Reviews (page 7 of 9)
Full disclosure, American pie is a very sentimental track for me, so regardless of the rest of the album, this was always going to rate well. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the rest of the album is awesome! He has such a beautiful voice and his songs tell such sincere stories. I love folk rock and this album hits a sweet spot. I really enjoyed listening to this record!
When I was 5 my dad made me a mix cassette tape which featured 3 songs from this album: American pie, Vincent and Babylon (along with a bunch of other favourites of his). It was this mixtape I listened to back to back while we went on a ‘round the world’ family holiday. I only remember snippets of the trip, but these songs are burned into my memory in the most beautiful way. I have a particularly vivid memory of listening to Babylon while arriving at Stone henge The rest of the album is good too, I love Don Macleans voice and the mellow folksy music - but mostly my vote is nostalgia Fave Track: Babylon (probably the only song you’ll ever hear me say for a song that for which features banjo 😂)
Meh
Love it 8min 33 seconds
Very pretty song but other than american pie they dont stand out. Other than that beautiful guitar play and all but i dont think ill revisit
Folky, calm, lead track was recognisable
I (like most people, I assume) had never listened to anything past "American Pie" on this album. Maybe that's a fear of being disappointed. That song is so iconic that the rest of the album couldn't be good right? Well, it's definitely not "as good" as American Pie, but this is a really solid folk album. It's simple, Don's vocals are really great, the lyrics are introspective - the whole thing just draws you in.
American Pie might be the most overplayed song of all time, it also might be the best singalong song of all time. The rest of the very low energy, other than Everybody Loves Me, Baby which is almost a rip off of the title track melodically. It is a pretty album, but the music is mostly dead. 6.1/10
Meh. just as boring as any folk album can be. Sorry, but not even the 8 minute hit was enjoyable for me.
Til tomorrow and Babylon were the only interesting tracks. Not into overplayed tracks like American Pie or Vincent. Funny, Crossroads sounds exactly the same as American Pie. A 2 star - possibly a little over generous
Couple of classics, mostly felt like background music. Did enjoy it though
The first two I knew and recognised, the rest were pure filler to me. At some point it rolled into some other artist and I could not tell you when.
Great album. Really mellow
There was a 2pac documentary (that came out last year) where he discussed that when he was younger and adventuring into different kinds he came across this song. This song was considered to be the "catalyst" of describing how Pac would feeling as a human. If there was something to fully encapsulate who he was as a human being this was the song to do it. Hearing that somebody else found out how to profoundly resonate with one of my favorite artists at that time I couldn't help but search for the song. That song's name: "Vincent" by Don McLean Once I heard it, it took one listen and zero convincing to believe that this is one of the greatest songs I've ever heard in my life and I needed to venture into this man Don McLean's discog and come to understand the person who made this song. It found a special way to share a similar experience between two different people in different periods of time and different periods of life many years separate from one another. That's the only way to describe this album: a perfect snapshot of the human experience. Don has a way of coming across melancholy with how he makes music, and there was no short of songs on here that show that, but at the same time you're feeling a little low he finds a way to make you feel ALIVE. There's a beauty in it that I can't put in the right words until you hear it and truly experience it yourself. All that I can repeatedly say is this shouldn't be a "Album to hear before you die" but a REQUIRED listen for being a human. Infinity out of 5 stars. A Perfect Album.
One big song - ok background music. 36mins felt like an hour
Really good first song and then the rest are fine but pretty boring
Is this on here only because of American Pie?
Feels way longer than it actually is.
grab me a slice
Bye Bye / 5
mostly enjoyable, Didn’t like the churchy hymn at the end, more pie please
Fun fact: I met this guys son. Nice guy
Ugh, Americans
Typical saccharine radio folk.
Det er sgu kedeligt Don! Hans stemme lyder som Bob Dylan der virkelig prøver ikke at lyde så nasal uden succes
Super memorable titelnummer som jeg har en forkærlighed for. Intet andet memorable på pladen og jeg synes egentlig ikke Don McLean er særlig charmerende, men to stjerner fordi titelnummeret er mere end 1/4 af pladen
Fin første sang. Vidste ikke hvem der havde håbet originalen... Det gør jeg nu ...
not bad
oh no
1 popular song
Standard
Really enjoyed
Buen album. Me gustaron las letras. Armonías sencillas pero con el toque de profundidad necesario para que no suene muy cheese o pop; creo que esa profundidad se la dan los arreglos de otros instrumentos. GRAN PIANO y guitarra. Excelente ejecución de ámbos instrumentos (o gran producción; o las dos). Pasas un buen rato escuchandolo. El album perfecto para escuchar sentado en el porche tomando un whiskey en vaso (o en taza), fumandote un cigarro.
Very surprised by this. Expected it to be shit judging from the main song. Kinda feel sorry for him, aye he’ll have made a tonne of money from that song but he’s way better than that and probably gets little recognition about it. It isnt the nostalgic US pop record I expected. It’s probably somewhere between interesting folk and MOR pop. Sometimes I even thought a bit of Nick Drake but then other times its a bit too MOR. Enjoyed Till Tomorrow, Vincent, Winterwood. A couple of others too. Others passed me by. Probably wont be back but definitely a bit more respect for Donald.
American pie is overplayed, even within its own runtime I couldn't believe how many times I had to hear the chorus. I think it's probably an okay song but I can't hear anything to enjoy anymore. The rest of the album was largely a much softer acoustic sound. Some of the songs were genuinely decent though I don't really like Don's voice. It seems like American pie eclipsed the the sort of music he actually wanted to make. By and large it wasn't interesting enough to return to but it was a pleasant surprise relative to what I expected.
Another fantastic album. I saw Don around 2019, and he was excellent. He played about a 15-minute version of the title track, which was a good old singalong. The album is so much more than one song though. Vincent is such a beautiful song. Interestingly not very well-known here in the Netherlands. Evokes powerful imagery, captures the sadness of Vincent's life. One of Tupac's favourite songs apparently. Crossroads, Empty Chairs, Babylon, and The Grave are also favourites, all quite depressing and thoughtful. He has a lovely voice, sweet and mellifluous, lovely guitar playing, and simple melodies.
I found this far too folky and sad for my mood. The album went by so fast I thought I'd accidentally skipped a load of tracks. I didn't hate it but I was not felling it.
Eating crow time. I had pretty much written this album off as just a vehicle for American pie. It's much better than that. American pie is a good track but it's been played to death. Mostly by my mum I imagine. I could've sworn Vincent was a Simon and Garfunkel song.... Clearly not, it's a really beautiful track I thought "crossroads" and "empty chairs" were good tracks too. Not sure if this caught me on a sensitive day, but pretty emotive. The rest I could probably leave, got a bit samey, but overall I was pleasantly surprised 4
Starts with an absolute banger and then a string of mostly boring (while pretty) ballads.
Previously rated, but I didn't make any notes.
Интересно как он веселенького начала под конец приходим к совсем другим по настроению песням, разложенным на несколько голосов, как в церкви
The title track is one of the songs that certainly doesn't get better the more you listen to it. I've gotten to the point of saturation of this song that I really never want to hear it again. That being said there was a time I didn't feel that way and this album played often by my parents, so theres a bit of nostalgia when listening to it. So outside of the title track and Vincent the album is just ok.
