This was the first America studio album following the departure of Dan Peek, the first America release on Capitol Records, and the last to feature George Martin as producer.
It was also their first studio album since their debut to have a title beginning with a letter other than "H". The title itself acknowledges the missing "H" by its wry reference to silent letters in the English language.
The album contains fast-paced disco songs, piano power-ballads, often sung by Gerry Beckley, and steady speed pop-rock songs.
The album was not a commercial success, reaching only number 110 on the Billboard album chart. It did produce three minor hit singles. "Only Game in Town" reached 107 on the Billboard singles chart; "All My Life" (number 48 on the Adult Contemporary chart) was a big hit in Asia; and "All Around" hit number 45 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Alibi is the ninth original studio album by American folk rock duo America, released by Capitol Records in 1980.
Prior to their second album on Capitol, Bunnell and Beckley amicably parted ways with George Martin in an effort to try a new musical direction. For the new album, the group utilized two producers -- Matthew McCauley and Fred Mollin. While Silent Letter was recorded by Bunnell, Beckley and their backing band (Willie Leacox, Michael Woods, David Dickey and Jim Calire), Alibi was a virtual roll-call of the burgeoning West Coast music scene. The recording included musicians such as Timothy B. Schmit, Waddy Wachtel, Mike Baird, Lee Sklar, Richard Page, Norton Buffalo and Steve Lukather.
Alibi, released in August 1980, was the second America album not to feature a picture of the band members on the cover. (The first was a Kauai sunset photo on "Harbor," where that album was recorded.) Instead, the cover sported a picture of a doll's head in the foreground of a desert landscape. Dewey Bunnell said he chose the picture while looking through the archives of acclaimed photographer Henry Diltz. The album was also unusual in the era of vinyl primacy in that it did not have numbered sides. Because the group and Capitol disagreed on which side would be side one, they agreed on a compromise: the sides would be labelled "Our Side" and "Their Side."
The album only peaked at number 142 on the Billboard album chart in the US. No singles charted in the US, but in Italy "Survival" was a top 5 hit and the whole album peaked at 2: this happened only on the first weeks of 1982, after the band took part, as special guest, at the Sanremo Music Festival.
This album, had its release fallen during the Warner Bros years, could have been a huge success. It has several solid fast and slow songs and displayed the broad talents of America. Along with Survival, Might Be Your Love, Hangover, Valentine and I Do Believe In you were catchy and rockier songs that certainly deserved airplay. Hangover did on many FM stations. America may have chosen the wrong single to be released on this album. The unusual album cover design, along with a new band logo, may have been a factor in the disappointing sales. Their follow up release would return to more traditional art direction, including the use of their classic logo.
Although Alibi was yet another commercial disappointment for America, the band's fortunes would dramatically improve with their next album, View From The Ground (1982), which included the Top Ten smash, "You Can Do Magic."
McCauley would later produce several tracks on America's Perspective album in 1984, while Mollin returned in 2011 to produce America's cover album, Back Pages.
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