Van Dyke Parks' visionary 1968 debut, Song Cycle, rose phoenix-like from the ashes of his fabled Smile collaboration with Brian Wilson. Parks' breathtaking high-wire act fused the pop genius of Phil Spector, Stephen Sondheim's Broadway vertigo and the orchestral flare of American composer Charles Ives and made it wholly his own. Our definitive pressing of this landmark Warner Bros. album is sourced from the original analog master, and pressed on high-definition vinyl.

'Here's Volume One, dating from my earliest studio adventures in the '60s. Come To The Sunshine was the first such arrangement. It was written about my dad and his band 'The White Swan Serenaders' (who played at the White Swan Hotel in Punxsutawny, PA.) This single on MGM gave me my first real adventure at the dawn of multitrack recording (although it was done in just 3 takes). Throughout, you'll hear what I learned about arranging. Bear in mind I went on to scratch out my own hard-scrabble life as an underpaid arranger, yet able to propel three offspring through their collegiate careers. They learned enough to avoid my occupational mistakes, pursuing other careers. Volume Two will be a different matter, with an exponential craft improvement on my part. Still, this must be my confession, as a review of my past work may offer great instruction to others who move the recorded arts beyond my wildest dreams. Clearly, my best work lies ahead'. - Van Dyke Parks Pasadena, CA, March '11.

Following the breathtaking high-wire act of Song Cycle, Van Dyke Parks turned his kaleidoscopic gaze to the 1940's martini-and-rhumba world of Hemingway's Caribbean sojourn with 1972's Discover America. Our definitive pressing of this landmark Warner Bros. album is sourced from the original analog master, and pressed on audiophile High-Definition Vinyl.

No Description Available.
Genre: Popular Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 29-MAY-1990

'Here's Volume One, dating from my earliest studio adventures in the '60s. Come To The Sunshine was the first such arrangement. It was written about my dad and his band 'The White Swan Serenaders' (who played at the White Swan Hotel in Punxsutawny, PA.) This single on MGM gave me my first real adventure at the dawn of multitrack recording (although it was done in just 3 takes). Throughout, you'll hear what I learned about arranging. Bear in mind I went on to scratch out my own hard-scrabble life as an underpaid arranger, yet able to propel three offspring through their collegiate careers. They learned enough to avoid my occupational mistakes, pursuing other careers. Volume Two will be a different matter, with an exponential craft improvement on my part. Still, this must be my confession, as a review of my past work may offer great instruction to others who move the recorded arts beyond my wildest dreams. Clearly, my best work lies ahead'. - Van Dyke Parks Pasadena, CA, March '11.

This CD is an out of print collectible! It is the original 1989 Warner Bros. release. Catalog 9-25968-2. There is a hole punch through the top right corner of the booklet and the back art.