Come Sail Away With Dennis DeYoung of Styx (Erie, PA 8-20-10)

Celebrate Erie, the late-summer festival formerly known as We Love Erie Days, is a pretty big deal in my hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania. In recent years, it has become even more popular, thanks in part to the inclusion of major musical acts performing for free on the main stage on Friday or Saturday night. The past five years have seen such bands as the Bacon Brothers, Three Dog Night and the Beach Boys, and last night, the headliner was Dennis DeYoung of Styx.

I’m a child of the 80s, but I spent my elementary school years listening to music from the 60s and early 70s, so Styx was only just barely on my radar. Most of my familiarity with the band comes from the short-lived series Freaks and Geeks, which makes clever use of several of the band’s songs. My favorite incorporation of music in the series is the scene in the first episode in which Come Sail Away, the only Styx song I previously knew, plays at a school dance. It’s such an epic-sounding song, I thought it would be fun to hear in concert, but I wasn’t sure if that one hit was reason enough to brave the crowds. However, we went downtown last night to meet up with my aunt and uncle, who were planning to stay for the concert, so we tagged along. I’m glad we did.

Dennis DeYoung is a spry 63-year-old who seems to have a boundless energy matched by the instrumentalists and vocalists backing him up. I didn’t catch their names last night, but his website lists them as percussionist Tom Sharpe, guitarist / vocalist August Zadra, guitarist / vocalist Jimmy Leahey, keyboardist John Blasucci and bassist / vocalist Craig Carter. As usual, a massive crowd showed up, and we were far enough from the stage that all we could see were the spotlights, but thanks to the jumbotrons, we had a clear view of what was happening, and the sound carried to the back very well.

I often had trouble understanding the lyrics, but that tends to be the case at large outdoor concerts when they’re singing songs I don’t already know. When DeYoung spoke, however, I understood him clearly, and he was pretty chatty. He came across as quite affable and seemed to be having a great time, and the crowd appreciated all of his local references, such as his discussion of his conversation with Mayor Joe Sinnott, who picked him up from the airport, and his comment that “I’m in the only place where I can say it’s a good thing to have an Erie feeling - and I’m feeling it tonight!”

Among the songs, some of the best-received were the heartfelt Show Me the Way, which he wrote for his son and dedicated to veterans and active members of the military; Babe, which he wrote for Suzanne, his wife of 40 years, who he introduced to the audience at that point in the concert; and Don’t Let It End, which, judging from his introduction and the slow-dancing that ensued, seems to have been a staple at proms in the early 80s. Desert Moon was the only song of the night from his solo career; everything else was from his tenure with Styx. Most songs included extended instrumental portions, with synthesizers and electric guitars in full effect. DeYoung himself spent quite a bit of time tearing up the keyboard, and he also showed off some smooth dance moves during Mr. Roboto.

Thanks to the overly earnest Nick on Freaks and Geeks, I am very familiar with the song Lady, though I hadn’t realized it was a Styx song until it started up last night. I enjoyed singing along with that one a bit and imagining the lovelorn pothead’s exaggerated expressions as he serenaded the nonplussed Lindsay. Later, my brother pointed out that Renegade, too, had turned up on the show, though it took me a moment to recognize that one. Our parents left the concert early, but we decided to stick around, especially since Come Sail Away was the part of the concert we were most excited about. As we suspected, DeYoung saved that one for last, following a first “encore,” before which he explained that he was just going to pretend that he had left the stage and come back after monstrous applause.

DeYoung introduced the song by thanking the audience and saying that we were all going to “sail away” together. After the lovely opening segment on the piano, he kept silent, gesturing to the audience to sing the first two lines without him. He chimed in from the third line on, but everyone out on the street kept singing, leading to a communal experience akin to American Pie at the free outdoor Don McLean concert I attended in Buffalo in 2002. On that occasion, people stuck their heads out of upper-story office buildings to sing along with the chorus; here, some very energetic young women on the balcony above a nearby bar let loose with some very flashy glow-in-the-dark hula hooping. During the lengthy, electrified instrumental portions, there was plenty of dancing in the streets, and it definitely ended the concert on a high note.

