Van Dyke Parks' Super Chief

Van Dyke Parks is a blabbermouth, like Pete Townshend in his Chinese Eyes period. But Van Dyke is red, white and blue Americana which is what makes nearly all of his albums very listenable in a mood-setting way. Thinking is optional but highly enjoyable if you make the effort. Especially when you factor in his arranging skills.

I'm knocked out, though, by Parks' 2013 release Super Chief, a reimagined collection of themes from his film scores. All orchestral. Great cover, too. It's been on regular rotation in this house for the past several years. Does anyone else hear what I hear, or should I got back to my stack of Van Dyke singles?

And how do we get a full orchestral recording of Parks' Brian Wilson Suite, composed for Wilson's 2000 Pet Sounds tour?

 

Well, I've managed to appreciate Van Dyke Parks mainly through his work with other performers...Brian Wilson primarily. But outside of Orange Crate Art, I don't have any of his albums. So you've convinced me to pick up a copy of Super Chief. When I get the chance to listen to it I will be happy to weigh in here. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

I have and adore all of his albums.

A huge nod to the genius of Tokyo Rose from 1989. A beautifully recorded and arranged '40s musical that never was.

 

I have Song Cycle (the 80s Warner CD), and his Datsun ad was insane. Haven't checked out much else of his work but I will.

 

There is an informative official website which has not been updated for many a year... lots of info, VDP writings, cool images...

therealvandykeparks.com

 

I love VDP, and his blathering, too! Here he is on Harry Shearer's show, interviewed and playing piano:

August 16, 2015

 

I have Song Cycle, OCA and Jump!
Especially the last I can recommend.

Btw, has anyone (heard) the special anniversary edition of OCA?
Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks Share Cover of 'What a Wonderful World'

 

I wanted to like Super Chief but it didn't grab me at the time. Maybe I should retry it...

Song Cycle, Discover America, Jump and Tokyo Rose for me.

I really like Jump!

I have not heard the Datsun advert for ages. Is it on anything official and CD-like? It was on some old Warners sampler LP, I think.

I like Ice Capades, too. At least that one is on Arrangements Volume 1. (And where did Volume 2 get to?)

+1 for Jump

BTW that picture is really nice.

 

Volume 2 was in preparation, but sadly the Bananastan label fizzled out.

I started making my own playlist of what could've been included on a Volume 2 and got this far......

Ain't No Great Day — Biff Rose
Amazing Grace (Toe-Tapper) — VDP
At The Tropicana — Kathy Dalton
Datsun Commercial — VDP
High Coin — Harpers Bizarre
Farther Along — VDP
Note of Hope — VDP
Number Nine — VDP
Pitta Patta — Goldie Hawn
Southern Nights — Allen Toussaint (inspired by VDP, not arranged by)
Yellow Magic Carnival — VDP
Come to the Sunshine — Esso Trinidad Steel Band
Your Own Comes First — VDP

Edit: I'd like to see the very hard-to-find Superstar by Esso Trinidad Steel Band released too. Never been able to find this one sadly... anyone out there have it?

 

Another vote for Jump!, in particular the bouncy uplifting Opportunity For Two duet with Jennifer Warnes.

 

He's on Twitter a lot.

 

I enjoy lots of his work! I can recommend this live disc, with a charming mix of Uncle Dave Macon, Brian Wilson and Louis Moreau Gottschalk:
Moonlighting: Live At The Ash Grove

A sample:

 

Jump! is a wonderful album. Remembering Joel Chandler Harris' great characters.

 

VDP as a child actor, with Grace Kelly.



Found this interview: Van Dyke Parks: 'I was victimised by Brian Wilson's buffoonery'

 

A surprisingly little-known VDP production... Goldie Hawn - Pitta Patta

 

He's just had a new 45 out:
Old Black Joe (by Stephen Foster, 1860) b/w Souvenir de Havane (by Louis Moreau Gottschalk, 1859)
(Corbett Vs. Dempsey CvsDS 002)
A-side is 6min Song Cyclish Potpourri

 

'Discover America' is my favorite VDP album.

 

and a 10 inch in June:
VDP Orchestrates Veronica Valerio: Only In America/Solo En America
Modern Recordings 538674431

 

Discovered today this was a VDP production!

I've had it for years without realizing.

 

and he produced their non-LP 45
Superstar WB 7532 (nov 1971)
Esso Trinidad Steelband - Superstar

 

I wish I could find an mp3 of Superstar

 

An amazing album. The CD reissue had a DVD with a cool VDP-produced documentary.

Welcome to Bananastan!

 

Yesterday I checked Super Chief on Discogs and the track listing had 57 tracks. I have the Yep Roc version and it has 27 tracks. I inspected my copy and found a coupon for a free download of the digital album. I did that and got 30 tracks. It seemed that adding the download version to the Yep Roc version gave me the same number of tracks as the overall listing. It seems that the tracks names confirm these. But the timings of the download tracks are usually different from the timings for the CD version. Has anyone listened closely to both sets of tracks?

 

I've listened to both regularly, and nothing has jumped out at me. But clearly I need to do some research. Thanks for the heads-up.