American Pie

My parents played this constantly in the 70s when I was growing up. The title track was never my favorite and then when I went to college in the 80s and it was played constantly at parties I started to dislike it now I can take or leave that song but really enjoy the rest of the album

4.75/5

Feeling generous today. 3+1 for meeting notability guidelines.

I’m a sucker for Don McLean’s particular brand of folk music.

awful

1971. McLean dedicated the album to Buddy Holly, one of his childhood icons. Melancoly feel. Wrote the album while his mariage was failing.

Obviously I know the title song, and I've always enjoyed it. The rest of this album is pretty forgettable though. Nothing really stuck out to me, until I got to Babylon, because I love choral lines.

Diet Coke Jim Croce.

Quaint and melodic, McLean knows what his sound and mood, is and doesn't stray too far from it. Apart from "American Pie" and "Vincent", many of his other songs are just as good. Four, borderline five.

I knew a couple of the songs but giving it a 4 because I really enjoyed the songwriting and humanness of the performances

4.5?

Pretty much carried by the first track

Entspannt am Lagerfeuer

2 of the best songs in this album. Discovered some other good ones here. Some of them felt a wee bit like repeats but yaknow the good outweighs the bad by a long shot.

It's got American Pie on it. It's incredible.

*American Pie is a fine song, but this album feels like a way to use the lead single so sell a whole album. *Most of the album feels slow and doesn't match with the title track.

439/1089 - There are too many albums on this list that are just one notable song followed by a ton of mediocre stuff.

- american pie stays a banger - i like the sound and a lot of the lyricism - i'm just not sure that i would go out of my way to listen to much besides the title track here (maybe also vincent) - till tomorrow begins w a similar cadence to ap but i like the lyricism - wait okay i think i'm wrong i also like the grave ("eternity knows what we've done") - this is my born in the usa. maybe - don maclean i was unfamiliar with your game - everybody loves me, baby is fun i like a lot of the lyrics - babylon feels a little bit disconnected from the rest of the tracks - favorites: american pie, vincent - rating: 3.5/5

had no idea american pie (song) was 8 goddamn minutes long. thought it was stuck on loop until i opened spotify back up pretty alright album, nothing particularly negative to write home about though i probs wouldn't revisit notable : american pie (in its 8 minute long glory), sister fatima, babylon 3.5/5 but since i can't half-rate here, 3

Title track is a certified Banger but I'm over it since my teens. Rest is OK.

Decent album, opens with an all-time classic track (which I'd be perfectly fine never hearing again), and some more decent tracks to accompany it.

Huge fan of this album choice

Worthy of the list just based on American Pie and Vincent, but the rest of the album is pretty solid as well

Starts with one of the greatest songs of all-time. Truely timeless. The rest of the album doesn't reach those heights again but it's still a great album. 4/5.

graziai dainuoja, Joni mitchell for the boys

American Pie, the song, is a classic. Vincent was a single back in the day and I had heard it before a couple times. The rest are mostly forgettable. The Geave and Empty Chairs are the only other tracks that got my attention at all. I have no plans to revisit this album.

Garten, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Ganz okay, aber sauöde nach 10min.

One track wonder should have been released as a single and called it a day. Not Kid Rocks levels of bad.

3.5

Even without the Mt Fuji of the title track, this is a pretty good album.

Yawn

When I was a kid I had delusions that memorizing all of American Pie would make me so cool. It didn’t. But I still remember every word which is funny. Anyway. I’ve never actually listened to the rest of the album. It’s good. It really doesn’t ever match the sheer bombast of American Pie, but American Pie is sort of a once in a lifetime song. The rest is nice and pretty. He’s a good writer. I think his voice is the biggest let down but even then it’s pleasant enough

Another day here and I get a folk album. I’m familiar with the song American Pie. I tried to listen to the lyrics but I think the chorus overruns them. It’s almost impossible. It doesn’t matter. It’s really a song about stuff that doesn’t fit a world that includes most of the world. The rest of the album is kind of just there. Vincent is an odd song. He decides to write a song about Van Gogh having bipolar disorder but not really. It kind self indulgent. Sure you say he suffered for his sanity. It’s really pointless.

One classic song and the rest sort of were just there for me.

I've never listened to this album before, but I had heard the chorus of "American Pie" many times throughout my life, and I had been under the impression that Don McLean made americana slop, but it turns out that both the song and the album are pretty good. The best tracks were the softy sung ones. McLean has a surprisingly melancholic and sincere sounding voice. He reminds me of Jim Croce. My favorite track was "Vincent".

Nothing about this stood out to me, and in good conscience can I give this anything higher than a 1.

The titular song is such a classic. Everything else is about what I expected. Mostly mellow and chill rock music.

My rating is a bit biased here as American Pie became my son's first favorite song at the ripe age of 3yo. We listen to this entire record often and I had really come to enjoy "Vincent" which plays after American Pie. It's such a fun song to teach some music history and also what some PG13 rated sayings mean...."he's taking the chevy where??" says my son. Otherwise I find the rest of this album pretty sleepy. Pretty, yes but not memorable. Still rating it a 4 since American Pie kicks it all of for 6+min.

C'mon. It's a no-brainer.

I listened to this album as a 23-year-old man in the United States of America, grappling with the optimism of teenage nostalgia and the existential pessimism of the current day. I am writing this in 2026. This album released in 1971, 55 years ago. American Pie is just the kind of song that I was sure nothing could come close to. It's such a gargantuan and singular piece of culture, in terms of both impact and length, topped off with one of the best and most iconic choruses ever written: how could it possibly fit in amidst comfortably amidst nine other songs? Apparently, the answer to that question is the poetic Americana sensibilities of Don McLean's songwriting. I assumed the title track would be the most potent reflection on American identity and the struggles which come with it, but I was very wrong, blindsided by equally potent pieces of commentary in Everybody Loves Me, Baby and The Grave. Of course, not every song is so grand in scope; Empty Chairs is heartbreakingly mundane and intimate, while Crossroads is more generally introspective. Primarily grounded in McLean's everyman American voice and his plucky guitar, the album knows when to kick in with other bits of prominent instrumentation, bringing in the sounds of a big band exactly when the energy is called for. It is somewhat sobering to realize that an album written 55 years ago can still be so resonant today, but rather than seeing that solely as an indictment on a lack of social progress, I can instead recognize it as a reflection of McLean's evergreen songwriting. What better showcase of that quality than the title track itself; Dom is writing very specifically about a childhood I did not experience, but the emotions at the heart of his writing, the mix of nostalgia and melancholy that come with realizing an innocent time in your life has ended, are universally relatable. A product of it's time which continues to ring true long after it's creation, American Pie is simply a showcase of incredible songwriting and poetic sensibilities. Highlights: American Pie, Till Tomorrow, Vincent, Crossroads, Empty Chairs, Everybody Loves Me, Baby, Sister Fatima, The Grave, Babylon

Don lures you in with what you think is going to be a foll rock album, particularly with the first songs on either side. American pie is classic, but everything else was samey and faded into the background for me.

A great track, and some others.

nice and calming but not really a big fan of it. would be best for a slow day but unfitting for one that went by quickly.