Styx is a little hard-rockin’ for my tastes, but I found that I really enjoyed the concert, thanks to the incredibly proficient instrumentalists and DeYoung’s terrific stage presence. If you get a chance to sail away with DeYoung in concert, it’s an invitation worth accepting.

Celtic Thunder Fans Get Twice the Music With Act Two

Over the past few months, I've gradually become acquainted with more and more of the songs of Celtic Thunder, the five-member singing group that is the male equivalent of Celtic Woman, now a PBS staple. While the first album has been in our house for upwards of two months now, we've only had Act Two, primarily drawn from the same concert event shown repeatedly on PBS, for a few weeks. Unlike the band's first album, simply titled Celtic Thunder, it includes several songs that are not found on that special, so if you're looking to cover all your bases with this group, this album is a must-have.

The stars of the show are (at the time it was recorded) 39-year-old George Donaldson; 28-year-old Paul Byrom and Ryan Kelly; 20-year-old Keith Harkin; and 14-year-old Damian McGinty. George is from Glasgow, Scotland; Paul is from Dublin, Ireland; Ryan from The Moy, Northern Ireland; and Keith and Damian from Derry, Northern Ireland. Each member adds a distinct vocal flavor to the group, from George's rumbling baritone to Damian's fluty tenor, as well as a unique personality, with poetic Paul, rebellious Ryan and sensitive Keith competing for the squealing affections of the female contingent of the audience.

Ride On - Ryan's accent is more pronounced in this angsty adrenaline rush of a song than on any other track, which is one reason I like it so much. He half-growls his vocals as the swirling instrumentals threaten to envelop him, giving the song a much more intense flavor than the reflective, acoustic-guitar-driven version by Christy Moore. I first heard this song when Dad discovered a YouTube video pairing it with clips of Aragorn and Eowyn from Lord of the Rings; the lyrics, with its undertones of respect, urgency and regret, seem to fit that relationship especially well, particularly given their mutual equine expertise. Though Ryan gets the designation of the slightly dangerous member of the group, this speaker foregoes desire for duty, reining in the impulses of his churning emotions. "Ride on. See you. / I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to..."

A Bird Without Wings - From that rather dark beginning, we proceed to Damian's soaring inspirational ballad, a Wind Beneath My Wings type of tune that, given enough airplay, could become just as classic. There's something especially touching about George's subtle "la da de da"s in the background; serving as the voice of the speaker's constant protector, his voice exudes paternal warmth. This is the sort of song that could apply to many relationships, but considering the fact that George is old enough to be Damian's father and given the familial bent of his Celtic Thunder repertoire, it's easy to see this as My Boy from the son's perspective. Open to a range of interpretations, the stirring, simile-laden song of gratitude seems likely to turn up at graduations and other landmark events before long. "Like a church with no steeple, / Where a bell never rings, / In a town without people, / Where no voice in the choir ever sings. / If a boat on the ocean / Would be lost with no sail, / Then without your devotion / Surely all that I dreamed of would fail."

My Boy - It's especially easy to make the connection between the songs when one directly follows the other. Elvis Presley sang this song, but George introduced me to it with his passionate rendering of a solemn soliloquy. There's darkness in the song's context of a failing marriage, but the speaker's determination to stick it out for the sake of the son he so ardently loves overrides the disillusionment that ripples through the verses. There's so much story and emotion wrapped up in this song, it feels like it should be a centerpiece of a Broadway musical. The fact that George chooses to start a couple of verses by speaking rather than singing amplifies that effect. I've yet to hear Elvis's version of this song, but I find it hard to imagine him getting to the heart of the lyrics any more intensely than George does. "Life is no fairytale / As one day you will know, / But now you're just a child. / I'll stay here and watch you grow / Because you're all I have, my boy. / You are my life, my pride, my joy..."

