Don McLean - American Pie

I guess this album doesn't really need much of an introduction; if there's anyone out there who isn't even slightly familiar with the title track, I'd like to meet (and educate!) them. But all joking aside, if you really don't know the song, you definitely should give it a listen - it's just great. 

The iconic status of this song made me a little bit skeptical before listening to this album - surely the album is granted so much importance because of this one song, I thought.

Yeah, I was wrong. So very wrong. This entire album is full of great songs, and they each have their own unique charm. Ok, obviously it is necessary to discuss the title track (come on, how could I not?), but the other songs deserve a bit of the limelight as well.

American Pie was released in October 1971, and was Don McLean's second album. The original LP was dedicated to McLean's childhood idol Buddy Holly (more on this later), and reached number one on the Billboard 200.

It's difficult to know where to begin. How can I discuss such an iconic album and do it justice? The first time I listened to it, my initial reaction was that all the songs sounded very similar to each other and blended in together as if the entire album was just one long song; I worried that I wouldn't be able to break down the album very well. However, this opinion changed as I listened to the album more and more. Here's the tracklist:

1. American Pie

2. Till Tomorrow

3. Vincent

4. Crossroads

5. Winterwood

6. Empty Chairs

7. Everybody Loves Me, Baby

8. Sister Fatima

9. The Grave

10. Babylon

Perhaps overplayed, but how amazing is 'American Pie'? I've always loved this song, but I was shocked to learn that its subject matter concerns the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper in 1959. In fact, it was this song that coined the phrase 'The Day the Music Died' in relation to this tragedy. Many people consider this song to be McLean's magnum opus, and it's a well-founded belief. the lyrics, to me, are poetry. Not just poetry, but good poetry. They evoke such emotion, and they're so, so clever. The line 'This'll be the day that I die' is one of my favourites in the song (in any song, for that matter) - it describes the figurative death of rock 'n' roll after the very real deaths of Holly, Valens and the Big Bopper. Not only this, but it's also a reference to Buddy Holly's song 'That'll be the Day', which ends with the words 'When I die'. It's pure genius. The music is also amazing - it's lively, poignant and full of differing timbres, speeds and moods.

'Till Tomorrow' is soft and gentle - a really lovely acoustic ballad. It's simple in composition and instrumentation, and this is probably why it works - there's no walls between McLean and the listener; it's just a man, his guitar, and a beautiful song. In other words, it's a very genuine-sounding musical statement. I can't say much more on this song, but I really like it.

'Vincent'. What an amazing song. Just... wow. Like 'American Pie', I've liked this song for a long time. When I was a teenager, I studied Van Gogh in school - and I always felt that Don McLean understood him like no one else. He sings about how the artist 'suffered for his sanity' and took his life 'as lovers often do'. McLean's voice is so heart-breakingly beautiful in this song; I always have to fight back tears when he ever-so-gently sings the line 'I could have told you, Vincent, this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you'. The closing statement is also agonizing in its inherent truth: 'They would not listen, they're not listening still. Perhaps they never will.'

'Crossroads' is a great song, and the use of piano marks a nice change from McLean's typical guitar-based instrumentation. I found the intro very striking the first time I heard it - it starts off with a major key, but unpredictably ends in a way that strongly suggests a minor tonality. Unusual, but very nice. McLean's voice is very powerful in this song, but that's not to say he sings loudly. He has such control over dynamics, and never over-does it. 

'Winterwood' makes for a nice contrast with 'Crossroads'. It's sounds like it would easily fit into the country genre - definitely folk-influenced. This isn't the only thing about the song that's important though; it's also insanely catchy. Seriously, once I'm finished writing this post I'll probably go pick up my guitar and learn how to play it - I can't get it out of my head!

'Empty Chairs' is quite similar to 'Till Tomorrow' in terms of mood and instrumentation. It's a laid-back acoustic folk song, and there's not much more to tell. It's not my favourite song on the album, but it's still good - I'd never skip past it when listening to the album.

'Everybody Loves Me, Baby' stands out from the rest of the album in a big way. It's clearly influenced by McLean's love of 50s rock 'n' roll. The addictive piano riff is typical of this kind of music, and it instantly sets up this song as a 50s-influenced potential chart-topper. To me, the entire song screams Buddy Holly in both music and lyrics; it's sweet and charming, like a lot of Buddy Holly classics.

