Legendary Songs Of Don Mclean

This CD will forever be one of the favorites in my whole collection! Partly because it has so dang many truly great songs, but also because each song is so dang well re-mastered! I have a high end music system that can deliver most of the beautiful harmonic nuances that you'd hear if you sat inside the artist's studio during the recording. That only happens IF those nuances are recorded onto the CD, and such is the case with Legendary Songs of Don McLean.This CD is a fabulous showcase of multi-faceted talent. In the first place, Don McLean must be considered one of the era's most eloquent songwriters. His lyrics are great poems by themselves...intelligent and very elegant expressions of the romanticism of the story he's telling. Secondly, his melodies are perfect complements to the words. "Vincent", (Starry Starry Night, to some) is a superb, classic example of what I'm saying here. Spectacular! It brought tears to my eyes. I'm a former boxer, Harley rider, and three-time-wounded combat infantryman...so tears don't come easy for me.And then there's McLean's voice quality. Incredible smoothness, pitch, range, and appropriate emotion for each song! To me, his voice mimics a fine cello or clarinet in the hands of a master. Roy Orbison is known as "The Voice" -very well deserved- but McLean's version of Orbison's "Crying" certainly is on a perfect par...no easy feat! "Since I Don't Have You" is another song that exemplifies Don McLean's amazing (Legendary) voice quality. It's so beautiful that you can't help but sing along...but try to hit all of the high notes and you'll end up needing to call the doctor to repair your vocal chords.Legendary Songs of Don McLean is one of the best collections of melodies you can buy, but you'll also get some great rhythm/rock songs like "Dreidel" and "Headroom", and even some smokey jazz in "If I Only Had a Match". And there's some bop and doo-wop too! Hear this CD and feel like you've strolled through the 40's, 50's, 60's...right up to the present decade...and McLean is somehow able to stitch those styles and eras seamlessly!Finally, let me say that one of my very penny-pinching friends heard this CD when I got it, and he left with an insatiable itch to buy his own copy...Scrooge McDuck sprinting away to the store! This CD really is a Must Have!

I was surprised by this man's work. I knew the big hits : Starry Night and American Pie from back in the early 70s. I sent away for this because I wanted to finally have a copy of Vincent. It's never played on the radio. All one ever hears is Am. Pie. I was surprised at the variety of Don McLean's work. Beautiful pieces that he himself wrote and beautiful covers, all done in a very original way, of other great works by other artists. I had never heard most of these pieces, not having followed him after the initial hits. The last one, called Empty Chairs is another of his masterpieces. It says in the album cover liner that Roberta Flack got her inspiration for Killing Me Softly with his Song from listening to him sing Chairs. I can see why. The lyrics are haunting and heartbreaking. But even more beautiful and a true example of McLean's ability to put his thoughts into words is Vincent (Starry Night). This is pure poetry and can be read w/o the music as such. It's so amazing to me that after so many years after Van Gogh's death, one man could tell his story with such feeling that it could make the painter come alive again. The way he uses colors in the lyrics paints a picture so vivid and so moving it's like looking at Vincent's paintings. The technical quality of the recordings is excellent. I'm very glad I got this record.

Each song better than the last. I'm know I'm showing my age but I enjoy listening to it often.

I bought this CD for the song "The Day The Music Died". I had come across an article that was telling how all the words in the song had a sprcific meaning. I went on the search and found a few variations. All of which were almost the same. The meanings are very interesting and heartfelt. Loved it.

Over four decades, Don McLean has made alot of music; and not just his own hits -- He recorded other artists' songs such as 'Crying' by Roy Orbison. What I like about this complilation is Don's great variety in satisfying musical tastes. Of course this contains 'American Pie', but it also contains 'Jerusalem' from his travels around the world. You cannot put Don McLean in a box, and say, 'this is him'. But that great voice of his can do so many things. I am sure that I will have many happy years with this CD.

Don McLean can write powerful music such as "American Pie", "Vincent", "Empty Chairs" and "Cross Roads" and do classics such as "Crying" and my favorite, the Hank Williams classic "Your Cheatin Heart". This is a must have!

Amazon as usual is always great on getting the product to your door. The. CD was used, as I ordered it that way. It came in a really worn out case but, the CD was not scratched and played fine.

This CD has my favorite Don McLean songs. On repeated (non-stop) listening, I find that some of his classics are not as good as I used to think, while others are better than I remembered; and some that I have never heard before are outstanding! Some even seem to pre-date the rock era (which is good).

This is the first Don McClean album I have bought but it won't be the last. The range of differing subjects ia great and it is nice to hear new versions of other artists hits. Perfect CD for the car!

Ótimo! Uso no carro e em casa.

One of the absolutely best albums from one of the absolutely best artist of all time. If you do not yet know this singer or his songs, I envy you the peasure of discovery.Are there singers/writers today who bring out songs as deeply meaningly as these?Can think of one, he's called Stromae, he sings only in French up to date, and I envy you the discovery....

Bought this for a Dutch friend. She's ecstatic. "Starry Night" pushed her over the edge.

the best