Reviews (page 5 of 8)
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!
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.
Rly not bad!!!
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
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’.
2 great songs and then.... It's fine. It's not bad, but it's a little boring.
Sympa mais bon pas ma cam je comprends pas comment sa a autant d’écoutes
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
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
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.
Alright, inoffensive
Opens with a masterpiece and then the music dies
Loved american pie and vincent; the rest of the tracks didn't inspire me too much. 3/5.
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.
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
eh decent album, wouldnt listen to it again tho, lwky recognised sm parts cause i think they were trending on tt
Clean and well written songs but too slow and folksy for me to want to revisit.
Nice bit of Americana
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.
3/5
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.
A decent one.
The opener is still a hit but the rest is not that great and sets a different tone.
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.
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.
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.
American Pie. Qué temazo. Ya con eso el disco entra y gana mil puntos. Me pareció muy lindo. Llevadero. Hermosas melodias. 7/10
"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"
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.
Favorite track(s): American Pie, Vincent, Winterwood
I like this album - I thought it was good for 2 songs, but there are some really nice songs on here. Do any of them hit the heights of "Vincent?" Well, no. But it was a perfectly pleasant record. 7/10
Now here is an interesting choice for the list. Obviously this is here for the title track. The rest of the record is fine, decent but unspectacular 70s singer songwriter stuff. And then there is AP. Is this a great song? Is it terrible? Is his viewpoint kind of weirdly conservative? Smartly, DM kept it just vague enough that you could fill in your own beliefs using his words. The song has been in my ears as long as I've had ears, so I can't really be objective. It's just part of the fabric of my life. I hear it, I sing along. I still don't know if I like it
It’s easy to like, but gets a little boring at times.
The title song is ubiquitous that it's become a meme. I listened to it and it's still an undeniable banger. Brings back memories of my friend's mom driving us around in their VW Beetle and singing along to the AM radio cut. Loss is a big theme of this album, but it really just made me numb to the impact of the later songs, particularly "The Grave".
(60/100)
Pretty good overall, but in starting with American Pie, I then spent the whole of the rest of the album comparing every track to that.
amerikanische Folkmusik, startet mit DEM Klassiker
its good but lowkey american pie the song is WAYYY too long his voice is really good though its just very samey
Don McLean has a gorgeous voice but writes the sleepiest folk known to man.
This one strikes a very personal note for me. As an undergrad, I wrote a very detailed analysis of the song American Pie for a sociology class. It was a unique and somewhat rebellious interpretation of the assignment, and the first straight A I earned in any college class. So, I really love that song. Unfortunately, the remainder of the album is not great 70's singer-songwriter fare. Don captured lightning in a bottle, but that's about it. Influence 2. Quality 3. Intangibles 4. Hits 4. Personal taste 4.
It's okay
American pie is a banger and consequently I think the rest of the LP suffers. I like Maclean’s voice and the songs are good but the rest struggle to match the title track
I’m super basic. I like “American Pie.” And I think “Vincent” is one of the best pop songs ever written. The rest I could take or leave. 3/5
First track is a certified classic
It was OK.
The guy can turn a phrase!
One monumental track followed by lesser versions of pretty much the same. Its not bad at all, its just hard to get through the album when you know the best part is already over.
listening when: home alone during the afternoon feeding jules thoughts: this was cute. a little slow for me but i loved it rating: 6/10
I've never listened to this album (47). Not just a one-hit wonder like I expected.
на любителя.
All the songs end up sounding the same after awhile 3/5
Song to hear - yes. In fact you can’t help but know this song. It’s a part of Americana. But the record? Kinda lame. His voice is too boyish and hopeful. Side note American pie if one of my favorite movies from the 90s. I wonder how much money don mclean got from that title. I’ll go ask chat gpt. He makes 300-500k a year in royalties on that song alone. The producers of the movie and him reached a seven figure settlement for using that title. Nice.
Not so bad
Enjoyed this much more than expected. But maybe because it was only 27 minutes.
Solid.
I was hoping to find some sleepers on here -- the guy who wrote "American Pie" surely had some other good songs that somehow slipped out of radio play, right? Apparently, "Vincent" made the charts, but I wouldn't rate it among my faves from this album, partly because it has such a sleepy melody like many songs here. McLean's voice can convey enough pathos to almost carry them, but then he likes to sort of wander around in the melodies like he hasn't quite committed to them. Compare Joni Mitchell, whose melodies are also unconventional and can make wild and unexpected shifts, but there's a strong core that she swings around on like monkey bars or a balance beam. I want to like "Winterwood" and "Everybody Loves Me, Baby" more than I do; they feel close to being really good for different reasons. "Empty Chairs" is similar, though it has an intimacy that got to me, not to mention hitting close to home on a personal level. So, lots of thoughts on this album that I ultimately only thought was okay. But I could see putting it on a folk playlist for a coffee shop or camping or something.
Title track and Vincent are absolute bangers, rest is mid
A couple of really good songs, but the rest of the album was just ok
2.8 I can see the logic for including American Pie on a list of 1,001 songs to hear before you die. Wouldn't include it on mine, but I get it. However, I think "albums" is a bit of a stretch. The rest of it just really, really bland. Luckily this list doesn't have many one hit wonders, but this certainly feels like one.
Title track is practically a modern American standard. The rest of the album is OK, but feels a bit samesy.