Oh my fucking god will the boomercore slop ever end?????? I'm so fucking sick of this shit, may have to skip these albums next time I inevitably get about 5 in a week

Easy easy listening. Enjoyed it.

wait a minute isnt this a song. also the album is just american pie, vincent and other 10 or so songs. 3/5

POV: I'm introducing you to my friend, George Washingthumb: 2.5/5.0: Mixed

well written if a bit boring

Never listened to this whole album, let's find out if Don McLean is a one hit wonder. The title track is still among the best songs ever released out of America 50 years later. Vincent is another beautiful track. Crossroads is super relatable as well. I think we've all been in that place where we have had to make a decision to leave a part of us behind. Then you get Winterwood which brings the energy up again. Sister Fatima, the Grave were also highlights. Honestly the album deserves 5 stars just for that title track, but even without that it's one of the great folk rock albums. And that's coming from someone who often doesn't like folk music,. especially American folk music.

I appreciated the story telling. It was easy to listen to but not my favorite.

I enjoyed it, and was never unhappy, but it's not something I'm excited to listen to again or would seek out. Would enjoy it if I heard again though.

2,5

American Pie and Vincent are great. The rest all seemed a bit maudlin.

The song American Pie is obviously an all timer, but not many remember the other songs on the album. Most of which is average at best. But Vincent was enjoyable.

A fantastic album capturing a true americana-folk sound and culture. Heartfelt and powerful lyrics with excellent performances make this album an absolute joy to listen to. Peaks on the A side, but consistent enough to still be good throughout. Top tracks: American Pie, Vincent, Empty Chairs

straight up ass

Decent album with one huge song.

hey I know that one!

Growing up it felt obligatory to love the title track American Pie. It's not bad, but man is it long. I still just find it ok, and the rest of the album is just ok too. Not going to slap anyone's hand for putting this on, but I don't think I'll ever choose to put on Don McLean. 2.75/5

OK album. It's a bit too in the singer/songwriter wheelhouse for me. American Pie is an ok song but 8 minutes is way too long. I like Vincent quite a bit though. 3/5

Essential album.

Beautiful, pity he was a one-album wonder

Session pianist Paul Griffin is really doing a lot of heavy lifting on the title track. The rest of the album feels unrelated to that first song. It's well-produced but (and I had to scroll through the reviews to find the word I was looking for) a bit mawkish. McLean lacks the cachet of even a relatively minor figure like Duster Bennett or John Sebastian.

Folk songs that got progressively more boring as they went on. Starts with the most complex song on the album and then gets progressively simpler from there. Mostly just him singing with either an acoustic guitar or a piano, which is a let down after the energy of the mid section of American Pie.

Fine album.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this!

3+

A bit of a slog, but American Pie continues to be a classic

Some really nice tracks, was only familiar with the big one at the start

As many people have pointed out, the big problem with this album is that the only super interesting moment in this album is the first song. "American Pie" is truly a super recognizable classic, that starts slow but then lifts the energy and keeps it for the whole song until the end. What makes this track special is the very catchy melodies and lively instrumentation. Unfortunately, as great as the opening is, the rest of the album can be basically be summarized as acoustic slow songs, with the exception of "Everybody Loves Me, Baby", which is a folk rock track that has more energy than the rest, but that doesn't mean is as good as "American Pie", as it isn't even close. Apart from maybe some beautiful melodies here and there and the pleasant voice in general, the only moments that stood out for me where the last two songs, "The Grave", with most of the track being a quite sentimental build-up about a soldier about to die in the trenches, and "Babylon" which has a great use of vocal layers to create some beautiful melodies. In short, a decent folk singer-songwriter album with only a true memorable song.

Hits and weirds

nice voice but i'll never really get along with these folkie adult-choirboy types (james taylor, when this list gets to you, it's on notice). i do genuinely like Everybody Loves Me, Baby - rousing, caustic Dylan-lite - and The Grave, everything else isn't worth much

Nie tylko American Pie w American Pie.

meh, its still kinda boring bro

I really went into this expecting to only like the title track considering it’s a pretty big one hit wonder, but I was def pleasantly surprised. But wow I know it’s overplayed or whatever but the title track is so good and the lyrics are really interesting to unpack - there’s a reason it’s a classic. I wish this album wasn’t so front loaded cause it makes for a mildly disappointing ending. Oh and a very weird jump from empty chairs to everybody loves me, baby. My favorite part of this album, of course, is thinking about don mclean celebrating his 10 year anniversary with his 31 year old wife at 80 years old 💕🥰 Fav songs: American pie, till tomorrow, Vincent

Two 1971 albums on the bounce and whilst the may be very different genres, they do share similarities in that their opening title track looms large over the rest of the album which largely falls in its shadow. I've probably heard the album before, I've certainly heard _Vincent_ before and of course _American Pie_ which is a song with incredible personal meaning. A song I heard countless times as a child, often with my dad in pubs, on coaches or in the car. The rest of the album isn't bad, it just doesn't do a lot after the opener and certainly after _Vincent_.

American Nick Drake but not as good. “American Pie” is instantly recognisable and consistently enjoyable across its 8 minute runtime, although I can’t listen to it without picturing Tyson Fury singing it now. “Vincent” is the best here by a mile. The rest of the album holds a consistent level but doesn’t reach that peak again.

Really enjoyed this. American Pie is a great song but there is so much more to this album that I had no idea about before. Vincent is a beautiful tribute to Van Gogh, and the whole album was filled with excellent songwriting paired with great singing and guitars. Thumbs up from me.

Surprisingly not as great as I've expected, even if every song was like American Pie, I would still go to 4, but only first few tracks were memorable and so probably going for 3 stars here. P.S. don't get me wrong, this os very nice, superbly recorded and enjoyable record. Probably 3.5 on Rym and I definitely want to REVISIT this, especially liked song called "Vincent"

Very warm and nice album with American pie being a banger of an opener. I should really stop reading the Wikipedia for the different artists because sometimes you find out the artist is a dick and it takes away from the enjoyment of the music itself.

4/5 Incredibly soothing voice. I didn't think I would enjoy this album so much, but wow, I'm blown away.

Really odd sequencing. American Pie, 8 (admittedly well-written) folk songs, and another upbeat track. If you split these up maybe they'd get higher reviews from me but for now sits at dead average.

singer songwriter, 1971 -> 3

'American Pie' is so so good and then the rest of the album fell downhill from there for me. It felt wishy-washy and forgettable. I also found 'Vincent' so funny because the references were so in your face, like opening by referring to Starry Night. Not sure I will be returning to the album, only 'American Pie' the song. Rating: 2.5.

A classic record. Not my favorite style of music but it is very good never the less.

Vincent always gives me chills.

The title track was OK (the only one I was already familiar with), though you kind of get the point before too long. He mentions driving his Chevy to the levee precisely 7 times. Much of the rest was a fucking dirge. Insomnia-curing piano/folk rock.

i thought this was actually quite a beautiful album and i think american pie might be the weakest song on it?

After "Vincent" and "American Pie", not much else

Honestly.....this album was just lame. Just a bunch of Boomer claptrap. It's all the American Pie single. That's what this guy is. What about the other tracks? Nobody gives a shit. People just want eight minutes of pop culture symbolism wrapped in a flag. I don't think it deserves 1 star but I don't think it deserves higher either.

