Don McLean
American Pie

THE REVIEW

"A long, long time ago...
I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance,
That I could make those people dance,
And maybe they'd be happy for a while."

[...]

"I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside,
The day the music died."

"American Pie" is a tribute to Buddy Holly and, at the same time, a nostalgic reflection on how, after his death, rock 'n roll progressively lost its original and visceral attitude to make people dance and make them happy (for a comment on the song, alternatively to the site indicated on the side, I recommend visiting http://www.rareexception.com/Garden/Pie.php, which offers a more streamlined analysis).

From this simple realization, a spiral of free thoughts develops, gradually drifting away from the central focal point as if in the grip of a slow but inexorable centrifugal force.
Free association of ideas in short. Stream of consciousness. It is precisely from this perspective that the tons of historical references to events and symbolic figures of rock culture should be viewed, from the legendary James Dean to "The King" Elvis Presley, to John Lennon, the Beatles, the Stones, to the "girl who sang the blues" Janis Joplin.

A sort of "Hall of Fame" of rock, almost as if retracing its key points. Above all, however, "American Pie" is a great song. Musically speaking, the track unfolds along the usual paths of country music: piano, acoustic guitar accompaniment, disciplined and never intrusive rhythm section. Timid electric guitar phrases occasionally peek through the folds of the song: Dylan's lesson was certainly absorbed, but the inhibiting brakes of tradition remain very strong. The singing is at times soft and whispering, at times captivating and frenetic, in line with the progression of the song. The traditional choruses are not missing, presumably achieved with appropriate overdubs of McLean's own voice.

Until now, "Everything is verrry beautiful", as a famous sports commentator would say. The problem is that none of the other tracks can match the opening. And this inevitably lowers the overall rating. Moreover, the clear predominance of the acoustic guitar - voice scheme, the not extraordinarily original melodies, and the preference for subtle and impalpable atmospheres, tend to produce a general flattening of the album's sound, almost brushing against, at certain points, genuine boredom.
Some tracks, however, deserve mention: the dreamy "'Till Tomorrow" and the subsequent "Vincent", very delicate, the lively "Everybody Loves Me, Baby", which, if nothing else, has the merit of recapturing the effervescence of "American Pie", the closing "Babylon", a tiny cameo (1 minute and 40 seconds), accompanied by banjo and solemn choruses.

In brief summary: good album ("American Pie" extraordinary), but there are better in the country genre.