American Pie [LP]

by Don McLean

Overview

Don McLean's second album, American Pie, which was his first to gain recognition after the negligible initial sales of 1970's Tapestry, is necessarily dominated by its title track, a lengthy, allegorical history of rock & roll, because it became an unlikely hit, topping the singles chart and putting the LP at number one as well. "American Pie" has remained as much a cultural touchstone as a song, sung by everyone from Garth Brooks to Madonna, its title borrowed for a pair of smutty teen comedies, while the record itself has earned a registered three-million plays on U.S. radio stations. There may not be much more to note about it, then, except perhaps that even without a crib sheet to identify who's who, the song can still be enjoyed for its engaging melody and singable chorus, which may have more to do with its success than anything else. Of course, the album also included "Vincent," McLean's paean to Van Gogh, which has been played two-million times. Nothing else on the album is as effective as the hits, but the other eight original songs range from sensitive fare like "Til Tomorrow" to the sarcastic, uptempo "Everybody Loves Me, Baby." American Pie -- the album -- is very much a record of its time; it is imbued with the vague depression of the early '70s that infected the population and found expression in the works of singer/songwriters. "American Pie" -- the song -- is really a criticism of what happened in popular music in the '60s, and "Vincent" sympathizes with Van Gogh's suicide as a sane comment on an insane world. "Crossroads" and "Empty Chairs" are personal reflections full of regret and despondency, with the love song "Winterwood" providing the only respite. In the album's second half, the songs get more portentous, tracing society's ills into war and spiritual troubles in "The Grave" and "Sister Fatima." The songs are made all the more poignant by the stately folk-pop arrangements and McLean's clear, direct tenor. It was that voice, equally effective on remakes of pop oldies, that was his salvation when he proved unable to match the songwriting standard set on Tapestry and this collection. But then, the album has an overall elegiac quality that makes it sound like a final statement. After all, if the music has died, what else is there to say? [American Pie was re-released on LP in 2016.] ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	05/13/2016
Label:	Capitol
UPC:	0602547670403

Tracks

1. American Pie
2. Til Tomorrow
3. Vincent
4. Crossroads
5. Winterwood
6. Empty Chairs
7. Everybody Loves Me, Baby
8. Sister Fatima
9. The Grave
10. Babylon

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Don McLean   Primary Artist,Banjo,Guitar,Vocals
Warren Bernhardt   Guest Artist,Piano
Mike Mainieri   Guest Artist,Marimba,Percussion,Vibraphone
David Spinozza   Guitar (Electric)
Roy Markowitz   Drums,Percussion
Tom Flye   Drums
Paul Griffin   Piano
Ray Colcord   Keyboards,Piano (Electric)
West Forty Fourth Street Rhythm and Noise Choir   Choir/Chorus
Bob Rothstein   Vocals,Bass

Technical Credits

Boudleaux Bryant   Composer
Ed Freeman   Producer,String Arrangements
Joe Melson   Composer
Don McLean   Arranger,Composer
David Johansen   Composer
Johnny Thunders   Composer
Horace Linsley   Composer
Norman Petty   Composer
Buddy Holly   Composer
Danny Elfman   Composer
Tom Flye   Engineer
Paul Anka   Composer
Walter Vinson   Composer
Lee Hays   Arranger
Smokey Robinson   Composer
Roy Orbison   Composer
Bruce Eder   Liner Notes
Lonnie Chatmon   Composer
Trevor Veitch   Assistant
A.A. Glenn   Composer
George Whiteman   Design,Photography
Babyface   Composer
Traditional   Composer