Solid 2

The album is overall alright, but we all know that it sits on the shoulders of American Pie, which is the first song and it's really good. It was alright having the background in the background, as it was nice and chill.

I’m probably quite generous with giving this (and many other albums i’ve rated) a 4/5 because i doubt i’ll ever re-listen all the way through but its mellow and enjoyable, have no qualms or gripes with it, its just nice good clean fun.

why do all these songs have gay undertones but when i searched up don mclean i found out that he’s straight. this album is also so insanely sad compared to american pie like what. and also seemingly meant to be a critique of america as a country which was unexpected but more than welcome. #wokeking

One timeless hit of the century and some other ok to very good folk rock songs. Played well, sung ok, but unfortunately, the rest of the album (though very good), can't compare to the title track opener. 4/5

One great song, and a bunch of other crap.

a couple of nice classis songs here. the rest are not bad. short album

I’m biased because Vincent is literally one of my favorite songs ever. Like play that shit at my funeral, wedding and the christenings of my unborn children

Ik ontdek een paar dingen. 'American Pie' nummer duurt 8,5 minuut. Is me nooit opgevallen. Ongekend eigenlijk dat zo'n lang nummer ooit populair is geweest. Wel terecht, ik vind het wel een tof nummer. Daarnaast ontdek ik dat 'Starry Starry Night' helemaal niet 'Starry Starry Night' heet maar 'Vincent'. Verder is dit een heel aangenaam zondagochtend album. Het is allemaal niet te ingewikkeld, maar het luistert lekker weg. Af en toe zit er een vals gezongen nootje tussen, maar dat maakt het wel lekker menselijk eigenlijk. Ook dat zou tegenwoordig niet meer kunnen. Op track 7 haalt ie z'n beste Bob Dylan imitatie uit de kast, dat had voor mij niet gehoeven. Hoge 3 of lage 4.

Nice

Vincent and American Pie are the real stand outs but the album is solid start to finish.

Really enjoyed it! Great vocals!

It's easy to be tired of the 2 hits. But that's not fair to the album. Listening with fresh ears reminds me how solid this is.

Great ø

American

3.5

Love this album!

“Vincent” is a favorite song in my family. Having said that, I haven’t personally listened to the whole album in 40 years. So it’s with a touch of nostalgia I guess that I listen now. The music itself is excellent folk rock. Somehow though the track order feels a little off? “American Pie” rightfully starts off the piece, but why isn’t “Vincent” the last track? It would tie up so many loose ends of the other songs and leave us with a hopeful melancholy feeling. The same feeling that Van Gogh’s paintings leave me with. A melancholy because although beauty is ephemeral, there is hope that beauty will always be around. Don Mclean seems to have been looking for a silver lining in America and in music. I think I found it here. 4 starry starry stars

Made my levee wet

Surprisingly, this is a great record. I always hated “American Pie” cause it’s the only song you ever really hear from this guy, and the song is forever long and it gets stuck in your head for days at a time. I still don’t like the song. But the rest of this record is super legit. 8/10

American pie song is an undeniable classic. The rest of the album is okay easy listening rock. Nothing else stood out to my taste

Regardez le grand fromage!!

American Pie is a big, bombastic opening to an album... And the downside to that is the rest just seems ok.

American pue and Vincent are good songs that stand out from what is otherwise a collection of pretty piano ballads. The power of that first hit probably lies in its infectious chorus and melancholic lyrics.

The only song I know is the title track. Let’s see how this goes. This is a mellow album. But it’s really good. American Pie is till my favorite.

It has some great songs on this album.

One song

A decent folk record that without the presence of "American Pie", is a bit forgettable to me. Highlights: "American Pie"

begint met een afgezaagd nummer en verglijdt zachtjes in dertien-in-een-dozijn slaapverwekkende klaagzang... nee bedankt

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: American Pie, Babylon What's not to like about this album. Endlessly debated lyrical interpretations of American Pie. Because it's so open to interpretation (even though Don has since come out and explained some of the lyrics), you get a bunch of different stereotypical groups claiming the song is a representation of their ideals and beliefs. At the end of the day though, and to bastardize Drew Carey's quote: Everything's made up and the lyrics don't matter! This album, specifically Don's singing, reminds me of several artists I've heard on the List so far including: Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen, Donovan, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Simon & Garfunkel. Basically, its a big ole melting pot of musical talent distilled into this album (in my opinion). It's a lovely album, Babylon in particular is quite pleasant. Short tracks are always the best (and too short!).

C'était plutôt sympathique, très américain et je dois dire que c'est un peu lassant que Robert Dimery semble ignorer qu'il existe un monde au-delà des États-Unis (et un peu du Royaume-Uni), donc au lieu d'aller chercher des albums originaux du monde entier, il nous balance constamment des albums d'artistes américains qui jouent souvent dans la même catégorie. Bon, il faut être honnête : c'était plutôt un bon album. Pas un truc sur lequel je voudrais revenir un jour, mais j'ai plutôt passé un bon moment. Si j'avais pas entendu plusieurs albums du même genre avant au cours de cette liste, je l'aurais sûrement plus apprécié. Mais bon, c'est la meta de cette liste.

"American Pie" has to be one of the best-known songs ever written. Sure, it'll get an eye roll at a party (probably from me) if someone sticks it on, but in fairness, it's a brilliant song. At eight and a half minutes, you'd think it could lose a verse or two, yet it somehow never drags. "Vincent" is the other standout song on the album. Beautiful, delicate, and full of that intricate, folky acoustic guitar, there's a real Bert Jansch vibe to it. The rest of the album definitely lies in the shadow of those two giants, but McLean is a seriously strong songwriter. There's shades of early Donovan and a touch of Paul Simon in there. Proper folk-rock greatness. And as overplayed as "American Pie" might be, give it one verse and you're singing along, whether you want to or not.

holy shit this is good. i only knew the iconic song american pie but non of his other songs. i'm glad that this album is on here, because in my opinion this truly is a masterpiece.

You really can't talk about Don McLean without mentioning other artists: Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, Waylon, John Denver, etc.

It was okay. American pie is always good but the rest of the songs are just okay. He kinda meanders

No. 109 I was surprised at how much I loved this album.

Fine, pretty boring though

A too folk-sy for me

Labai gražus, smooth balsas. Mielos dainelės.

I like the other songs, but with American pie and Vincent this is a shoe in for a four.

First time hearing this, what a beautiful album.

I had of course heard the song before, but not the album. He gets a little maudlin at times, but overall a lovely voice and affecting songs

I have been dreading this one. This was my sibling's favorite as a kid and I HATED it. But that's the way it goes. Overall... I still don't like American Pie the song, the rest of this feels like a mediocre imitation of Jim Croce.

