American Pie (Remastered, Incl. 2 Bonus Tracks) (1971)

"McLean's 2nd album was his first to gain recognition after the negligible sales of 1970's "Tapestry". It's necessarily dominated by its title track, a lengthy allegorical history of rock & roll, because it became an unlikely hit, topping the singles chart and putting the album at number one as well. "American Pie" has remained as much a cultural touchstone as a song, sung by everyone from Garth Brooks to Madonna. There may not be much more to note about it, then, except perhaps that even without a crib sheet to identify who's who, the song can still be enjoyed for its engaging melody and singable chorus. Of course, the album also included "Vincent," McLean's paean to Van Gogh, which has been played two-million times. Nothing else on the album is as effective as the hits, but the other eight original songs range from sensitive to sarcastic. The songs are made all the more poignant by the stately folk-pop arrangements and McLean's clear, direct tenor." (William Ruhlmann, Allmusic) 6/11/2012 in Carré, Amsterdam

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