But for the song American Pie, which is an iconic track, this record would be forgotten. That track alone boosts the rating by one star.
The title track is pretty classic. Vincent is ok. The rest of this record is really boring.
I like Don McLean, probably more than I should. Has American Pie been overplayed? Yes. Will I still sing along at the top of my lungs every time it's on? Also yes. The rest of the album is good. Vincent is a standout, but the rest of the songs are nice, easy to listen to singer/songwriter songs. This was perfect to listen to while making dinner.
Booooooooringggg Every song is very strung out Listen to one song listen to every song Not offensive but also not good 11/10/2023
I like American folk, but... goddamn isn't the American Pie a great song. I can only compare it to the Piano Man of Billy Joel in the terms of the pure flow, atmosphere and storytelling.
I've never personally been a big fan of the title track so going into this I thought I would have a pretty rough time. It turns out I was pleasantly surprised by most of this. As an album it's a little odd but it has a few really solid songs looping in themes of post 60s disillusionment and melancholy.
American Pie is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Don McLean, released by United Artists Records in October 1971. The album is a mix of folk and rock genres, with a soft rock, AM pop, and singer-songwriter style The album contains the chart-topping singles "American Pie" and "Vincent". The title track is an eight and a half minute, folk-rock epic, split over two sides of a single and leading off McLean's eponymous second album. The song is about the cultural and political decline of the US in the 1960s, a farewell to the American dream after the assassination of President Kennedy The song is full of sadness, joy, and subtle messaging to "The Day The Music Died" or the plane crash that sadly took the lives of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens in the year 1959 .The album has a consistent listen, with no oddballs anywhere on the record. It's primarily acoustic with very sparse instrumentation, much like the title track The album has been described as a timeless classic in the singer-songwriter genre . The album is Don McLean's crowning achievement Pros: The album contains the iconic title track "American Pie" and other folk rock and acoustic gems like "Vincent" and "Empty Chairs" The album is a mix of folk and rock genres, with a soft rock, AM pop, and singer-songwriter style The album is a consistent listen, with no oddballs anywhere on the record. It's primarily acoustic with very sparse instrumentation, much like the title track The album has been described as a timeless classic in the singer-songwriter genre American Pie by Don McLean is a timeless classic in the singer-songwriter genre. The album is a mix of folk and rock genres, with a soft rock, AM pop, and singer-songwriter style. The album contains the iconic title track "American Pie" and other folk rock and acoustic gems like "Vincent" and "Empty Chairs". The album is a consistent listen, with no oddballs anywhere on the record. It's primarily acoustic with very sparse instrumentation, much like the title track.
Title track is iconic but the remainder falls flat. Starts with a bang though
Mainly known for the big song, the rest were okay, nothing memorable but fine background music. An okay album for me.
American Pie est une très bonne chanson, le reste était ok
A really talented singer songwriter, who has created music that has stayed the test of time. People have called him a one hit wonder because other than the brilliance of his iconic American Pie track, some people just write the rest of his work off as boring. Which it isn't, some of his arrangements are simple genius. That said, there are a few dull tracks on this album, as there are on many albums, the filler tracks, but the still don't take away from this accomplished artist.
A thoughtful album full of deep sad lyrics. The tempo never really gets above grass growing speeds. But there are times when that is what is required. So this may not be an album for everyday listening, but those times when love has gone, crops haven't grown and your dog has died then this is the album you need.
only gettting a three store bc of the title track. everything else is forgettable
Cousin Donny with a solid Americana staple
Gets a 3 just bc title track is just so damn good. Album should close with it tbh. Because it’s all down hill pretty hard from there.
Hadn’t heard anything aside from American Pie up to this point. Pretty much what I had expected overall. East listening, folk, gentle vocals and guitar. Everybody Loves me breathes some needed life back into it on the later half, enjoyed Winterwood and the Grave as well. Decent listen 3 stars
I was expecting a cheesefest, yet some of the songs on this LP are surprisingly good. Of course the insanely famous title track--a nostalgic epic about rock'n'roll pioneers--is deservedly iconic and catchy. Yet it's songs like "'Till Tomorrow", "Vincent" or "Sister Fatima" that just might make the album a worthy addition to this list. Even more impressive (and highly unexpected) is the very dark tone of the last two tracks: McLean's vocal performance is still a little hackneyed on "The Grave", sure... but gosh, what an effective and moving song about the horrors of war ; and that short cover of the biblical anthem "Babylon" is a mesmerizing mystical capper for this LP... Obviously, there's still a lot of trite or quaint moments in this record that could be taken quite derisively by this listener (all of them in the middle of the album). Yet I have to admit that the dynamic way McLean went from one mood to the next surprised me here. 3/5 for the purposes of this list, translating to a 8/10 grade for more general purposes (5+3). Number of albums left to review: 391 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 277 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 145 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 193
One remembers finding this record boring outside the title track and "Vincent" on first listenings (circa high school, circa college). Now (circa late middle age), one finds it tunefully gentle and mellow and almost lovely. Funny, that. "Till Tomorrow" sounds like John Denver and the whole things feels honest and earnest and authentic and wholesomely mellow and all natural and free range and cruelty-free and sustainably raised and 100% organic. "Winterwood" is lovely, as is "Empty Chairs." As good as Simon and Garfunkel? Yes, perhaps. Plus, one has always liked the cover shot, too. "American Pie" remains what it has always been – a true slice of rollicking Americana, overexposed for a reason.
American Pie and Vincent on one album? Yes, please This was very lovely. He is quite the wordsmith and the melodies are beautiful. The only criticism I can think of is that some of the songs sound more like less good Vincents and less like their own thing.
Better than expected for me Very good lyricist and composer
10/10
American pie is a great song . The rest is not bad I just couldn’t get into it. Kind of boring 2.5
American pie and Vincent are good, but the other songs kind of just sound like those, especially everybody loves me. Idk it’s definitely pretty good but just doesn’t really do it for me. Reminds me of James Taylor and jimmy buffet, kinda “old white guy on a boat” vibes
I think American pie is great and very nostalgic for me as my dads family loves this song. I really liked Vincent
I cannot go above 2 because American Pie is the worst song of all time. I don’t mind the rest of it in a John Denver sort of way.
And Jon Good
Where was this album during my depressive episode last year?
Beautiful
I just can't listen to country music
Any album with American Pie and Vincent on is gotta be good. Don isn't remembered that well it seems now but he is a great writer, musician and singer. Some of the melodies sound kinda similar I'll admit (like Vincent and Empty Chairs) but they're so beautiful nevertheless. His voice is so soothing and resonant and guitar playing accomplished. Easiest 5/5 in a while
I really dig this one. American Pie is a massive hit, the rest of the album has a kind of serene sadness that I really like.
Ágætt, betra en mig minnti.
Don McLean doing what Don McLean does best.
Folk. Demasiadas canciones lentas para vinilo.
American Pie, Vicent. Tranquilo. Con canciones que recuerdan a American Pie y a otras.
I've only heard the song American Pie and don't mind it, but find it overly long. After listening to the album, I can see why this is the song that gained popularity. 2.5/5
Beautiful, Vincent is a true highlight and will listen to this for years to come
The highlight of the album is just the one song, "American Pie". The other tracks are more or less traditional folk songs, and, yeah, they are a little boring.
