Van Dyke Parks – Song Cycle/Discover America/Clang of the Yankee Reaper (Reissues)
Jun 13, 2012, 2:59am
The Line Of Best Fit
The Line Of Best Fit
If there's ever a competition to name the oddest piece of music ever released under the expansive banner of rock music, Van Dyke Parks ' solo debut from 1968 will almost certainly land on the podium. Song Cycle kicks off with a snippet of traditional folk lament 'Black Jack Davey', but that's where the links between the album and American roots music conventions (or any other conventions) end. An almost uncontrollable outpouring of unusual ideas characterises these 12 tracks. It's almost as if Van Dyke Parks, having had to rein [...]