I had a geography test while listening to this. I'll probably fail. Damn.
Felt "classic" Kind of hard to untangle the nuances of whether I think that's a good thing or not yet but in this case overall I'm leaning towards good. Didn't overstay it's welcome but there was not a tone of variation.
I feel like this is a quintessencial USA album, but in a good way.
Well the title track really promised a lot that the rest of the album didn't really deliver. Went into it expecting more rocking folk tracks like American Pie, but aside from one other song (that's basically American Pie 2.0), the rest were really slow, acoustic folk songs. Good folk songs mind you, but nothing that particularly impressed me. I've definitely heard Babylon somewhere though (Edit: Mad Men. Man, it's been years since I've watched that. Surprised I remember). So yeah, solid album. Just not something that wowed me.
You know American Pie. But what is it? Rock with a folksy side. AP known so well it's hard to listen critically. 2nd track - definitely folk. Oh, I've heard Vincent before but didnt know it was Don McLean Nothing special for me here. Decent folk, but a bit uninspiring. Actually Vincent and The Grave are very good songs. Babylon has good instrumentals and a nice round. Best track - Vincent, The Grave, Babylon 3.5 stars, call it 3
Two big hitters at the start of this album, but the rest stood up too
American Pie is a banger and the rest of the album is quite nice. A decent listen
Every time I listen to the song American Pie, it has an extra verse added to it. Love when this comes on in a bar, everyone is singing along for the first 2 verses, then dead silence cause nobody knows verses 3 through 26. Great fuckin tune though. Never heard the rest of the album before, aul Don could write a song hi, Vincent is beautiful. Overall a very enjoyable listen
This is one of my dad's favorite albums. I'm more familiar with Weird Al's lyrics for The Saga Begins than American Pie. Vincent was already on my favorites list, but I didn't realise Don McLean sang it.
This is clearly an accomplished artist, and a technically great recording. The opening 8 minutes and 42 seconds of American Pie is really enough Don McLean for one sitting though. The rest of the album isn't bad, but it's too slow and too sad to really do much for me.
3.5
(3.5) AMERICAN PIE IS EIGHT MINUTES?
At least one of the songs is good
Its a 3
Pretty sure I have literally never heard anything on this album aside from the title track, until today, LOL. It was fine though. Not amazing, not bad.
American Pie is iconic. love the storytelling on it. but rest of album was kinda ho-hum, bland folksy. not bad, just not memorable like American Pie
La title track carry l'album extrêmement fort. Tout de même une belle écoute.
This album peaked at the first track. Was all downhill from there I'll give it an average rating just because American Pie is such a banger 3 ⭐️
3.4
It wasn’t bad, just a little boring.
It's commercial Dylan and Cohen. If I never heard the title track again, that would be fine with me. Actually, it seems to have actually mostly gone away which is nice.
Litt for følsom for undertegnede. American Pie trekker opp. Schlager.
Nice singer with clear vocals and calm music. American Pie and Vincent were my favourite songs.
I was reminded that “Vincent” was momentarily popular with my friend group in high school. This is at the intersection of too on the nose and even cheesy, and kind of fun to listen to.
I feel American Pie is one of the most overrated/overplayed songs ever...maybe second only to Sweet Caroline. The rest of the album is decent though...folk rock I could halfway get into. 3/5
Featuring one 5-star classic and lots of 2-star crumbs.
This is a very nice listen.
I don't dislike it. I don't love it. It's okay. About as 3 starts as you can get.
american pie is 8 mins long!? oh dear. yeah that’s too long. i’ve never actually heard the full song before. i don’t enjoy 😅 “vincent” is a classic and i love it. i really enjoyed “the grave”. other than those two there wasn’t much i was keen on. it was kind of nice but perhaps wasn’t in the mood for it.
American Pie plus some other boring songs.
Had to listen to this one twice to really get a good sense of my feelings about it. The title track is a true banger. The rest is good but not amazing, so I'm sticking with three stars.
Hmmmm this is who sings American Pie?! I never knew the artist lol This album was okay. I'll give it 3 stars.
3 stars 1 new playlist song
"American Pie" is great of course, but all I can hear is the Wierd Al Yankovic parody. The rest is...filler. 3/5
Starts strong, second half was a bit forgettable.
Rest of album not as awesome as the title song. But solid overall. Standout songs: American Pie Empty Chairs
OH MYY, MYYY THIS HERE ANAKIN GUY MAYBE VADER SOMEDAY LATER, NOW HE'S JUST A SMALL FRY HE LEFT HIS HOME AND KISSED HIS MOMMY GOODBYE SAYING "SOON I'M GONNA BE A JEDI" "SOON I'M GONNA BE A JEDI" Title track is cool, really because I have a soft spot for it cause of the Weird Al cover. The rest was ok to me
Rip buddy holly you would’ve loved American Pie
Pretty standard 70s singer-songwriter. Composition is slightly above-average, very solid lyrics. Still think American Pie should have been the last track, not the first
5 stars for American Pie. The rest of the album could use some more bangers. Great voice, though!
