them live just a couple years back and they still sound great even tho it's only the 2 lead men instead of 3 as one passed. They still sound great and tour. Again so happy a popular fun great song for you to react too picked finally after a drought of poor picks in my opinion. Let's give her more great picks guys & gals as there is still so much great music to share!!! Peace out!!!
As an old-soul Californian, I can attest that the Ventura Highway (aka the 101) has a sort of mystical allure. Sunsine, sea air, coastal vistas -- it's truly magical.
So... Ventura is the name of a highway in California ? Wow , and also is named route 101 🤔 herb alpert in 1980 perform a great hit with that name, good info👍 i'm not american, and this is new for me . Cheers 🍻🍻
@@sae5330 Ventura Highway is the section of Route 101 that runs from Santa Barbara and Ventura counties into Pasadena and Los Angeles counties. A portion of Route 101 is also called El Camino Real (The King's Highway), which was originally a trail that connected all of California's Spanish missions.
I just saw this band in concert 2 and 1/2 weeks ago and posted a video of them doing this song on my channel. They still sound amazing after more than 50 years since they started.
Saw these guys at their height of success great show, one of the best I had gone to atctgat time in 1977.....saw them again 20 years later.. . Still GOOD!
Just one more band that should be in Hall of fame and in not! Every time I pass a Porsche with top down it plays in my head! great song and harmonies.!
As amazing as it may seem, I first America supporting Cat Stevens in Southampton, UK in September 1971. This concert was magical. Gerry, Dewey and Dan sat on stools, and passed the guitars to each other. I can still remember this to this day. I have followed America ever since.
In 1972 I was an aspiring USMC recruit on Parris Island, where women Marines were trained, as well. Met a girl from Laguna Beach, CA. We stayed in touch and, following our discharges in 1974, I got a motorcycle, went to the West coast and we spent about a month together. We rode from Laguna to Ventura on the PCH. Heard this song frequently at our stops. It has been engrained in me ever since. Your feelings about it are exactly right. Wind in your hair, free and easy. Thank you for the upload!
Was always my favorite song of America, got me always good vibes and moods, and it is easy to play. BTW, and it is about the Ventura Freeway in LA and the Pacific route. (I know I am in Germany, but I got google earth, lol).... .and it is bc of using major7 chords, which got a real special feeling.
I was 18 when this tune was released. I wore 3 albums out playing this tune. I started buying tunes on audio cassette and did the same thing. I never tire listening to Ventura Highway. Great road trip song.
OMG... beautiful memories. When I was but a wee laddie, we had not long ago moved into a very small town where everything closed by 8 o'clock... including the Library. But it had an old style mail slot in the door for people to return books through and my child-sized arm was just small enough to reach through, find the door knob, and open the door to slip inside. Once inside I would lock the door, find the record player, and this album was one I played a LOT while I would sit at a desk, far away from the windows, find a good book like Watership Down or The Hobbit or some such magical fantasy and read for hours while listening to the music. Eventually I got caught... but not before I had read a LOT of books and listened to a LOT of music. Blessed days indeed.
We had the top down, radio blasting & we just cruised down tue highway, no cares, no worries. When I got back from Nam, we didn't care what happened next. We just lived.
I saw them about 10 years ago at a Casino in Tama, Iowa. Last show of that tour and they were phenomenal. Top 10 concert I've been too and I've seen hundreds. Side note. I never knew their drummer was from right here in Iowa
When I was a little kid in the 70s I’d hear this song playing on people’s radios at the beach. I lived a few miles south of Ventura, CA so this song reminds me of those days whenever I hear it.
One of my favourite songs ever. I have it on all my playlists. When I visited L.A in the 90’s i rented a car and drove to ventura highway and kept playing this song.
An America album called "Hideaway was the first album I bought when I was around 17 years old. Had never heard there music before and just bought it on a whim. listened to it constantly (in my bedroom)and became a big fan of "America". Was lucky enough to see them in concert when they came to NZ on tour around the time they released the album "perspective" . (which of course I also purchased)
Nice my dear, even us hard rockers loved this band back in the day, they just sounded so good and natural, and wrote a lot of songs you could relate to. The amount of good music being released at any point in the 70s was obscene, as you are learning. Try Sandman from them when you can, it is another America classic. Enjoy! That song was so fun, love seeing you smile lovely lady, Rock On! 🎵🎸🎤🎹🎶
YES! When I first moved to Southern California and was driving the 101, I just HAD to play this song on my cd player! And yes, I've always thought America sounds a lot like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Great reaction!
One of my very favorite songs. Simply due to the center of chest calming effect it's always had on me. I must have some early memory that explains it but all I know is that this song will always define my childhood. Thanks for bringing it back.
Haha, every time I see the word “empress” in Angela’s comments, I think of the music reactor named Empress who does retro music as well but focuses on Madonna and Olivia Newton John. She’ll do some rock and pop, too.
@@gabrielmcdonnell8699 empress is the highest regard for an elegant lady. The term queen in the etymological origins means prostitute, so I never use it to refer to good person, ever.
I enjoy watching your reactions to songs I grew up with. I want to recommend a song from the 90s. An Irish band called The Sundays and the song "Here's Where The Story Ends".
*"Janet"* was *"nice"* when it came to, "Ventura Highway", as she paid America for the rights to the song's opening. However, *"Miss Jackson"* was *"nasty"* 15 years prior to that when she plagiarized another America song, "Daisy Jane", for the opening of her hit, "Let's Wait A While". America sued and Janet had to pay them a big fat sum out of court. As for, "Ventura Highway", yes indeed, it is one of the best driving songs of all time. Even though, ironically, its lyrics aren't about driving down the road, they're about walking down the road. lol The song's first verse goes: *"Chewin' on a piece of grass/Walkin' down the road.* Having said that, even though the actual act of driving is not directly reflected in the lyrics, songwriter Dewey Bunnell wrote it about the nostalgic summertime trips in the car his family would go on down the southern California coastline, from Ventura County where they lived, to L.A. County and its great beaches. Another irony is that there is no such road called, "Ventura Highway". There is a "Ventura Freeway" in L.A., but that does not travel along the coastline. The actual name of the coastal road Dewey's family took on those trips is called, Pacific Coast Highway (PCH, or, Route 1). But "Pacific Coast Highway", just doesn't work lyrically, so Dewey took some creative license and came up with, "Ventura Highway". Which, really, from a kid's perspective, makes sense, as it was the highway that they took to and from their Ventura home. I'm not saying he wrote it when he was a kid, he didn't. I'm just sayin', in Obi Wan Kenobi fashion, that from a certain point of view, the road they travelled on to him may have been, The Ventura Highway. Incredible tune, I absolutely adore it, and never tire of it! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was today yrs old when I found this out about “Let’s Wait Awhile”. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis strike again! 😂 I wish the podcasters who had them on since the lockdown and the release of their recent album had asked them about this lawsuit.
Those harmonies and then the incredible bass line and those drums played by the legendary Hal Blaine. Hal was also responsible for the famous drumming hook on The Ronettes "Be My Baby"
