Don McLean

Forever known for the monumental title cut, Don McLean does in fact have other songs, as this album proves. One of them is "Vincent," an ode to Van Gogh and is worth a listen. But the real draw is "American Pie," a statement that was beyond apropos when released in the wake of the Kennedy and King murders and in the midst of the Vietnam War. It's just as fitting today.

Don McLean's "American Pie" has ripped out of nowhere and taken the country by storm
both in its album and truncated single versions. It took exactly two weeks to shoot to the
top of the charts, everybody I know has been talking excitedly about it since first hearing,
and, even more surprisingly, it has united listeners of musical persuasions as diverse as
Black Sabbath and Phil Ochs in unbridled enthusiasm for both its message and it... More >

The title cut is the great novelty song that may be about the death of rock and roll or may be about its refusal to die. The other material here indicates that McLean himself believes the former, but since it also indicates that he couldn't have composed "American Pie"--he just took dictation from the shade of Buddy Holly, who must be taking some pretty strong drugs up there to make such a mistake--you might as well judge for yourself. And do so like a real novelty-lover, by buying the single--unless you're in the market for a song about how nobody understood Van Gogh. (Grade - C-)