Raggle Taggle Gypsy - I find this fast-paced, traditional group number rather hard to follow. The lyrics almost seem in the way here; just about every line feels like it has more words than should logically fit, and while these guys have nothing on the Irish Rovers for nonsensical syllables, I find all those "-o"s tacked onto words a tad distracting here. This is really more of a showcase for the Celtic Thunder Orchestra, as the rollicking instrumentals are quite impressive, particularly the pounding percussion. "It was upstairs and downstairs the lady went, / Put on her suit of leather-o. / 'Twas a cry all around the door, / 'She’s away wi’ the raggle taggle gypsy-o.'"

Love Thee Dearest - Paul showing off his operatic self. The English part sounds archaic, pitted with "thee"s and "thou"s, while the bulk of the song is in Italian. Paul sings it gloriously, and those who appreciate this type of music should find it satisfying, but it's just not my style, and it seems a little out of place in a Celtic-themed concert. My least favorite of Paul's solo numbers. "Love thee dearest, love thee. / Yes, by yonder star I swear / Which through tears above thee / Shines so sadly fair."

I Wanna Know What Love Is - And it's followed up by my least favorite of Keith's songs. His delivery is fine, but I can't hear this song without seeing visions of late-night infomercials advertising collections of overwrought power ballads. It's one of those songs that has been ruined for me by the way it's sinisterly crept into my consciousness in the middle of the night over the years. Same complaint goes for Paul's rendition of Nights in White Satin three tracks down. Celtic Thunder and pop can mix astoundingly well, but Ryan reaps the most benefits from these pairings. Keith and Paul kinda get the short end of the stick.

Heartbreaker - Ryan sizzles his way through this saucy tango, the apex of his "bad boy" persona. There's a tinge of regret in his snarly vocals that makes it just a little easier to sympathize with this love-'em-and-leave-'em cad. This is Ryan at his most seductive, and it's easy to imagine woman after hapless woman succumbing to his charms. Deliciously devilish, this is another song that feels like it could go in a musical. As I listen to it, I visualize a whirlwind series of courtships and perhaps a few slaps in his face. This guy is sort of the opposite of the fellow in Ride On, a relentless pursuer who refuses to be tied down, though such is the extent of his protestation that I can't help but wonder if one particular girl has gotten under his skin more than he would like... "They say I’m the dark destroyer, / That I just can’t enough / Of girls hanging on a string, / That I’m only after one thing..."

Mull of Kintyre - This sounds like an old traditional folksong that could have been written a couple centuries ago, but in fact it was penned by Paul McCartney, which is rather nifty. It's an ensemble effort, though George's voice is most prominent, which feels natural since it strikes me as a reflection by a man who's seen his share of the world and is now coming to a much deeper appreciation of his hometown. While Mountains of Mourne, Keith's big solo on the first album, reminds me of Isle of Innisfree, my favorite of the Irish Rovers' traditional no-place-like-home odes, this one is more like Bonnie Kellswater. Both are pretty songs, but they don't quite resonate with me as strongly as the former two. Still, there are some nice harmonies in this one, and the drums, which appropriately are the instruments most dramatically highlighted throughout the two albums, are fantastic. "Mull of Kintyre / Oh mist rolling in from the sea, / My desire is always to be here, / Oh mull of Kintyre."

Young Love - This peppy Damian number is pretty much a repeat of Puppy Love from the first album, minus the excesses of anguish. Same fun 50s sensibilities, same opportunities for Damian to demonstrate just how adorable he is. On the DVD, this song is a humorous high point, but the goofy side antics of Keith, Paul and Ryan are lost without the visuals to support them, making the purely audio form fun but fairly forgettable. "Young love, first love / Filled with deep devotion. / Young love, our love / We share with deep emotion."

