Passionate Potpourri

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`American Pie’ - Music for the 2020 elections

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  • Rosanne Boyett
    Rosanne Boyett
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Music, like other art forms, transcends time and place. Think of the innumerable genre that have linked generations around the world for centuries. Music recognizes no cultural boundaries.

The question is which came first singing and chanting a cappella or playing instruments?

I don’t think the answer is important except to dedicated musicologists. These are people who literally study all aspects of music in all cultures and all historical periods.

For the rest of us it is the lyrics and accompanying instrumentation that stir emotions and create lasting memories.

The song American Pie seems an appropriate intro into the second decade of the 21st century.

Bye, bye Miss American Pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

The U.S. elections have garnered media coverage worldwide. No matter the outcome there will be a percentage of people who are decidedly unhappy with the results. Differences of opinion and a variety of lifestyles are aspects of American culture that appeal to people who live in non-democratic societies in other countries.

The brilliance of “American Pie” is in its structure, not the words: a perfect fusion of folk, rock’n'roll and old-fashioned popular music. The slow intro is the pop part, but then the piano kicks in and the tempo speeds into the chorus — that is the rock’n'roll bit. The folk component is in the verse-chorus-verse composition explained American singer and songwriter Don McLean when he described his song. He recorded the album with the same name which was released by United Artists Records in October 1971.

Yes, we are talking vinyl here — no CDs or other technological advances. I promise not to dwell on 8-track tapes, et cetera. Some of us, including McLean, grew up with music that was recorded on 45s (dinky little pieces of plastic that played at 45 revolutions per minute on a revolving spindle) or 33 1/2 LPs. And those were high-tech compared to the old 78 recordings. All three versions required record players

Vinyl records are easier to scratch or gouge and much more prone to warping compared to most 78 rpm records, which were made of shellac in a variety of sizes; the most common were the 10- inch (25 cm) and 12-inch (30 cm) diameter. The old 78s were popular between 1890-1960, but rpms were not standardized until the 1930s.

Both of those “new” inventions, 45s and 33 1/2 LPs, were made from vinyl plastic, which is flexible and unbreakable in normal use even when sent through the U.S. postal service.

McLean’s “American Pie” single crossed cultural borders with its iconic message. It was the number-one U.S. hit for four weeks in 1972 and topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. In the UK, the single reached No. 2, where it stayed for three weeks, on its original 1971 release and a reissue in 1991 reached No. 12. The song was awarded the status of No. 5 on Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Oh, and while the King was looking down

The jester stole his thorny crown

The courtroom was adjourned,

No verdict was returned.

Seems like an apt description for the way our country has changed.

But McLean’s legacy spans generations.

“The rollicking song about the souring of the 60s has now spawned a film, a musical, and a children’s book,” according to theguardian.com, Oct. 22.

I remain an eternal optimist; I believe “every cloud has a silver lining.”

Nothing lasts forever - the pandemic will end.

We can return to our basic beliefs in the value of life and humanity’s desire to make the future better. We will find common ground for “We the people.”

“Many say they don’t recognize the America we live in now. But I do. I lived through an America which had lost its way, misled by politicians stoking fear and hate to get elected. And yes, it was an America with camps. But I have also seen America rise from that low. I have hope,” said George Takei who was born in 1937. The American actor, author, and activist is best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS Enterprise in the television series Star Trek.