Like, I think it takes a certain type of person to be so in love with a time they never experienced, and this album is like the soundtrack to that.
― I know, right?, Thursday, 11 September 2008 01:20 (4 years ago) Permalink
Interesting aside: When I interviewed Van Dyke he said Song Cycle is essentially a very personal and emotional album that documents him coping with the death of his brother. (Maybe I mentioned that once before. Oh well, it's an interesting piece of background info, which has definitely altered the way I listen to the record at times.)
― QuantumNoise, Thursday, 11 September 2008 02:48 (4 years ago) Permalink
I tried listening to it with that in mind the other day. Other than maybe some of the sentimental elements of it...I didn't really sense the connection.
― Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 11 September 2008 03:19 (4 years ago) Permalink
I think it grounds some of the lyrics, gives them some other meanings.
― QuantumNoise, Thursday, 11 September 2008 15:21 (4 years ago) Permalink
Apart from the title track I've never been able to get into "Clang OTYR". I used to play "Jump" a lot, but I haven't heard it in years. No love here for "Tokyo Rose"? Didn't like "Orange Crate Art".
― Wrinkled Aeneas (Tom D.), Thursday, 11 September 2008 15:27 (4 years ago) Permalink
Clang... didn't connect with me at first either — but after a while, the calypso tunes started getting deeper, more interesting and, frankly, more catchy to me. And the whole "Cannon in D" (note the misspelling) closing is seriously twisted — sort of what would happen if "Tusk" were performed by a disco band in a church.
― Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 11 September 2008 15:53 (4 years ago) Permalink
BTW, sitting up at 7am w/ my daughter on a Sunday, I just noticed that VDP is doing the songs for HBO's "Harold and the Purple Crayon" animated series. The songs today featured him singing about the cycle of life (Harold's goldfish died, apparently), were catchy as hell (think Jump!) and were scored for orchestra and sitar! Harry Nilsson would have been very, very proud...
― Naive Teen Idol, Sunday, 1 March 2009 13:47 (4 years ago) Permalink
i had the honour of interviewing him a few months back and he invited me to his gig with inara george in camden. really charismatic and vocal guy, on and off stage. i had a quick chat with him after the gig but he was being harassed by everyone there. he handed me a card which read:
"Mr. Van Dyke Parksapologizes for his behavior on the night of ..... and sincerely regrets any damage orinconvenience he may have caused."
http://www.clashmusic.com/feature/van-dyke-parks-interview
― the next grozart, Sunday, 1 March 2009 14:05 (4 years ago) Permalink
Thanks for the interview link!
*puts on Tokyo Rose*
― t**t, Sunday, 1 March 2009 18:40 (4 years ago) Permalink
I'm going to his alleged only australian concert in Sept. What should I expect from a VDP live performance?
― wilter, Wednesday, 22 July 2009 23:56 (3 years ago) Permalink
when i was in LA i lived near laurel canyon blvd and every time i had to cross it i started humming the song cycle track
― hallmark race cards (donna rouge), Thursday, 23 July 2009 00:00 (3 years ago) Permalink
― Turangalila, Wednesday, 16 September 2009 08:21 (3 years ago) Permalink
fans of discover america check this recently reissued recording of the esso trinidad steel band (produced by van dyke parks in 1971):
http://www.othermusic.com/perl-bin/OM/CD_Show_Info.cgi?ID=2443489.18394&catalog_id=86681
― akaky akakievich, Wednesday, 16 September 2009 12:09 (3 years ago) Permalink
i'm about to check this out as well:
mighty sparrow - hot & sweet (produced by parks 1974)
http://www.othermusic.com/perl-bin/OM/CD_Show_Info.cgi?ID=2443489.18394&catalog_id=84140
― akaky akakievich, Wednesday, 16 September 2009 12:12 (3 years ago) Permalink
and i'mma gonna check out "the company" ost, whereon there's 2 van dyke parks tunes that i've never heard anywhere else (curtain calls & blue snake and zebras).
― t**t, Wednesday, 16 September 2009 13:23 (3 years ago) Permalink
The concert a couple of weeks ago was really awesome. His dad jokes between every song were a+.
He played a bunch of stuff from Discover and Jump which was pleasing.
