America

The 50th anniversary celebration of America rolls on with a massive new box set. Half Century is an expansive 7-CD/1-DVD box packed with rare and previously unreleased material from the beloved band featuring Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and the late Dan Peek. There's a slew of unreleased demos circa 1970; a remastered full-length radio session in Bremen from 1973; rehearsals and demos for the Hideaway album; 11 unheard session recordings from 1981; a disc full of rarities from the overlooked period of the 1990s; and interviews and promotional material.  If that weren't enough, there's also a DVD of home movies filmed from 1972 to 1975 that give America aficionados an inside look at the band's early years.  You'll hear intimate jams, get a sneak peek behind the scenes of the Bremen session, see the band onstage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and in-the-studio at George Martin's AIR facilities, and much more.  All of the tracks were sourced from the band's personal archives and are exclusive to the box set.  There's also a fair amount of memorabilia included in the lavish package, including posters, promo pictures, and a book.  An America Records sampler CD rounds out the package.