Yesterday's Men - This scathing song appears on the DVD as its sole bonus track. George rips into this bitter reflection, with the speaker's affection for his longtime workplace buddies who are in the same boat the only thing keeping rage against his dismissive employers in check. The speaker's feeling of helplessness as he suddenly faces uncertainty in his role as provider for his family resonates powerfully in this era of recession and rampant corporate layoffs. The song is a rallying cry that seems like it ought to be made into a full-blown PSA-style video. George speaks for a jilted generation here, and his righteous indignation couldn't be more timely. "Farewell my companions, my friends and my workmates , / Farewell to the paydays, the pints and the craic. / Oh, we gave them our best years, now they've paid us back / By making us yesterday's men ."

That's a Woman - One area in which Celtic Thunder is a tad lacking is the humor department, so I was delighted the first time I saw this performance and found myself laughing aloud. Some of the amusing elements are lost in the absence of the physical dynamics of Ryan derisively circling the hopelessly smitten Paul and his ladylove, but this theatrical face-off remains a lot of fun. Paul, for his part, rhapsodizes about the joys of a devoted woman, while Ryan tries to cut him down, spitting out misogynist slights in a rant that reminds me of Henry Higgins' A Hymn to Him in My Fair Lady. The contrast between the two men's approaches to women is played up to hilarious effect (and I'm always rather amused by the line "a delicate creature is something she ain't," because it sounds so much like he's saying "ate"). This is easily my favorite of Paul's songs, and the one that makes me feel a bit guilty that I'm not especially drawn to him, since the phrase "nice guys finish last" proves painfully accurate in this little power play - though without the visual cues, it's a more open-ended conclusion.  "How to say ‘no’ with a flick of her hair, / She’ll turn you and burn you and not even care, / That’s a woman, that’s a woman. // Faithful and true, that’s a woman. / Trusting in you, that’s a woman..."

Danny Boy - This is conspicuously absent from the concert; despite the fact that the lyrics were written by an Englishman, the impression persists that it is the quintessential Irish song, so I was glad to find it represented on the album. Naturally, it's a group effort; it wouldn't be fair to give something so iconic to just one singer. Some of the group's loveliest harmonizing occurs in this song, though at times I think they get a bit carried away, almost losing track of the melody in their efforts to flesh it out as fully as possible. As someone who generally much prefers male voices to female, I'm a bit surprised by the fact that I actually prefer the Celtic Woman version, but then their rendition is almost impossibly delicate, a quality that makes me on the verge of declaring my search for a definitive version of O Holy Night complete with the Celtic Woman Christmas album. My biggest issue with the Celtic Thunder version is that they skip the second verse entirely, which packs the biggest emotional whallop; instead, they expand musically upon the first verse. The results are pleasing to the ears, but in its shortened state, the song falls just shy of expectations. "But come ye back when summer's in the meadow / Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow. / 'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow. / Oh, Danny boy, oh, Danny boy I love you so."

Caledonia - Celtic Woman also covered this song, which is an ode to Scotland that's just about as rousing as Ireland's Call from the first album. Like Ireland's Call, Caledonia probably ought to close out the CD. At least in this case the album ends with a group number, though it feels slightly detached from the rest since it's a Christmas song. At any rate, this song makes great use of all the guys, and the Irish lads seem just as enthusiastic about honoring George's homeland as their own. Appropriately, he's the one to start things off, but everybody gets equal time here, and Ryan even gets in one more rakish jab with "I've kissed the girls and left them crying." "Let me tell you that I love you / And I think about you all the time. / Caledonia, you’re calling me, now I’m goin’ home."

Heartland - A repeat from the first album, except that this one includes a couple minutes of introductory material, including a menacing-sounding bit of voice-over narration from Phil Coulter, some truly thunderous percussion and other especially atmospheric instrumentals. This reverent supplication is one of my favorite Celtic Thunder songs, but this extended version clocks in at more than six minutes, so while it's neat to have this option available, I'm more inclined to listen to it without the intro. "When the storm is raging / And thunder rolls, / Deliver us from the ocean. / Save our souls!"

