Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle Van Dyke Parks is most famous for collaborating in 1967 and 2004 with Brian Wilson on SMiLE, but few people know he also made some great records on his own. This is his first, and it's experimental pop type stuff, maybe think Fiery Furnaces minus electronics and a female singer plus orchestral flourishes and editorial constraint. This is also where the Jon Brion school of pop undoubtedly comes from. Tin pan alley-ish at times, but never less than entertaining, and often startingly original. Get in on it before his Joanna Newsom collab sends it into the indie mainstream and it gets featured on CNN.
never been a fan. just sayin'
ACB