it was okay but mostly kinda boring… vincent is really good
This is a nice enough album. It is dominated by its two most famous songs. The rest of the album is Ok, a pleasant enough listen but it doesn't reach those hights. I found this album difficult to rate overall. I rated each song individually, and to my surprise found it just squeaking in to be a 4 star album, but as an overall experience it felt more like a 3 star album. Would I listen to this album again? Every now and then. Would I buy this album? I did. I rarely play it. 1 "American Pie" - An iconic song. It is quite superb, especially if you like the music of the late 1950s and 1960s, and the story this song tells, with regard to that period of music history, albeit rather cryptically through its lyrics. It's fun guessing who the characters are and trying to catch the references. What often gets overlooked are the dynamics of the song, the performance of the band, the song has a great pop hook, and it is as catchy as it gets. An odd choice to open an album. - 5 Stars 2 "Till Tomorrow" - A lovely song beautifully sung. Hard to follow track one. - 4 Stars 3 "Vincent" - What a wonderful tune. Just sublime. - 5 Stars 4 "Crossroads" - 3 Stars 5 "Winterwood" - 3 Stars 6 "Empty Chairs" - 3 Stars 7 "Everybody Loves Me, Baby" - A little more up tempo but it sounds forced. - 2 Stars 8 "Sister Fatima" - This is an interesting song. Nicely sung and played. 4 Stars 9 "The Grave" - There's more dynamics in this song. Dramatic. 4 Stars 10 "Babylon" - 3 Stars Total - 36/50 Average - 3.6
gostei mais do que deveria...... acho que a voz dele me surpreendeu ?? não sei dizer
Eli tätä Vietnamin sodan protestisukupolvea. Liidibiisi on se madonnankin versioima American Pie. Lyhentämä koska se on kasiminuuttinen raita. Tykkään näistä rotestilauluista. Huomas mikä kansanliike se oli eikä olis ilman tätä loppunut. Siellä sodittais varmaan vieläkin 😅
Took the advice of a fellow reviewer and started the album on the fourth song, then ended by listening to the first three songs. Great decision. This is a mellow folk-pop album languishing in the shadow of the inescapable title song and 'Vincent'. I loved 'Winterwood' and 'Empty Chairs' but other songs felt like filler. However, minus one star because McLean is (allegedly!) a POS.
American Pie is het nummer bij uitstek om mee te kelen op een iets te leutige vrijdagavond. Enkel jammer dat ze dit bijna nooit in den uitgang draaien. Zou nochtans werken. De rest (buiten Vincent) voelt wat opvulling. 3.2
J'ai ecoute Harmonium a la place..
It was okay. Reasonably pleasant to listen and slightly different to what i was expecting. That said, Everybody Loves me baby sounds exactly like american Pie! pretty much uses the same chord arrangement. Would I listen to this again? Maybe as background music. Do I want to own it? No. 3 Stars
In 1971, There was American Pie. It was everywhere - Radio, TV, Boy Scout Camp Singalong. That song was unavoidable. At eight and a half minutes, it was exceedingly long for top 100 radio of the day, yet there it was. Every day and everywhere. It never really stopped either. The song became an instant cultural icon. You can still hear it on the radio today and I have heard high school students singing it. The funny thing is, it's not that great of a song. It has weird tempo changeups and is easily too long. The lyrics are as obscure now as they were then. Supposedly about Buddy Holly's death, even people who were teens in the 1950s, people like my parents, didn't get it. And yet, here we are; It's still around. The thing is, American Pie is the outlier on the album. Everything else, including his follow up single Vincent, are typical early 70s singer-songwriter music - drippy, overwrought, and musically simple. It's the kind of thing that made even a 9-year-old wretch then... and now. But that song! It endures.
Banging title track
Other than a couple of classic songs….it’s an ok album. Very much of it’s time. More mellow than I had anticipated. Still a classic.
American Pie (the much shortened radio version) was known by everyone and most people knew all the lyrics. The album was no where near as popular, Marc had it on vinyl and we would listen to Side A on occasion to hear Am Pie and Vincent. We listened to the B Side just a couple of times. I’d forgotten how sad but good this album is. 1001 Must Hear List worthy because of the mega hit, the cover art, and folk music wasn’t dead yet. The generation lost in space rates it at (3.4*s)
American Pie is such an iconic song that it is reason enough to put this album on the list. I was pleased to hear that the remainder of the album ain't bad either though. Vincent is a solid second entry, and I enjoyed a couple others including the more upbeat Everybody Loves Me, Baby. Don McLean has a certain charm to his vocals that he is able to elevate even the most basic of tunes up a notch. I figured I'd get through the song American Pie and then tune out for the remainder of the album but it was solid enough to keep me interested for 36 minutes. 2.54 stars
Good folk album with the amazing highs of american pie and vincent
Dit vind ik wel een leuk album. Het begint natuurlijk met de bekende hit, maar ook de rest is best leuk om te luisteren, maar misschien wel wat rustig voor mij.
Some brilliance, some boring.
3/5 can't hate American Pie but a lot of the album is a little generic
Pleasant, like a late summer lazy afternoon. Two tracks particularly chimed with me - American Pie and Vincent, very tender and delicate.
Sing-along for the ages. 3.4.