Castles in the Air - This one caught me by surprise, both because it's not part of the PBS concert and because it's the second time Keith has performed a Don McLean song. I thought it was interesting but not particularly significant that McLean had covered the same traditional song as Keith, but this is a McLean original, which makes it seem that Keith is purposely being paired up with the American Pie scribe. Keith plays this one light and airy, with rippling piano behind him and a faster tempo. I can hear certain similarities in their tonal qualities, though Keith's voice lacks McLean's melancholy edge. In a plea to a pal to break off an unfulfilling relationship for him, the speaker throws us right into the thick of things, starting off in the middle of a conversation and leaving us to guess at the circumstances leaving this friend caught in the middle. "And if she asks you why, you can tell her that I told you / That I'm tired of castles in the air. / I've got a dream I want the world to share / And castle walls just lead me to despair."

Christmas 1915 - One of the most beautiful, inspiring, despairing Christmas songs I've ever heard. The subject of the pitfalls of war comes up many times in the first Celtic Thunder album, but Act Two leaves the pacifist sentiments to the last track, for which a video exists, though it seems to have been done separately from the concert. A narrative drawing upon the experiences of soldiers at the front lines during the Christmas Truce of World War I, it contains the most pristine harmonies of any of the group songs. The men switch off often, with rarely more than small snippets of lines to themselves, which augments the impression that these are the recollections of many individual soldiers suddenly sharing in the humanity of the men they'd been trying to kill - and soon would again. Unlike Snoopy's Christmas, the novelty song alluding to the same historical event, this ballad drags the soldiers back into the trenches to resume the bitter battle, though the final chorus contains a note of hope amidst the carnage. "Silent night, no cannons roar. / A king is born of peace forevermore. / All's calm, all's bright, / All brothers hand in hand / In 19 and 15 in no man's land."

Perhaps ending with Christmas is a clue as to Celtic Thunder's next project. I've little doubt that unless they disband alarmingly quickly, we can count on a Celtic Thunder Christmas album before too long. I'm holding off on doling out that O Holy Night award until then...

Lord Almighty, Jim Carrey Plays God and Grace Overcomes Groans

At the beginning of this summer, after I graduated from college and was sitting around with nothing in particular to do, my mom suggested I go to a bunch of movies this summer on opening day and submit a review to the local newspaper. My first attempt was going to be Bruce Almighty, and I went and saw it on the first night. But somehow, I never got around to reviewing it. After a year straight of frantically writing for school, I just couldn’t get up the motivation to write anything, not even a movie review. I abandoned the plan then and there. So here I am reviewing the movie three months later. Better late than never, I guess!

I first heard of Bruce Almighty when I went to see Don McLean’s free concert in Buffalo last summer. One of the opening bands, Tom Stahl and the Dangerfields, introduced a song they had written about being God for a day by claiming it would be featured in the upcoming Jim Carrey film Bruce Almighty, filmed in Buffalo and centered around an ordinary guy who becomes God. They later admitted their song wouldn’t be in the movie, but we made a mental note of the film as something that might be worth checking out.

I had my reservations about this film. My first exposure to Jim Carrey was Ace Ventura, and other films such as the sequel, Dumb and Dumber, and Liar, Liar featured a manic, gross-out Jim whose appeal was strongest among pre-teen boys. Though I have to admit that ultimately, Liar, Liar was a pretty good movie… but there was a whole lot of malarkey along the way. Jim’s recent films have, for the most part, been much calmer. I loved his performance in The Truman Show, and The Majestic was great as well. Not to mention that unexpected bit part in Simon Birch. He seems to be veering away from gross-out comedy and into everyday nice guy roles, in which he comes across as very sweet and sincere. I hope he continues in that vein. Nonetheless, this film sounded to me like an excuse for Jim to go nuts with his manic energy and leave a whole lot of blasphemy in his wake. I was pleasantly surprised.

