Don McLean - American Pie (1972)

It's been dissected line by line, punctiliously analysed as if it were classic poetry, and even been acclaimed as a major literary achievement by spurious scholars! I'm, of course, talking about the epic — both in terms of length and thematic sweep — title track of this LP, which sadly is the only thing Don McLean is remembered for these days.

No doubt, 'American Pie', which is as much about Buddy Holly's tragic plane crash death as it is about the American Dream, is a pop classic. But as the other songs on the album demonstrate, the folk tradition-steeped McLean was more than a history-exploiting one-hit wonder... I must record my gratitude here to the DJs of Radio RAAF Butterworth for introducing me to McLean's other fine songs, including 'If We Try', 'Castles in the Air' and 'Infinity', in the '70s.