I also got him to sign a copy this:
and was annoyed how much of a dork I was in front of him
― wilter, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 06:54 (3 years ago) Permalink
Hey the man himself is on a brief tour right now and in SF tonite and Santa Monica in a few days. Attended his Portland show last night and couldn't recommend higher for anyone even remotly interested- do yourself a favor. Played a pretty representative swath of his material; closed with "He Needs Me"!
― Bangelo, Thursday, 11 February 2010 20:46 (3 years ago) Permalink
Oh and my gf got his same business card from upthread :)
― Bangelo, Thursday, 11 February 2010 20:47 (3 years ago) Permalink
Yep saw him late last year, it was totally fun + awesome
― wilter, Friday, 12 February 2010 04:30 (3 years ago) Permalink
dad jokes? is he a dad?
he is gay, right...?
― by another name (amateurist), Friday, 12 February 2010 04:50 (3 years ago) Permalink
NO.
― Megadeth Panel (Ówen P.), Friday, 12 February 2010 05:51 (3 years ago) Permalink
nope
― dog latin, Friday, 12 February 2010 10:58 (3 years ago) Permalink
just fairly camp
He is a dad,and v v happily married afaik?
― wilter, Friday, 12 February 2010 11:18 (3 years ago) Permalink
Yes.
― Megadeth Panel (Ówen P.), Friday, 12 February 2010 12:41 (3 years ago) Permalink
man, this is something else. i don't even know what to think.
― fischer-price my first chukkas (M@tt He1ges0n), Friday, 16 April 2010 14:48 (3 years ago) Permalink
Song Cycle? That record has a lot going on ... and it's just a half hour long right? Feel like you could spend a lifetime listening to it and not get to the bottom of it.
― tylerw, Friday, 16 April 2010 14:54 (3 years ago) Permalink
yeah a friend gave me a copy on vinyl cuz he had it forever and didn't like it...
listened for the first time last night and this AM...
sorta like a weird beach boys but with way strange melodies and arrangements.
almost kinda like aaron copeland type stuff in some ways...
not entirely sure how i feel about it.
― Ndamukong HOOS (M@tt He1ges0n), Friday, 16 April 2010 15:00 (3 years ago) Permalink
oh man i envy u yr first play
― Big Fate (as Alvin 'Xzibit' Joiner) (history mayne), Friday, 16 April 2010 15:01 (3 years ago) Permalink
fave VDP joint might be mojo men's "sit down i think i love you" but "palm desert" is some insanity
― Big Fate (as Alvin 'Xzibit' Joiner) (history mayne), Friday, 16 April 2010 15:02 (3 years ago) Permalink
yeah, i mean, it's not a record that makes a hell of a lot of sense at first. but it's worth the effort. also just kind of amazing he was allowed to make it!
― tylerw, Friday, 16 April 2010 15:03 (3 years ago) Permalink
My friend's fiancee posted a status update at midnight that reads:"attn music nerds: Van Dyke Parks gets two thumbs down." Made me laugh.I don't listen to them very often but I love Song Cycle and Discover America.His weird version of the "ode to joy" is pretty amazing.
― Trip Maker, Friday, 16 April 2010 15:14 (3 years ago) Permalink
is there a comp of Van Dyke's pre-Song Cycle stuff? Production, arrangements, guest spots, etc.? Don't know how much there is, but he pops up in non-Beach Boy spots occasionally.
― tylerw, Friday, 16 April 2010 15:15 (3 years ago) Permalink
Not that I am aware of but it would be great to have.
― Trip Maker, Friday, 16 April 2010 15:17 (3 years ago) Permalink
There are these singles (don't think I've heard them, unless Donovan's Colours is the same as Song Cycle)# "Number Nine / Do What You Wanta", 1966, single 45# "Come to the Sunshine / Farther Along", 1966, single 45# "Donovan's Colours, Pt. 1 / Donovan's Colours, Pt. 2" 1968" single 45 (under the pseudonym George Washington Brown)
― tylerw, Friday, 16 April 2010 15:19 (3 years ago) Permalink
I should ask my friend that is utterly OBSESSED with VDP if he could whip something together.He probably owns all that stuff.I wish I could have gone with him to see Van Dyke in person in Arkansas maybe six or seven years ago. Heard the show was great.He's such a charming and funny individual, that Parks.