Boring other than a few songs. Alfa length of the last song.
kinda boring, good length, 3.5 babylon
Boring
I enjoyed listening, it was a beautiful voice and beautiful music. It lacked some movement but overall very enjoyable
Don McLean has two good songs and they are both on this album
Other than one of the most overplayed songs ever, it’s ok at best.
Besides "American Pie," which became an anthem for a wide range of situations and the mandatory soundtrack for half of the movies/series produced in the USA, since it is indeed a great song, the rest of the album is not bad but is forgettable.
When you think of a song that is the best example of a "career defining song (or album)" by a musician, I immediately think of Don McLean's, American Pie. That song, American Pie is one of those epic songs that people either love or hate. I guess you would be considered "un-American" if you hated it, but it's more because of it's mass over-exposure and being told it's the greatest American song ever. In some ways, I feel sorry for McLean. Sure, the song made him rich (he still makes between $300,000-$500,000 per year in royalties!) and famous with many accolades to his name thanks to American Pie, but it's one of those songs that a musician is condemned to perform at every single show (think Del Shannon)! I'm sure he's contractually obligated to play it and could you imagine the outrage if his concert didn't include this 8 1/2 minute song? The record label and McLean were smart enough to title the album after the song to avoid confusion at the record store so they don't accidentally buy one of his many other albums by mistake. Anyways, you can't deny it, it's a good song, the rest of the album is average (3 stars) and the song probably deserves another star.
I imagine the biggest surprise to non Americans is that they know 2 Don McLean songs (Vincent). I do recognise the splendour of American Pie - and wonder that if Don knew the impact it would have he wouldn't have put it first in the album. As just everything else will get compared, and let's be honest, the rest of the album compares poorly, but to be fair, what wouldn't? Is it a great album? Nah. One of the greatest songs? Of course.
-1 star for the diversion in the middle to just be a #sadboy that’s weird about his former women lovers. and also for the women everywhere who have had music from this record played At them by a dude with a guitar like in barbie. first three are outstanding in a singles way, final three or four are outstanding in a deep cut way
A beautiful album.
Heard it a lot but very good
I'm glad I finally listened to this the whole way through, since I've always considered the title track to be a 10/10, but never bothered with the rest of the album. Vincent is especially moving, it's unusual to hear a man of that generation write a sort of platonic love song to another man. The last 3 songs were a bit too "Sunday School" for me though.
It’s a real bummer it starts off with an absolute classic because every song afterwards feels like a letdown. Maybe one or two more really good songs scattered throughout the rest. 5/10
3.5 maybe? Title song and Vincent give it that rating the rest was ok.
I had low expectations of variations on the theme of "American Pie," and that's pretty much what I got. What was surprising was that it didn't turn out to be a bad thing and McLean's brand of cornfield melancholy doesn't outstay its welcome. Edit: I've got to stop looking at the Wiki pages for artists on here. What a dick!
Very Americana. Idk that its 10% my jam.
An actual surprise & delight
this is such a weird album. one of the best songs of all time, a bunch of slow acoustic songs, a song from the POV of an incel, a song about a guy literally in a war, Babylon??
Great album. Glad to hear the whole thing after the first song.
Old school straight American. Would listen to some songs again.
A long long time ago in an Irish pub far far away… Simple piano and Don singing softly. Quite a range of topics here: lost love, suicide, etc. But “American Pie” is carrying the weight here. I won’t be back for the rest of the album.
American Pie, the song, is a classic. It is an anthem for the USA. To be required at every BBQ. It is a 5. However, I can’t recall if I have ever consciously listened to the entire song from start to finish. I always zone out and snap awake when he sings “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick”. It always happens. It’s just too damn long. Then I find out that the entire album is just different versions of American Pie… well that just has to be immediately forgotten, and I have to pretend that the song is only 3 minutes of perfection where I chat with my friends in the sunshine, to lovely smells of smoked meats, and booms of fireworks. -Speaking of 3.
Seeing the album cover art, I started listening with a negative mindset, but I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It's pensive and thoughtful folk music for the most part. He dedicated the album to Buddy Holly, and the title track includes the line "the day the music died" which is how that 1959 tragedy is now known as.
It's very nice. Does anybody else think 'Empty Chairs' is a re-write of the very-good 'Vincent'? All over this album, the melodies start to sound somewhat familiar. Also: his voice sounds very much like Loudon Wainwright III
I’ve heard “American Pie” probably hundreds of times in the last decade or so, but so haven’t listened to it since I was a kid until this listen. It deserves to be every bit the American classic that it has become.
It was alright, but really it was "American Pie" that pulled it up to a 3.
A beautiful collection of songs. Really enjoyed it.
4,5
The song title that launched a thousand terrible movies that are still floundering at the bottom of Wal-Mart DVD bins. As for the album, it's all pretty good. The title track would've been so much better at the very end, in my opinion.
Drove my Chevy to the levy
You know, the American Pie is gets goofed on a lot as a song, but despite it's cheesiness, I have always really loved it. My familiarity with Don McLean basically starts and ends there. This album was great though, starts off with that familiar song and then doesn't veer much from that sound, over a quick and succinct album. Real pleasure on a Sunday morning.
Too melancholic for my taste.
honestly vincent is pretty. but i hate american pie as a song it’s just. idk. a quintessential boomer song. it’s a good album but i fucking hate the cover and the title track. i understand that it is a good song and i kinda like the story but ya. it’s kind of a boring album but i didn’t hate it entirely.
After 30 years of not listening to the song because of American Pie "fatigue", I have to admit that it really is one hell of a good song. I know that the song is specifically about Buddy Holly's death, but some of the other references, including "birds" and "eight miles", also have me believing that the "day the music died" was also referring to Altamont and how that weekend brought the whole Woodstock/Summer of Love era to a crashing halt. American Pie then stands as bookends to two major rock music eras. The rest of the songs are pretty good folk tunes, but aren't very varied or imaginative. It's obvious that Don was breaking his neck trying to sound like Paul Simon, but coming up a bit short. Still, this entire album was a very strong effort, but didn't quite deliver.
This was such a great surprise and I don't know why!? I just associate American Pie with the films which are completely gross haha this is a symptom of being born in the early 90s I guess. I hadn't realised how long it was either, I didn't even mind which is huge! I thought Vincent was a Beatles song for some reason haha! I've heard so many people cover it including a good friend of mine who often plays Beatles tracks. Don McLean what a song-writer! Guy knows how to write a beautiful song and a really fun song too. Quite a fun little discovery! Ooh Babylon right at the end, super cool!
Well this is twee as hell right but man I really liked it. My mum really likes American Pie and it's just feel good music right. I'm going to give it a 4!
Cheesy as hell but good fun.
American Pie is such a great song
The title track and Vincent are obviously Seventies standards and I like the cover photo, but the rest of the album leaves me a bit cold 🥶
It’s like a happy Bob Dylan with a little Billy Joel thrown in possibly? It’s very much focussed on the American Pie song I guess, everything else pales in comparison - and even that is a bit too overplayed and overdone to be welcome. It’s not a bad album - just not a must listen.