Ohja dit nummer! Wel echt een banger om je album mee te openen. Wel weer de standaard vraag: is dit een album met een knaller en verder mwah of zit er nog meer achter? Oei, sommige nummers vind ik persoonlijk een beetje mwah, maar een nummer zoals Vincent? Prachtig, heel klein, heel lief bijna, maar ontzettend impactvol. Niet alles haalt het daarbij, maar de cover in combinatie met een deel van de lyrics die ik begrijp/versta doen mij er aan denken dat dit meer een protest album is? Wel grappig, dit album is verder zó anders dan de titelsong, het is zoveel trager, zoveel meer folk dan dat eerste nummer. En eerlijk? Het pakt me niet zo, het is allemaal heel akoestisch en traag, maar dan niet op een manier die me echt pakt buiten Vincent dan. Dit album is voor mij 2 sterren, omhoog getild naar 3 door 2 sterke nummers. FAVO: American Pie, Vincent

I get the feeling this man takes himself terribly seriously. Kind of dull and lacking in personality with the two obvious standouts. The lyrics are a bit cringeworthy. Also, McLean is a terrible person but I don’t see anyone saying ‘fuck him for being an abuser, 1 star’. Y’all are a bunch of hypocrites on here picking and choosing who to hate. Anyway, that has nothing to do with my rating, I’m separating the art from the artist or else what’s the point?

Didn't know Vincent was his. Very indicative of the time and place.

any album that delivers one of the greatest songs, as well as other gems of the intersection of folk, pop and soft rock deserves all the stars it can get. a talented singer/songwriter

7/10 Knowing the title track, as everyone who has been alive for more than about 15 minutes probably does, I was expecting more of the same here, but that’s not really what Don McLean delivers. To get it over with, the opener is a well written song that managed to capture mainstream attention enough to become one of those songs that gets played again and again, despite its 8 and a half minute runtime. That doesn’t make it bad, but it does make it hard to approach it critically. It’s a good song, it’s massively overplayed, it’s a bit too singalongy and it’s quite long. Let’s move on. The rest of the album is actually really pretty and dynamically subtle. McLean’s voice is the star; he’s got so much control and emotion to his delivery, with some really gorgeous moments of vibrato and other deft little flourishes, and the warmth of his tone is just buttery smooth. It’s also been incredibly well mixed and recorded, with the reverb perfectly placing it in space and adding to its natural body. McLean’s compositions are really pleasant too, and he seems to have a great knack of moving through transitions incredibly smoothly and naturally. There are some tracks that offer less range than others, and some that drift a little too much for my taste, but all in all, this is a really beautifully written collection of songs. Everybody Loves Me, Baby is the weird outcast among the sequence here and feels a bit like McLean’s response to a request for another American Pie style track to appease the record company. It didn’t really work, though, and was quite a jarring moment on the album. Interestingly, while I found this to be a very pretty album, it doesn’t feel like it’s really managed to grab a hold of me. It’s a tiny bit uneven and, while I appreciate the beauty of a good portion of the tracks, none of them are really calling out to me to listen again. I might give it another spin here and there to see if it gets its hooks into me further, but for now, it’s one of those albums that I can appreciate but not love. American Pie - This is one of those songs that has been overplayed to the point that it’s almost impossible to look at it critically any more. There’s some fantastic piano playing on here that I’ve never really paid much attention to before, probably because the only times I hear this is in a supermarket or shopping centre. It’s got great pace and there are some other solid bits of instrumental work in there too. The rhythmic break for “this’ll be the day that I die” is a clever piece of writing to break up the pace. It’s obviously a bit on the long side, but he throws in dynamic and tempo variations in a couple of place that help to keep it fresh. And it’s obviously overplayed too. But it’s actually a good song. Shame about the singalong bit at the end, which is shit. Till Tomorrow - A nice change of pace, and this is quite pretty. It’s not vastly interesting, but it has its moments and has a nice mellow tone to the production. The composition actually flows really nicely and organically too. Not bad. Vincent - Again, this is very pretty. His voice is really warm and his diction is so clear too. It flows along beautifully, which seems to be a strength of McLean’s work, with transitions and modulations coming to him so naturally. The mix here is lush, with the reverb perfectly creating an evocative space for his vocal to sit in. I’m not 100% keen on the strings, as they feel a tiny bit too prominent. Crossroads - A more stripped back song now, with Don singing with just a piano accompaniment. Again, i it really is quite pretty, but this one becomes a little repetitive, feeling a bit like it cycles around the same theme again and again. There are little moments of variety in there, and given the subject matter, it may be deliberate, but that made it feel a little stale to me. Winterwood - That main guitar hook is decent, but it does get a bit overused. This is a bluesy little number and the orchestration is pretty nice, particularly the electric piano. I’m not so keen on the bit of sound effect they’ve used. It just sounds like noise, rather than anything deliberate. Another nice song that has its moments, but isn’t necessarily vastly exciting. Empty Chairs - The guitar playing here is really deft, really nicely dragging the tempo to and fro to emphasise the pulse of the song. The string arrangement is really nicely balanced and used sparingly enough to give a suitable impact. Again, his voice is great and holds up so well when this exposed, which is quite a skill. He throws in these lovely little trills and moments of vibrato and it feels like he has such control. Another really pretty one. It’s not the most compositionally interesting song, but the tone and performance of it elevate it. Everybody Loves Me, Baby - This is quite jarring off the back of the last song. It’s stylistically the closest track to American Pie, and there are even some melodic moments that feel lifted directly from that track, but it feels less focused than that and a little more instrumentally cluttered too. For such a good singer, he really hams it up here and it doesn’t work nearly as well. It just feels like a fairly middle of the road pop-rocker of the era. Sister Fatima - After that little diversion, we’re back to something more stripped back. Again, it’s very pretty, but this seems a little less focused than the better songs. I feel like it meanders around a bit and doesn’t really find its centre because of that. The fact that it rambles around a bit too much doesn’t help it to maintain the ear either, so it feels a little on the dull side. The Grave - From a very stark, exposed start, this builds in intensity and orchestration as it goes, which is a really effective compositional technique and plays superbly with the thematic thread of the song. When it drops back out again the guitar playing feels really exposed, and that final “he’s gone” is really affecting, especially as they just cut the reverb tail off. Babylon - This is an arrangement of an 18th century composition. It’s another stylistic shift, but it’s well handled and sounds pretty. Not really my bag, but it’s pretty enough and doesn’t overstay its welcome.

okay first of all before I start, I missed out on commenting about yesterday's album, and i just want to say that outside of Amy's album on day 1, The Mars Volta's album popped off. thats my kind of rock. okay lets continue to this one lowkey, this album is a classic ya? OH MY GOD ITS THAT SONG IAN SANG WKWKWK okay some final thoughts, pretty good not mad about it. of course i saved the title track. tapi I'm not mad at the album. 3 (in a good way!)

All around a solid album. I had several songs I knew and several I didn’t. I love his usage of story in so many of his pieces. Favorite Songs: American Pie - such a classic and a great example of storytelling in music Vincent - this is one of my most favorite songs in the world. Crossroads - really love the piano in this piece Empty Chairs - what a sad and beautiful song

Too many english and american singer-songwriters on this list. Lyrics are pretty banal. 1.5/5

The song "American Pie" has had an impact on pop culture like the Tunguska event. It's one of those songs that everyone knows and almost everyone can sing (even if, to me, the lyrics are about the Phantom Menace). It's a big, iconic song, and I really enjoy how cryptic it is with the layered allusions. I think that aspect has added to the longevity of "American Pie" by inviting different interpretations and by helping it paint a timeless picture of lost innocence in America. I find it incredibly fitting that one of the defining moments in rock and roll history should be commemorated in one of the greatest rock songs of all time (to the point that the nickname for that fateful plane crash comes from this song). As for the rest of the album, I think it's fine. It's not surprising that it all feels downhill after one of the biggest singles of the 20th century, but it is maybe a little disappointing that Don McLean doesn't keep up the same energy throughout the album. "Vincent" was pretty good, and I did like the all-too-short "Babylon," but I wish the rest of the album felt a little less standard. Favorite track: Take a guess.

