Tracks
- American Pie
- Till Tomorrow
- Vincent
- Crossroads
- Winterwood
- Empty Chairs
- Everybody Loves Me, Baby
- Sister Fatima
- The Grave
- Babylon
American Pie is a somber album. The music is folk. Don McLean has a wonderful voice. He is more poetic than his fellow singer/songwriters and more sincere. Many of the songs feel deeply personal and that he is confiding in the listener who he treats as a good friend.
The problem with the album is the title song, American Pie, and Vincent. Both are far superior to the remaining songs. American Pie also suffers from lyrics that are too distracting. The desire to interpret the meaning of the every lyric obscures a profound commentary about a sad event and its aftermath. Maybe it's not his fault, but had the lyrics been less obvious, temptation may have been avoided.
This is a very good album. I've never had a high opinion of it because of American Pie and all the nostalgic baggage that comes with it. But there's a serious songwriter hidden behind that song. The remaining songs are deeply emotional. I'm glad I had a chance to better appreciate Don McLean. I think this album is worth listening to to know what a good singer/songwriter sounds like. I don't think it really belongs on the 1001 Albums list, though.
All the songs are good. The stand outs are: Till Tomorrow, Vincent, Winterwood, Everybody Loves Me, Baby, Sister Fatima and The Grave.
★★★★★★★★★☆
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