Songs Cycled
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
Songs Cycled is the seventh studio album by Van Dyke Parks, released on Bella Union in 2013. It is his first of original material since 1995's Orange Crate Art.[1] It features relatively new compositions, re-recordings, and covers by Parks.[2]
Background
Throughout 2011 and 2012, Parks began sporadically releasing a series of 7" singles through his independent record label Bananastan spanning both archives and recently recorded songs.[3] On April 2, 2013, he announced the release of Songs Cycled on Bella Union, which would compile each single into one LP.
The title is an overt reference to Parks' debut album Song Cycle (1968), released 45 years earlier. Parks has said that he's likened it to Songs Cycled in that "in both cases, there’s a maverick on the loose, with a highly personal set of tunes and instrumentals. All of them reveal an iconoclast tilting at windmills, railing at tyrants, barking at masters of war, and celebrating a shameless commitment to the very definition of ‘Americana’." It also has a meaning of himself having come full circle in his recording career. Parks has expressed that Songs Cycled could "arguably" be his last album due to financial and physical challenges.[2][4]
Much of the album contains themes that deal with recent American controversies. "Black Gold" was written and recorded shortly after the 2002 Prestige oil spill and has lyrics dealing with a fantasized version of the events. "Wall Street" was written as a response to the September 11 attacks, and "Money Is King" is described by Parks as "picking up where it left off," illustrating greed in post-9/11 corporate America. The American bombing of Baghdad is also explored in the lyrics to "Dreaming of Paris". "Missin' Missipi" was written about the Hurricane Katrina disaster, which devastated New Orleans in 2005.
Two tracks are re-recordings of previously written material from Parks' other albums. Of them, they are "The All Golden" from Song Cycle and "Hold Back Time" from Orange Crate Art (1995).
A recording made with The Esso Trinidad Steel Band is present on the album as "Aquarium", a steelpan instrumental version of a composition originally by Camille Saint-Saëns. It originally appeared on the album Esso (1971), which Parks co-produced and had recently reissued on his Bananastan label.
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 75/100[5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork Media | 7.2/10[6] |
| The Observer |   [7] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | [8] |
| Record Collector | [9] |
| Chicago Tribune | [10] |
| Consequence of Sound | [11] |
Songs Cycled was met with generally favorable reviews by critics. Mike Powell of Pitchfork Media wrote of the album, "One of the ironies of Parks's music is that there's so much going on that it can be hard to figure out what to pay attention to. He rarely sticks to a single theme or emotion. ('Busy' is not an emotion.)" and adds, "At best Songs Cycled deals in quick-pivot moments [...] What these moments do-- especially in the context of music so dense and restless-- is frame Parks's range. In an instant, he reminds you of the extremes he's capable of: Cynicism and tenderness; clear lyricism and manic density; buttoned-up orchestras and dressed-down steel bands." Jon Falcone of Drowned In Sound reviewed, "Songs Cycled has everything you’d want from Van Dyke Parks and from an album. By being true to the Van Dyke Parks’ perception of what an album should contain, his music sounds as though it is from a different planet."[12]
Some critics found the album's style abrasive, with Kitty Empire of The Observer writing "Those coming fresh to Parks may find his reedy voice, and his warping of time, requires some adjustment." Wesley Britton of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote that "Songs Cycled is a rather sophisticated tour de force, with Parks showing off all his chops as a composer, arranger, producer, performer, lyricist, and, to a lesser degree, singer. It's not for everyone. It's beautiful but disconcerting, has one eye to the past but another firmly in the now, and is completely unpredictable from start to finish. This is an album you should sample at the Parks website or on YouTube and then decide if you want the full course."[13]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Van Dyke Parks, except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wedding in Madagascar (Faranaina)" (trad. arr. V.D. Parks) | 2:53 |
| 2. | "Dreaming of Paris" | 3:47 |
| 3. | "Hold Back Time" | 3:44 |
| 4. | "Sassafrass" (Billy Edd Wheeler) | 3:05 |
| 5. | "Black Gold" | 6:24 |
| 6. | "Aquarium" (Saint-Saëns) | 2:35 |
| 7. | "Money Is King" (V.D. Parks/Growling Tiger) | 3:06 |
| 8. | "Wall Street" | 4:35 |
| 9. | "The Parting Hand" (public domain) | 6:06 |
| 10. | "The All Golden" | 4:09 |
| 11. | "Missin’ Missisippi" | 3:08 |
| 12. | "Amazing Graces" | 3:15 |
| Total length: | 46:43 | |
Personnel
- Van Dyke Parks – main performer, lead vocals, acoustic guitar, ukuleles, keyboards, piano, producer, musette
- Additional musicians and production staff
References
- ^ Smallman, Etan (April 7, 2013). "Van Dyke Parks rolls on with a new album Songs Cycled". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- ^ a b "Van Dyke Parks to release "Songs Cycled" on May 6th". Bella Union. bellaunion.com. April 2, 2013.
- ^ "7" Singles Series by Van Dyke Parks". Bananastan. bananastan.com. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- ^ Parkes, Taylor (May 22nd, 2013). "The Clang Of The Yankee Reaper: Van Dyke Parks Interviewed". The Quietus. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Songs Cycled at Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
- ^ Powell, Mike (May 6, 2013). "Song Cycled review". Pitchfork Media.
- ^ Empire, Kitty (2013-05-17). "Van Dyke Parks: Songs Cycled". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
- ^ Griffin, Alex. "Van Dyke Parks Songs Cycled". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ Stauntom, Terry. "VAN DYKE PARKS - SONGS CYCLED". Record Collectot Magazine. Retrieved June 2013.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Kot, Greg (July 15, 2013). "Album review: Van Dyke Parks, 'Songs Cycled'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- ^ Kivel, Adam (Jul. 26, 2013). "Album Review: Van Dyke Parks - Songs Cycled". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved Jul. 26, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ http://drownedinsound.com/releases/17631/reviews/4146384
- ^ http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Music-Review-Van-Dyke-Parks-Songs-Cycled-4539718.php Music Review: Van Dyke Parks - Songs Cycled, Wednesday, May 22, 2013