That’s not to say there is no over-the-top or crude humor in this film, because there is. Just far less than I expected. Bruce’s (Jim Carrey) dog delights in defiling the furniture, and we get to see him do it on a number of occasions. When he gets God’s powers, Bruce uses them for such noble purposes as sending a breeze up a leggy woman’s skirt, enhancing his girlfriend Grace’s (Jennifer Anniston) chest, and reducing his rival anchor to a blithering idiot on live television. And there is, of course, some foul language. But compared to some of Carrey’s early efforts, this movie is very tame. And, surprise surprise, it manages to be reverent as well.

Bruce is a guy who feels like the world is against him. When he gets passed up for promotion in favor of the boss’ pet anchor, humiliates himself on live television as the news is broken to him, and gets beaten up by thugs when he tries to defend a homeless man, he thinks his life can’t get much worse. Grace urges him to have some patience and trust God, but Bruce counters with his theory that God’s a cruel puppet master who couldn’t care less about the well-being of his creations. After demanding a sign from God (which he receives, but fails to notice, in the form of road signs that he passes in his car), Bruce launches a tirade against the Almighty.

Next thing he knows, his phone is ringing off the hook, always from a mysterious number he has never seen before (incidentally, a real number – several people in the United States were bombarded with phone calls after moviegoers jotted down the number and called it, leaving their questions and comments for God). Finally, he calls and is directed to a building where he meets Morgan Freeman in three incarnations: a janitor, an electrician, and God. God offers Bruce the use of His powers for a while to see if he can handle it. When he realizes that he actually does have God’s powers, Bruce has a grand old time, doing fancy tricks and, for the most part, advancing his career by creating catastrophes and being the first to report on them. But being God isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, as Bruce discovers when he sees the list of unanswered prayers awaiting him. When he takes the easy way out and answers “yes” to everyone’s pleas, havoc ensues. Meanwhile, he’s too caught up in his new role as star newscaster to pay much attention to Grace, and her patience reaches its limits. By the end of the film, Bruce is in quite a mess, and getting himself out of it will require a radical change in lifestyle and a little divine assistance.

Bruce is a pretty likable character in this movie. He’s a decent guy, just down on his luck. Jim’s manic antics come into play mostly when he is trying out his powers, as well as when he does goofy features for the news. For instance, in the opening segment, he parodies Chariots of Fire (again – a similar parody appeared in The Grinch) by running down a line of people with cups in their hands and pouring milk as he goes. A pretty messy moment. (There are several other parodies in the film as well, including a scene reminiscent of the John-Coffey-spitting-out-bugs scenes in The Green Mile and several allusions to The Ten Commandments.) There’s a lot of comedy in this movie, and he is the source for much of it. But it is in his serious moments that he really shines, particularly in his life-altering conversations with God.

Jennifer Anniston is brings a lot of sweetness to the role of Grace. Unlike in the recent film of that title, she really is a “good girl.” And she loves Bruce but feels like she’s not getting much love in return. One thing that caught me off-guard – as well as several others I talked to – was the fact that the two were not married. They live as though they are married, and we don’t learn until the middle of the film that Grace is waiting for a proposal. It’s not a huge deal, certainly nothing deviating from the norm depicted in movies nowadays, but those steamy pre-marital scenes detract just a bit from the reverent feel of the film. But then the film has a lot to do with redemption, so it makes sense that not everything about the main characters’ lives would fit the perfect Judeo-Christian mold.

As God, Morgan Freeman does a fantastic job. He is distinguished but down-to-earth with a gentle sense of humor that makes Him especially endearing. I think it’s the most appealing version of God I have seen on film. At its heart, this is a religious movie, and the director, a devout Catholic, conferred with a clergyman friend of his for advice on what God should say. Freeman’s God is active and deeply concerned for the affairs of His people, but He also encourages them to take responsibility for themselves. “Be the miracle” is the film’s closing sentiment, leaving viewers with the feeling that we should put our trust in a benevolent God but not expect Him to do everything for us. We can make a positive difference in our own lives and the lives of others each and every day.

