DON McLEAN : PRIME TIME [REFLEJO - ESP 1977] LP

(Reflejo) 1977 made in Spain

cat. num. 10 C 062-060098

#pop rock

A1.Prime Time

A2.The Statue

A3.Jump

A4.Redwing

A5.The Wrong Thing To Do

A6.The Pattern Is Broken

B1.When Love Begins

B2.Colour TV Blues

B3.Building My Body

B4.Down The Road / Sally Ann

B5.When A Good Thing Goes Bad

B6.South Of The Border

McLean went in a dozen directions on this 1977 release. There are wild tunes like "Jump" (with great piano playing by Howie Wyeth), solemn ones like "The Statue," which is a solo vocal and string quartet (15 years before Elvis Costello's The Juliet Letters), and back-to-the-roots banjo playing on "Redwing." McLean has always believed in the power of melody and worked against the stereotype he was saddled with because of "American Pie." His albums are generally not commanding, but they demonstrate a loving breadth of material and his committed enthusiasm.