'Sister Fatima' is a nice song to bridge the gap between the energetic 'Everybody Loves Me, Baby' and the touching 'The Grave'. Again, not my favourite song, but it has a very relaxing acoustic-guitar-based sound that I really appreciate.

'The Grave' is brilliant. Just brilliant. Starting off with McLean singing an unaccompanied minor melody, it's immediately clear that the song is an emotional one. And the subject matter is certainly very emotional. It deals with a young man who fights in a war and subsequently dies. The melody is haunting, and the vocals build in volume as McLean tells the story of this soldier; when he sings the line 'I know I'm not brave!', he's almost shouting it - it's so distressing, and a really moving part of the song. This song isn't as widely known as 'American Pie' or 'Vincent', but it really should be.

To be honest, I don't really known why 'Babylon' is on the album. It's nice and everything, but I think 'The Grave' would have been a much better close for the album. 'Babylon' is McLean's interpretation of the folk song 'By the Waters of Babylon'; he sings it as a round and it sounds great, but I don't think it works very well on American Pie. That's just my opinion, and I'm sure there are a lot of people who like it more than me, but it just doesn't do anything for me. Saying that, however, I'm sure McLean had his reasons for including it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this album. As I've already said, I've liked 'American Pie' and 'Vincent' for a long time, and I'm glad that I know more of McLean's music now. 

Final Rating: 7/10

My favourite songs: 'American Pie', 'Vincent', 'Winterwood', and 'The Grave'

In my next post, I'll be discussing Pearl Jam's Ten.

999 albums to go!

Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes

The project officially begins!

Since it was Little Earthquakes that inspired this blog, it seems only fitting that I start with this album. First, a little history:

Little Earthquakes was Tori Amos's first effort at a solo album, after the dissolution of her band Y Kant Tori Read. In 1990, Amos approached Atlantic Records with a 10-song demo tape which included early versions of songs which would later appear on Little Earthquakes. Some of the songs on this demo tape were dropped in favour of new compositions, and the full 12-track album was released on January 13th 1992 in the UK and February 25th 1992 in the US. The tracklist is as follows:

1. Crucify

2. Girl

3. Silent All These Years

4. Precious Things

5. Winter

6. Happy Phantom

7. China

8. Leather

9. Mother

10. Tear In Your Hand

11. Me And A Gun

12. Little Earthquakes

Really, I'm just crazy about this album. Up until I listened to it, I was only ever vaguely familiar with Tori Amos. I already knew 'Crucify', but only because Sharon del Adel of Within Temptation (a band I've been following for many years) once performed a live cover of it. However, apart from this I didn't know what Amos was really about. I really didn't know what I was missing.

Ok, maybe I'm biased because I generally love this kind of music - her vocals are incredibly weird and this is something that usually hooks me. But apart from this, I think the songs themselves stand up to scrutiny. 

'Crucify' is a strong opener, as it's probably the easiest song on the album to listen to. It's poppy, yet still unique - and the religious imagery in the lyrics makes it interesting. The underlying arpeggios in the piano during the pre-chorus make for a great sound, and the addictive descending motif in the melody as Amos sings "Chaiiiiinnnns" is nothing short of brilliant. No wonder it was released as a single.

'Girl', while not my favourite song on the album, is still a good follow-up. The opening piano riff is simple, but the minor tonality and soft timbre sets up the reflective and melancholic mood instantly. It's present throughout the verse then, which makes it more memorable. The chorus is catchy, and the gradual dynamic increase in the bridge is effective.

I really loved 'Silent All These Years'. The lush string accompaniment and Amos's gentle vocal go really well together, and the tonally-fragile piano introduction is interesting - whenever it re-enters the song, it breaks away from the otherwise normal sound. Every time I listen to this song, the same line stands out: 'So you found a girl who thinks really deep thoughts. What's so amazing about really deep thoughts?'. Really great stuff.

'Precious Things' is where the albums starts to get weird... and I love it! The opening is so eerie and the piano is haunting. The verse is gentle, which is great because the chorus is much more rough - the contrast is fantastic. Plus, at the end of the chorus, Amos releases a note of pure emotion; it's not sung to any lyrics, it's just a cry of anguish. Brilliant.

'Winter' is probably one of my favourites off the album, if not my favourite. I guess it's not much more than a sentimental piano-pop ballad, but it's so damn good. In the future, if somebody tells me that they haven't heard of Tori Amos, this is the song I'm going to recommend. Again, the strings make the song. The imagery is also great, especially with lines like 'I run off where the drifts get deeper' - it's so dark, I just love it. It's a powerful song - honestly, if you don't know it, go look it up. Go now... I'll wait.