Overplayed, overcooked, and overwrought, but damn if the title track still isn’t a great tune. In fact there’s a few great songs here, and a lot that’s trying (sometimes literally) to match those songs in quality. It’s eerie to hear how similar McLean’s voice is to Will Oldham; he’s only half the songwriter though. Still, when he’s on, he’s on, and songs like “Vincent”, “Winterwood” and “The Grave” stand apart a bit from the rest.
title track & vincent are really awesome but it does get a little samey in the back half
Instant positive of this album is it gave us one of the greatest Weird Al songs of all time, The Saga Begins. I would honestly put it above American Pie as a song, firstly because it shaves off 3 or so minutes, but also it is about the best Star Wars film, The Phantom Menace. So yeah big ups Mr McLean for that. Nah but this is a class album, I had never heard it before but was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. While American Pie itself is a classic song, I really enjoyed the more sparse arrangements of songs like Till Tomorrow and Empty Chairs. The album did feel like it lost a bit of steam in the latter half but no major complaints here. Good album Don. Favourites - American Pie, Till Tomorrow, Winterwood, Empty Chairs
The cheek of starting an album with an all time classic about ‘the day the music died’ and subsequently filling the rest of the album with some of the most uninspired, tired folk songs ever committed to record. Also, does Dimery understand the concept of an all time great album? Starting to question if he does or if he just kind of went ‘oh yeah, American Pie’s a good song, slap the album on there!’ The album’s fine I guess. American Pie IS a banger though. Weird Al’s version might be better. American Pie (10/10) Till Tomorrow (7/10) Vincent (7/10) Crossroads (5/10) Winterwood (6/10) Empty Chairs (6/10) Everybody Loves Me, Baby (6/10) Sister Fatima (4/10) The Grave (5/10) Babylon (7/10) 6.2/10
love don, classic oldies album that is peaceful and sad
I like the first three songs, but the rest was kind of boring.
Doesn't stand the test of time. This is the guy who brings the acoustic guitar to the party and instead of playing songs everyone can sing along with, he wants to play you some of his "originals", totally killing the vibe.
I kinda slept on this album ngl, I enjoyed it. Sad that yet again, controversy surrounding the artist hinders it slightly. Highlights: Empty Chairs, Vincent and American Pie is iconic let's be real.
Loved Vincent, it was so beautiful. American pie is a certified banger of course. Rest of the album was fine. Might like it more with a couple more listens. Favourites: Vincent, American Pie
I SO wanted to give this two stars, but dammit, Vincent.
Some phenomenal highs; but is mostly forgettable albeit enjoyable folk. Probably a victim of overstated importance.
Listening to this the week the music died. Not my thing but 3 ⭐️ regardless
Un folk rock bello, non essendo americano non mi coglie cotanto ma non è male.
Fínt bara. Smellirnir 2 frábærir og hitt ósköp hugljúft.
A great song followed by a decent but forgettable folk album. Best song: American Pie
This is an interesting album to be here. It’s a consistent album outside of the two rock songs. Unfortunately out side of American Pie and Vincent (being great songs) and the other rock song (being terrible), it’s a pretty mediocre folk rock album. The title track is essential listening though, so I guess it belongs here despite its less than essential listening overall.
Unremarkable for the most part. The exceptions being American Pie: rambling, nonsensical, epic; Vincent: sad, slow, a bit self-conscious; and Everybody Love Me Baby: ridiculous (with Don doing Dylan inflections throughout); really quite bad.
American Pie is extraordinary. But please, it’s legendary because it's a fantastic recording of a GREAT SONG, and in spite of, rather than due to, its lyrics - 8.5 minutes of Boomer handwringing over a collective loss of innocence. Good Grief. After that, I just hear a lot of mediocre Northeastern folk splooge serving as a vehicle for over-earnest poems about Don McLean’s favorite historical figures. It’s like he wanted to make children’s music for high school students. “We’ll make it joyful and uplifting and they can learn important lessons from me along the way!” Still, American Pie is extraordinary.
Don McLean is ace. American pie is brilliant (though the chorus gets a bit boring). Vincent is a masterpiece. I usually listen to his greatest hits so this feels not as good, which is a harsh comparison. Saw him at Glastonbury once. I was very happy.
I felt like I was listening to two different albums, with the first one being a really fun 7 minute long adventure, and the second one being a 30 minute long stretched out piece of boredom. Every star that I am giving this is because of 'American Pie'.
I liked the first song
One of the greatest songs ever recorded with some slow boring country. Should have just written some more verses in the title track
This was guaranteed a three by how much American pie slaps but the rest was a bit of a damp squib
I'd only heard the title track, but I need to listen to this again for a proper review.
Not my favorite but not terrible
The two singles are, of course, extremely tremendous. The title track in particular deserves its place in the pantheon of ubiquitous and revered songs. It should be annoying, but it's good enough not to be. It's also, of course, a karaoke classic of yours truly, and is great fun for the look of horror as the audience realise you're really going for the full nine minute version, not the single cut. Anyway, the rest of this album is quite so-so.
3.5
Very pleasant
The title song is the album’s highlight, which anybody could’ve guessed. It’s such a jam and tells a great story. It’s a classic for a reason. The rest of the album is OK. It definitely pales in comparison to the title song, but that title song is tough to beat. Still, American Pie is an easy and charming listen. All songs have beautiful lyrics, which I wasn’t expecting from someone like Don McLean. Frequently I was reminded of Simon and Garfunkel, folk-y but less tender.