It sometimes mystified me why the long, inscrutable ("but the levee was dry") song "American Pie" had such an impact, but when my 16-year-old son sang all the lyrics along with the entire song this morning in the car (it lasted the entire commute, plus 30 more seconds that he insisted on finishing before he got out) it did really hit me how much it has connected with people for the last 50 years. This time I got to hear it for the first time in the context of a whole album, and it was a pretty wonderful experience. You might even say McLean was killing me softly with his song. (I always thought that song was inscrutable, too, but now I know.) I hadn't really listened closely to "Vincent" in a long time, but this time I could vividly picture each of the paintings he was singing about and Vincent's eyes of china blue (that one is less inscrutable now). Marvelous. All of the other songs (besides the beautiful, not-Boney-M., "Babylon") were new to me, and I could listen to them again and again. "Crossroads" was a song that particularly spoke to me today.
Most of this album was totally new to me. I did kind of find it a little stylistically limited, but it was a good style for me today.
As many times as I've heard them, American Pie and Vincent both still give me chills. The rest of the album is more of the same: evocative poetry set to lovely folk guitar. Very moving.
It has been a very long time since I’ve listened to this lovely album, so long that I had forgotten most of the tracks. I enjoyed it today more than ever. Excellent!
When this came out of the gate with "American Pie" I fully expected it to be a downhill coast from there. I was wrong. Turns out, Don's a beast of a songwriter. These songs are wonderfully written, beautifully performed, and exceptionally well recorded. Are they all "American Pie"? No, of course not. But there's not a dud in the bunch. Not even compared to the elephant in the room that is the title track. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the hell out of it. Full marks.
American Pie and Vincent are rightly classics. Otherwise a bit bland
this album was better than I expected! id never heard the studio version of American pie before and it did wayyy more than I thought it would. the first half of the album unfortunately blows the second half out of the water. Vincent is cool track 2 is cool
+1 for Till Tomorrow
Lost me in the middle but overall good folk album. May need repeat listens
oh man, I thought this was going to be good. But now I realize Don McLean was just another 60s/70s folk singer who would have been lost to the dustbin of history if it weren't for one super hit. And on re-listening to American Pie for the first time in many years, it's catchy but McLean's singing voice is still annoying.
Better than I expected, but I still consider Don McLean a one hit wonder. And what an annoying played out hit American Pie has become. Some decent other tracks mixed in here, almost convinced myself this could be a 3, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Love the first song... and not so much the rest of the album
A couple classics on here
He's so much more than American Pie. Vincent is masterful.
American Pie: a soaring eagle Everything else: subpar
Iconic title song, but I think the album will take a few more listens to really sink in.
toppen jueh
This is a really easy listen, with the absolute belter of the titular song to start, and alot of good music from there on out
American Pie
Don McLean goes all in with the opening song "American Pie" but runs on fumes for the rest of the album. The rest isn't bad but it's impossible to match the first song.
The whole album is more than just American Pie! Aside from the classic of classics, there's a lot of excellent era appropriate folk blended with a bit of country and Don McLean's own sound.
Easy listening. No faults here. Minus one because it's a little too cliche.
okay gentle strummy guitar stuff. dramatic sad sounding okayness to rest to. i dont know, everyone knows the song about dead musicians. they died in a plane crash. weep for them. or dont. don mclean stays downtempo and slow, which for me isnt much fun. where the prog at?
Way better than expected, especially with my fairly neutral stance on the title track. The chilled folk rock are surprisingly entertaining, with a few more upbeat songs sandwich he'd between. It's like a road trip through America, jumping between the optimism of the 50s and 60s and the darker folkier side of the 70s. 26/04/23
A long, long time ago In a galaxy far away Naboo was under an attack And I thought me and Qui-Gon Jinn Could talk the federation in To maybe cutting them a little slack But their response, it didn't thrill us They locked the doors and tried to kill us We escaped from that gas Then met Jar-Jar and Boss Nass We took a bongo from the scene And we went to Theed to see the Queen We all wound up on Tatooine That's where we found this boy Oh my, my this here Anakin guy Maybe Vader someday later, now he's just a small fry He left his home and kissed his mommy goodbye Sayin', "Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi" Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi Did you know this junkyard slave Isn't even old enough to shave But he can use the Force, they say Ahh, do you see him hitting on the queen Though he's just nine and she's 14 Yeah, he's probably gonna marry her someday Well, I know he built C-3PO And I've heard how fast his pod can go And we were broke, it's true So we made a wager or two He was a pre-pubescent flyin' ace And the minute Jabba started off that race Well, I knew who would win first place Oh yes, it was our boy We started singin' My, my this here Anakin guy Maybe Vader someday later, now he's just a small fry And he left his home and kissed his mommy goodbye Sayin', "Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi" Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi Now we finally got to Coruscant The Jedi Council we knew would want To see how good the boy could be So we took him there and we told the tale How his midichlorians were off the scale And he might fulfill that prophecy Oh, the Council was impressed, of course Could he bring balance, to the Force? They interviewed the kid All training they forbid Because Yoda sensed in him much fear And Qui-Gon said, "Now listen here" Just stick it in your pointy ear I still will teach this boy He was singin' My, my this here Anakin guy Maybe Vader someday later, now he's just a small fry And he left his home and kissed his mommy goodbye Sayin', "Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi" Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi We caught a ride back to Naboo 'Cause Queen Amidala wanted to I frankly would've liked to stay We all fought in that epic war And it wasn't long at all before Little Hotshot flew his plane and saved the day And in the end some Gunguns died Some ships blew up and some pilots fried A lot of folks were croakin' The battle droids were broken And the Jedi I admire most Met up with Darth Maul and now he's toast Well, I'm still here, and he's a ghost I guess I'll train this boy And I was singin' My, my this here Anakin guy Maybe Vader someday later, now he's just a small fry And he left his home and kissed his mommy goodbye Sayin', "Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi" Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi We were singin' My, my this here Anakin guy Maybe Vader someday later, now he's just a small fry And he left his home and kissed his mommy goodbye Sayin', "Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi" Weird Al did it better. 2/5
If I wrote American Pie and Vincent, I would gladly ride that for the rest of my natural life. Those songs will easily outlive my bones. Everything else about this album is clearly a product of its time: McClean's vocals are lovely, the mix on the full band arrangements are delightful, and this is an album anyone's grandma can enjoy. But to have written two songs for the same album that are such monumental compositions? Yeah, coast on that, man. You earned it.
Tres bon j’ai adore, american pie premiere chanson va diretement dans mes chansons aimes . 4.75
It’s a bit ‘churchy’ at times but still a great album. Highlights are Vincent, Empty Chairs, Gravestone.
2/5 just because I like the title track 😅
He's got a really great voice and some good lyrics.
A pleasant enough album, not many notable tracks for me and not likely to be back to listen to the whole but did put a few into a folk playlist.
American Pie and Vincent are instantly recognized classics. While the rest of the songs didn't reach those highs, I still feel like it kept a high standard. There were a bit too many ballads or ballad-like songs for my taste, so it will get a strong 3.