Really tent-poled by the title track. Nothing is particularly bad, but most of it is slightly sappy twangy tweeness and absolutely does not come close to American Pie itself.

American Pie is a great song. "Vincent" is a great song. The rest of the songs are less so, and one or two of them I found outright annoying. I had to average it out to two stars, maybe 2.5.

American Pie the song, is an all-timer. American Pie the album, well that's a pretty standard gloomy singer-songwriter folk album. McLean can certainly write a beautiful song, but by the end of the album, I was pretty content that I'd heard enough.

Sappy All-American fare, it’s not bad but it’s not something I feel like I would choose to listen to, I couldn’t dial in to the emotions of the songs. American Pie and Vincent are classics but dated. I am however deeply grateful for the brevity of the album.

To me this takes me back to school assemblies or bible studies.  Certainly has the odd church style chant going on at the end of the album.  Most things I actively want to avoid.  Another thought in my mind while listening to this is bedtime songs.  Maybe its too straight in sound. I cant take this seriously as a piece of music in the here and now and certainly doesn't resonate to me as a classic that endures like many others do on this list. It doesnt get the 1 hammer as there is plenty of musical merit...Sadly I just cant stand listening to this.  

The title track is the obvious classic here that I enjoyed, although there are a lot more verses than I remember. The rest of the album was, unfortunately, a soppy yawn-fest. The sort of thing your Nan would enjoy with a glass of sherry. It's strange because nicely recorded, stripped back guitar based folk-rock from the early 70's sounds like a formula that sits well within my preferences. In this case, though, it didn't click with me and found it boring. There was one moment, during 'The Grave' where I finally thought there was some depth, but unfortunately that was an exception, not the rule.

God plate, men pianolåtene blir litt taffelmusikk.

I put off listening to this all the way through for a few days because I thought I would find it boring. Can confirm I did NOT find it boring!! A really peaceful and nostalgic album, I think granny would love it so Ill try to remember to play it for her. Don McLean can also really sing and the melodies are v boppable

pretty but forgettable

Dritfin skive!

Kjempebra! Et av mine favorittalbum:)

50-50 for min del. Når det er bra er det veldig bra, og når det er dårlig er det veldig dårlig

Finfin plate som jeg gjerne kan ha på i bakgrunnen. Sykt at første låt er 1/4 av lengden på albumet. Trekk for sistelåta.

Så sykt bra.

Åh, kan ikke noe for det, men dette er så sykt koselig. Kan høre på dette hver søndag.

Veldig variabelt. American Pie er god, men for lang. Vincent er gull.

More classic singer/songwriter. "American Pie" and "Vincent" both all-timers. Bit of filler besides.

Im not a fan of any song on this album, except for american pie, who dosen’t like american pie

No thanks.

Largely carried by the two songs I already knew, the ones I hadn't heard before have already been forgotten, and I don't think I would bother to revisit. Two stars, but raised to three for the hits.

Первая песня Остальное скучно

I’ll say this - Don McLean has a rich, mesmerising voice. The album doesn’t grab you for the duration but these are well-written songs with very good vocals and lyrics. (This dude seems like a dick judging by his behaviour against his wife and daughter.) This passed 39 minutes of a long drive. Nothing I’d go back to again outside of Vincent. Ultimately, fuck Don McLean.

The namesake song is so good it almost saves how boring the rest is

The title track is an all-time classic; the rest is the typical Americana music from that time, reminding me of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.

This was a real surprise. Obviously I know American Pie, and I was expecting a bunch of forgettable strumalongs to fill up the rest of the album. Well apart from one song (I think it was Everybody Loves Me, Baby) I was wrong - there are some truly beautiful folk songs here. In fact it's the title track that that one other feel out of place to a degree, and disrupt what could have been an absolute gem of a folk album.

american dooooooooolllllllllll FAVS (top 3): american pie, everybody loves me baby, the grave mençoes honrosas: vicent, crossroads, winterwood um album bemm curtinho e amo a track 1 um CLASSICO; um album bem chiu gente gostei ate nota final: 3.5/5

eh not really my vibe, american pie is ind of a bop but a bit too long for what it is, the rest of the songs werent that memorable tbh

it was okay, not my style

Album No. 0138 on my list. In my opinion, the song "American Pie" pretty much overshadows all other songs on this album and was the only song of the album I had known before, so I was curious about how the rest of the album holds up. And to be frank, the title track rightfully overshadows the other tracks. It is certainly deserving of its iconic status, and the other tracks on the album don't quite match its greatness. The album nevertheless is a solid folk album with interesting, thoughtfull, well-crafted lyrics and modest, guitar driven instrumentation. I'm not that much into folk, but I still found the album solid. Beyond "American Pie", I will add "Vincent", and "Empty Chairs" to my playlist - i.e., the three most well-known songs from the album. 3/5 stars.

This is an average Americana album that happens to have a generation defining song headlining.

It’s a shame I only knew this album for American Pie. What even is an American Pie? What are its ingredients? Is it edible? Many great questions. Everybody Love Me, Baby is my favorite, and runner up goes to Till Tomorrow. Glad I listened to this album all the way through, will definitely listen again.

Don is very good at the poetic, and the piano, and the moving, and, of course, at making a song over 5 minutes that anyone is compelled to sing along with all the way through. While I like his less jaunty songs, I have more fun when Don seems to be having fun, and there is a shortage of those songs on this album.

american pie and vincent were good, but the rest of the album was just fine, trying to stop giving 3s to everything so i gotta be a bit harsh

Great storytelling in Don's work

An interesting case study of what happens when a guy writes one amazing song and that’s it. The rest of the album is perfectly pleasant.

I really like the title track and "Vincent," but had never listened to the full album, so I was actually pretty excited. Unfortunately, the filler tracks are too saccharine for my taste.

Better than Coldplay

What a beautiful album, 2 very famous songs but I never sat down to listen to this album whole and what a mistake that was. Deep lyrics with beautiful musical compositions it was great and one I will be regularly returning to

3.5 I was not excited to listen to this!! Because, it’s fucking American Pie. The most overplayed song of all time! But I tried to be objective, to remove my biases and listen to the song devoid of context and with fresh airs, and you know what? “American Pie” is a great song! There’s kind of a reason it’s been so prevalent over the past 50 years. And then after that I wasn’t looking forward to the rest of the album, but guess what? To my HUGE surprise, I kinda liked it! I always think of American Pie as one of the classic rock songs, so I was expecting more sort of Americana rock, but I guess Don McLean is actually a folk singer? This is waaaaay more akin to Paul Simon or John Denver than traditional guitar rock. And the songs, for the most part, are pretty darn good? The last few tracks kind of putter out, but the first 6 or so songs are really strong. I almost think American Pie is such a totemic song that it’s overshadowed the rest of this nice album! I almost wanna say we should critically reevaluate this album beyond its title track! It’s good!

