| Song Cycle | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Van Dyke Parks | ||||
| Released | November 1967 | |||
| Recorded | 1967 | |||
| Genre | Baroque pop, experimental rock, psychedelic rock, psychedelic pop | |||
| Length | 32:39 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Lenny Waronker | |||
| Van Dyke Parks chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Rolling Stone | (not rated)[2] |
Song Cycle is a 1967 album by Van Dyke Parks that encompasses a number of genres, including psychedelic, folk, baroque, and experimental rock and pop.[3] The release was Parks' debut album, and was produced by future Dreamworks Records co-founder Lenny Waronker.
The album's material explores unconventional song structures, and reflects an American Gothic trip. Song Cycle also features three cover songs: Randy Newman's "Vine Street", Donovan's "Colours", and the traditional "Nearer My God to Thee" (listed on the album as "Van Dyke Parks").
The subjects of many songs, on the other hand, are Southern California locales, including Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Vine Street, Silver Lake Boulevard, and Palm Desert. The lyrics on Song Cycle also reflect Parks' history working in both the film and music industries of Southern California.
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Following his work as the lyricist on The Beach Boys' ill-fated Smile album, Parks was signed as a recording artist by Warner Bros. Records. The album was backed by producer Lenny Waronker, who placed Parks' musical freedom over budgetary constraints. It was one of the most expensive albums ever produced up to this time. The album made early use of an eight-track professional reel-to-reel recorder at a time when most studios were still limited to four-track machines.
A Rykodisc edition added an extra song, "The Eagle and Me" by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, to the end of the album. Note: the song "Van Dyke Parks" above (credited as 'public domain') is actually an interpretation of "Nearer, My God, to Thee", traditionally assumed to have been the last song played by the band on the deck of the Titanic, dubbed over battlefield recordings of Vietnam.
Although it received good reviews upon release, Song Cycle sold slowly, and took at least three years to pay for the original studio sessions.[4] In response to the poor sales of the record after its release (despite some rave critical reviews), Warner Bros. Records ran full page newspaper and magazine advertisements that said they "lost $35,509 on 'the album of the year' (dammit)."[4] The ad said that those who actually purchased the album had likely worn their copies out by playing it over and over, and suggested that listeners send in worn out copies to Warner Bros. in return for two new copies, including one "to educate a friend with."
In the years since its release, it has gained status as a cult album. Many musicians cite the album as an influence, including producer and songwriter Jim O'Rourke.[5] O'Rourke worked with Parks and harpist Joanna Newsom on Newsom's record Ys. Joanna Newsom sought out the partnership with Van Dyke Parks after listening to Song Cycle.[6]
In July 2010, Continuum published a book in their 331⁄3 series about Song Cycle, written by Richard Henderson.[7]