The title song, a super well known 8 minute epic, sets a high bar as the album opener. The rest of the album lulls into much more traditional folk music of the times and, in my opinion, doesn't hit that high bar again. I feel like the song "Everybody Loves Me, Baby" is kind of a sister song to "American Pie"; it has a similar spirit to "American Pie" and it shows off a bit of dynamic and range from McLean that isn't as noticeable on the rest of the album. Don't get me wrong, the music here is fine, nice even. His voice is well suited to this genre; it has a very warm quality. But there is something about that title track that the rest of the album struggles to live up to.
Thought I didn’t like it much but it kept making me smile
This 36 minute album is 28 minutes too long.
Having not listened to this album before, it's an interesting choice to open with American Pie, difficult to judge how the rest of the album would measure up. There are a few highs and lows, but it mostly plateaus. Notably, I did find The Grave hauntingly beautiful.
он приятный, надо потом сделать плейлист из классики (флитвуд мак, Крозби и ко, Элтон, он, кого-то ещё забываю) и переслушать
Better than expected. Nice for a Sunday morning
3x 3.1 classic with American Pie but overplayed for me
👍
An absolute stone cold classic of an opener followed by the numbers 70s soft rock.
This guy has the sweetest clearest voice, kinda reminds me of Father John Misty. His composition is deceptively simple but is still rich enough to move you. I love the Rhodes tinkling in the background of some tracks like Winterwood, and the tempo switches in that song. I read some other reviews before giving this a listen. One of them suggested to start listening to this album in the fourth track, then come back around and listen to the first three afterwards, so you don't get blown away by the classic of classics (American Pie) and then get disappointed by the relative mediocrity of the rest of the album. I did this and I agree it was the move. I like this type of music in general and I'll absolutely play it in my living room while I'm drinking coffee. That said musically its not super interesting with the exception of his two "american treasure" songs on this album, so my rating reflects only the cultural zeitgeist of it all. Laughing at how Everybody Loves Me, Baby is just a straight up rip-off of American Pie. I do like the song though because it's one of the few points on the album where he goes a bit off the rails melody wise. I'd listen to his stuff more if he got weird with it more.
I really wanted to shit all over this since I've heard the title track enough for 1001 lifetimes. The rest of the albums not too bad. He's got a good voice, and is a decent enough songwriter.
Probably would've put two if it weren't for Vincent and American Pie
One amazing song, the rest are ok
The first song is the only reason this is included but it’s a fine album
3 sterne
A little corny, sure, but at least in small doses, I like it. Favorites: Vincent, The Grave, Babylon 3.5? 4
I really don't have any issues with the title track, and I think "Vincent" is a brilliant piece of writing. The rest of it is pleasant enough, mostly solid early 70's folk, but I certainly don't think it's as essential or enjoyable as many other albums from this era of singer-songwriters. 3.5/5
3.5 stars. The title track aaaand some meh folk rock. As good as the title track is, hard to rate the album super highly when the rest is fairly forgettable. Though "The Grave" is a good dark well-written song.
First listen to this album. As I’m a living human being living in North America, I’m familiar with the title track - one of the few songs I’m willing to sing (horribly) at Karaoke. The teat of the album was new to me. No duds, but no stand outs. Overall an easy listen.
Weak
Favorite Track: Vincent
This is like the definitive boomer music. American Pie is the big one and the rest are folky soft rock type ballads.
3.5
Better than I expected.
The title track is great, and an all-time classic, the rest is kind of meh. 3.5 stars
Learning that Don McLean pled guilty to domestic violence charges against his ex-wife and now has a extra large warm slice of ‘American pie’ about a third of his age makes me wanna give this a firm thumbs down but unfortunately the title song and Vincent are just a little too all-time classic to write off. Overall very crisp, mellow, breezy, poetic listen maybe a bit corny in places and definitely gets flaggy in terms of quality towards the end. 3.5 stars and stripes.
Nice, harmless singer/songwriter fare. 3.5 stars. Title track, Vincent, Empty Chairs the highlights.
This was one of my Dad’s favourite records. I wonder why “Starry Starry night…” always makes me think of him. Unfortunately, being subjected to American Pie at most of the middle school dances that I went to kinda makes the album lose its lustre. Still, it’s appreciated.
Who hasn’t heard the song, but I’ve never heard the whole album before. I’m not even sure I’ve heard any other song from Don McLean other than American Pie. There were no surprises. Thoughtfully written lyrics accompanied by his smooth, melodious voice. Everybody Loves Me, Baby was a lot of fun and my fave.
Little sleepy as a whole, but peppered with beautiful songwriting and guitar. Idk, probably a low 3…
Title track is one of the greatest songs of all time The album is better when it's faster. I think the ballads make it lose momentum Everybody Loves Me Baby is fun
Вроде норм но что-то про американскую тонкую душевную организацию
motherhood and
"American Pie" is a phenomenal song, "Vincent" is a great song, "Winterwood" is passable... The rest? We'll, its there.
The appeal of American Pie lies solely in the title track, a lengthy freewheeling sprawl that documented the domino effect caused by the early February 1959 plane crash that claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valens which ended up kneecapping rock and roll's grip on the music landscape. While the momentum is revisited on Everybody Loves Me, Baby, this album is largely dominated by softer, more sleepy affairs that are touching at times and insignificant in others. It's not hard to see why American Pie ended up doing what it did yet it is, quite simply, a mixed bag. Favorites: American Pie, Vincent, Winterwood, Empty Chairs, Everybody Loves Me, Baby, The Grave.
Honestly not as good as I was expecting. It was fine, though.
