Here is one of the earlier Warner Bros DVD-Audio titles. Much like some of the other discs released around 2001, "Homecoming" is starting to get harder to find. Check your local brick-and-mortar stores; I think one of the last remaining "Internet-store" copies was sold to me. If all else fails, there is always eBay.
The music on this 1973 album features some of the band's most popular folk/rock tunes, such as "Ventura Highway", "Don't Cross The River", and "Only In Your Heart". Sonically, the DVD-Audio edition has a slight, yet pleasant warmth to it. And after a bit of tweaking to the subwoofer channel on my setup, I found it to have just enough bass to maintain a solid foundation for all those acoustical guitars, piano, and percussion.
The surround mix was created by Elliot Scheiner, who almost uniformly does a capable job with most everything he touches. This disc is no exception. Scheiner spreads vocals across the front three channels and, frequently, he also places them into the surrounds. This is sometimes used to enhance the harmonies and, other times, it just appears to help fill in the sound. Regardless, I think the vocals come across quite nicely. Just be sure that the channel levels for the rears aren't too loud, or else the soundstage might move too far to the back of the room. The rest of the surround mix gets my approval, as well. Various guitars are placed in both the front and back of the room, often simultaneously, and so it sounds well balanced. It's fairly discrete, too, yet somewhat enveloping at the same time. However, if I were to nitpick, I'd admit that the solo guitar placed into the rear right channel toward the start of "To Each His Own" sounds a little out of place. That is, until the rest of the instruments start playing.
I'm glad to have found a copy of this DVD-Audio. America is one of those bands whose melodious music I truly enjoy, but of which I also tend to tire quite easily. Nonetheless, it's good music to break out every couple of years and makes a worthy addition to one's collection. Just don't pay too much.
Note: The surround mix is encoded at 96 kHz / 24 Bits. The stereo mix is encoded at 192 kHz / 24 Bits.