Man American Pie is such a good song, found myself humming along a few minutes in. Must be one of the first songs i listened to a lot when i started to get interested in music. Many songs where beautiful like Vincent and his voice is great. I felt the album became a bit samey toward the end. Fun listened since i only knew the song "American Pie" before.
Vincent and American Pie lift this album up.
I was surprised that I knew more than just the title track; "Vincent" was familiar as well. I'd never deliberately listened to Don McLean before but this was pretty good. I like folk so I liked this. I probably wouldn't listen to it again but I'll be adding "Vincent" to my 1001 highlights playlist.
Don has a very full voice that stands out from the soft airy vocals I’m used to hearing in folk music. I expected a title track and 30 minutes of filler, but I see how someone could get really into this album. Not me though I probably won’t come back to it. Cover art: 3/10 👍: title track, everybody loves me baby(if it’s satire), babylon 👎: everybody loves me baby (if it’s not satire)
I wanted to like this one more than I did but didn’t really get into it. His slower songs felt like Nick Drake/Leonard cohen songs and the wordy rock songs felt like mid 60s Dylan but nothing seemed all that original to himself or better done than those artists. I guess it makes sense that the best song is an ode to other pop icons he listened to. That being said, the songs were all still decent and American Pie is a classic for a reason. Feel like this one could grow on me but just wasn’t feeling it today. 👍: American pie, Empty chairs
Mid album, I liked one of the later songs but overall a dull album
Bruh my entire review got deleted. Fuck it.
Before I went to bed last night, I saw this was the album on the slate for today and had already written it off. I figured it was only on here for the title track and understandably so. A lot can be said about the title track, as it’s one of the most impressive pieces of songwriting ever, so dense with metaphors, it will make your head spin. While probably overplayed and not exactly an everyday listen, it deserves all the praise it gets. Now that that’s out of the way, let me just say, I love the rest of this album. Without the title track, this album is an incredibly easy listen at only 26 minutes. It provides beautiful melodies and some truly heartfelt moments. And in case “American pie” didn’t have you sold, McClean continues to showcase his masterful songwriting in songs like “Vincent” and “the grave”. Heard before: American pie The good: AP, till tomorrow, vincent, the grave, pretty much everything Okay, I’ll say something bad about it: While it’s not a bad song, why was “everybody loves me, baby” on this album? It just seems out of place. It’s also unfortunate that the albums two weakest tracks (“sister Fatima” and “Babylon” are two of the last 3. I would’ve liked a stronger ending. Overall, this album seems to have gotten a raw deal, suffering from the success of the title track and forever left in its shadow. The world owes you an apology Mr. McLean; this album deserves better.
That song is so good, though the rest is forgettable.
Listening to this again, I realized that a lot of the lyrics really aren't that cryptic. The marching band is pretty clearly the Beatles (esp. given the reference to the sergeant). And the jester is Dylan, given the reference to his coat (and the album cover to his second album) and being on the sideline in a cast. I suppose the King is Elvis. Not sure about the Queen, but that may have just been a songwriter's embellishment. Very good album Four stars.
3.4 - Extremely earnest, often cloyingly so. For example, there's the saccharin ode to Van Gogh on "Vincent." He also pays tribute to a florist on 42nd St in the somewhat touching but mostly sappy "Sister Fatima." To make this album even more on par for the era, McLean rounds it out with an anti-war protest song ("The Grave"). Still, there are more than a few stirring moments on the beloved title track that excuse many of the sentimental excesses.
Let's be real, this album is only known for American Pie. Honestly, probably not a bad thing, though I didn't realise it is an eight and a half minute song! It was ok, nothing to write home about, but also not my preferred style of music. Best: American Pie Worst: The Grave 2.5 Stars
Classic title track. Beautiful songs. Good for peaceful background music. Relatively slow.
This was a little mellower and more folksy than the title track.
Slaps
The older I get the more this kind of music speaks to me, my fifth grade teacher played American Pie to the class for his birthday happy b day Mr. Burke
Very iconic album and self titled song. I don’t know a single person who doesn’t know the song American Pie and that says something. All other songs are just as good and some even very underrated. Such a great voice to listen to. First time listening all the way through and was a very good listen.
Fun, classic, almost pop-ey rock
I didn't listen the album in its entirety. Sort of lost interest in it about halfway through.
Sounds like a white picket fence and freshly baked apple pie.
I kind of expected for there to be a couple hits on here, and then the rest would be boring, but I enjoyed a lot of the songs. I'm glad that this was better than expected. My favourite songs were Vincent, The Grave, and Babylon.
This is one of my favourite albums. There’s a fair bit of filler but the good tracks are great.
American pie i vincent su jedine dvi koje sam zapamtio i tako je ostalo
Solid album. The only song I knew well was American Pie, classic
Is the title track the best song? Yeah, by far. Are the other tracks bad? Nah 4/5
Genre: Classic rock Review: The eponymous track from this album is one of my all-time favourites, but it also happened to be the only Don McLean track I had ever heard. But the rest of this album is pretty damn great by itself. A mix of cheerful tracks with quick, up-tempo beats and slower, introspective tunes makes for an album well worth its reputation as one of the greatest. Rating: 9/10
The title track is the clear standout, but it's more than a decent album otherwise. The Grave is excellent, really tugged at my heartstrings. The album overall had a Simon-and-Garfunkelesque feel, and that's never a bad thing!
Ugh, this guy. "American Pie" - No one should make songs about "The King" and "The Jester" unless their name is "Bob" and "Dylan". This is one of the songs that gave boomers their insufferable status. Good piano playing (McLean is not playing it). I'm not going to track by track this one. It mirrors other stuff coming out at the same time. It's Paul Simon without the plain observation, Nick Drake without the sincerity, Joan Baez without taking a stand, Lenard Cohen for optimists. It sounds very cleanly produced, I'm sure that's a big reason why it's on this list. But I'm not a studio technician, so whadda ya gonna do.
American pie is the cream of the crop
I knew more of these than I realised
Absolutely great opening and self titled opening song, for the remembrance of Buddy Holly and friends. One of the greatest ever in the folk genre. The rest of the album is rather average, it reminds me of some of the songs by Paul Simon, but nothing actually stands out enough to describe it in more details. Interesting piece of history, hood to know the album, but nothing exceptional.
One year during high school, on the fourth of July, a bunch of my friends were hanging out. My friend Andy decided, for reasons that I have since forgotten, that we would listen to American Pie. On repeat. For hours. The funny thing about this song is that it's long enough that you can keep it going for a few hours without getting too sick of it. We continued on way past that point, to the point where I fucking hated this song and Don McLean. We kept listening. Eventually my loathing of the song gave way to pure affection, and that's where I've been ever since. I still know all the words. Unfortunately, American Pie is the only thing that's really worth talking about on this album. It's fine, but uninteresting. Sort of like if they put that ChumbaWumba album on this list 3/5, with one song doing all of the work, just like every group project I did in school
Overraskende likt Nick Drake. Noen fine spor jeg ikke hadde hørt før.
I cant even think of another so Don McLean song other than American Pie. I cant even count how many times I've listened to the the title track. Yes Don, Music can save your mortal soul. Really like The Grave. I've heard Vincent a million times or at least the NOFX cover not realizing it was written by Don McLean. I'm a sucker for well executed singing in rounds so really dug Babylon.