In the end, then, this is a very worthwhile and reverent movie with enough comedy and drama to keep it entertaining and enough spiritual substance to warrant a sermon or Sunday school discussion. It was much better than I expected, and its merits overcome its low points. As Bruce was so fond of saying in the film, “It’s good!”

Don McLean: An American Icon in Buffalo, NY

When I heard earlier this summer that Don McLean, an American icon and one of my all-time favorite artists, was going to be giving a concert at nearby Chautauqua, NY, I was thrilled. But before purchasing tickets, I discovered that he would be playing two months later in Buffalo - for free. There was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to see Don McLean in concert, but being a bear of very few bucks, I decided to go to the free concert, foregoing the $30 a ticket price tag for the more intimate location. Mom and Dad did not have to be persuaded to agree that this was definitely worth a two-hour trip.

McLean appeared at Buffalo Place on August 15 as part of the Thursdays in the Square series. Before making our way to the large open area where the concert was held, my family and I had to dodge legions of Christians with large signs proclaiming the imminent end of the world and gospel tracts condemning us for attending this event. I was tempted to protest that Don McLean had once sung for the Pope, but then it occurred to me that these particular Christians may not have been big fans of the Pope either. More than the singer, however, I suspect they were offended by the fact that the series was sponsored by Labatt?s Blue and many of the attendees were watching with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

I have been to several concerts, and I must say I prefer a contained setting where the audience is sitting down and unable to chatter throughout the concert or blow smoke in the faces of fellow listeners. In order to be heard, McLean had to use such powerful amplifiers that a bit of the musical quality was lost. However, with a crowd this size, it was a very energetic event. At times the excitement was almost palpable, and it was great to see so many people my age getting psyched about Don McLean.

McLean took the stage after being introduced by a representative from the local PBS station. The man, after saying a few things about McLean, gave his name as "Don McNeal," to which McLean answered, "It's McLean, you moron!" My parents and I glanced at one another and wondered if that little snafu was scripted. At any rate, it was soon forgotten as he plunged into a couple of Buddy Holly tunes. Throughout the evening, he played a generous number of songs encompassing a variety of styles.

Some of the stand-out tunes included Crossroads, the melancholy tune from the American Pie album contemplating the journey he has taken in his life; And I Love You So, a sentimental tune recorded by more than a hundred other artists including Elvis; Since I Don't Have You, a wistful song requiring a high vocal range which I first heard sung by Art Garfunkel; In a Museum, a new song for me which equated being placed in a museum with achieving obsolescence; This Little Light of Mine, a sing-along in deference to "the folks across the street"; and Vincent, the exquisite tribute to Vincent Van Gogh which was McLean's second big hit.

The audience was attentive throughout, but when the opening chords to American Pie finally sounded, the crowd went absolutely wild. Everyone got up and began to dance, with some of the younger audience members, freed from their inhibitions by a couple of beers, expressing their approval in a number of creative acrobatic ways. In the building next to the park, dozens of people were sticking their heads and hands out the windows and flicking the lights on and off. And hundreds of voices chimed in on not only the famous chorus, but the verses as well. After finishing the song, McLean leaped into an extended reprise that extended our enjoyment.

He even stuck around after the concert to sign autographs, something I was sure he would not do because of the size of the crowd. I was kicking myself that I did not bring our American Pie album for him to sign, but we bought one of his new CDs and he signed that. Very cool.

I suspect that I would have enjoyed his Chautauqua concert more than the one I attended, primarily because he would not have had to play his music quite so loudly. However, seeing Don McLean is seeing Don McLean, and I am very glad to have had the chance to do it. McLean is one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the century, and his appeal has not dimmed with time.

An American Icon

Mention the name Don McLean, and the first association -- all too often the only one -- that your listener will come up with is American Pie. That recognition is certainly well deserved. It's one of the greatest songs ever written, and how many songs can claim to give a tidy history of rock and roll within their confines? Of course, McLean will never describe his signature song as such; he prefers it to be shrouded in mystery. And it certainly has enigmatic appeal.

