Customer Reviews

Favorites & Rarities

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4 star:		(1)
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"American Pie" is Don McLean's most famous song, a misunderstood classic that because of its lyrical crypticism, bouncy imagery and classic-rock arrangement draws polarized responses. Supporters call it a classic; detractors call it a novelty. I fall firmly into the former category. "American Pie" is catchy, smart, and dares to be its own entity. Was there ever a song written quite like it? It was on a level all its own lyrically, as well, carving out one of popular music's most enjoyable and multilayered mysteries.

The one thing "American Pie" doesn't showcase as much is that Don McLean is one fine singer. With superhumanly accurate pitch, rich and narrative while evoking a romantic power, McLean's voice is a marvel, one of those classic voices that cross the generations. The first time I heard it was on the animated film The Flight of Dragons (McLean performed the beautiful title song, which I've been hunting for on CD for years) at the age of eight and I fell in love with that voice. And then there's his guitar playing -- in the words of Eric Clapton as quoted in the liner notes to Favorites & Rarities, "McLean's picking, like his singing, is par excellence".

So what we have here is a collection of beautiful songs (mostly written by McLean) performed immaculately. The pastoral, acoustic guitar-based "Castles in the Air", McLean's superlative cover of Roy Orbison's heartbreak classic "Crying", the romantic paean to Van Gogh "Vincent" and "American Pie" are the most well known songs here, but you'll also discover the lesser-known gems like "Babylon", the haunting traditional ballad that ended the American Pie album; "If We Try", one of the loveliest and most understated songs about romantic yearning I've ever heard, with an enchanting lyric; a newer, slower version of "Castles in the Air" that takes away some of the exuberance of the original but adds vocal ease and atmospheric richness; and "Empty Chairs", as usual a marvellously voiced ballad that ranks comfortably with "Crying" and "Vincent" as McLean balladeering at its best.

The second disc of "Rarities" contains songs that mostly belong in the Woody Guthrie tradition of good-humoured, earthy folk tunes. "Good Old Wagon", "Milkman's Matinee", "Yonkers Girl", "Black Sheep Boy" -- though McLean's lyrics are more celestial and ethereal than Guthrie's (or Guthrie's disciple, Bob Dylan), his vocal versatility allows him to achieve the playfulness and folk appeal that the stories behind the songs attempt to convey.

Cherish the legacy of a great American singer and songwriter, one of the strongest poets, musical and lyrical, ever to have graced popular music.

a package for neophytes and connoisseurs, highlighting McLean's wonderful songwriting skills and instrumental chops, this two CD set is incredible value at this price.

There are some really good songs on this one in the Rarities section, and some of those fascinating little banjo bits that McLean likes. It's interesting to hear the tracks that didn't make it onto the original albums and it looks like it wasn't necessarily because they weren't as good as the rest. Good Old Wagon has to be my favourite. Oddly, this track is mentioned on the Tapestry Album cover but the track isn't on the album. It should've been. In the favourites section, it's pretty much what you'd expect but the sound quality is better, especially the tracks from the American Pie album. Well worth buying if you're a fan.

The FAVOURITES disc is as you'd expect, so treat it like any other BEST OF. Except, that the sound quality, particularly on the American Pie tracks, is better than I've ever heard before. The RARITIES disc is well worth having. There are quite a few excellent tracks that never made it to the albums, but were pretty good anyway. You can have fun spotting which session they came from. There are other bits too, live bits, and tiny clips.

I'd almost say, though, that it's worth getting the whole thing for just one track: Good Old Wagon. Why this track has been gathering dust for all these years is a mystery. I love it!

This is a great double CD. The bonus is the extensive notes about each track.

All the Favorites are here, save one, and I was pleasantly surprised with "You Can't Blame The Train" since I had not heard it before. I found "Milkman's Matinee", "Mountains O' Mourne", and "And Her Mother Came Too" to be the real treats on the Rarities side. Overall, 4-1/2 stars, with a 1/2-star deduction for not finding a place to put "Chain Lightning". :^(

I have been a Don McLean fan since 1971, and had the honor to see him live in concert. If you are a fan of American Pie, which is great, but not the only thing the man has done, this is the CD to start out with. The first CD contains all of his hits, but the second one explores the true talent of this under rated atist. Mother Nature is worth the price of the CD alone, but there are many other great rarities on the second CD. Buy this CD and enjoy the great talent of Mr. McLean!

You are not a Don Mclean fan if you do not have this CD. Once you got it, listen to the 2 different versions of Castle In The Air and If We Try.

The Rarities contain most of the unreleased's. Some are really good that i wonder why it wasn't published with some albums of his, say the Aftermath.

to me it's a classic and to hear my six-year old in the back seat of my car sing along it's fantastic.I have always enjoyed McLean's works and I'm really glad that I'm not the only one in the family.