Corny
I love sad stuff and this sounds like the kinda song I'm gonna put on twice because the first time didn't hurt me enough. Well maybe three times because Till Tomorrow was so short. Overall it's only iconic because of two songs and most of the other stuff isn't nearly as strong to hold interest over repeat listens.
I enjoyed it I guess. Feels like the whole album happened and I didn't realize it. As in, nothing stood out to me.
Som en fattigmans Bob Dylan men med jättetråkiga pianolåtar
Average and accepted.
Lovely and bittersweet acoustic folk rock, with a surprising depth. I did not expect to particularly like this one, but it was really excellent. You can hear the influence of Pete Seeger in Don McLean's vocal style, but I'm also hearing little hints of English/Celtic folk, which is really nice. The title track is the one everyone knows, but there are some stellar deep cuts here. Fave Songs: Vincent, Till Tomorrow, American Pie, Crossroads, Empty Chairs, The Grave
first listen a bonafide american folk classic
I've never really liked American Pie (the song), it goes for too long and folk rock (term used very loosely) isn't my thing. Never heard the rest though. Never mind, the rest is basically b-sides of the same shit. Gets a 2/5 because it was only half an hour.
хороший альбом. на Empty Chairs меня знатно унесло, хотя вайб жизни сейчас не такой меланхоличный как альбом. и очень неожиданно (я бы сказал, неожиданно приятно) было услышать дальше достаточно ободряющий трек - Everybody loves me, Baby отдельно отмечу лирику; она очень очень хороша и очень неожиданно слышать в качестве песни, закрывающей альбом такую необычную Babylon (которая очевидно сделано по привычному мотиву частушек)
Удивительно точный слепок эпохи и отражения жизни + офигенное аккомпонирование, которое полностью поглощает + очень приятный сладковатый голос Алкоальбом: коньяк у костра в глуши
Баааай баай зис амэрикан пааай... Вообще поскольку надо бы делать развернутые рецензии, то расскажу историю. С творчеством Дона МакЛина я познакомился благодаря... группе Сплин. Да, я был огромным сплиноманом в школе, у меня даже кликуха "сплин" была классе в 6-7ом. Так вот, в 2016 году вышел кавер Васильева (точнее был исполнен на концерте) с переводом песни Vincent на русский: "Звёзды среди звёзд". Перевод меня очень тронул, а, открыв оригинал, оказалось, что он очень близкий. В общем сплошной кайф. А вообще эта песня вдохновлена картиной Ван Гога "Звёздная Ночь" и посвящена художнику. Маримба в ней - кайф! Если мы говорим о бард-роке, то вот это, имхо, то, как он должен быть сделан. Вспоминая Билли Брага, American Pie сделан в 100 раз лучше: и по текстам, и по музыке, и по сведению. Тексты здесь надо отдельно выделить, очень много сравнений и классных метафор. А особенно альбом красен настроениями: от лиричных баллад до кантри и блюза. Хз, вот даже пятерку что ли влепить... да, влепить!
Ну безумно солнечный и саундтрековый альбом. Какой-то нотки для 5 не хватило, но впечатления исключительно положительные
I won’t turn Don McLean off, but I am never thinking “oh, I need some Don McLean.”
The rest of the album isn't as good as the title track. Kinda middle of the road, but the album gets at least a 3 from me off just one song.
Everyone knows the opener, and it's a good song (although overstays its welcome by about 50%), but the rest is really average, nothing I could ever see myself going back and listening to again. Very beige, slow songwriting. You can get away with pretty banal lyrics if the music has enough energy and interest to get you through it without really thinking, but this is slow, and lyrics-focused without the good lyrics to actually focus on. 2/5.
Opening song is amazing. The reset is great but not at the same level. Great voice
If an album was a sixth form common room
Dramatic fall in quality after the first track.
Blerg
I forgot that American Pie was 9 minutes. A fun song but definitely the main reason this album is on the list. I liked Everybody Loves Me Baby a lot too. Took a strange turn at the end.
2 powerful songs. American Pie is iconic. Vincent is my private treasure.
something in me hit rock bottom, the day the music died.
Not always my kind of thing and a few of the tracks don't do it for me. But it's a great example of what it is; really authentic American folk. Sister Fatima is a beauty
The album as a whole is just pretty ok. But the titular track and "Vincent" are all time classics and I know every single word of both. Other highlights for me were "Till Tomorrow" and "The Grave". All together I am putting it down as a 4, but the two tracks I mentioned first are both 10/5 star songs. I sat down with a glass of rye while listening, it just felt right.
Scale: 1: Dissapointing 2: Didn't enjoy 3: Decent 4: Enjoyed 5: Would listen again (My first impression if not mentioned otherwise in a comment) American Pie: 4/5, i long songs but this song was actually nice Till Tomorrow: 3/5, fine Vincent: 2.5/5, literally the same song as before Crossroads: 2/5 the same song Winterwood: 2.5/5 ok Empty Chairs: 1/5, worst one so far Everybody Loves Me, Baby: 1/5, annoying Sister Fatima: 2/5, nope The Grave: 3/5, fine Babylon: 4/5, cool song for the end Overall: 2.5/5, started off good ended off good but the middle part was annyoing and basically bad song after bad song. barely a 3.
Never actually sat down and listened to the title song, I basically only ever hear it driving or shopping; it's fun if overplayed, but the rest of the thing wasn't anything to write home about
American Pie is iconic. Vincent is gorgeous. First half was absolutely captivating and it went downhill a bit after that, but it was still listenable for sure just a little repetitive for my ears.
two good songs but alas the rest are sappy and boring
3 stelle
You know you’re enjoying the album when every song seems to end too soon. Even the title track, which is more than 8 min long.
Iconic
Simple with beautiful, earnest lyrics.
Vincent is a great track but the rest of the album doesn't do much for me
- Remakes and covers of old songs? - Very Top Gun 2 ish - I likes the songs, especially "Everybody Loves Me, Baby"
Don McLean will always remind me of the year we (Danny) lived with Dan and Jason and Carmen. In spite of that, I love him. I was most familiar with his greatest hits album so it was fun to listen to this full album. 'American Pie' is pretty perfect to me and 'Vincent' always makes my voice break when I sing it. If ever an album made me want to sit by an open window in Spring after a long Winter it's this one. Simultaneously exhausted and hopeful. I really loved his performance of 'Babylon'. PS. He's still alive and touring! He's in Australia in April!
This album ws better than anticipated.
2/5. American Pie the song is great and there are some other good ones here but they do just feel like covers of better singers and writers. It’s okay to listen to but don’t think I’ll be returning.
Vincent...
Ik kende enkel de titelsong en had een vrolijker album verwacht. Ik was licht teleurgesteld
This album is actually marvelous
One hit wonder
One hit wonder
With complete honesty, I got a bit bored of this album after the first song. McLean has a beautiful voice and can definitely write a sad song, but other than that, I didn't find appeal. Fave track(s): American Pie
This album makes no sense. 10 songs, 36 minutes, but 9 of them are the opening track. You forget just how long the song American Pie goes on, god forgive anyone who picks it as a karaoke song as it takes half the night. There's absolutely no surprises here because everyone knows the song, and the rest of the album goes in the same vein. I'd quite like to listen to an album of tracks that are more like the ones you haven't heard before as I think it'd probably be better.