My dad told me just today that it is the most requested song on our oldies station. But it is not McLean's only song, and it must be a bit frustrating to have such an impressive repertoire of music and only be known for one song. I think McLean may be compared to another McLean, McLean Stevenson, who grew to despise M*A*S*H because he was beginning to be locked into people's minds for his role on that hit TV show. American Pie is a wonderful song, but it should not overshadow McLean's other compositions to the point that it seems they do not exist. This album contains the best of both worlds, with the track everyone wants to listen to and a fine sampling of his other work.

All of my favorite songs are on Side 1. What is there to say about American Pie that has not already been said? It's sheer brilliance. How often does a seven-minute song become a hit? Not very. But all six verses are pure gold, from the melancholy first verse and the idealistic second verse to the chilling fifth verse and the sixth verse which returns to the depression of the first. The album is dedicated to Buddy Holly, who most music scholars agree is the subject of this song. When his plane, the Miss American Pie, went down, an era of music died along with him. Get out your fine-toothed comb and find references to Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Elvis, the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, and other major figures in music history. And listen to the unabridged version, for goodness' sake, and if you must listen to the short version, at least go for McLean's version. Madonna's passionless rendering backed by a disco beat makes me shudder just thinking about it. This album contains the full version.

Till Tomorrow is a beautiful song about a couple who cannot be together. Sweeping music and lush imagery make this love song a beautiful addition to the album. "High above the heavens, a rainbow paints the sky. White doves sing their songs of love. I watch them as they fly and wonder why can this be. Can you tell me? Would you like to discover why we're not free to be lovers?"

Vincent is another tribute song, gorgeous and tragic. Full of painting images, the song is written to Vincent van Gogh, lamenting the fact that he was so underappreciated during his lifetime. I have always thought of this song by its opening words, "Starry, starry night," which brings to mind Van Gogh's most famous painting. If Vincent could hear out of his remaining ear, I know that he would be smiling gravely in agreement... "Now I think I know what you tried to say to me, how you suffered for your sanity, how you tried to set them free. They would not listen, they're not listening still...perhaps they never will."

Crossroads completes my quartet of favorite songs. It is an introspective piece of poetry, a man examining where he's been and where he's going and believing that he's lost in the muddle at the moment. "You know I've head about people like me, but I never made the connection. They walk one road to set them free and find they've gone the wrong direction." But he decides in the end not to worry about it, to continue living and just accept what life brings his way. "There's no need for turning back, 'cause all roads lead to where we stand. And I believe we'll walk them all, no matter what we may have planned."

Side 2 is, unfortunately, the neglected side. Once in a while I have an album that gets so much play on one side, the other is left alone. Ironically, American Pie and Feuilles-Oh (from Art Garfunkel's Angel Clare) are two of my three earliest favorite song, and I suffer from this affliction on both albums.

Winterwood is a nice song, kinda reminds me of Annie's Song. Lots of nice images in it. "And for the first time I've been seeing the things I'd never notice without you. And for the first time I'm discov'ring the things I used to treasure about you."

Everybody Loves Me, Baby is the song of an obnoxious guy who thinks he's God's gift to the world, but one particular person isn't buying it. And that happens to be the one person he most wants to love him. The tone reminds me of Baby Driver, one of my least favorite Simon and Garfunkel songs. "Everybody loves me, baby, what's the matter with you?"

The Grave is just plain depressing. It's not a bad song, it's just a really sad song about a soldier dying in a foxhole. "There's nothing left to do but die..." Gives me the shivers.

Babylon is an old traditional chorale, and McLean breathes as much life into it as Simon and Garfunkel did into Scarborough Fair. Also on the second side are the songs Empty Chairs and Sister Fatima. A fine collection of songs by a talented singer/songwriter who is so much more than one of the most enigmatic and powerful songs in musical history.