― Trip Maker, Friday, 16 April 2010 15:22 (3 years ago) Permalink
― tylerw, Friday, April 16, 2010 3:03 PM (18 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
yeah it's awesome that there was this weird window of time where that could happen...like now it would have to be some weirdo indie self recorded thing on a small label, but in the 60s it's like hell yeah let's get Lenny Waronker and Bruce Botnick on this
they must've spent a ton on making this record
― Ndamukong HOOS (M@tt He1ges0n), Friday, 16 April 2010 15:23 (3 years ago) Permalink
Hell yeah they lost money:
― Roomful of Moogs (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 16 April 2010 15:26 (3 years ago) Permalink
haha, was just looking for that ad. hilarious. though it sounds like small potatoes, even for back in the day? maybe not. dunno what that would be inflation-wise these days.
― tylerw, Friday, 16 April 2010 15:29 (3 years ago) Permalink
ugh now i really want to hear the early pre-Song Cycle stuff. Doesn't seem like it's ever been compiled ... but someone out there on the internet must've put it all together. Don't let us down, Internet!
― tylerw, Friday, 16 April 2010 15:30 (3 years ago) Permalink
It's true that the first time you hear it, it sounds like an underwater gramophone playing scratchy music hall records sung by actual penguins.
― village idiot (dog latin), Friday, 16 April 2010 15:31 (3 years ago) Permalink
well, no
― Big Fate (as Alvin 'Xzibit' Joiner) (history mayne), Friday, 16 April 2010 15:31 (3 years ago) Permalink
though it sounds like small potatoes, even for back in the day? maybe not. dunno what that would be inflation-wise these days.
Dunno either. I was looking at the liners for Odessey and Oracle the other day, and there was a quote from an A & R guy were he said 4000 pounds (about $6000) was considered an expensive budget back then. IIRC Forever Changes cost $2500-3000.
― Roomful of Moogs (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 16 April 2010 15:36 (3 years ago) Permalink
iirc 'good vibrations' cost $60k? and that was seen as insane, the cost of multiple LPs?
― Big Fate (as Alvin 'Xzibit' Joiner) (history mayne), Friday, 16 April 2010 15:38 (3 years ago) Permalink
This thread inspired me to listen to Song Cycle. It's been a long time.
― Moodles, Friday, 16 April 2010 15:51 (3 years ago) Permalink
Joy - just won tickets to see VDP at Meltdown Festival.
― village idiot (dog latin), Tuesday, 18 May 2010 11:16 (3 years ago) Permalink
i recently re-watched the brave little toaster and noticed that he had written the songs for it
― teledyldonix, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 16:48 (3 years ago) Permalink
― teledyldonix, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 16:51 (3 years ago) Permalink
Harold / Purple Crayon, too.
Very excited to see VDP at Primavera this year. Re-reading that Warner ad is nutty. $50k is a tonne of money, though I can't imagine how and why Song Cycle cost that much.
― ◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝◦ ⃝ (Ówen P.), Tuesday, 18 May 2010 18:16 (3 years ago) Permalink
the catering was off the hook on that record, i heard.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 18:17 (3 years ago) Permalink
i got that train-themed LP on record store day but have yet to listen to it.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 09:00 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
It's pretty good!
― insert witticism here (hypehat), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 09:41 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
i love it. super-cinematic
― reggie (qualmsley), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 13:24 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
ugh, i need to get that, is it available still anywhere? this ry cooder vid from 1970ish that VDP made is kind of great. http://bananastan.com/scrapbook.html#videos
― tylerw, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 15:00 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
also of importance
― tylerw, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 15:06 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
― i also enjoy in line skateing (spazzmatazz), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 15:58 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
His business cards read, approximately:
Mr Van Dyke Parkswould like to apologize for his behaviour at this event(312) etc.
― flamboyant goon tie included, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 22:27 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
L.A. not Chicago, sorry
hey tyler i'll sell it to you for $150 ;-)
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 2 May 2013 02:08 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
"I spoke of my love for MacArthur,The man, not the park in LA"
― Bees Against Racism (Tom D.), Thursday, 2 May 2013 15:55 (2 weeks ago) Permalink
Got Songs Cycled yesterday, it's a weird one - there's an Esso Trinidad Steel Band track in there completely uncredited, it lifts stuff really unsubtly from his scores, but there's so much good stuff here and I wasn't able to shell out for the 7' series. The Parting Hand and Sassafrass are glorious, and throughout his arranging and production are amazing. <3 Van Dyke.
― insert witticism here (hypehat), Sunday, 5 May 2013 10:24 (2 weeks ago) Permalink