Simple and peaceful folk music. Cool... not. Melodies and lyrics are pretty (reminds me a bit of Donovan), but they're all boring and predictable, not capable of offering anything interesting. Everyone loves "American Pie" and I agree it's not just a cultural icon but a fantastic folk rock composition. I started to like "Till Tomorrow" and "Vincent" when the mood was fresh until I realized this was pretty much going to be the rest of the album. "Crossroads" is a pathetically lame ballad, "Winterwood" is shitty country, "Empty Chairs" is the most forgettable song despite having the 3rd most plays, "Everybody Loves Me Baby" is a 2nd-rate "American Pie," and "Sister Fatima" tries to put a Cohen with the guitar but misses the point. I actually like the ominous vibe of the closing two tracks... kinda reminds me of 2000s indie folk like Mountain Goats. Favorites: American Pie, Vincent, The Grave
Amazing folk album, with lovely understated acoustic guitar, and outstanding vocal performances.
LP
I enjoyed this album a lot more than o thought I would. American pie is of course a classic but the full version is looooong. You just have to get right into it. I loved the track “everybody loves me what’s the matter with you?”
Dit verdient meer aandacht dan ik vandaag bereid ben te geven. Derhalve hou ik het op 3 sterren. Eigenlijk zou ik dit later nog eens moeten proberen, maar dat zit er vast niet meer in.
Behalve de titelsong kon het mij verder weinig boeien
Fijne stem heeft Don! En zijn liedjes zijn ook best in orde.
Mooie stem. Eerste lied geweldig.
One of the most famous songs during my youth. Still worth-while listening.
Title track is of course an all time great, I actually liked the rest of the album even though it's not similar to that. It's soft and sad songs. 3.6
Titelspåret är ju en klassiker men i övrigt var det inte särskilt kul.
American Pie e dessverre ein av dei sangane som plage meg mest i verden. Resten va ok-
American Pie (the song) slaps but I don't think I've heard anything else from him. While that song is obviously tough to beat with how epic, insightful and gorgeous it is, the rest of the album is really great too. He has a fantastic voice and his lyrics are really poignant.
What happened to this sensitive poetic man?
Between 3 and 4 stars. I forgot to rate this right away and although Don McLean goes on the "dad" pile it didn't give me as generic of dad vibes as some other albums, but I recall that it had a depressing vibe.
I liked this album. The headline maker is obviously the titular song, but there are some other tracks that stuck out to me too. Winterwood was my favorite non-American Pie track. Everybody Loves Me, Baby and Babylon are also interesting to me. Nice album, Mr. McLean
Obviously everyone loves American Pie. Correction: everyone loves the situation that surrounds a crowd singing the song in unison but may not necessarily love the song itself. It has that group dynamic. After that song, this album has nothing left to offer except generic old folk singing. If you like that, you’ll like this but it doesn’t stand out to some of the other great folk albums on this list.
I skipped the opening track, don't need to hear Pie ever again. Kept my expectations low, and I was pleasantly surprised by this album. A few poor tracks, but overall I didn't hate it.
Never really given much thought or time to Don Mclean, the album exceeded my expectations. Vincent was really really good. The Grave and Babylon were pretty good too. I also appreciate an album that is short and sweet. Well a lot more sad than sweet, but you know.
What a great album. I had no idea. His soft vocals melodic music and well written songs would have a place in today's music.
bye bye ms american pie!
Not only did Don McLean write two of my favourite tracks of all time - 'American Pie' and 'Vincent' - he also managed to put them on the same album. A record that stood upon the shoulder of the hippie movement of the late 60s but managed to create its very own long lasting cultural impact. McLeans voice is hauntingly beautiful - exemplified on the very visual anti-war track 'The Grave' - and his phrasings on the guitar matches it perfectly. His rendition of 'Babylon' as the closing track is also phenomenal. I don't have anything bad to say about this record at all.
How can you not love an album that includes both “American Pie” and the incredibly beautiful “Vincent”? Aside from those stellar tracks this is packed with great folk songs reaching a climax on the haunting and breathtaking “The Grave”.
Folk tanquil amb un temazo, alguna cançó més animada
Bold to open with an 8 min song. Rest of album is fine, just not my vibe
Some dismally slow and sour guitar ballads bookended by great, uptempo folk rock. Some of the effort in ‘American Pie’ should’ve been smeared around the other tracks a bit more to make this a steadier listen.
This album, like many others, suffers from having a much weaker back half compared to the first few songs. American Pie the song is also clearly the best of the album so beginning with this song just makes the rest of the album seem worse than it is. Still, after listening to it for a second time with headphones, it makes for decent background music while doing other work. The only song that I didn't like after the second listen was Everybody Loves Me, Baby, so I will bump it up from a 2 to a 3. In summary, this is a decent album that just doesn't have enough great songs to make me want to keep going back to listen to it.
Starts off with a massive hit and then gets more folky and truthfully a little sleepy
Nice, some good tracks
right off great peaceful voice. american pie is a long song but you never feel like you’re waiting for it to end. vincent van gogh song. winterwood is terrible. goes up and down so unexpectedly and weirdly. the album is not what american pie gives it off to be. plenty of slow acoustic songs. but he doesn’t do the best with them. he seems to always miss the catch.
ну это скучно, такой музыки просто навалом
неожиданно много треков понравилось! без кантри мотивов вообще красиво
It's all a load of ballads. Don sounds like quite a nice guy, but nothing here really grabbed me. Seventies schmaltz.
You need to peel away the layers here. You need to forget about all those Shitty FM rotations of the lead track. Remove that memory of Tyson Fury and ringside karaoke. The only way to approach this album is to listen to it as a virgin. I felt alone and naked. But once your pants have been pulled down, American Pie is quite a song. I found it hard to pick up any reference points listening with fresh ears, Rock meets ragtime? The rest of the album was Paul Simon outtakes. Appalling.
An amazing album that I love listening to.
pretty dull aside from the one hit wonder. 3.
Vaatiminen... "Me vaadimme" 1917-marras. Aikaa kuluu ja tehtiin tammisaareen uusia kukkuloita.. tammisaarelaiset ei siitä paljoa.. EI PALJOA RUOTTALAISET TIEDÄ.. musiikin parhammistossa, täytyy näkyä että on ollut syy kirjoittaa musiikkia.... se on vaatimus.. välillä näin ei käy... silloin kirpaisee läpsästä vitosta....jos tavoitteena on ollut pophitti biisi.. relatable..... tässä näkyy kuitenkin valon pilke... JUMALAUTA LAASERI!! kappaleiden kirjoittamisen osalta.. Soundikin on ihan miellekäs.. Albumin nimikko on ensimmäisenä.. kiusallista.. Rock Epic.. Pitkä biisi.... se biisi mihin ollaan käytetty eniten vaivaa ja joka on selvästi paras.. paskaa... Meddle 1971... Aluks HYPE BIISI... vikana rock epic.... Myönnettäköön ei ole kaikilla varaa säästellä biiseissä, kun ollaa unkwnowneja.. Pitää täräyttää ensimmäisellä... Mutta mikä on Amerikan piirakan merkitys.. herra Don Mclean? en ymmärrä lyriikoita >:(! Hauska fakta: näin Don vastasi: Hehhehheh.. poika.. "It means I never have to work again." -Mclean icecold.. mic drop... "My 8th grade geography teacher used to work for him as a roadie or something back in the 70s. He told us that Don was one of the biggest ass holes that he had ever met... fun fact" "I googled "Don McLean asshole" and this* was the first result. Don even wrote a reply where he calls the guy names." *hyperlink poistettu
American country... 1 hit wonder. Sehr ruhig
This is a very pleasant album to listen to.