"American Pie" == DUNE (first book) - A groundbreaking artistic work that firmly holds up to this day. Rest of the album == DUNE: Messiah - Competently and beautifully made, but basically an epilogue to the first book (song) It's yacht rock, but it's rather lovely yacht rock.
It’s fine it’s just not my style
A folky album, which I enjoyed but apart from "American Pie" and "Starry, starry night" there were no stand out tracks for me and not sure I would listen to this album again.
p239. 1971. 3 stars. Other than the obvious mega hits, this is generic early 70's 'Merican singer-songwriter material. Well done of its kind though, and on the plus side it's short. Point deducted for recycling "Vincent" for "Empty Chairs".
One song I'm extremely familiar with and then 9 more which I kept wishing would resolve into Simon & Garfunkel songs. Nice enough.
Solid, homely stuff. McLean has clearly more to offer than just the title track but it doesn't blow me away
Nice and folky. 3/5
All songs sound the same to me
Wow they turned it into an album
Other than the iconic title track and uptempo piece Everybody Loves Me, Baby this is largely an acoustic folk album. There's some good stuff here, particularly Till Tomorrow and the piano driven Crossroads, but I'm not ready to call this a great album. Surely a great single, and at 8 and a half minutes, it's nearly a quarter of the album, so that counts for something. Edges it into *** territory.
American Pie and Vincent are both incredible songs, but there’s a few terrible songs which bring the average down (Sister Fatima, The Grave and Babylon). If the album finished three songs earlier, it could’ve been a 4/5.
It was okay. I don't think this type of music is for me. Each song kind of felt like a less good "American Pie". But giving 3* because American Pie is just that good.
It was alright. America Pie is kinda played out but I appreciate the lightning in a bottle he captured with it. The rest of the album is decent, he has a wonderful voice and the composition is pretty good throughout.
In light of events today/yesterday and the title track, here's a loved-by-american-elites Mr. Liberty, Freedom, and Democracy...tap dancing for his freak master: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJlnsNvWNVo
We've all heard the one song on this album, which is the first, and it appears that he uses the same musical modes/progressions in the rest of the songs too. It's really weird - Till Tomorrow has the same hook intro as American Pie...it's literally the same notes. Vincent follows the same thing, so does Empty Chairs and Everybody Loves Me. It's not a bad progression but that's a lot of re-use. It's one thing to have a motif throughout your album but it's another to use the same notes in the same order. Vincent is a good song anyway, despite the sad subject matter. Overall this album didn't really leave me impressed. The re-use of phrases in nearly every song really turned me off. It's fine, but the songwriting doesn't really stand out like other more prominent folk singers of the time. It's perfectly well performed, just pretty dull. The album title is fitting as it really is just that song over and over.
A good album, but the understated charms of its mostly slower tracks falls under the weight of the opener.
Nice, slowed down album (after the title track). And that title track is one of those cultural milestone songs that blah blah I don’t know what I’m saying. Always liked the track Vincent in particular.
A little too slow and soft for my liking, “American Pie” is a pretty good song tho
I am pretty burned out on the title track but I hadn’t heard it in years and the rest of the album is pretty solid. 3.5.
Beautiful, chill album.
Fine
It was fine. A little dull after the title song. The starry starry night song was pleasant, though.
I thought this would just be the title track and a load of filler. Some really hauntingly beautiful tracks on here. What a voice. Notwithstanding the title track is a 10/10 sing along classic
# 359 : He's done a pretty decent job, great album, I like the hits of course, but sad and mellow overall. Listened to this whole album for the first time today and it's nice with wonderful folky acoustic tracks, will definitely listen again. American Pie & Vincent are the standouts - after you play those, you can pretty much shelve this LP.
3.7, some good tunes on there
We’ve all been subjected to (assaulted by?) all eight minutes American Pie at some point, if not MANY times in our life. It has its charms, but I was not excited for a whole album of it. But, I found some things to like, like “Winterwood”. He seems to be trying his hand a lot of the popular styles of the times, sounding at times like Dylan and at others like Simon. Not bad on the whole.
Nice. Hard not to think of the movie ...
Better than expected. After the opening track, most of the album consists of gentle folk tunes which were nice background music for working/coffee drinking.
Mostly mid except that one song.
I thought it would be awful after American Pie. Actually, a good album!
Pretty much what I was expecting
Decent easy listening folk - American Pie - funny movie!
Title track is all time classic. The rest is fine if not super interesting
First song is a classic, the rest is pleasant but nothing super special
This was a good listen. A little more religious than I prefer.
One perfect song and a bunch of good well written but unremarkable folk songs
Not bad but I've heard it so many times that it's not so great anymore. I'm sure I will hear these songs again because they seemed to be locked into American pop culture. Don't think I need to try to hear this again because it's just going to happen through movies and other means.
Syrupy sweet, more of it sounds like Vincent than the title track, but all the songs are pretty decent (or a wee bit better than that)
6/10
Two fantastic songs. The rest sadly forgettable.
Fine. Boring and repetitve, but fine.
First song is a banger, the rest is decidely "eh"
Featuring The Song With a Life of Its Own, and of course Vincent, this is quite a nice collection of songs, some haunting, beautiful and poetic, and some slightly less memorable. But I liked it overall.