'Happy Phantom' is a necessary song after the chilling tear-fest that is 'Winter'. It's very upbeat, and overall a quirky song. Instead of the eerie nature of the piano that Amos evokes continually throughout the album, the piano is jaunty and energetic in this song. The lyrics are also pretty funny: 'And if I die today, I'll be the happy phantom, and I'll go chasing the nuns out in the yard'.

'China' is a good song, but it's the one I usually skip past. I don't really have much to say about this one; it's fine and a strong composition, but it's just not my taste. I feel like it lacks the mysterious mood that the rest of the album is steeped in.

'Leather' is great. It's edgy and doesn't hold back, and this makes it a really good song in my opinion. Amos is seductive and oozes confidence, and the scant use of electric guitar adds to this in-your-face sexuality that is inherent in both the music and the lyrics. The jazzy piano solo is also frickin' awesome!

I like 'Mother' more than 'China', but I still don't like it nearly as much as the majority of the songs on the album. I think it's a bit too long for what it is - it's just not as interesting as some of the other songs. It's still an ok song, but in my opinion it's one of the weakest tracks on the album.

There's something about 'Tear In Your Hand' that I really like. Yeah, it's a little bit overly sentimental-sounding. But who cares? The closing tracks that follow it are completely different from it, and much less conventional. For this reason, the song works really well in terms of how it fits into the album as a whole - one last sentimental ballad before Amos starts to explore some darker themes and experiments with her music a little.

'Me And A Gun' is the song that made me LOVE this album. It's just Amos singing without any accompaniment - and it's one of the most honest songs I've ever heard. It's purely mind-blowing; honestly, any description I could give wouldn't do it justice. It just has to be heard. The lyrics are amazing. Lines such as 'You can laugh, it's kind of funny the things you think of in times like these; like I haven't seen Barbados, so I must get out of this' and 'Yes I wore a slinky red thing, does that mean I should spread?' will stick with me for a long time.

'Little Earthquakes' is the closing song, and it's a strong end for the album. The vocal harmonies are consistently beautiful, and the echoed drums help to create a sense of disembodiment. The electric guitar, working in tandem with the piano, creates a brilliant edge. The chant-like vocals, coupled with the lyrics 'Give me life, give me pain, give me myself again', make the song sound epic. Overall, it's just a great song that needs to be heard.

Final rating: 8/10

My favourite songs: 'Crucify', 'Winter', 'Me And A Gun', and 'Little Earthquakes'.

In my next post, I'll be discussing Don McLean's American Pie.

1000 albums to go!

The Project Begins!

Hello!

Before I embark on this long-term project, I'd like to give a little background on myself. I have an undergraduate degree in music, and I'm just about to finish an MA in Musicology. However, while I've learnt a lot about music in the past four years, the most important thing I've learnt is that I'll never stop learning about music - so far, I've only scratched the surface. I've always had an interest in popular music (to make use of the broadest term imaginable), and it's something I'd love to know much more about. Very recently, I received the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die as a gift from a close friend. Instantly, I wanted to begin listening to each of these albums - ambitious but possible, I thought. 

So, I started by listening to Tori Amos's Little Earthquakes. I loved it. I was on a train heading towards Dublin, and it affected me so much that I just wasn't aware of anything around me when I got off. I walked right up to the ticket machines and just stood there, unable to comprehend that I needed my ticket to get through - how stupid I must have looked! Ok, I know that it's probably not the most amazing album out there, but I really had a strong emotional response to it. For the rest of the day, I couldn't think straight. I just kept listening to Little Earthquakes again and again. It got me thinking - wouldn't it be a good idea to write all of these thoughts down? Right then and there, I decided I wanted to start a blog to track my thoughts on every album that I listen to. The idea appealed to me for a variety of reasons - most importantly however, it would give me motivation to see the project through. If I have any followers at all, I'll feel like I'm not so alone in this on-going endeavour. 

So, my hope is to post at least 2 or 3 times every week - each time on a different album. This number will probably vary as the project progresses, but I'll try my absolute best to keep it as regular as possible. I really am very excited about taking this on; I feel like it will really expand my musical knowledge. So, I'll end by saying...

...1001 albums to go!