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'American Pie' singer Don McLean says music no longer exists because of 'nihilistic society'
Fox News ^ | 04/11/2020 | Melissa Roberto

Posted on 04/11/2020 9:01:29 PM PDT by Olog-hai

Don McLean, the 74-year-old singer best known for his 1971 hit “American Pie,” says he is not impressed with the music of today.

The singer-songwriter believes times have certainly changed since his early days in the music industry, and he’s claiming there is no longer music of substance when he turns on the radio.

The folk-rock singer sat down with Tom Cridland for his YouTube series “The Greatest Music of All Time” to reflect on his musical career highlights. During the candid conversation, McLean partially discusses his political views, claiming that politics no longer “really mean anything,” and he likened it to drastic shift he’s noticed in music.

“The music doesn’t mean anything. The music reflects the spiritual nature of the society. We have a kind of a nihilistic society now,” McLean told the host. “No one believes in anything, no one likes anything, no one has any respect for anything much. The music shows that.” […]

The singer-songwriter added that today’s catchy songs involving notes and choruses “repeated over and over again” end up becoming “drummed into your head or makes you want to hang yourself.”

“It’s not a hook,” he said. …

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: 1950s; 1967; 1968; 1969; 8mileshigh; altamont; american; americanpie; beatles; bobdillon; buddyholly; byrds; culturewar; donmclean; elvis; faith; freewheeling; hellsangels; helterskelter; jester; jfk; jumpinjackflash; liberalagenda; manson; meredithhunter; monotones; music; nihilism; planecrash; rocknroll; rollingstones; sympathyforthedevil; values; violence
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To: qam1

I’m with you through the 1970s.

After Men at Work did “Land Down Under” I completely lost track of popular music. It means nothing to me.

Today, I’m pretty much all classical, although I occasionally dip into the stuff my parents were listening to when I was growing up in the 60s and 70s ... Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Al Martino, etc.


61 posted on 04/11/2020 10:12:31 PM PDT by Nothingburger
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To: Professional

“You and others go ahead and keep playing the same old lame oldies tunes...”

You may need hearing aids. ..


62 posted on 04/11/2020 10:13:27 PM PDT by TexasGator (Z1z)
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To: MrEdd

Melody. Much better on Amazon HD.


63 posted on 04/11/2020 10:14:33 PM PDT by TexasGator (Z1z)
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To: DoodleBob

You are exactly right. Support your local music scene! There’s no lack of great, original music around Texas-La-Oklahoma. Nashville, LA, and NY are bankrupt, spiritually/artistically speaking. They only speak for themselves, while trying to shout everyone else down.


64 posted on 04/11/2020 10:15:50 PM PDT by Churchjack
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To: Olog-hai

You can’t say the guy is inconsistent. 40 years ago he was saying the music died in 1959, and he’s saying the same thing now. What has he been doing all that time, though?


65 posted on 04/11/2020 10:17:03 PM PDT by x
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To: rexthecat

Vincent. And it was great.


66 posted on 04/11/2020 10:20:47 PM PDT by stanne
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To: Professional
Why would I do that when I can simply ask Alexa to play the Doors “Absolutely Live” album?

In fact the only new (to me) music that has really caught my ear recently is the first two albums by Laura Nyro from ‘68 and ‘69. That girl could sing! .....and play piano just like a ringin’ a bell.........

I think Don McClean is only really speaking out because just the other day Bob Dylan had his FIRST number 1 on the Billboard charts of his entire career. It is the recently released song, “Murder Most Foul”. Anyone in their right mind can clearly see that it is Dylan doing “American Pie”, but the way, and at the time, when it should truly be done.

https://www.billboard.com/amp/articles/business/chart-beat/9354213/bob-dylan-murder-most-foul-first-number-one-song-chart

67 posted on 04/11/2020 10:25:21 PM PDT by HandyDandy (All right then I will go to hell. Huckleberry Finn)
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To: x

Obviously you missed his recent world tour.


68 posted on 04/11/2020 10:27:30 PM PDT by TexasGator (Z1z)
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To: Professional

Very repititious. Some ok riffs...reminiscient of Ten years after, early Cream, tiny bit of Hendrix...but sounds like a garage band on hash saying to themselves...man...we rock.

Makes “dont worry kyoko” ...by Yoko Ono, seem like a masterpiece.


69 posted on 04/11/2020 10:30:16 PM PDT by Getready (Wisdom is more valuable than gold and diamonds, and harder to find.)
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To: Nothingburger

I stopped when the 70s stopped. It was the ACME of music. NOTHING could have possibly taken its place.


70 posted on 04/11/2020 10:33:01 PM PDT by smvoice (I WILL NOT WEAR THE RIBBON.)
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To: TexasGator
Obviously you missed his recent world tour.

So did the rest of the world.

71 posted on 04/11/2020 10:35:58 PM PDT by x
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To: Professional

I’ve been listening to the Outlaw Country channel on Sirius.

Lots of stuff that is in no way country, but it’s almost the only place I hear new stuff that can be connected with the source.


72 posted on 04/11/2020 10:38:49 PM PDT by dsc (As for the foundations of the Catholic faith, this pontificate is an outrage to reason.)
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To: rexthecat

He did the long version..


73 posted on 04/11/2020 10:39:15 PM PDT by vigilante2 (Make liberals cry again)
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To: Olog-hai

I hated that song.


74 posted on 04/11/2020 10:40:06 PM PDT by Born to Conserve
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To: Falconspeed
Elvis almost killed country in 1955. Nashville almost killed country in 1965. Get the drift?

But Garth Brooks did kill country music in the 90s.

75 posted on 04/11/2020 10:41:11 PM PDT by KevinB ("Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge." - Charles Darwin)
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To: metmom

I think it was about Buddy Holly


76 posted on 04/11/2020 10:41:13 PM PDT by vigilante2 (Make liberals cry again)
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To: Olog-hai

There’s plenty of great music out there. It’s just not likely to be on regular radio stations.


77 posted on 04/11/2020 10:41:15 PM PDT by neverevergiveup
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To: deadrock

Whats worse is people who think that whatever is current and popular and or if they like it, is the best...and the other stuff is old and dead.

I tried listening to a “progressive” local rock radio station...hoping they would pick out gems for me to listen to and enjoy..maybe one piece I liked, but all were forgettable...they even had to throw in a few oldies...I think white noise is just as good as some stuff nowadays...they had clinkers in the past also...but even the truly weird had a concept behind it...to wit...”Zabadak”


78 posted on 04/11/2020 10:42:02 PM PDT by Getready (Wisdom is more valuable than gold and diamonds, and harder to find.)
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To: TexasGator

I just buy all her CDs.

Her saxophonist was the last guy mentored by Stan Getz, I believe.


79 posted on 04/11/2020 10:44:23 PM PDT by MrEdd (Caveat Emptor)
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To: Getready

“.they had clinkers in the past also..”

Yep.

Wild Thing
You make my heart sing
You make everything
Groovy..
Wild Thing


80 posted on 04/11/2020 10:44:49 PM PDT by neverevergiveup
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