American Pie & Other Hits (Don McLean)

it's been a while. but that doesn't mean i can't revive this blog and the intention for which is started it! if you want to know the main reason for the long delay, please refer to my post for today on my main blog, here.

don mclean makes perennial music. he makes a type of music that can be listened to whenever a mellow, thoughtful singer-songwriter is called for. it's the kind of music that can be played in the background when you have friends or family over, and if there's a lull in conversation, no one seems to mind. his music is easily the topic of conversation.

his style of music is such that you don't feel like he should be performing on a stage in front of you, but on a chair or stool next to you. it's intimate. it's right in your ear.

i'll admit that i am not all to familiar w/ his music. my wife is. in fact, this is her album i'm reviewing.

the album starts off w/ a truncated version of "american pie." this is the kind of song i typically don't comment about, b/c there is so little new to say about it, and the nature of this blog at this point is more off-the-cuff than reflective. it's followed by "and i love you so," and "babylon," which is the best audience-participation-sing-a-long song i've ever heard. "starry starry night" or "vincent" is one of my wife's favorite songs.

a singular criticism: the album order stacks all his most well-known hits at the beginning, making it feel almost top-heavy. the rest of the album suffers b/c of that choice.

good stuff, though.