The strands of
Don McLean
's career trace back to
"American Pie"
not only because it was his first and biggest hit and demonstrated his songwriting ability, but also because it expressed his musical taste. Right off the bat,
McLean
declared that, for him, "the music died" in 1959 when
Buddy Holly
's plane went down.
spent the rest of his career demonstrating his affection for the pop music that was made before that date, or at any rate, in the same styles and mostly before the British Invasion of the mid-'60s, mixing in his original material with reverent revivals of hit songs from the era. In that context, his tribute to
Marty Robbins
, issued on his own
Don McLean Records
label, is of a piece with his demonstrated tastes. It's no surprise that
loves
Robbins
' music, which crossed over from country to pop, particularly in the second half of the '50s and the early '60s, or that he performs it so well here. What may surprise listeners at least a little is the song list. In his liner notes,
makes clear that he wanted to delve deeper than just the best-known
songs, and he does. But that means that he ignores some of those
signature tunes (a notable omission being
"A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)"
), and that he sings some songs not generally associated with
, but very much associated with other performers. For example, while
may have recorded
"Kaw-Liga,"
it is really known as a
Hank Williams
' song;
Williams
wrote it and topped the country charts with it. And the overwrought
"You Gave Me a Mountain"
was a hit for
Frankie Laine
, not
, with
Elvis Presley
also turning in a memorable rendition. By singing these songs,
doesn't really claim them for
, he just introduces them into his own repertoire. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that, and it may even suggest that he should take on tributes to
or
Laine
next. ~ William Ruhlmann