Some standouts but mostly boring.
not my thing
It’s got some undeniable hits including the title track, an 8-minute long epic that’ll live forever. Outside of one other song here everything else is…fine. McLean is clearly an icon…mainly from this album but for me it doesn’t carry enough.
Why even is this? I hate and have always hated the title track, and the rest is literally nothing.
This album is different from the other albums of folk or songwriters, it includes some sounds of rock however not all the album is like this, it keeps that folk sound.
Half mum sad songs. Album sounds like the guitar kid who's voice is bad. Yes he compensates for the cool melodies and guitar work but we're only half interested. Almost gave this a 2
I chose to listen to this as an antidote to some awful heavy metal that had hurt my ears. My folks used to have the album in the 70s and Vincent was my auntie’s favourite song. It really evoked the Age of Aquarius with women floating about in long white dresses, adorned with Daisy crowns. It’s very much a period piece. I couldn’t listen to it again for a while as it feels like I have a piece of fudge now stuck to the roof of my mouth. Cloying and sickly. But I did enjoy The Grave and Babylon as ways to wallow in an era now lost to us all.
Solid album. American Pie is obviously the standout song but many others were pleasant if not wholly memorable.
Yeah not too bad really. The title track is the obvious banger - long as it is. Rest of the album actually more folky and mellow which was pleasant enough given that Pie itself has that bluesy twang
The album doesn't really meet the high that the title track gives. A lot more of solo singer songwriter stuff than I was anticipating. Favorite tracks: "American Pie", "Babylon"
Listened Before? N This album is a mood. Once you get past the title track, the entire rest of the record feels like one long poem or song. It's pretty good, but it's too depressing for me today. I assume I would appreciate it more on a freezing cold, cloudy or rainy day. That being said: the title song stands apart. Everyone knows it, everyone knows at least some of the words. It's an amazing song that somehow makes one feel nostalgic for a time they didn't even live in. The song is a 10/10, the rest of the album is about a 6/10. We'll average this out to a 3.4/5... which basically rounds to a 3. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: American Pie
The title track has become such a totem of American culture, its impact and longevity almost improbable (hell, for almost 50 years it was the longest song to ever hit #1 on the Billboard chart), that it isn’t a surprise the rest of the album trembles in its shadow. But that isn’t to say the other songs aren’t worth listening to: “Vincent” in particular is a delicately crafted ode to Van Gogh that is remarkably sensitive about the often-taboo topic of mental illness.
The Rolling Stones get a raw deal on the main song, but there's so many great moments on here it'd be churlish to knock any marks off.
One knockout song, and the rest a bit ho-hum
My goodness this is good.
This album doesn’t have much for me. There’s a good reason why American Pie is the only song known from it.
Best song ever and the rest of the songs are great too.
Don McLean is a story teller. I love the imagery in his lyrics. Great vocals, piano and/ or guitar playing on every song. This album makes sense to me to include in this list as a perfect example of the singer/songwriter genre. "Vincent" is the song that sticks in my memory excluding the obvious "Anerican Pie". I love the hook created by the chord progression and rhythm. "American Pie" is a long song that doesn't become monotonous due to the engaging lyrics, emotion change in harmonic context, and the sing-a-long chorus. I rated it a four because it's not a go to album for me but it is a great reference album for writing music.
When I was really young, my dad sang American Pie around the house. The first time I heard it on the radio I was incredulous about how his song ended up there! Nostalgic 5. Otherwise, earnest man telling stories well.
I recently heard an interview on the radio with Don McLean. He seems like a genuinely sweet guy. That said, I cringed when this album showed up as the album of the day. I have a running list of "songs I never need to hear again in my life," and "American Pie" tops the list. [Notable others, as I'm sure you're super interested to know, include "Brown Eyed Girl," "Sweet Caroline," and anything that falls out of the mouth of Jimmy Buffet.] The song is 5:30 longer than necessary, it's ponderous, I've heard it way too many times... I'm beyond over it. I skipped it when listening to this album so that I wouldn't start off in a foul temper. And... Don McClean has a lovely singing voice. His songs are perfectly nice. I'm sure his intentions are pure. 3 stars because the title track is an iconic song that I could sing 80% of the words to despite not having heard it since college (aka, a long, long time ago).
Somehow I never got around to listening to this before now (aside from the title track, of course). I enjoyed it, though I don't know that I loved it. Sometimes I found the lyrics to be original poetic and sometimes I think they're amateurish. Vincent is a good song, but it's also a good example of this. "You took your life as lovers often do" is a good line. "Look out on a summer's day / With eyes that know the darkness in my soul" sounds like something an angsty teen would write in their diary. Ultimately, I doubt this album would be on this list were it not for the title track. But How do you rate that song? It's so ubiquitous it's hard to hear it with fresh ears. (Kind of like Stairway to Heaven.) My take from this listen is that the song is equally amazing and ridiculous. (Also kind of like Stairway.) I remember as a kid enjoying trying to decipher who all the artists were. But once you do that, I'm not exactly sure what you're left with. Then again, the chorus is catchy as hell, so who cares. It's been a while since we've had an album I've loved, and I feel like I'm turning into the cranky guy. So, I guess I won't be the cranky guy today and I'll just enjoy the melodies, and he's not a bad singer, and the production is pleasant enough, and I really enjoyed that last tune with all the harmonies.
Like most, I never listened to the entire album. I probably won't ever listen to it again. But I'm glad I did before I die. I still enjoy hearing American Pie (the song)...a lot. The whole album blasted me with a nostalgia for sweet folksongs and an afternoon watching Magic Garden.
Pleasant enough, not something I'd play again and again.
vanhaa rattoisaa musiikkia... perushyväalbumi... ensimmäinen biisi tietenkin klassikko, loput ihan ok. byyyye bye mi american pie for the levye anf he heavy askdf th levvjkak ba ba bak, the day the musiikki kuoli... american pie
One hit wonder? In my book. Other than American Pie the album was forgettable.
American Pie and other sad folk songs
This album is all about American Pie. It's the name of the bloody album and it takes up 25% of the runtime! And I get it. I get why it's on here. I'm tired of it, but I get it. The rest of the album is actually quite pleasant. Don M has a nicer voice than I originally gave him credit for. Idk fuck it three stars
good
Inventive chord progressions and Mr. McLean does a wonderful job of putting less is more into song. Starting the album with American Pie was a mistake, in my opinion, because there was nowhere to go but down from there. Not to say the rest of the songs were bad, just that they leave you wanting more of what you know Don could make. 4/5
C’est correct. American pie m’a toujours énervé. Le reste est mieux. J’ai bien rit à Everybody loves me, baby.