You know how many “soft rock” an “easy listening” bands that had Top 40 hits in the 1970’s and early 1980’s? Dozens. I could mention their names and you would automatically start humming their songs – Firefall, Pablo Cruise, England Dan & John Ford Coley, Bread, all of them.
And then there was Ambrosia.
Ambrosia was a mix of different musical styles – they were definitely soft-rock artists, but they also had a nice art-rock sound to them.
NICE, NICE, VERY NICE
Any band who can get words from Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle into a pop song earns plenty of heck-yeah points in my book.
HOLDIN’ ON TO YESTERDAY
The first time I heard this song was on WPTR, back when they were actually playing Top 40 music and were competing with WTRY and WFLY and WGFM Rock 99 for the Top 40 audience in the Capital District.
MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR
Yes, it’s a remake of the Beatles’ song, and it was part of the pastiche jukebox musical “All This And World War II.” It’s not a bad remake, it’s certainly better than the one Cheap Trick did a few years ago.
HOW MUCH I FEEL
And now we get to Ambrosia’s three 1980’s ballads. Each one of these is just warm and sweet to listen to and enjoy. And why we don’t hear any of these tracks on oldies radio today… is just a shame.
YOU’RE THE ONLY WOMAN (YOU AND I)
Another sweet ballad from Ambrosia.
BIGGEST PART OF ME
I think after this trio of ballads, Ambrosia sorta melted away.
But even if these are the only six tracks we can remember from Ambrosia, at least they’re good tracks and a nice “easy listening” way to start your day.
Chuck The Writer 
Love Ambrosia. heard “nice , nice very nice” this a.m. on Sirius. Were they at an “Alive at Five years” ago?
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My favorite Ambrosia record is “Somewhere I’ve Never Traveled” which was their second LP. Aside from the great tunes (which are a bit more prog-rock like than the first album but still catchy), it’s got this cool album cover that folds into a three-dimensional pyramid. Sorry kids, you can’t do that with those abysmal sounding MP3 downloads (though the idea of folding an iPod into the shape of a pyramid does have its destructive appeal).
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The first concert I ever saw was at SPAC in 1974 and I’m almost positive Ambrosia opened for the Beach Boys.
For some bizarre reason that I’ll never be able to explain I always sing one line from Nice Nice Very Nice out loud even today.
“Nice nice very nice. Nice nice very nice. So many people in the same device.”
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I went to that SPAC ’74 concert too. Holdin’ On To Yesterday was a song I really liked then. It brings back both the bitter and sweet.
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Hey Chuck,
Check out these Killer Live versions of Classic Ambrosia songs!!
Holdin On To Yesterday
Somewhere I’ve Never Travelled
http://www.youtube.com/user/AMBROSIABAND#p/u/1/Ovjc9CG0j18
Life Beyond LA
http://www.youtube.com/user/AMBROSIABAND#p/u/0/zfGDMQBiR6k
Time Waits For No One
Nice Nice Very Nice
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