Hard to listen to this - have heard the hit song tooooo many times performed by too many bog average guitarists in pubs. Vincent is a nice ditty and Don has a fine voice and a good twang on the geetar, it's a low three for me.
American Pie (the song) is an all timer that does a lot of heavy lifting here. The rest of the album has no surprises. I have never listened to Don McLean, but it all sounded like American Pie. This is on the high side of 3
I wonder if he knew just how enormous American Pie the song would be when he wrote it. Did not expect the rest of the album to be mainly acoustic slow songs after that. Pretty solid album all around, wish I listened to the lyrics more because I fell like they probably were pretty deep. An album I definitely enjoyed listening to once but will never think of going back to
American Pie is such a classic song (RIP Buddy Holly and Richie Valens). The rest of it is just alright folk rock, nothing crazy and not one of my favorite genres, but nice enough on a sleepy Monday. Low 3.
Ok I suppose
A nice little bit of Americana, but the songs sound a lot alike
It is simply impossible for me to start this album and not be singing "The Saga Begins" by Weird Al. I listened to the first song and then went and listened to Al for two hours. This is not Don's fault but I can't separate myself from that, so - sorry Don. American Pie is an absolutely legendary song, hopefully the rest of the album is as good. Putting your best song first is a bold move. The next few songs were not that exciting, but I am enjoying "Everybody Loves Me, Baby." It was all a little slow for me ultimately. American Pie was easily the best song. It would probably get a 5/10 but American Pie gives it a boost. 6/10
Aside from American Pie and a few highlights the rest of the album is pretty weak. In terms of American singer-songwriters he's not my favourite.
3 stars for one of the best songs of all time; 0 stars for everything else
An opening track most people, including me, like. Its then followed by a bunch of mostly dreck
There's american pie, which I dont mind but i've never loved, then the rest of the album is pretty but kinda boring
More than just American Pie, quite a soothing album and will listen again!
I once sang American Pie at karaoke and got three rounds of applause. Not because I was any good, but because they kept thinking I was finished. That song really knows how to outstay its welcome. In the end, I just handed back the mic and shuffled awkwardly offstage. Bye bye, miss American Pie
Not a bad album. I think some of this could have been cut, but it was already on the shorter side. 3/5
This album is pretty mid. I think it's one of those albums held up by the title track (which is obviously brilliant). If American Pie wasn't on this song I'd give it a 2.
The title track is a bit of true Americana and Vincent is quite nice. The rest of the album just kind of blends together into the blurred background of Don McClean's masterpiece.
Du bon folk américain sans plus. Seulement la chanson titulaire est mémorable. Loin d'être mauvais mais j'ai l'impression que c'est uniquement pour cette chanson qu'on se souvient de lui et de cet album. 6/10
Don is a swell guy, he's a good substitute for Bob Dylan for people who like the cadence, but hate the vocal timbre. Just don't get him started on baked deserts, or he'll sing your ears off for over 8 minutes.
He struck gold with the title song of the album, however the rest of it is nothing special or exciting. Eh it was ok.
Could not stop singing Vincent.
Not much here except the title track. 3.3 stars
Outside of American Pie the album is a 1.5 - at best. But having one of the best all time singalongs earns it enough to give it a 3.
The hit, and then pleasant but unmemorable other stuff. He spent much of his career trying to remind people he wrote other songs too.
American Pie heeft iets bijzonders. Het nummer wordt gepresenteerd als een klein liedje, maar het is eigenlijk een heel catchy-poppy nummer. Het mag duidelijk zijn dat ik niet de eerste ben die dat was opgevallen. Maar het illustreert zo leuk de dunne muzikale lijntjes waarop Don balanceerd. Ook het raten gebeurt vaak met dunne lijntjes. Tussen de vraag of het kwalitatief goed is en de vraag of ik het met plezier luister. Dat lijntje is in dit geval niet zo dun. De kwaliteit is alom aanwezig. Het bovenstaande is maar één voorbeeld van een perfecte balans. Maar het is tegelijk zo saai. Ik houd het gewoon niet vol.
Very energetic beginning, but slows down too much for my taste past the halfway point. 'American Pie', 'Vincent', 'Winterwood' I found (like most people) to be absolutely fantastic songs, and the whole thing ain't too long in any case.
The problem when the title tracxk of an album is so HUGE that song sends to detreact from anything else on the long player. In fact, 'Vincent' is almost as big as a song too. And, in an era of singer-songwriters, Mclean managed to vsomehow stand out. In a sense, if you've herd the epic title track you've pretty much heard everything. All the other songs has elements of what is in that all-encompassing opening monolith. Passable stuff but, ultimately, standing on the shoulders of a giant.
Kinda mellow and nice
The music (besides the title track) reminds me a lot of Simon & Garfunkel. But the poetry seems to be trying to much on some of the songs, like "Sister Fatima" and "The Grave". "Babylon" I liked as a canon, it fit well, and "Til Tomorrow" I could have used another verse of or two. So the album itself is a bit of a hit or miss. Then there's the title track. If you're of a certain age, there's no way you don't know this song. It was everywhere. I have heard a bunch of bands cover it when I was growing up, and honestly I thought tis song was longer. I didn't realize it was (only) 9 minutes, which these days is not a big deal. Back then, to be the single, it's impossible. But as with a lot of other albums, this song overshadows the others. Take it away and the other songs don't stand on their own as much. Some of them are ok, but it's a very different album, and lesser for it. Top tracks: "American Pie," "Vincent," "Til Tomorrow," "Babylon"
This is a great record and almost makes a 4 from me. The opening is especially good - Vincent, Crossroads, Winterwood is quite a triple-punch.