American pie is so good! Loved the listen, super chill!

Ah great, yet another album that I’m too European to understand. Why is American Pie such an amazing sing along song? I agree that exactly 17 seconds out of those abominable almost nine minutes are actual karaoke material. Maybe I’m just a folk hater. Add American hater on top of that too. I just don’t like this. It’s so boring. I don’t even have much to say about it. I can’t even insult it since it didn’t leave that much of a mark on me. It’s like I went to a fancy restaurant, reservations made five months in advance, ten types of forks just for salad, fancy dress and pearls, all that jazz and I was served boiled chicken. No seasoning, no sides, no bread, no water, no fucking nothing.

After American pie it all sounds the same to me.

Chill and peaceful. Must buy on vinyl.

fuck off

Quite a solid American folk album. Giving it a 4 solely for the iconic title track.

American Pie. Classic. great.

I had only ever heard the title track (many, many times, and mostly with affection); I was not even familiar with the other hit “Vincent”. Kind of fun that “American Pie” takes up almost a quarter of this thing’s runtime. “Till Tomorrow” is lovely but does not need those strings. “Crossroads” and “Empty Chairs” were a little drippy. In general I enjoyed the songwriting but didn’t love the production choices outside of, again, the title track, which towers over every other song on this record.

Heard Before? Only "the song". Notes: - "the song" is nostalgia porn. yuck. - perhaps the ultimate 70s single-plus-filler album. - "Vincent" did remind me to listen to much better songs about Van Gogh by Jonathan Richman and Joni Mitchell. Verdict: It sounds like Gordon Lightfoot wrote this whole album while sleepwalking. Listen Again? Please, no.

One of the great historians of the American music scene. American Pie and Vincent on the same album. Classics!

really nice singer songwriter music, some really good lyrics and vocals

A few bangers. 4/5

Rly not bad!!!

nice soft album, love the voice

one absolute heater and a couple pretty good songs

Way more iconic than actually good

I didn’t know what to expect but the songs are all similar to American pie - I liked till tomorrow and everything else was good

On a list of 1001 SONGS to hear before you die, American Pie would certainly make the list. But after that, the rest of this album just isn't worth my time. I was way happier listening to the Weird Al cover instead.

This kind of music gives me the ick. Vincent is okay. 2.5

such a sweet and lovely album. really liked the writing on this. that cover so stupid tho, i guess its fitting but idk. that first track is incredible

What beautiful guitar tones. This guy is underrated. Almost feels like he'd be held in better regard if he never wrote American Pie. Fave Tracks: American Pie, Vincent, Winterwood, Babylon 4.5/5

Really enjoyed this much to my surprise I knew more then just American pie, really easy listening

A easy listen to a man singing his heart out to folky goodness. Didn’t think I was going to enjoy this due to how much I’ve heard ‘American Pie’ throughout my life and associated it with bad karaoke. However not only is the album much more enjoyable than what I thought, ‘American Pie’ the track is actually very nice, with well thought out lyrics and a great song structure. The thing I found with this album is it’s very minimalist on the backing instruments. It makes you dial in on Don’s voice and concentrate on the lyrics. Perhaps it was due to poor technical abilities, I however think it came off nicely. Although I mention the minimalist approach with instruments I do think it should be recognised how good his song writing is especially with structure and lyricism. Favourite tracks are: ‘American Pie’, ‘Vincent’, ‘Winterwood’, and ‘Everybody Loves Me Baby’.

An album that feels like a dream of a long lost home. You can really hear the Irish influence.

2 great songs and then.... It's fine. It's not bad, but it's a little boring.

The title track had etched itself into a core part of the American songbook lore. Just masterfully written and performed. And I'm especially glad to see that the rest of the album is just as strong, though not as well known as the title track. Late cut "The Grave" blew me away

Sympa mais bon pas ma cam je comprends pas comment sa a autant d’écoutes

Once your past the title track this really starts to drag I’m afraid. It’s a short album that seems longer. All a little bit tedious I’m afraid. I particularly disliked Babylon and most of the second side wasn’t up to much. Another example of where one really great song doesn’t make an album essential listening.

A popular folk rock album from 1972 which includes the classic title track. This one passed me by in 1972 and again a relisten in 2026 did little to change my opinion.

Not for me

Always had a hard time getting through this album…..

Well I’ll be darn, there is actully more than the song American Pie

One star extra for American Pie, the rest was snoozey.

Ey ma this is too america I ate pasta with gabagool so im Italian now meet at aunts for some real music forget about it

american pie peak song the album is very listenable but most songs are just abit too sad and lack enegry for me only added 3 songs but im gonna give 3 stars because they are very listenable

Although rightfully overshadowed by the iconic eight minute title track, the other 75% of this album certainly has it high moments such as the Van Gogh tribute track 'Vincent' and the haunting 'The Grave'. An enjoyable time overall even when it falls into pleasant background music.

Not bad, but most songs sound alike

A case study in why it’s important to rate the album. as a whole. “American Pie” is undeniably a great accomplishment (and i say that despite the fact that a guy in my sophomore year dorm blasted that (very long) song once every day, for the entire year). But the rest of the album is mostly a putrid mess, including derivatives of the title track, more maudlin nostalgia, purple poetry. 🤮 A 1 (anger inducing).

The title track basically looms over the rest of the album, it's pretty clearly the only truly great, memorable song, but overall it's still a good album. It's consistent, and for that I can be thankful.

This was pretty great. His voice is very soothing and it’s a nice easy listen throughout

I remember my high school theatre troupe used Vincent as the intro to a play for a competition, probably my Junior year. We used the title track as a song for warmup exercises pretty regularly in marching band the same year. I guess my school's performing arts department was feeling Don McLean in 2022. Anyways, I like the non-singles a lot more than those two songs. That's saying a lot, especially with Vincent being the second single of this album. Ending with Babylon was an interesting choice, it has a weird controlled chaos kind of feel that fits well after The Grave. That's the fun of the album, he'll decide to do something a little random every once in a while and it just works out.

The title track alone earns this album a lot of credit. American Pie is one of the ultimate American summer songs. It's been a long time since I've listened to the full length version and it's still just as good. I Crossroads stood out for me, too. There is a nice mix of storytelling and energy throughout. It might not be something I play all the time, but when I do, it hits exactly the way it should. Favorite Song: American Pie

American pie then a bunch of boring ballads for 30 min.

Alright, inoffensive

Opens with a masterpiece and then the music dies

I don't even want to attempt to put a number on how many times I've listened to the song American Pie. Almost wanted to skip this because I'm tired of it. But it really is an all around solid album.

Sehr schönes Album mit einigen Klassikern. Insgesamt finde ich es sehr schön zusammengestellt und sehr einfühlsam/beruhigend.

American Pie, das Lied, natürlich ein Banger. Der Rest auch ziemlich gut, sehr schöne Stimme. Babylon auch toll.

American Pie ist ein zeitloser Banger, danach dudelt es sich so dahin. 4 Sterne für den Mitsinghit, bei dem es mir nix ausmacht, dass er 8 Minuten lang ist.

Loved american pie and vincent; the rest of the tracks didn't inspire me too much. 3/5.

