Don McLean will be a familiar name to many in the UK, primarily because of the 1971 mega-hit ‘American Pie’, but in America he’s a national treasure, having ratcheted up 40 gold and platinum records worldwide over the course of his career. ‘Botanical Gardens’, the first studio outing in eight years, is Don’s 19th album and it captures the great singer in a reflective mood. As Don confidently moves through genres, the album provides a journey across his musical past and this, matched by a sumptuous yet organic production courtesy of Watershed Studios in Nashville, makes for a varied album that sees both hard-rocking highs (such as ‘rock and roll your baby’) and sweetly sorrowful lows (such as album closer, ‘last night when we were young’), that make for an engaging album indeed that will endure alongside his greatest hits with ease.
From the start, ‘Botanical Gardens’ has a lovely, laid-back feel drawing upon country and blues in a way that recalls the likes of Johnny Cash and even Neil Young back when he was travelling with the International Harvesters. The title track sees Don’s voice, weathered but still instantly recognisable laid over Nashville guitars and even, as the song progresses, an unexpected yet largely welcome string section. That Neil Young vibe persists on the up-tempo shuffle of ‘the lucky guy’, Don allowing just a touch of valve distortion to give his guitar the requisite grit. An early album highlight, ‘A total eclipse of the sun’ is shimmering Americana with reverb-drenched guitars crafting an ethereal, story-telling vibe that Don capitalises upon with his half-sung, half-spoken vocals. It’s one of those songs that just draws you in and keeps your attention until the last, echoing note has drifted away. In contrast, ‘the waving man’ is the sort of well-worn country tune that only Nashville can produce with any conviction. The buoyant mood is largely dispersed by the dark blues of ‘when July comes’ which speaks of wintry nights and loneliness, a sense of longing percolating into the strings and the wash of the ocean as the track reaches its bitter-sweet conclusion. Similarly calm and reflective, ‘You’re all I ever had’ is an acoustic track with a hint of melancholy drawn interpolated into the simple love the lyrics describe. These two tracks feel very much like late night music with strong overtones of nostalgia, but you can’t keep a good rocker down and the crack of the drums that introduce ‘rock and roll your baby’ sends the energy levels soaring once more.
A short, countrified blues with some sweet slide guitar work, ‘I’ve cried all the tears that I have’ recalls Chuck Leavell’s solo work with its honky-tonk piano and laid back vibe. The slinky ‘Ain’t she a honey’ is the sort of taut shuffle you might expect from a Keith Richards solo album whilst the rich arrangement of ‘the king of fools’ is a sumptuous discourse upon the diminishing powers of aging that taps into the same well of inspiration from which Bob Dylan drew on ‘tempest’. Promising both despair and redemption, ‘grief and hope’ is vintage country with a toe-tapping rhythm and sing-along chorus. Americana with a touch of Sinatra, ‘you’ve got such beautiful eyes’ and the poignant closer ‘last night when we were young’ see the lights dim low as Don croons over tinkling ivory and a string section. It feels like the big finale to a gala performance and it is a most fitting end to a varied album that allows for a gentle nostalgia without wallowing in it.
Don McLean has already accomplished more over the course of his musical career than many ever will, and it’s clear that this is a project born not out of necessity but love. There’s a simple sincerity imbued in every lyric and every guitar lick that can only come from an exceptional musician given time to do what they love in a relaxed environment. Drawing upon a wide range of American styles, elements of Dylan, Sinatra, Young and Cash are all present in the mix, although the end result is uniquely McLean’s own and the album demonstrates how richly he deserves his place in the pantheon of greats. Poignant, fun, reflective and sweet, ‘Botanical Garden’ is an album to treasure. 9
UK Tour Dates 2018
APR 29 Southend Cliffs Pavilion
APR 30 York Barbican Centre
MAY 01 Victoria Theatre, Halifax
MAY 02 Sage Gateshead
MAY 04 De La Warr Pavilion Bexhill On Sea
MAY 06 Donald Gordon Theatre, Cardiff
MAY 07 The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
MAY 09 London Palladium
MAY 10 Symphony Hall, Birmingham
MAY 11 Colston Hall Bristol
MAY 13 Philharmonic Hall Liverpool
MAY 15 Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
MAY 16 Usher Hall Edinburgh
MAY 20-23 & Jun 11&12 Vicar Street Dublin, Ireland
MAY 24 Royal Theatre and Event Centre Co. Mayo, Ireland
MAY 27 Aura Arena Letterkenny Co. Donegal, Ireland
MAY 29 Wexford Opera House Wexford, Ireland
JUN 01 University Concert Hall Limerick City, Ireland
JUN 03 Knocknarea Arena Sligo, Ireland
JUN 05 Mullingar Park Hotel Co. Westmeath, Ireland
JUN 08 & 09 Leisureland Galway, Ireland
JUN 14 Live At The Marquee Cork, Ireland