Nice album. Love Vincent and Babylon.
I suppose this is one of the great singer-songwriter albums of the early 1970s. But it's really not my favoured genre, and I found it a bit dull other than the title track.
Good songs, Don McLean sings beautifully.
Средне
American pie SLAPS
American Pie, Vicent. Tranquilo. Con canciones que recuerdan a American Pie y a otras.
A lovely little album. Obviously a couple of the classic hits are there, not sure it would be as good without those.
American Pie // Vincent // Everybody Loves Me, Baby // 3.5/5
I really love the song American Pie. I really do. And the track Everybody Loves Me, Baby was fun and sounded Bob Dylan inspired. The rest, though, is wimpy '70s folk I couldn't get into. So I can't give this more than an average rating overall.
some good folk, a great single
A classic, but didn’t like as a kid
Can't say that I was blown away by this, but it was just a nice folk album that's easy to listen to in the background.
I listened to this album to death in my 20s. It's hard for me to objectively rate it at this point. I used to love it intensely. But save for Vincent, I don't care to ever hear it again.
Excellent song writer. A bit too much sentimentality overall, but quite well crafted.
My dad had this album on CD when I was a kid, but other than the title track and "Vincent," I've never listened to it. My parents purged their CD collection many years ago, giving everything to my brother and I, but I can't remember if this one made it home with me or him, so I may actually own this album. I remember hearing the title track quite a bit as a kid on classic rock radio, and I seem to remember it making a bit of a comeback when I was a teenager and Weird Al released "The Saga Begins," and I think it made a bit of another comeback in the early aughts, when universities began to more broadly offer history of rock and roll classes. These days, I think people tend to crap on it as a bit of cheap nostalgia, cheapened by boomers who bemoan the state of the modern world. After all, "'remember when' is the lowest form of conversation" according to Tony Soprano. But I don't really see McLean being nostalgic on this song. I think he's mourning a legitimate tragedy, but he knows that even as art and artists come and go, culture moves on and evolves. Even loss and tragedy can shape our world, and while we may wonder about what could have been, others will come along and fill the voids. Personally, I think "American Pie" is still a fantastic song. The overtly obvious symbolism is still fun, and the jangly piano melody is incredibly catchy, making this song a timeless singalong. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the rest of the album as well. The songwriting was really good, and I loved how the themes of solitude and loneliness were woven throughout the album. The musical arrangements were enjoyable as well, and I thought the piano parts stood out as being some of the best parts. There were plenty of other soft instrumental elements that filled out the sound as well. To top it all off, McLean has a great voice, and his vocals are strong throughout the album. One final note about an individual song: I found "Everybody Loves Me, Baby" to be particularly interesting, especially since McLean's family have said that he was a bit of tyrant as a husband and father. Was this song an admission, or a piece of tone deaf projection? We'll never know, but this song has certainly gotten more interesting in the last several years. I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would, but the first half definitely felt stronger than the second half. The musical arrangements on the second half didn't feel as rich, even though the songwriting didn't drop off much. Still, nothing really blew me away, and I think this album isn't as good as other folk or folk adjacent albums that were coming out around the same time. I don't know that I'd go back to this album, because I'd prefer something by Joni Mitchell or Nick Drake.
Good I guess?
This starts so strong with American Pie, then drops right off a cliff after that.
Standouts: American Pie, Till Tomorrow Very big fan of the song American Pie. I think it tells a good story of the end of an era referencing "the day the music died". I had not heard any of the other songs in the album, but Till Tomorrow was another song that I enjoyed. The rest of the songs were fine lyrically, and I really enjoyed the overall sound of the album.
American Pie by Don McLean opens with its timeless title track, a folk-rock epic that captures the spirit of a generation with its poignant lyrics and memorable melody. However, the rest of the album doesn't quite live up to the brilliance of its opener or the iconic cover art, which remains a symbol of its era. While tracks like Vincent showcase McLean's introspective songwriting, they lack the same raw energy and impact as American Pie. Despite this, McLean's craftsmanship and ability to blend folk, rock, and pop influences shine through, influencing generations of musicians. Overall, American Pie holds cultural significance and remains a classic in American music, primarily due to its unforgettable title track. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 4 STAND OUT TRACK - American Pie
De helt gode Singer/songwriter, rigtig føler, amerikansk
Fantastic live no so live album
Title track is a classic though I admittedly could do with a shorter version. The other tracks range from okay but pretty forgettable to good but not great.
All downhill after American Pie, but American Pie keeps it at a 3
solid entry to the list. couple of tunes we have all heard
Endlich ein Singer/Songwriter Album das mir gefällt.
The title track is a classic, and there are a couple of other great songs on here, but overall it's not my genre I'd say - the album is a little too slow paced to hold my interest fully
American Pie is an undisputed classic. Song. Seems a bit of a stretch to put the whole album on this list.
I think American Pie is kind of overrated. This album is alright overall. I like the singer's voice, none of these songs would make it onto a playlist of mine.
Why is it that so many albums on this list have absolute fucking bangers as the first track and then just limp to the finish. The rest is fine but nothing special. But god damn is American Pie such a good fucking song.