If you like those 2 songs, you’ll like this album (because it all sounds like those 2 songs).

Title track goes hard, the rest? Not so much

LOVED this…exactly my taste in music! 4.5/5

Very mellow and nice sounding album. Compared to Bruce Springsteen's acoustic album I got the day before this sounds way better produced. Enjoyed it.

American Pie is an album that leans heavily on symbolism, nostalgia, and self-importance, and for me that weight becomes more tiring than profound. The title track looms over everything, not just because of its length but because of its insistence on being decoded, analysed, and revered. Instead of feeling poetic or mysterious, it often comes across as laboured, stretching simple ideas into grand statements that never quite justify the runtime. Outside of the centrepiece, the album struggles to maintain momentum. The songwriting is earnest but plodding, with melodies that rarely surprise and arrangements that feel stuck in a soft-focus folk-rock haze. Songs drift by pleasantly enough, but very few demand attention or linger once they end. There is a sense of the album wanting to be important rather than compelling, relying on mood and message more than musical engagement. By the end, American Pie feels like a cultural artefact more than a rewarding listen. I understand why it has endured and why people attach meaning to it, but the experience itself feels overlong, overexplained, and emotionally distant.

The wheels fall off this after the first track. And honestly, even the first track is now pretty cringe even if I really liked it as a kid. Sorry Dad

What a bust.

Often iconic, often beautiful, at times too earnest, too saccharine. The title track is asking the greatest songs ever written. “Babylon” and “Vincent” are beautiful. Don McLean’s voice is always lovely.

He writes some deep lyrics about some important things. They do really push the envelope and really pushes some things. However, the music gets boring and so slow and dull. I know he is folk rock and he likes the style, but just amping it up half a notch really would have brought a lot more to this album and pulled me in more to truly enjoy it.

American Pie is a trans-generational classic. Overall this album is kind of a downer but I did especially enjoy Everybody Loves Me Baby. It has some of the same energy as American Pie and some of the chord changes sound a bit like he just took American Pie and put it in a blender and made a new song. It took me a few listens to be able to hear it in it's own right. Cool bass. Fun song! Empty Chairs is also pretty good. Kind of the same vibe as Vincent. Both are sad and beautiful.

The song American Pie always puts me in the feels, except for Madonna’s version which is godawful and one of the low points of her career. Unnecessary catty tangent aside, Don McLeans song captures the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll and its OG generation perfectly within its 8 minutes. It has stood the test of time and still sounds vital and thrilling. It makes me wish I had lived through all of that. Although our current times make any strife conveyed in the song seem quaint and charming by comparison. As for the rest of the album, it’s Dylanesque and I even feel very strong John Denver vibes in there. Don has a FAR BETTER voice than Bob Dylan. His songs are deeply intimate and lovely. Winterwood feels like an instant Sunday morning classic. Everybody Loves Me, Baby is a more carnival ride funtime sister track to the title song. The Grave is dark and emotionally intense. I definitely dig this. This is excellent camping music. Added to my playlist!

Despite American Pie being one of the most overplayed songs in history, it’s still hard not to love it. It’s overplayed for a reason! And Vincent is a beautiful song. Overall, this was really pretty but most of it was just a bit too melancholy for me to love it.

American Pie turned out to be a far more enjoyable listen than I expected. I went in with fairly low expectations, largely because I’ve always associated Don McLean with the title track, a song I’ve long found overplayed, overly long, and frankly a bit dull. Thankfully, the rest of the album paints a much richer and more engaging picture. Away from American Pie itself, this is an upbeat, melodic, and surprisingly fun record. There’s a warmth and lightness to the songwriting, with strong melodies, lively arrangements, and lyrics that feel playful rather than slow. I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed large parts of the album, and it’s definitely better than its most famous song suggests. Favourite tracks: Winterwood, Crossroads, Everybody Loves Me, Baby, and Till Tomorrow — all lovely songs that showcase McLean at his best. Least favourite track: American Pie remains a slog for me — too long, too familiar, and still not to my taste. Empty Chairs also drags and feels particularly dull. Album artwork: A standard, unremarkable cover that doesn’t add much personality, but does the job. Overall, a good album that deserves to be judged on more than just its iconic (and overplayed) title track.

This was a much chiller album than I was expecting. Aside from the title track, the songs were mostly soft acoustic jams, which were not bad just a but unexpected based on absolutely nothing at all. Standouts are "American Pie" "Till Tomorrow" and "Winterwood." I enjoyed my listen. Nothing crazy here, but it was nice relaxing driving music. A standard 3/5 for me

Love this album!

eh decent album, wouldnt listen to it again tho, lwky recognised sm parts cause i think they were trending on tt

8 minutes of the overplayed American Pie-opener is 5 minutes too much and tough to not skip. The next songs are much better and comes as a relief. As long as his songs are calm and down it works best for me. McLean has a really warm and tender voice, but the magic is broken when he pushes up the tempo and tries to «rock», like on the mentioned American Pie and Everybody loves me, baby. He should keep it simple. Favourite songs: For Tomorrow, Vincent, Empty Chairs

Clean and well written songs but too slow and folksy for me to want to revisit.

01)American Pie - 10,0 02) Till Tomorrow - 7,5 03) Vincent - 10,0 04) Crossroads - 7,0 05) Winterwood - 8,5 06) Empty Chairs - 8,0 07) Everybody Loves Me, Baby - 7,5 08) Sister Fatima - 7,0 09) The Grave - 9,0 10) Babylon - 8,5 TOTAL: 8,30 (83/100)

ive never had or even rly fully understood the disdain some have for the title track, idk if i love it or anything but giving it my full attention for the first time in a while does confirm the admiration i have for the way it just Whips Itself Up Into A Frenzy...manic, wordy, unstoppable, generally getting a lot of color out of its Literally Apocalyptic feelings of moderately regressive nostalgia, its basically the best possible version of itself at least that i can imagine. Vincent has a marimba part on it so im legally required to love it. most of the rest of the album is perfectly fine willowy early 70s folkie stuff, with one kinda bad "rocker" and one more decent Dramatic song to placate ur desire for more variety. far from worthless but not rly a strong Album Statement in parts or in whole...but tbf the music Did die so there's only so much we can do here. its times like these i remember homogenic has never been in any edition of this book.

How do you rate an album with such an ubiquitous song? Although Vincent is also pretty decent. The rest is okay? Not quite a three for me.

dull as F and American Pie is an awful song.

I hate this album

Nice bit of Americana

This was awesome. The high points were clearly American Pie and Starry, Starry, Night, but the other tracks were very hummable and just really musically interesting and varied. I particularly enjoyed the last track, Babylon, for its cool, plucky acoustic guitar part and simple arrangment. Four stars.

4.5

77/100. The writing and production are solid throughout, with the iconic title track as the clear standout. That said, the rest of the record holds up well too. Consistently good and heartfelt.

Lovely folk music from the turn of the 60s and 70s. American Pie is obviously a classic song, and Vincent is also famous. The rest of them are also good, though not on the same quality. I like his voice, it's beautiful and he is a great composer. Strong 3 stars.

Some absolute classics in here. A bit samey in places but the quality of his voice is undeniable.

Three stand-out tracks and easy listening album. The title song remains one of the most significant songs of 20th century. Vincent and Empty Chairs confirm his poetic story telling.

3/5

This was a beautiful album. I absolutely loved it.

In an alternate universe, I'd give this 3. But because American Pie is the most annoying and overrated song in the history of music, I'm Scrooging it and going with a ...

The title track is a allegorical miracle. It's hard to think of another 8.5 minute song that I've heard as much on the radio. It's really a cool, rollicking song and I think Don made a mistake by putting the money shot in the first frames of this album, though I get it. Especially in those days, if you were an unknown, most people or disc jockeys wouldn't get to the 3rd or 4th or 5th track if the first few were duds. As it is, having American Pie first really sets you up for disappointment the longer the album goes on. The next two are pretty but downtempo and the 4th track hits turbo-snooze. The 5th track, Winterwood, would have made a good opener. By contrast, you can tell that Everybody Loves Me, Baby is gonna be lame from the way he counts in. I would be interested to know if he wrote that before or after American Pie, because it bears some resemblance and if he wrote it after, it is particularly tragic. Most of the rest of the songs are pretty and inoffensive, but I'm much more likely to listen to Paul Simon or Bob Dylan or Nick Drake if I want that.

The title track is great, and the other folk-rock tune is pretty good. The rest is kind of ho-hum, but fine.

2.5/5 - It's a pretty folk album that I wasn't entirely in the mood for. People seem to like Vincent, so i should spend more time with that one. American Pie is a classic song that I really liked when I was 8, but I probably need to hear it once a decade now. Achievement Unlocked.

If this album was “American Pie” and “Vincent” back to back, 5 times in a row, it would get the same score. Those two songs are just so good and make up for the rest of the songs being pretty forgettable.

ok

I loved this bit of Americana, and appreciated hearing more if his work than just "American Pie".

Kind of a shame how much the single overshadowed the rest of his work.

A decent one.

The opener is still a hit but the rest is not that great and sets a different tone.

A very nice album (except for the terrible, terrible last song)

Really wanted to love this. Kind of a deal where I could be like "Hey Don McLean is NOT a one hit wonder!" But yeah, turns out after American Pie the rest is just really boring. Sorry Donny!

Apart from the title-track, I had no prior experience of Don McLean. Similarly, my experience with Folk Rock is limited at best. The title-track is uplifting, with lyrics and harmonies that have always got people singing together. Love it or hate it, anyone can appreciate the power of music that, more often than not, brings people closer together. The next two tracks "Till Tomorrow" and "Vincent" take on a much more somber tone, with McLean's voice and a guitar making up the lion's share of the song. After reading the review from May 2021 on here about "people kill themselves because they are in pain, not to make a point", I listened to "Vincent" painstakingly to hear what that reviewer must of. No, it wasn't there; McLean's tribute to Vincent Van Gogh was touching, how he recognised the artist's mental struggle and pointed out that all the love and recognition the artist deserved was given to him too late. Given the way the album starts, I was surprised that it took so long for the album to reach an upbeat vibe again with "Everybody Loves Me, Baby", which was a very fun little track with it's jingly pianos and cowbells. From here, it swung down into seriousness again. Despite this, "Sister Fatima" and "Babylon" were still beautiful tracks. Overall, this album had some really beautiful songs, McLean has a great voice which felt almost wasted on so many moody songs. I enjoyed it and would love to hear more from him.

Obviando la canción que da título al álbum, hay que decir que, sin esta, es un álbum más que notable. Lo triste es que la popularidad de aquella haya ensombrecido las múltiples bondades del resto del disco. Don da muestras de poseer un ídem para la ternura, la calidez y la melodía. Este es un buen ejemplo de cómo el folk podía dar un paso adelante para modernizarlo y hacerlo más accesible a una mayor audiencia. Y bien que lo consiguió.

American Pie is doing an awful lot of heavy lifting here. Without it this album would be much lower rated.

3.5

Fine. A bit meh. Title song i never want to hear again.

я ожидал саундтрек к фильму

How much does one timeless song carry an album. American Pie the song does a lot of heavy lifting on American Pie the album. Enough that it even carries the album name. I think as a whole I'd give it a 3.5 but going to round down.

Definitely familiar with this artist. I know the title-track. May know others. Feel this like this is true classic american rock. Great songwriting and easily know why this is part of the list.

The first song was ok. A little long imo. On every other song I was expecting him to go back to the ‘bye bye ms American pie’ part from the first song.

Didn’t know he had other albums and not sure why it needs to be heard!

American Pie. Qué temazo. Ya con eso el disco entra y gana mil puntos. Me pareció muy lindo. Llevadero. Hermosas melodias. 7/10

only a 4 as it has not aged the best

American Pie is an all-time terrible song to throw on at Karaoke

I would have enjoyed 36 minutes of just American Pie, but this was good enough

7/10

Partly heard before Saved 1/10 Top track: American Pie

"Winterwood" sounds like it could be in a Tarantino movie The album would be a good, albeit niche, album but it's all kind of overshadowed by "American Pie"

"This song alone should be enough to put it on the list" 🙄 We have a 1001 Songs book for a reason. Overall: 1/10

My mom hates this album's title track so I grew up thinking I also hated it. But I don't! Screw you, Mom! I'm allowed to like simple folky rock sung with a warm silky voice!

I don't like the title track, way overplayed, but the album was pretty good.

The title track is an all-timer. The others were good, nothing outstanding though. I don't think I can give it a 4, but I'd consider it a high 3.

This album begins and ends really strong. The Grave sounds like a Robert Service poem but from the wrong war (Vietnam vs WWI). Babylon is wonderfully done fugue. The middle fell a little flat on my ears, with Vincent, the other single off the album being particularly boring.

Favorite track(s): American Pie, Vincent, Winterwood

- Can we have Billy Joel? - We have Billy Joel at home. At home: A surprisingly talented and wholeharted singer-songwriter - Thanks Ma, I thought you would show me again some bad country music, but this is pretty good

What are the odds that I got this in the same week as Buddy Holly? Crazy odds right there. Anyway, this album's good. It's nice, okay? I guess I'll start with the rather iconic title track. Pretty good song right there. Good balance of moods, strong storytelling, memorable tune. It's a great song, though I can't help but think about Weird Al singing about The Phantom Menace whenever I hear it. As for the rest of the album, it's pretty good too. "Vincent" is the album's other big song and it's a nice song as well. I find it interesting that this album's two most well-known songs are the two tributes to famous figures, with the title track being about Buddy Holly and the other victims of that 1959 plane crash, and "Vincent" being a tribute to Vincent van Gogh of all people. I mean, fair enough, he's one of the greatest painters to ever live, but I'm more of a music expert than a visual art expert so I'll just keep talking about Don McLean. His voice is nice. It fits the songs well. The writing and storytelling are actually pretty good. You have the tributes, obviously, but you also have more personal songs like "Empty Chairs" and even a bit of political/historical satire of sorts on "Everybody Loves Me, Baby." Good stuff. The songs sound good. This is one of those albums where everything's done well, but nothing is really at the peak of creativity. Still, American Pie is an enjoyable album with things to appreciate. I'd make a joke about the movie here, but I haven't seen it. Decent 4/5.